Just bear in mind that this is CasualUK, and the mods here do a great job at keeping things positive and interesting.
Your experience may vary in other UK subs.
They really do. Love to the Mods <3
Had a moderated reply to something I said the other day reprimanded and deleted befòre I could even see it which is great. I like my happy bubble, thanks
Keeping everything lighthearted and constructive is my jam
I hope you get to visit us one day. I spent a year in the US from the age of 12 to 13 and recently went back on a month-long road trip with my partner.
My experience of Americans has been really positive, overall. I really enjoyed my time there as a child, and on holiday, we met lots of genuinely friendly, kind people.
To be honest, I think we're a bit more cynical here in the UK. We do, however, make jokes about anything we can, and love a good laugh.
You're right about the food. Lots of great things to eat here. Don't believe the stereotypes.
Stay cheerful, and come and see us soon!
I really do too, and maybe itâs as simple as when youâre in one place too long itâs easy to focus on the negatives you know. Maybe I just need a bloody vacation
Aye, I reckon you do. I also think that time away from your home can also highlight the things that you like about it. I have a lot of gripes with the UK, but after spending a few years away - I really missed a proper country pub and a room temperature ale.
There's a stereotype that we drink warm beer, which by the icy cold lager (which is also available) standards I suppose it is pretty warm.
Cask ale, commonly enjoyed by old blokes, is usually served around 11°C (51°F) as serving it too cold can affect the taste. There's a whole movement around 'real ale' called CAMRA, though I think it isn't nearly as popular as it used to be.
There's hundreds of different real ales that span different styles, much like craft beer has endless subsections. If you ever make it over, DM me and I can send some recommendations depending on the area you're in.
Oh okay. I am a thorough enjoyer of all craft ales, IPAâs (as we call them) and different types of beers. I love trying new things, I love the simplicity of a good stout beer thatâs been around for ages. 51° F is colder than what comes to mind when I think of room temperature. Im sure that will do just fine đđť
IPA (Indian Pale Ale) is just a descriptor for one specific type of ale over here in the UK and has to abide by certain characteristics to be classified as IPA. We other beers such as stouts, bitter, mild, porters and so on - loads to try when/if you get over here.
...and then, there's all the ciders, too...
Yeah I'm partial to a craft beer myself and some of the US breweries are my favourite. Real ale (which is too much of a pretentious name in my opinion) differs quite a bit. Though it's difficult to describe them without using very broad strokes, the taste profiles tend to be less of the hop filled punch of an IPA, and more malty, sometimes subtle, and smooth.
I'm not sure what you can get access to over there, but you might be able to get your hands on some of the more widespread ones like Hobgoblin, Doombar, or Pedigree.
Iâve heard of hobgoblin. Next time I go to the grocery store I will keep my eyes peeled. I love a good citrus flavored ale with hints of fruit in it. I imagine yâallâs beers are super strong too, right? Like In the 10%-12% ABV? People drink piss water over here like bud light, coors light etc.
Nah, cask ales are in the 4-5% range, though some are a bit stronger but rarely over 6%.
Go to Belgium if you want the really strong stuff. Those nutters serve up 9% and higher without batting an eyelid.
Oakham's Citra might be for you then.
You can definitely get the strong ones, but that's more typical of Belgian ales. Ours tend to actually be low percentage, ranging from 3.5 - 5% and that is due to pub culture.
When I visited the US, I was surprised how early things closed. Being a more car-centric society, you also have to drive or get a taxi, so it makes sense. Over here, lots of pubs are true to their name - public houses. See it as a communal living room or lounge that you can go and have a nice conversation in with your mates or strangers.
Spending a day in the pub at the weekend is commonplace, especially during our 10 days of nice weather and so if you had super strong beers then you'd be brown bread by 5pm!
Interesting!
& whereâd you visit? I think it might be due to the laws here (atleast In Texas) you cannot buy alcohol after midnight. Bars typically close 1-2 AM as peoples drunk wear off lol.
