Things Americans Do That British People Will Never Understand

1. Make bread super sweet.

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Americans do love to have a sweet tooth. When visiting the US, you're sure to find a mountain of sugar in most products, however, you'd think bread wouldn't be one, in this case, you'd be wrong! Bread made in the USA has sugar added for a soft texture, enhancing freshness, and boosting sweetness. All this means that American bread is much sweeter than the bread made in Britain.

2. Eat triangular scones.

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As a Brit, when you sit down for a nice cup of tea and scone, usually this baked goodness will come in a circular shape, in the USA they like to be different! We wouldn't blame you if you sat down in a coffee shop in New York, and when placing your order, you couldn't see a scone. The reason is that they cut these into triangles! It's not pizza!

3.  Produce odd pharmaceutical commercials.

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When settling down for a night in front of the television, if you're watching a program on a US network, then get ready for a barrage of odd pharmaceutical adverts. We don't see these types of adverts in Britain, as they are illegal. Only the USA and New Zealand are allowed to market these products. It's not really a surprise, with the private healthcare system.

4. Watch so many commercials for weight loss.

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If you're catching up on the latest episode, of your favorite American sitcom, then expect to be targeted by a weight loss campaign, during the commercial break. Again, these commercials are a money-making scheme, as looking at the statistics nearly 1 in 3 American adults are overweight, with 42.4% of these classed as obese. This raises the question, of whether these products work.

5.  Unable to buy liquor at grocery stores.

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When planning a heavy weekend drinking in Britain, to stock up on liquor all you need to do is make a trip to your local store and make your purchase alongside your weekly food shop. This is not possible in America, due to prohibition-era laws, you'll need to visit your nearest liquor store after finishing at the grocery store. You'll be ready for a drink after a day on your feet!

6. Use the word "lube" a lot!

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Sometimes the language used in the American and British cultures can be very confusing. The word "lube" is used a lot more in the US than in Britain and for good reason. In Britain, this product is used to increase sexual pleasure during intercourse, however, in the USA this is used for day-to-day maintenance on heavy-duty machines and vehicles. Don't get the two confused!

7. Sales tax is not included in the regular price.

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If you're on a tight budget, then make sure you don't get tripped up with the American billing system. In Britain, the price you see on the menu when ordering is the amount you will pay when leaving, however, in the USA, the sales tax does not show until you're handed the bill after the evening has come to a close. Don't forget to bring your calculator.

8. Heavy use of ranch sauce.

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Ranch sauce is seen everywhere in the USA. This has been the best-selling salad sauce since 1992 when it overtook Italian sauce. Ranch is also very popular as a dip/flavoring with potato chips and other foods. If you're a lover of this sauce then we'd suggest bringing a bottle if coming to Britain, as you're more likely to find a super size bottle of Tomato sauce.

9. People are paid to greet you as you walk into a store.

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When visiting your local grocery store in Britain, you grab your basket or trolley, and off you go to complete your shop. In America, they pay employees at stores such as Walmart to stand at the entrance and greet customers as they visit the store. Their main responsibilities are to welcome people with open arms and to also provide directions where required.

10.  Eat microwaveable pizza.

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Pizza, a dish of Italian origin is popular all over the world and has the best taste when the dough and toppings are freshly made and eaten shortly after. Weirdly in America, they will purchase a frozen pizza from the local grocery store and cook this in the microwave for three minutes. Digiorno is the most well-known frozen pizza on the US market.

11. Being loud.

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It's a well-known stereotype that the British regard the Americans as weirdly loud in everyday life. This can be whilst watching sports at the bar, shopping at the local store, or a day out at the park. The American language is clearly toned and carries further than other languages. It's also seen as important to be brought up to speak more confidently in public settings.

12. Peanut butter and jelly as a snack.

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Feeling hungry? In Britain, a common snack would be a ham or chicken sandwich. If visiting America, it's likely the snack you will be offered would be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This combination is rarely if ever seen in Britain and does not appear on any cafe or restaurant menus. The ingredients are also more likely to be made for a child rather than an adult. Grow up!

13. Using "How are you?" as a greeting.

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The last thing you want to do first thing in the morning is have a chat, especially if you haven't had the first coffee of the day. When being greeted in America rather than just saying hello, they will follow this up by asking the question "How are you?" Don't worry though there is no expectation for a response, and it would be seen as odd if your answer was any more than one word!

14. Fahrenheit as a unit of measurement.

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In most countries across the world, the Celsius or centigrade scale is used to measure the temperature, however again the Americans like to be different and instead use the Fahrenheit scale. The reason being is that they claim this scale is more intuitive than Celsius for describing outdoor temperatures in temperate latitudes between 0 in winter and 100 in summer.

