After living in the UK for ten years, a woman from America detailed the biggest culture shock she experienced when she first set down roots.
Despite the many similarities, the cultural difference between the UK and the USA could not be more clear. The two nations are constantly pitted against one another, as seen recently when a British man confessed to preferring a specific thing State-side.
The biggest UK vs America culture shock was tea
At the end of February, TikTok user MJ (@grassmoons) posted a lengthy video about her experience of moving to the UK. Though she did not address the viral hatred of British Chinese takeaway, MJ did touch on a range of subjects she struggled to get a handle on.
The first issue she came across was the UK’s use of the twenty-four-hour clock, which is also used in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Though the difference could be confusing enough, MJ revealed that it’s how Brits implement it that is confusing. You see, if the time says “22:00” then British people will say 10 O’Clock, not twenty-two hundred.
Continuing on the subject of semantics, MJ urged her fellow Americans to be cautious of the difference between “Tea time” and “Cup of tea.” The former is a specific meal-time, usually around 5 pm, while the second is the nation’s favorite drink.
If you live in London dont come in the comments with a “well actually” bc yall have your own little cultural bubble #americanabroad #americanintheuk
Though America is the land of late-night shopping, the UK is very different and closes most of its shops between 5 pm and 6 pm. As such, MJ reminded her American followers to prioritize shopping throughout the day.
The final culture shock arose when MJ discovered that drip coffee from America is “not really a thing” in the UK. Funnily enough, MJ is not the only American to take issue with the UK’s lack of drip coffee.
One person posted on Reddit: “Instant coffee tastes pretty bad/unlike regular coffee in North America, but for some reason it’s better in the UK. Maybe just because it’s more commonplace companies make it better. I dunno.”
Americans shared their thoughts in the comments
Many of MJ’s American followers took to the comments to offer their agreement alongside their own suggestions for the list.
One person confessed: “The filter coffee was so real!! my partner and i visited last year and literally First Day we were at brunch and he was so confused.”
“I’ve never understood our shops closing so early now everyone has to work. I think shops would do well if they opened till 7 or 8, even if only for a few times a week. Saturday shopping is a nightmare,” someone else said.
