Moving To The UK? The 10 Cultural Things You NEED To Know.

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Ahhh British stereotypes. Some make sense, some don’t. The bottom line though? You need to know them all if moving to the United Kingdom. That’s why this post breaks down fundamentals in British culture. Newbie level.

If you find yourself in London at the metro barrier without your ticket ready, just walk home. You see, Londoners will be huffing and puffing from even the slightest of hold-ups. Thinking of searching for your ticket at the barrier? Think again. One time I had my ticket in my bag, and took about 5 seconds to find it but that was 4 SECONDS TOO LONG. Even as a Brit myself, I’m not prepared for the fast-paced London lifestyle.

The notorious Jaffa Cake debate. Is it a cake? Is it a biscuit? If you think the latter then you might want to keep that to yourself. The name says it all. Stay safe out there haha.

Our text messages look naked without an X at the end. Why does a little kiss at the end of the text mellow the tone so much? If you message someone “come here now” it sounds so fierce right? A little kiss at the end seems much less threatening.

Sunday is a day designated to roast dinners, because why not. If you go to a pub to take something other than a roast dinner, are you ok? You must try it if you haven’t.

Brits at airports are something else. Only could a British person be drinking beer at 3 am whilst another is eating cheeseburgers with fries at 4 am. Let’s give an honourable mention to the individuals who have BOTH. No judgement here.

Socks and sandals might seem weird to you. For a Brit however, this is THE outfit for running errands. Yes, in public.

We have carpets in our bathrooms and washing machines in the kitchen, although I’m not too sure why.

We have an ability to know exactly where someone is from, by the accent they have. You could say 4 words and a Brit will have your location sussed out within seconds. Useful skill? Nope, but is it impressive? Hell yes.

The word “Pancake” is used to talk about a crepe. So if we’re eating crepes with lemon juice on ‘Pancake Day’ then mind your business haha. Oh, Pancake Day is a real thing by the way.

You could be so angry at something, livid in fact, but if someone asks you how you feel you will lie. Usually something along the lines of ‘all fine thanks’ slips out.

This post is purely for entertainment but it’s all giggles until you find yourself in the above situations…

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15 Comments

  2. Haha literally I agree so much about the X at the end of anything I say.😂😂🙌 Also, I never understand people who draw a barrier between pancakes and crepes, and I keep going for crepes most times under the name of ‘pancakes’ ?❤
    Such a lovely post💕😁

  4. Now wait a minute, where is socks & sandals acceptable?!? Also I only know one person who has a carpet in their bathroom and we all think it’s weird! Haha. Another kitchen one – washing up bowls!!! Americans are befuddled by them LOL. I would say the washing machine thing is efficient use of space, although it also says a lot about how much smaller our houses/flats are – surely American apartments have them? Or is that why laundromats are such a big thing there?

    1. I live in the south of the U.K. and the amount of times I’ve seen people walk around in socks and sandals is shocking 😭 ohhh that’s such a good point, when I was living in the states I was told laundromats are so normal! I don’t know anyone who uses them here

  5. Hey, you missed another vital British foible: we have two taps! One for hot and one for cold, so you freeze or scald your hands on a regular basis. Not for us the sheer and simple convenience of a mixer-tap where you can adjust the water temperature to ‘just right’. Oh no! 😝