15. Cream in coffee.

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Do you want milk with that? This is not a question you are likely to ask if making a cup of coffee for an American friend or colleague. Instead, they may ask you to add cream instead (if you have any) When adding cream, this makes the coffee thicker as this evaporates slower than milk would in a warm beverage. Let's hope Americans don't put milk on their cakes.

16. Different album covers than other places in the world.

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You would think when an artist releases an album that the artwork that appears on the cover is identical in every country it is released worldwide. However, this isn't correct, when a record is released in the USA, the cover is different from every other country. So if you're looking to purchase a record whilst in America, you may be searching for a while!

17. High school lunches that sound horrible.

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Made up of dry hamburgers, brown lettuce, dry fries, and greasy pizza, the food provided in American schools is known to be poor, with other countries around the world providing a better standard. The reason for this is due to the lack of funding provided by the government, only $1.30 is provided to feed each child. If you can it may be best to bring a packed lunch from home.

18. Gaps in bathroom stalls.

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Nobody likes a Peeping Tom, so why do the toilet stalls in America, have wide gaps built in? The official line is that these make the stalls easier to clean, discourage Inappropriate behavior, give space for wheelchairs, and increase air circulation. However, the downside is that whilst you're using these stalls, someone could watch you whilst you're sitting on the toilet. Yuck!

19. Guns

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The main American fascination that the British will never understand is around guns. It is illegal to own a firearm in Britain and the most recent data suggests 6% of homicides are linked to a shooting. In America, 81% of homicides involve a firearm. The reason these weapons are so accessible in the USA, is because all citizens have the right to keep and bear arms.

20. Unable to drink in public.

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When walking the streets of Britain it is almost common to see someone sipping on a bottle of beer, however, you generally won't see this anywhere in America, as in most states drinking in public is illegal. This law was introduced to reduce public intoxication, so this would also reduce people getting behind the wheel of a vehicle and driving under the influence.

21. Talking about other countries like they don't exist.

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A well-known assumption that isn't really based on any real facts is that Americans don't even know much about their own country as it's so big, so why would they know much about other countries around the globe? As the USA is covered by 50 States, it's not really a surprise that they act like they're no other countries that exist.

22. Books are expensive.

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It may be worth cancelling that book club subscription if you ever move to the USA. The price of buying a book is significantly more expensive in America than they are in the UK, the reason for this is due to many factors that include, currency exchange rates, taxes and duties, shipping costs, and demand. It may be time to purchase that Kindle you've had your eye on.

23. Using a microwave rather than using a kettle.

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Another lifestyle choice that British people will never understand, is that Americans choose not to use a kettle and will use a microwave instead. Apparently, the reason for this is they only have access to low voltage in their electricity, so are unable to use electric kettles. So if you still want your morning cup of tea, this will need to come from the microwave.

24. Sharing a bedroom in college.

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If you want to have your own space when in college, then don't plan to enroll in the USA. When you're given the keys to your dorm, don't be shocked to find another person already making themselves at home. In the States, you will sometimes have to share your college bedroom dorm with another student. Is this now giving you second thoughts if you should commute from home?

25. Sports is a really big deal in high school.

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It's also super confusing for British people, where high school sports are so popular in the USA. College sports are an integral part of American culture and many universities have a successful sporting history, developing the careers of countless professional athletes. High school American Football, is the most popular sport in the school system!

26. Washing machines in their own room.

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In Britain, you'll normally find the washing machine in the kitchen, where you'll also have easy access to the dryer or somewhere you can hang the wet clothes to dry. In the US, many homeowners prefer to have this in their own room, such as the garage, as they believe keeping this appliance in the Kitchen is seen as dirty, being so close to the food you consume.

27. Order of dates.

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Make sure you're fully up to speed with the American calendar format (month/day/year) if you're spending time in America and you have events to plan. This is totally different to the British version (day/month/year) It is claimed that the Americans borrowed the way it was written from the UK, however, the UK later changed the format to match the rest of Europe.

28. Don't drink squash.

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After waking up with a hangover in Britain, there is no better feeling than drinking a big glass of squash with ice-cold water. This doesn't happen in the USA, as the average American would rather drink a glass of soda, the best-selling brands are Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, and Mountain Dew. This also helps explain the high sugar intake across the 50 states.

29. High school graduations.

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When graduating in Britain you'll have your name called out, you will walk on stage grab your degree and that's it. In America, high school graduations are a big deal, as these are seen as a symbolization that the student's life is now changing and is a rite of passage into adulthood. It really is a day that will never be forgotten. Do you have a degree on the wall at home?

30. All biscuits are cookies

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If you're a biscuit lover, you will have a lot of choices in the UK, the most popular brands include rich tea, chocolate digestives, hobnobs, and jammie dodgers. In America, all biscuits are cookies, so you'll really need to study the packaging, to know what type you're buying. The best person to ask for advice on this subject would be the cookie monster!