British People Are Sharing "Totally Normal" Things That Are "Nonexistent" In America, And I'm Honestly Surprised At 90% Of These
Reddit user u/appalachian_hatachi asked, "What does Britain have that America doesn't have?" and it's fascinating. I honestly never thought about these facts, but they are SO true!
Here are the top-voted answers:
1."When you enter a store in Britain and see an item's price posted on it, you know exactly how much it costs."
2."Christmas crackers and the little paper hats and bad jokes that go along with them."
3."Using the word 'c*nt' as an endearing term."
"But for some reason a twat is just a twat. Twat is by far the best word to describe someone you strongly dislike. Like a wanker but an inept one at that."
4."Most salaried jobs in Britain give you 25 days of holiday, plus the extra eight (or more depending on royal shenanigans) bank holidays. So 33 days off a year."
5."Actual football where you kick the ball with your foot, but I'll admit that some American football fans give footie fans a run for their money."
6."Black currant. I love black currant jam and yoghurt so, so much."
7."Inside voices."
"It's so true. I was once standing in the Morikami Japanese Garden in Boca Raton, Florida, when one New Yorker standing right next to another yelled 'gee, Harry, isn't it TRANQUIL??!!'"
8."NHS (National Health Service). My dad spent some time in A&E (accident and emergency) yesterday after a bad fall, and we won't be getting a bill."
"I lived in Scotland briefly and had to get my birth control renewed. I had the appointment with the GP, and he said, 'Okay, you can grab your prescription from the front desk.' I asked him if I paid there, and he said, 'Oh, love. No. It's a human right.'"
9."Irn-Bru."
10."Pubs. And a lot of them. I once saw a documentary about a US aircraft carrier meeting up with the new British aircraft carrier. In the US Navy, they are not allowed to drink on ship. Meanwhile, the British aircraft carrier has a pub. The poor look on those American sailor's faces!"
11."Prawn cocktail crisps."
12."Clean and efficient public transportation. I know Londoners aren't always happy with the Underground, but as an American, it was the cleanest, safest, and most efficient rail system I have ever seen, especially for the scale of the operation. Of course, I'm from Boston so there is a very low bar with ours, but still."
13."Paths and sidewalks everywhere. I don't understand living in a place where you can't walk down the street to the shops."
14."Maternity leave that doesn’t result in an 8-week-old at daycare."
15."Medieval castles that are not made out of plastic."
16."As a sparky, aka an electrician, I’m proud to say we have the Type G plug. According to me, it's the best standardized plug anywhere in the world. British wiring standards in general. Boiling water in microwaves, you heathens."
17."Proper Cadbury chocolate."
18."Top quality comedy panel shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats, Countdown, Would I Lie to You?, Taskmaster, and Big Fat Quiz. American comedians are just too competitive to do it proper (Whose Line Is It Anyway? is the closest)."
19."Clotted cream...it's so good."
20."Philomena Cunk."
And finally...
21."Tesco."
Now, it's your turn! What's something normal in Britain that Americans don't experience? Comment below!
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