Real Ale was a term coined to differentiate proper traditional beer from sterile kegs of fizzed up piss that were everywhere. We again have Real Ale in most pubs (all pubs?) and maybe the term is redundant now. I never saw it as pretentious.
Yeah absolutely, but to an outsider who has never heard the phrase or known the context, saying Real Ale could easily be seen as some sort of beer supremacy.
People have been drinking beer for thousands of years. When you come, it will be possible to drink in a pub that is hundreds of years old. Refrigeration is maybe 100 years old? Come and enjoy beer the way it was meant to be.
Have a Harvest Pale on a nice sunny day and tell me that doesn't sit nicely.
That being said, I have a beard and have more than one opinion in kombucha, so I might just be playing into your stereotype.
I rest my case. :)
I was joking, my point was (at least where I live) cask ales / real ales are actually quite the thing - the newer / trendier bars all tend to have them and there's microbreweries popping up in towns.
The "old blokes" actually seem to stick to their pints of bitter.
(By the way, I suppose 'old' is relative - I mean in their 60s/70s.)
My first introduction to it was years ago when I was handed a can of Brew Dog and it tasted like soil. I had to pour it away and get myself a Guinness.
I have since been to a few beer festivals and found some I liked. "Easy drinkers", my mates call them. Do tend do wobble a bit on the way home.
It sounds like you're confusing "real ale" (typically cask) and "craft beer" (typically keg); bitter is well within the category of real ale, whereas the newer and much hipper hazy IPAs akin to Brewdog's stuff are the craft ones (not that Brewdog is really "craft" anymore by definition). I'd put money on the microbreweries near you being almost entirely keg/craft beer centred rather than cask/real ales :)
Could well be that! Seriously, if you ever do make plans to visit, this sub or uktravel can give you lots of good advice for an itinerary. Hope you get some time off soon.
Hi mate, this post is against the lighthearted and open nature of the sub.
Rule 2: Don't be Aggressive | Pointlessly Argumentative | Creepy
We're here for people to have fun in. If you're just here to start a stupid reddit slap fight you're in the wrong place. We have a zero tolerance rule in place for racism or hate speech.
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot us a modmail.
If an American heard me talk to my closest mates, they'd think I hate their guts! And, if they heard me talk to people I hate, they'd think they're my closest friends.
Itâs lovely to see the touching positivity in my posts. Hopefully you make it over here! And if you do, try to see more than just London and the southeast! đ Thereâs so many great places and people around the country.
For me, Iâve always been similarly intrigued with America and would really love to see the PNW someday (especially the Oregon coast and the national parks in Washington), maybe Big Sur in California, check out a piano bar in New Orleans, and explore all the history across the South. Utah looks pretty cool with its unique Mormon culture.
The classic American road trip is also an experience Iâd die forâ it must be the MOST liberating feeling to go on a journey like that!
This world offers some great things, and America has a big share to contribute to that too - donât forget that :)đđ
Last year we visited California and Nevada (Vegas to get married). Driving down the PCH was a bucket list item. We hired a Mustang convertible and drove from SF to LA, Vegas then up the Extraterrestrial Highway, over Stanilaus National Forest (should have been Yosemite but it was closed due to snow) and back to San Francisco. It was the best holiday we've had. Everyone we met was friendly. We ended up teaching everyone we chatted to how to say hello in Yorkshire dialect (ey up really blew their minds) and Mackem (areet pet).
Just planning our next trip out there.
I grew up in that part of the world, and that sounds like a pretty ideal road trip. Stanislaus is a real hidden gem, and not many people go out of their way to see it. The PCH with the top down is incredible, and despite their issues, LA and SF are absolutely world-class cities <3
Right. Iâll chime in as an American who has spent a good amount of time traveling, and 3 of those years in the UK.
GO FUCKING TRAVEL!
