Very British - An American perspective on the delights of UK living.

Foods

• Marmite - also known as 'the jar of evil'. It is a yeast extract product that Brits spread onto toasted bread with butter.
  
  
• 'Biscuits, Jim, but not as we know them!' We would more likely call them 'cookies'..but cookies isn't a term used much in the UK.
  
  
• Sandwiches with butter on them or unusual sandwich filling combos such as chicken & sweetcorn, cheese & onion or brie & grape.
  
  
• Tea with milk.
  
  
• Referral to wheat bread as 'brown' bread.
  
  
• Asking for a 'white' coffee, rather than coffee with cream.

• Having alcoholic beverages at lunch on a workday!

• You have to ask for ice in your drink.
  
  

• Jell-o is known as 'jelly'.

• Stove is known as 'the cooker' and don't expect to see Farenheit for your oven! It will most likely be either Gas Mark or Celsius!
  

Speaking

Use of any of the following words, phrases or mannerisms:

• Over usage of the terms 'as well' or 'right' or 'actually' or 'lovely'.
  
  
• The four B's: Bugger, Bloody, Brilliant, Bollocks
  
  
• Crisps
  
  
• Cheers
  
  
• Rip-off Britain
  
  
• Ordering 'chips' at McDonalds to lessen staff confusion that you really want fries.
  
  
• Silent 'h' when pronouncing Birmingham or saying 'h' as if spelled 'haytch'.
  
  
• Referral to garbage as 'rubbish' and the garbage man as the 'bin man'.
  
  
• Petrol...it's the same as gas, right? Or is it? Ok..let's just say the stuff is EXPENSIVE!
  
  
• Y'alright? However, this is usually said to you and your reaction is to always say, 'I'm fine and how are you?' instead of the more traditional reply of 'I'm alright, you alright?'
  
  
• Slipping up and saying 'dollars' when you really mean to say 'pounds' or 'cents' when you mean to say 'pence'.

Mannerisms

• Use of both knife and fork. It really is a pretty civilized way to eat!

• Flow of foot traffic that is enough to make you wanna hurt someone. Every man, woman and child for themselves! No rules...just dodge bodies.
  
  
• The thrill of finally understanding inside jokes of British humour. There are many steeped in the popular culture!
  
  
• How many times must one exchange 'thank you' with a store clerk after they ring up your sale? 'Look, I've got to be somewhere by 2pm. It's 1:30, now. Do you think we can just exchange thank you a few times to each other and then I'm free to go?'
  
  
• Automatic mental conversion of 'z' to 's' when writing words such as 'organisation' and 'visualise'.
  
  
• Single kiss on the cheek of those you are greeting. Hugging is NOT an option.
  
  
• Consideration of writing a book on how to make the most out of those precious storage spaces in your home.
  
  
• Adopting the national all out free-for-all attitude when grocery shopping and the fact that it is never easy to get into or out of a store due to bizarre limited entrance/exits in UK stores.
  
  
• Writing the day before the month no longer seems a bizarre thing.
  
  
• You find yourself defending the UK in futile arguments with people who may have been in the UK for as long as 14 days, and know everything there is to know about it.
  
  
• You are occasionally asked if you are from Ireland because you've taken on a slight UK bias in your vocal intonation.