Some British habits are charming, others are baffling, and some just seem completely outdated, particularly to Americans.
While the UK has definitely modernised in many ways, you have to admit that certain attitudes remain stuck so far in the past that it’s no wonder outsiders wonder why things haven’t moved on. (Even those of us born and raised here do!) Whether it’s how we handle politeness, social rules, or day-to-day life, these are just some of the attitudes that many Americans find old-fashioned or just downright strange, according to people I’ve met from across the pond. Obviously, some of these are pretty silly, and most relatively harmless, but they’re still worth mentioning. Then again, Americans don’t have much room to talk, and as they say, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, right?
1. Speaking in code instead of just saying what we mean
You have to admit that we Brits love to soften the blow, even when we’re completely fed up. We’d rather say “That’s interesting” instead of “That’s ridiculous,” or “I’ll think about it” instead of “Absolutely not.” To an American, this can feel like a frustrating guessing game — why not just say what you mean? For us, this roundabout way of speaking is about politeness and not making things awkward. For them, it just seems like an unnecessary effort to avoid directness.
2. Insisting that there’s only one correct way of making tea
It’s just tea, right? Wrong. We have a very strict idea of how tea should be made, and any deviation from that is seen as blasphemy. Microwave tea? Unforgivable. Teabag left in too long? You might as well leave the country. Americans, on the other hand, don’t get the fuss. Tea is just another drink to them, and they’ll make it however they like — including serving it cold, which is enough to make us weep.
3. Holding onto the idea of a proper Sunday roast
In many British households, Sunday roast is not optional — it’s practically law. (It definitely is in my house!) A big meal with roast meat, Yorkshire puddings, and all the trimmings is seen as an essential part of the week, even if no one actually has time for it anymore. Americans love a big meal, but the idea of religiously preparing a roast dinner every Sunday seems unnecessary. Why not just eat whatever you fancy? But for us, tradition is tradition, even if it means spending hours making gravy.
4. Complaining about things but never actually doing anything about them
We love a good moan here. In fact, it’s pretty much a national pastime. Whether it’s bad weather, train delays, or the government, they’ll talk for hours about how awful things are. But actually doing something to change it? That’s a different story. Americans, by contrast, tend to take action when something isn’t working. If they get bad service, they’ll complain. If they don’t like a policy, they’ll protest (not that that’s doing much good at the moment over there). We just sigh, shake our heads, and carry on.
5. Staying in terrible jobs for far too long
Americans are used to a work culture where people jump from job to job, looking for better opportunities. Brits, however, will stay in a miserable job for decades just because it’s stable, even if we hate every second of it. Even when we have options, there’s still an attitude of “better the devil you know,” which Americans find baffling. If you’re miserable, why not just leave? To be fair, it does sound pretty simple when you put it this way…
6. Acting like a cup of tea can fix anything
Lost your job? Have a cup of tea. Pet died? Tea. Existential crisis? Stick the kettle on. We swear by the idea that tea can cure any emotional distress, even if it’s completely unrelated to the problem. Americans will sympathise, offer advice, or suggest therapy. Brits will make you tea and awkwardly pat your shoulder. It’s not that we don’t care; we just believe tea is the ultimate emotional support system.
7. Being weirdly obsessed with politeness, even in the worst situations
We Brits will actually thank someone who just elbowed us on the tube — I’ve heard it happen. We’ll say “sorry” to a stranger who stepped on our foot — I’ve actually done this myself. We’ll sit through an awful haircut, nod politely, and still tip at the end. Americans believe in politeness too, but they also believe in standing up for themselves. People from the UK, on the other hand, seem to think confrontation is worse than anything, even if it means walking away looking like a Victorian child with a bowl cut.
8. Treating customer service complaints like a crime
If an American gets the wrong food order, they’ll say something and send it back. If a Brit gets the wrong food order, we’ll smile, eat it, and act like we totally meant to order it. Complaining about bad service feels like a personal attack for many of us. We’ll huff and puff about it afterwards, but won’t actually do anything in the moment. Meanwhile, Americans will ask for the manager without hesitation.
9. Pretending the class system doesn’t exist, but still caring about it
We love to say that class doesn’t matter here anymore, but the reality is that people still quietly judge accents, schools, and even where someone goes on holiday. Americans don’t really think in terms of class the same way. To them, success is about money and achievement, not centuries-old social structures. Brits, however, still hold onto these invisible rules, even when we claim we don’t.
10. Being suspicious of enthusiastic customer service
Walk into a shop in the US, and someone will greet you with a cheery “Hey! How are you today?” Walk into a shop in the UK, and you’ll get a silent nod at best. If a British cashier suddenly starts being overly friendly, most of us will assume something is very, very wrong. Americans love friendly service. We, on the other hand, find it unsettling and assume the person either wants something or is about to rob them.
11. Following unspoken rules of society
We have an entire system of unwritten social rules here that make no logical sense. There’s a correct way to queue, a correct way to behave in a pub, and a correct time to make eye contact with a stranger on the train (which is never). Americans don’t overthink social rules in quite the same way. We, however, are obsessed with them, even though they’re mostly made up.
12. Being too humble for our own good
Americans believe in celebrating success, while Brits downplay every achievement like it was just a bit of luck. Got a promotion? “Oh, well, they probably didn’t have many applicants.” Won an award? “Must’ve been a slow year.” Americans find this weird. Why not just own your success? But for us, bragging is one of the worst possible social crimes.
13. Treating DIY home repairs like a personality trait
We love fixing things ourselves, even when they have no idea what we’re doing. We’d rather spend weeks trying to bodge something together than call a professional. Americans? They’ll just hire someone and be done with it. Weirdly enough, we seem to take personal pride in barely functional DIY disasters. Hey, if Stacey Solomon can become a DIY expert, anyone can!
14. Accepting terrible weather as a way of life
People from the UK suffer through bad weather and just deal with it. Pouring rain? “Could be worse.” Freezing cold? “Good for the air.” After all, what choice do we really have? Meanwhile, Americans will demand central heating, air conditioning, or just move somewhere with better weather. We’ve somehow decided that complaining about the weather is fine, but fixing the problem is a step too far. Hey, that’s our God-given right as Brits!