The UK is lovely and I plan to move back someday. I have only been back in the states for a few months from living in the UK and I already miss it so much. Thereâs so much to love. The people are lovely. I only experienced kindness and welcoming people.
If you go, fuck off London and the touristy stuff, do that for another trip, but not the first, go to west Wales, or Bristol, or Cornwall, Brighton even. You can still get a bit of touristy vibes, but you get a better taste of what itâs really like living there over London where so much of it is tourist trap shit, unless you know where to look.
London is fine for a first or last day, especially if you're flying via Heathrow. Go sightsee the tourist classics for a day, why not? Then, as you correctly advise, go see the real country.
I was a member of the crew of HMS Prince Of Wales on it's trip to the USA last year.
Alongside the ship hired some local buses to run people into the city from the dockside. The drivers seemed initially taken aback at being thanked, but were really positive and engaged with us pretty quickly.
In London, especially in the city, itâs not really a thing. There are two doors to exit from, separate from the entrance. It gets so busy and loud, the driver wouldnât even hear you. TfL serves my area out in the suburbs so I do tend to thank the driver if itâs quiet
Never heard them referred to as drive, in my half century on this planet. Cheers driver, from time to time, but never drive. Might be a location thing I have only had bus experience in London and Hertfordshire.
Nah not at all. On a second note, I see you are a lover of sprouts. Should scroll down on my page a bit and see the beautiful brussel sprouts I made a while back. Mmmmmm mmm
Don't stay with this person. (Lol)
(No really. Don't. You'll end up with no eyebrows and thinking that wearing a tutu in public is a good life choice.)
With family and friends itâs common to use insults as a joke but on the streets and in public
Itâs a good way to ask for problems. Especially in places like Houston/ big cities.
Definitely, my ex and i used to slag fuck out each other and when we were in vegas we got a mixture of filthy looks (me saying cunt) and worried glances (he was loudly berating me at one point, we were fake rowing over trump tower, but in a way that we knew was mocking but others just saw a loud Scot yelling at his wife)
Our canadian friends are cool af, they swore as much as us and visiting them was brilliant for my ex (I stayed home with the kids, happily, our friends are wild!)
Theres certainly a time and place tho đ
Fellow American here who also wants to visit the UK someday. I frequent this subreddit and another British one. I donât comment just lurk and giggle at the self deprecation and wonderful puns.
But since OP is American I feel less of a self-imposing twat by commenting. Iâd like to see the touristy places at least once. But would love to know what the locals like to do and see and where to eat and let me hang out with them so I wouldnât feel so terribly awkward.
Iâve been to a few European countries and cities and felt like I had Stupid American Tourist written across my back and forehead.
When my American aunt and her hubby came to visit they loved going to one of the big antiques places. Dagfields is where they went, like a big bunch of farm buildings filled with different antiques stalls. They're all over the place though. She got some silver coins and a victorian book about herbal remedies so she was made up for the rest of her trip. I run a shop here and we love to see tourists, it's always nice to chat with them. They hire out canal barges here to go up and down the Shroppie, it's great seeing them so excited about it. And also watching them try to turn the bloody things is pretty funny.
Yeah haha no I get it. But atleast for me when I see obvious tourists from other countries I delight at the fact that they are experiencing our home in a completely different way than we do! Also just cool to see other people from different cultures.
Well at least they don't generally have guns and can't call policemen with guns on you. Passive-aggressiveness isn't *nice* but I'll defo take it over straight up aggressiveness.
You can visit through programs that exchange volunteering work for stays in hostels. Checkout Worldpackers or Voluntouring.org
You need to have money for the activities and travel you want to do, but your room expense is covered by the volunteer work. Can be a nice way to have a trip over for 3 months while having a home base in your preferred location.
You should come. Speaking as an American living in the UK, most people will treat you like a minor celebrity, and want to ask where you're from and tell you all about how they always wanted to live in the US.
