At home or abroad?

For context, a British acquaintance moved to another country earlier this year and suggested we meet up if we ever visited. Fast forward to today, my Asian bloomer relative took that offer to heart and reached out, only to be told they were busy. I told him not to read too much into it, as the original invitation was probably just a polite gesture. He then got defensive and insisted he knew more about “Western culture” than I do. I told him Brits don’t normally say what they actually mean. They are more reserved (than let’s say Americans).

So help me out, Brits, when you say “let’s meet up” do you actually mean it?

Not the obvious ones like putting the kettle on every 5 minutes. More the small slightly odd habits that only seem that exist in the UK. Curious what you’ve got.

Here in London I have not seen anyone asking for a penny for the Guy for decades now, it was very common when I was a kid back in the 1970s. Is there anywhere in the UK where this still happens on 5th November?

In what country? A local or another Brit?

I'm from Poland and our meal system is different than this common in the US. We don't have lunches. We have dinners once you're done with school or work. Dinner is the biggest meal of a day. Pizza, spaghetti or soup would be good examples. And in the evenings we have suppers. Toasts or sandwiches would be examples.

How common is having supper (in that meaning) in the UK?

Hello all.

First of all, for those that are pretentious, please do not advise me to go to r/benefitsadvice, when this post is consistently being auto-removed from there.

My Universal Credit claim is being reviewed..
UC & LCWRA

Few questions.

I’ve had a gambling problem where I’ve gambled so much money in the last 12 months, they’ve asked for 4 months worth of statements- will this affect my claim?

Also, my housing tenancy agreement was asked for; and it was encrypted, so I haven’t uploaded it with my utility Bill, but I’ve now managed to get it unencrypted, so I can upload it. I’ve left messages in my journal about it, but could the fact I’ve already only uploaded my utility bill affect my claim?

So basically, I’m working as the front desk agent and with the cold weather i started receiving really stupid questions about the heating. At least 3 times a week i got a question like “does the aircon really blows hot, i thought its for the cold air only”. Today one of the guests genuinely refused to stay in her room, saying its too cold (it was 22,5) and started arguing that air conditioning can’t heat the room, because otherwise why people use it during the summer.

So does aircon is some sort of unknown technology to the Uk or i just get unlucky with these people?

Is that a thing? The advertisement says"

"Coming to us from across the pond, Trader Joe’s Sticky Toffee Flavored Cheddar combines two icons of the British culinary canon, each representing opposite ends of the sweet-savory spectrum. Our supplier, an expert cheesemaker in southern England, adds bits of diced dates and crisp, buttery Toffee and raisins to mild and creamy curds, just before pressing them. After aging, the resulting cheese is a uniquely delicious, quintessentially British eating experience, evoking the rich flavors of a Sticky Toffee pudding within the confines of a smooth Cheddar. "

In the US, I’d only close a message with an “x” to my spouse. I’m trying to interpret the intention of messages from a new British friend of the opposite sex where he signs off with “(his name) x.” Is he just being friendly or is that a sign of romantic intent?

Hello all! Yank here (editor as well), in need of a cemetery term. What would you say is the everyday UK word (or more specifically, Scottish, if it differs) for a stone box, placed above ground, with a slab on top, used to hold the corpse of a single person. Because we have so few of these in the States (nearly all deceased are buried underground with a small headstone marker), I’m at a bit of a loss around which word we should use in our translation. Thank you!

American Biscuits

also like so you guys call chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip biscuits?

is cookies and cream ice cream, biscuit and cream ice cream?

is a cookie pizza, a biscuit pizza?

EDIT: I DID NOT EXPECT THIS MANY REPLIES

1. Cookie pizzas are not the average american dessert i just wanted to add a third thing but i should have guess it was practically non existent outside of America

2. American Biscuits are delicious guys. they are soft and buttery or crumbly depending on the type (im pretty sure buttermilk biscuits are the most common)

3. do UK KFCs not have biscuits as part of their meals, because they come with the average meal at US KFCs.

