Ask a visiting American what they think of Britain, and you’ll probably get a polite compliment about the accents or how quaint everything looks.
However, dig a little deeper—or scroll through TikTok long enough—and you’ll find that a lot of Americans think the UK is weirdly stuck in the past. From our bathrooms to our tech habits, there’s a general sense that Brits are doing certain things the long way round or just haven’t quite caught up. Whether fair or not, here’s what makes Americans secretly (or not-so-secretly) wonder if the UK missed a few memos.
1. Separate hot and cold taps
This one confuses every American who visits. Instead of a mixer tap that lets you control the temperature, we’ve still got hot water from one pipe and freezing cold from the other, so you have to do a weird hand dance or fill the sink like it’s 1940. To Americans, it feels like an unnecessary relic from the past. They can’t quite understand why the UK hasn’t just moved on to the convenience of a single-stream tap. To be fair, lots of us are wondering the same thing.
2. No plug sockets in bathrooms
Try drying your hair in a UK bathroom, and you’ll quickly realise there’s no plug. It’s not just inconvenient—it’s baffling to Americans, who are used to having outlets everywhere, including right next to the mirror. Yes, it’s for safety. But in the age of battery-powered everything and wall-safe sockets, Americans often see this as a refusal to modernise, especially when it means blow-drying your hair in the hallway.
3. TV licences
Explaining the TV licence fee to an American is like trying to describe a Victorian tax. They can’t get their heads around the idea of paying to watch live television, or that enforcement officers might knock on your door about it. Streaming is the norm in the US, and most Americans see public broadcasting as donation-based, not mandatory. The licence model feels outdated, especially when so many people are moving away from traditional TV altogether.
4. Warm pints
To the average American, a lukewarm pint is just sad. They expect beer to be crisp and icy cold, not room temperature. So when they’re handed a classic British ale at cellar temp, they think it’s a mistake. We get the tradition, and some pints are meant to be served that way, but it still throws Americans off. To them, it’s less “craft appreciation” and more “did your fridge break?”
5. Long waits for medical appointments
Americans love to criticise their own healthcare system, but they’re often shocked at how long it can take to get a GP appointment in the UK. Waiting weeks to be seen feels unacceptable to them, even if it’s free. While they envy the NHS in many ways, the slow pace and phone queue battles feel like a throwback to a pre-digital era. In the US, you might pay more, but you’re often seen quicker, and that’s hard for them to overlook.
6. Light switches outside the bathroom
It genuinely unsettles Americans that in the UK, you often have to turn the bathroom light on from outside the room. It feels like a prank waiting to happen, or just weirdly impractical. In the US, switches go inside the room like everywhere else. The outside switch rule is one of those quirks that makes Americans feel like Britain is still playing by 1950s wiring standards.
7. Paper cheques and outdated banking
Many Brits still get paid by cheque in certain jobs or use them for rent—something that’s basically extinct in most of the US. Americans are used to instant transfers and mobile cheque scanning, and anything slower seems archaic. Combine that with banks closing early, limited weekend hours, and the UK’s sometimes sluggish app systems, and Americans often see UK banking as something from another decade entirely.
8. Lack of air conditioning
With British summers getting hotter, Americans can’t wrap their heads around how few British homes have air conditioning. They’re used to it as a standard—something you’d only live without if you had no other choice. In the UK, we’re still clinging to fans and open windows. But with rising temperatures, what used to be a quirky difference is starting to feel more like denial than tradition.
9. Radio culture still thriving
Americans are surprised by how many Brits still regularly listen to radio stations like Radio 1, 2, or 4. In the US, most people have switched to streaming services or podcasts, and radio feels a bit… retro. To them, it’s odd that national radio still holds such influence here. It’s not bad—just not what they’re used to in a world where Spotify basically curates your entire mood for the day.
10. Stores closing early
Americans are baffled that in the UK, so many shops close by 6pm—and Sundays? Forget about it. They’re used to 24-hour supermarkets and late-night everything, so British high streets feel frozen in time. Even major chains often shut early, which makes late-evening errands or spontaneous shopping nearly impossible. To Americans, it just seems like lost business and outdated scheduling.
11. Overcomplicated recycling rules
Many Americans visit and get overwhelmed by the number of bins in a UK kitchen. There’s food waste, paper recycling, plastics (but only certain types), and a separate one for glass in some areas—it’s a whole system. While the US isn’t perfect with recycling, they expect it to be simple. Britain’s patchwork of local council rules often makes it feel unnecessarily complicated and, well, behind in efficiency despite the good intentions.
12. TV shows split into ‘series’ with six episodes
Americans are used to binge-watching full seasons of 20+ episodes. So when they discover a new British show and realise the entire ‘series’ is six episodes long, they’re slightly outraged. “That’s it?” is a common reaction. It’s not that the content isn’t good—they usually love the quality. But to them, it feels like a teaser, not a proper commitment. The short runs give off a “we didn’t get a full budget” vibe, even when it’s intentional.
13. Reluctance to go cashless
Contactless is popular now, but the UK was oddly slow to embrace fully cashless systems. In some towns, cash is still king at smaller shops or markets, while Americans are used to tapping their phones literally everywhere—even vending machines. The transition is happening, but slowly. Americans often see this as unnecessary hesitation in a world where “tap and go” has been the norm for years.
14. Royal obsession still going strong
Americans love a bit of royal gossip, sure, but they’re also slightly amazed that so much British media and culture still revolves around the monarchy. To them, it feels oddly feudal for a modern democracy. From commemorative mugs to endless royal coverage, the ongoing fascination can come off as out of step, especially to younger Americans who find the whole thing more strange than sentimental.
15. Still relying heavily on letters and physical post
From NHS appointment letters to council tax reminders, Brits still receive an enormous amount of official communication through the post. In the US, almost everything’s done by email, text, or app notification. To Americans, the UK’s reliance on physical mail feels old-fashioned. They’re stunned by how many things still arrive in an envelope instead of a ping from a digital system, and how many things can’t be handled online at all.