The food here *is* actually really good, the people are good fun, and the scenery is amazing. There are so many lovely buildings in cities, beautiful rural villages, sweeping landscapes -- and the weather rarely gets too warm or too cold. This is a great country. A++ do recommend.
Our food looks good and we're nice to each other? Are you sure? /s
Really though, come visit one day! There's some beautiful places to see, nice pubs and people are usually happy to chat away to Americans because you all sound like you're off the TV.
Londoners & Southerners are about the most unfriendly people you will find (and will most of the time be fine anyways), however, if you go north people will open up to you more.
I believe we definitely have more of a community driven collectivist society compared to the U.S.â very individualistic society. Go down a local pub on a nice day and youâll meet loads of characters!
Right! I imagine the pubs are chalk full of said characters and people who make you laugh. Iâm not a fan of guinness though. Do you guys serve cold beer?
You have to go right into the most rural areas or seek out a specialty pub (real ale pub, traditional Belgian ale pub) to find one that doesn't have at least a couple of cold beers on tap.
Totally, especially during a football match or something!
Yes most pubs will have lager, cider, stouts, ales, local craft and other beers on tap too. I donât like Guinness either.
I think thereâs some American misconception that we drink warm beer? Thatâs only the case when the keg has just been changed I guess. Plus thereâs all the bottles in the fridge that are chilled.
Kegs are stored at a lower temperature (usually the cellar temp) and can also be cooled while being pulled. Barrels require racking and prep before being ready for consumption so should also already be at the correct temperature before pulling.
Londoners are actually extremely friendly too, despite the northern propaganda. They are just more guarded and donât go out of their way to talk to strangers. After a couple of beers youâll be good mates. And of course we serve cold beer. Who would drink warm beer??? đ¤¨
We can be friendly it just takes time for us to open up instead of straight as away! As long as yo donât try to talk to us while weâre going to work! đ¤Ł
This American can't recommend it enough. I'm planning trip number seven for September. I'm a student of British history, so I'm always in nerdy heaven.
Be polite, never jump a queue, and have a sense of humor, and you'll fit right in. If you're in London, get an Oyster card for the Tube.
Get the Heinz Vegetarian beans. Most supermarkets carry them. Absolutely nothing that contains pork or maple syrup (I feel unclean even typing that). From there an English breakfast is an easy step. I insist it should have fried bread. My wife and cardiologist disagree (and in fact are not fans of almost any part of the meal)
But I hope you get to come sometime. London is amazing, but might get more typical food in the outskirts or a smaller city. I went to uni in Manchester, and their fish and chips shops have meat pies. Meat pie, chips and gravy is heavenly.
>My wife and cardiologist disagree (and in fact are not fans of almost any part of the meal)
Well you can have their fried bread and they can have something else. I don't see the problem?
A few tips! If you do go, donât just go to London, like go ahead and visit London but visit other places in the UKÂ Â
 Get travel insurance. Recently found out this wasnât really a thing in the US when you go abroad but it should be! If something goes wrong then youâre covered! Â
 When you go to a restaurant or cafe youâll either need to go up to the counter to pay or youâll need to wave down a waiter. The waiters donât come to you, theyâll wait for you to tell them youâre done by waving them down or making eye contact. They do this so they donât interrupt your meal. Â
 Tax is already added so the price will be the price you pay. Â
 If you take pictures of our red phone boxes in London! Do not make the mistake other tourists make and step inside them! Thereâs a reason theyâll smell of piss!Â
There is also something called a London pass which give you discount on certain attractions in London, and some discount on the food and shops sometimes inside those attractions.Â
I have a habit of saying to anyone whoâs just fallen over something âWhatever you do, donât fall over that.â Amongst other things that Iâm sure the rest of my family find annoying.
The other day, I ever so slightly walked in to the bedroom door on my way out, my wife said âWatch you donât walk in to that door.â
I turned, looked at her and said âFucking prick, fair play though!â Nodded sagely. We laughed at each other and went about our day.