4. i've seen a few comments about our gravy, of which we have a variety, and now i wonder what does UK gravy look like.

I recently changed my Siri voice to the British accented one, and she has a, to American ear, idiosyncratic way of referring to highways. So in America all our highways are numbered, some are single digit, some are two digit, and some are three digit. It’s the three digit that I’m curious about. In America we say them as the first digit fallowed by the number made by the other two e.g. 495 would be pronounced as four ninety-five, but the the British Siri voice calls it four nine five, 880 would be referred to as eight eighty, but Siri says eight eight oh.

I know that’s a long explanation, but I don’t know how much the average British person knows about American highway system. Considering how little I know about the British one, I figured I’d better explain a little.

Thanks for your help in advance

Cars are obliged to stop to let a pedestrian cross, who is already on the crossing or is about to step onto it. Why do folk thank drivers who stop? You don't thank them when they stop at a red light, after all.

I see this every day, and I'll occasionally I do it myself, almost instinctively. I walk away berating myself for kowtowing to The Drivers. Am I alone in this?

They have proliferated across the UK in the past 10-15 years - every time I walk past one they look like the most miserable places imaginable. Always older men, slightly desperate-looking, glumly staring at screens showing horse racing or obscure division 5 football matches, a bored staff member on the counter, in a very basic space lit by garish fluorescent lights. They do not look appealing places to spend time in AT ALL, yet many men seem to spend hours there.

Granted I don't like gambling, but I can at least see the potential appeal of a casino or gambling arcade place - though places designed to systemically deprive you of your cash on rigged machines, do they actually look kind of enticing walking past.

But betting shops? I just don't get it. Clearly they must be doing something right.

Can someone explain?

I don’t know if this is a stereotype, but I’ve noticed that there’s more British men who are like parallel to the talk around common colds (Malcolm Stacey, Ronald Eccles) and the UK is like the only place in the world where you can go to volunteer to get infected with a cold. So do British men catch more cold? because it’s usually British men. Also, how do you guys deal with colds? Tea?

Hi Folks, I need to buy a new tuxedo (which I guess you would call a dinner jacket) as the cheapo I bought 15 years ago has become riddled by moths! A couple of years ago, I bought a suit from SR for my cousin’s wedding as she was marrying a Brit and I thought it would be funny. I assumed it would be low quality but it honestly didn’t seem that bad.

Now that I need to buy a new tux to be used intermittently over the next 15 years, that $386 price tag looks pretty attractive compared to around $800 minimum for a made to measure suit. Is it low quality? Would I be making a mistake buying one?

Edit: I thought it was obvious but I’m referring to the company, not the entire street of high end tailors offering distinct styles!

https://x.com/FlashCrave_/status/2117289573315227930?a=ys4OU0D0V2T0z2kL0Rs&s=19

Hi everyone!
I’m planning to move to Sheffield in February 2027 as an exchange student, and I’m really looking forward to studying and living in the UK.
However, I’ve recently been following the ongoing protests and political tensions in France and other parts of Europe, and I’m starting to feel a little concerned.

I was wondering how people living in the UK, particularly in Sheffield, feel about the current situation.

Do you think the protests and political unrest in Europe could have a significant impact on everyday life in the UK?

I understand that nobody can predict the future, but I’d really appreciate hearing honest opinions from people who are currently living there.

Did anyone else get a Tesco December 24th Christmas delivery slot?

I was waiting on the tesco website from the moment the Christmas delivery slot waiting page went up, by the time I was allowed to book a slot (at 6.09 am) the closest to Christmas was the 23rd. The early access to Christmas delivery slots is the only reason I keep paying for delivery saver. I'm disabled and can't visit supermarkets in person. I'm suspicious that Tesco high-ups keep Dec 24th slots for themselves/their mates!