Brits abroad, what's the British habit you couldn't shake even after years away?
Posted by taube_d@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 40 comments
I have a British colleague who has lived outside the UK for almost a decade and she still apologizes when other people bump into her. Watched a stranger run into her shoulder at a coffee shop and she said "sorry" before he did. It was reflexive. She didn't even register it. That's the one I've noticed most often. There seem to be a few of these that are wired into Brits so deeply that no amount of time abroad takes them out.
Brits who've lived in another country for a while, what's yours? The phrase, the social reflex, the small thing you keep doing in places where it doesn't really make sense, the moment that immediately tells people you grew up there.
CrossCityLine@reddit
I lived in the US for a while and not long after I moved there I went to a local bar with some of my colleagues.
Somebody dropped a glass which smashed and of course I went “WAAAAAYYYYYYYY”.
Nobody joined in, the bar fell silent, and one woman looked at me like I’d climbed on the bar and curled a fat shit out. She then said “you monster, they could be hurt”.
I sat there and sulked for a while before heading home.
I still shout it when somebody breaks a glass though.
pip_goes_pop@reddit
I swear you could do an interesting study on what this says about both nations. Interesting they thought you were being mean - I always see the cheer as a supportive thing. I.e. showing you’re on their side and they shouldn’t take it seriously.
Formal-Proposal7850@reddit
As a former bartender, it has two other useful functions.
1) if the glass broke far from the bar and it’s noisy, you might not have heard it. The ‘weeeeeeeey’ tells you to grab the broom.
2) it also highlights pockets of people who might be rapidly heading toward too drunk
danabrey@reddit
Because they miss doing the 'waaaayyyy'? As a former publican, it could be 5 minutes after opening or 1am in a lock-in, that 'waaaaayyyyy' happens regardless of levels of intoxication.
CrossCityLine@reddit
Yeah it’s absolutely a “no big deal” cheer.
julemeister@reddit
I did that in the States with similar results. Also dry humour goes down like a lead balloon and almost got me killed a few times.
Witty-Ad5286@reddit
Yeah sarcasm needs explicit explanation with yanks 😂
julemeister@reddit
I know, I told 4 cowboys in Stetsons, wranglers and expensive boots, they looked like they were attending an Arbys conference haha
Formal-Proposal7850@reddit
Canadians too.
Most of the time I’ll get a reaction like ‘oh I’m so sorry that happened to you’ or ‘are you ok?’
Also our aggressive complaining reads as angry to them.
StrawberryTigerLily@reddit
Did you follow the 'WAYYYY' with 'sack the juggler'?
BarracudaFar1905@reddit
That exact thing happened to me in The Netherlands. It’s an instinct for us, we can’t help it. The world becomes a very lonely place when you solo “WAHEEEEEEY!” in a crowded bar.
DeliciousCkitten@reddit
It's all fun and games until someone gets a glass in their ass...
DrMacAndDog@reddit
Brits don’t mind telling funny stories of which they are the butt. Americans (and Aussies I’m afraid to say) look at you like you’re mad, as if you’ve aired your dirty linen in public. They seem to see it as weakness or stupidity, whereas we see it as if we are a character in the story being narrated by ourself.
Otherwise_Living_158@reddit
I worked in a warehouse with rough ass Aussies on my working holiday visa, good lads mostly but I made a joke about wanking at some point and they all went ultra-defensive like “Wouldn’t know mate, I don’t need to.”
PunkyB88@reddit
I've combined the past to replies to come up with "Wank Voice" 🫢
horfus@reddit
Glasses won't help if you go blind.
PunkyB88@reddit
I'm more concerned with the hair on my palms 🤲
PunkyB88@reddit
My grandad had a strong hackney accent and even stronger language but put on a false "telephone" voice for callers. I think Americans have that telephone voice persona where they present themselves in public at a much greater difference from true openness and vulnerability than British people do
nickllhill@reddit
Have u ever called a good mate at work and they use a “work voice”
Fucking histerical
standupstrawberry@reddit
This is why I hate it when anyone I know from outside of work are at work. They don't belong there and the me they know doesn't either.
d-a-s-a-l-i@reddit
The self deprecating humor is not as much of a thing outside of the UK
ah5178@reddit
More a London habit, but I will hold stubbornly onto station etiquette, that one side of the escalator is for standing, and the other side is for moving. If you stop and stand on the walking side, expect a hand on the shoulder and an 'excuse me!'.
Moppy6686@reddit
I was running down an escalator at a BART station (San Fran) and I loudly shouted "excuse me" to two guys standing side by side. One shouted back "got somewhere to be??" and I went "YES, WORK!" lol
VegetableVindaloo@reddit
It’s the same in Sydney, but the opposite side
mogrim@reddit
Fwiw the Madrid Metro has the same "rules".
Formal-Proposal7850@reddit
I walk the wrong way down stairs
ClickerKnocker@reddit
Sideways?
Not_A_Toaster_0000@reddit
Somehow, they ended up at the top of the stairs again
shaunvonsleaze@reddit
Up
VegetableVindaloo@reddit
Sometimes I take the empty glasses back to the bar still. The staff always look surprised
Pizzagoessplat@reddit
Saying "How are you?" as a greeting
It seems like the non English speaking world literally think we mean it instead of using it as a greating.
MD564@reddit
Shoes in the house. I do not want to spend my time sweeping up and mopping when people can just take them off.
MoblandJordan@reddit
Queuing. I still queue in a place that has never heard of the concept. Everything takes three times as long but it’s worth it.
EmmaInFrance@reddit
Eating our main meal in the evening and only having a something light at lunchtime.
It's traditional and still very common here for people to eat the main meal of the day during the midday break.
dandygreyrusset@reddit
Same. Eating a big meal at lunchtime is not conducive to a productive afternoon.
dandygreyrusset@reddit
Saying please when requesting something. There is a word for it but no one uses it. It just feels rude and demanding to ask for something without saying please at the end so I say it anyway.
apeliott@reddit
Making dry jokes.
the_sweens@reddit
Opening doors for people even if they were slightly too far away and watching them be confused instead of shuffling forwards quickly whilst saying sorry
fergie@reddit
One mug of Scottish Blend every morning
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.