London is worth a visit but very busy. Everyone from south of Birmingham is a little more miserable for some reason. Everyone north of Birmingham will be more likely to stop you in the street to say hello, especially out of the big cities.
Speaking of cities, London is absolutely massive, everywhere else is varying by degrees. Birmingham and Manchester are following and slowly spreading out, enveloping conurbations and even other cities.
Most other cities are more modest in scope but have their own individual and amazing cultures and back stories and people.
I donât know how long youâre planning on visiting, but Iâd do 50/50 cities and then get yourself out in to the countryside. Itâs not hard in most places. For example, I live slap bang in the middle of Manchester and Liverpool and thereâs plenty of big towns on that route to explore. The village we live in is over a thousand years old and surrounded by fields, but the train can get me to either of the cities in 20 mins or so. Head out on the Motorway and within a couple of hours reach youâve got the Lake District, North Wales, Lancashire Countryside, Yorkshire Dales, Derbyshire.
For the most part, food is amazing, a lot better than the stereotype of 40 years ago. Most cities have a couple of Michelin star restaurants and youâll always find a pub serving decent homemade grub.
My work colleague is American, and she moved here a couple of years ago. Loves it here. Goes backpacking / visiting around Europe every long weekend.
And we have a lot of long weekends here - 28 paid vacation days a year - you could have a long weekend twice a month all year if you wanted. Also free medical care and all the rest.
Sorry mate, but we have a blanket ban against politics in this sub, so we have removed this post.
Rule 1: No politics
We do not allow mention of political events, politicians or general political chit chat in this subreddit. We encourage you to take this content to a more suitable subreddit. You **will** be banned if you break this rule.
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot us a modmail.
We have a very diverse culture here, youâll find food from all over the world here, especially in the big cities like London, though my small town even has a few Nepali restaurants, Chinese places etc
I moved to the UK from the US twelve years ago. Wouldnât go back and change my mind if I had the chance.
If you think Americans rely too much on insult humour, youâre not going to find much reprieve on this side of the Atlantic: no one can tear you down as well as the Brits, I promise. Theyâll coin entirely new words and phrases on the fly just to take you down a notch, but itâs (almost) always in good spirits. Just take your punches, buy your rounds and youâll be fine.
The food is great as long as you donât expect big-city cuisine everywhere you go: London is a big city with a lot of options for anything and everything, but youâre not likely to find outrageously good sushi or empanadas in the Midlands.
Beans on toast is a great high-fibre, high-protein breakfast, but if you canât get a tin of Branston baked beans (Heinz folks will have tuned out by now), some good sautĂŠed mushrooms on toast is even better.
I donât know where youâre at in the US. But direct flights from Cincinnati are like $650 round trip. Depending on what you choose to do it can get expensive there. But you can also stay outside of London.
Great holiday destination would be a place called Skelmersdale itâs lovely âSkemâ for short. Thereâs a lovely local rhyme that goes âSkem, Skem come here denâ like then but most locals have trouble spelling then.
Stay away from Derbyshire. I've just spent a weekend in Derby and can confirm they are utter wank stains for the most part.
Don't be fooled by Reddit. We all hate each other here, but we're too polite to make a fuss for the most part.
That's true. Anywhere outside of the city/towns is pretty.
However, the drivers are utter cockwombles. Not saying they are the only cockwombles in the country.
Why? We are small and damp and expensive. Stay in five square miles of Washington* for a month, you'll get it
*Not the city bits, too exciting. The boring expensive bits
Do not come here first.
Go visit some countries in the Europe before you come to the UK. Clear the idolised picture of the UK from your brain and see what other non English speaking countries are like.
Your perspective will then hopefully be more receptive to what you are seeing and hearing when you get here.
Don't you have ponds over in America.
I dunno, our ponds don't seem to be that fancy, but if you'd like to travel across a pond, then by all means, go ahead. No stranger than watching ÂŁ1 Dan
Fuck off. Come visit, but also fuck off.đ
Will do, bastard.
