An American woman living in the UK has opened up about the British customs that she finds bizarre, including washing dishes without rinsing and referring to dinner as ‘tea,’ despite being thankful for the NHS. Brittany, originally from Florida and now living in Birmingham with her 36 year old husband Nick, often shares cultural contrasts on TikTok (@thebrickhousechronicles) to her 20,000 followers.
She confessed to What’s The Jam: “There’s actually a big debate about the way British versus Americans wash up,” adding, “I thought everyone in the world would do it the same way but it appears Brits have their own method.”
“You don’t rinse the dishes after washing; it makes no sense. Food is [also] a big one – having British food day in and day out is difficult on the stomach.”
Brittany continued to express her bafflement over UK culinary staples: “There’s also traditional dishes that I can’t wrap my head around, like eel pie. A lot of chip shop food is really greasy, too, and I don’t understand battered items that aren’t usually battered like chips and sausages.”
Black pudding, she said, is not something she enjoys, and acclimating linguistically was harder than expected due to the numerous differences between American and British English and the variety of UK regional accents.
Brittany was left baffled when her British in-laws invited them for ‘tea’ and meant dinner, revealing it also caused her speech pattern to change. She confessed: “I remember being so confused when my husband’s parents kept asking us over for tea and they actually meant dinner. My voice also goes up at the end of a question now, whereas Americans stay pretty flat.”
Finding this quirk puzzling, she noted, “It’s something my friends and family back home think I’m quite weird for.” Embracing British customs, Brittany admits the local pub culture has grown on her and she’s become rather weather-focused too.
She elaborated: “I drink a whole lot more and way earlier in the day, too. I think and talk about the weather all the time. When it’s nice, I hang my clothes out to dry, which isn’t something I did in the US.”
Brittany relocated to the UK in 2019 with dreams of settling down and snapping up some real estate. Nowadays, her monthly expenses tally up to just £900 – a notable drop from the typical £1,200 per month living costs for two people in Florida.
Her experience sparked interest online after she shared videos on the peculiarities of British homes – from dual faucets to kitchen laundry machines. Despite these cultural shifts, Brittany sees several benefits in life across the pond.
She acknowledged: “The stress of the healthcare system is definitely something I’m happy not to deal with any longer. It’s a relief to not live with the fear of going bankrupt if I get sick. While the NHS isn’t free to immigrants living here, as we have to pay a surcharge before we have access to it, this is still much cheaper than in the US.”
“I’m glad to be living in a city that’s walkable, too, and has good public transportation. Most places in the US require a car to get around, which leads to many Americans thinking 20 minutes is a long trek. My hope is that Brits, who are known for their sense of humour, will take my opinions in their stride and see the funny side.”
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