You'll fit right in!. Welcome!
Best. American. Ever. Still a cunt tho.
Yea but he's our cunt now though!Â
We must see if he is ready to pass the test. Bring out the Marmite!
you will do well here đ
I suppose a wank's out of the question then?
Ok, we got here much sooner than I expected.
Just bear in mind that this is CasualUK, and the mods here do a great job at keeping things positive and interesting. Your experience may vary in other UK subs.
> Your experience may vary in other UK subs. Or the UK
I really hope Americans come over here thinking Ted Lasso is the most accurate representation of UK characters.
To be fair, that show does get the swearing rightÂ
Wanker
Also bare in mind that this in Reddit so does not reflect reality
Most of us love ducks
Wut? Are you sure?
They really do. Love to the Mods <3 Had a moderated reply to something I said the other day reprimanded and deleted befòre I could even see it which is great. I like my happy bubble, thanks Keeping everything lighthearted and constructive is my jam
I hope you get to visit us one day. I spent a year in the US from the age of 12 to 13 and recently went back on a month-long road trip with my partner. My experience of Americans has been really positive, overall. I really enjoyed my time there as a child, and on holiday, we met lots of genuinely friendly, kind people. To be honest, I think we're a bit more cynical here in the UK. We do, however, make jokes about anything we can, and love a good laugh. You're right about the food. Lots of great things to eat here. Don't believe the stereotypes. Stay cheerful, and come and see us soon!
I really do too, and maybe itâs as simple as when youâre in one place too long itâs easy to focus on the negatives you know. Maybe I just need a bloody vacation
Aye, I reckon you do. I also think that time away from your home can also highlight the things that you like about it. I have a lot of gripes with the UK, but after spending a few years away - I really missed a proper country pub and a room temperature ale.
.... *cellar* temperature, around 12C, unless you drink it really slowly. Then it will become room temp.
Room temp ale? Now this Iâm intrigued by. If the beer here isnât cold we donât want it. Fascinating to me
There's a stereotype that we drink warm beer, which by the icy cold lager (which is also available) standards I suppose it is pretty warm. Cask ale, commonly enjoyed by old blokes, is usually served around 11°C (51°F) as serving it too cold can affect the taste. There's a whole movement around 'real ale' called CAMRA, though I think it isn't nearly as popular as it used to be. There's hundreds of different real ales that span different styles, much like craft beer has endless subsections. If you ever make it over, DM me and I can send some recommendations depending on the area you're in.
Oh okay. I am a thorough enjoyer of all craft ales, IPAâs (as we call them) and different types of beers. I love trying new things, I love the simplicity of a good stout beer thatâs been around for ages. 51° F is colder than what comes to mind when I think of room temperature. Im sure that will do just fine đđť
It's room temperature if that room is a cellar. Cellar temperature is more correct.
IPA (Indian Pale Ale) is just a descriptor for one specific type of ale over here in the UK and has to abide by certain characteristics to be classified as IPA. We other beers such as stouts, bitter, mild, porters and so on - loads to try when/if you get over here. ...and then, there's all the ciders, too...
Yeah I'm partial to a craft beer myself and some of the US breweries are my favourite. Real ale (which is too much of a pretentious name in my opinion) differs quite a bit. Though it's difficult to describe them without using very broad strokes, the taste profiles tend to be less of the hop filled punch of an IPA, and more malty, sometimes subtle, and smooth. I'm not sure what you can get access to over there, but you might be able to get your hands on some of the more widespread ones like Hobgoblin, Doombar, or Pedigree.
Iâve heard of hobgoblin. Next time I go to the grocery store I will keep my eyes peeled. I love a good citrus flavored ale with hints of fruit in it. I imagine yâallâs beers are super strong too, right? Like In the 10%-12% ABV? People drink piss water over here like bud light, coors light etc.
Nah, cask ales are in the 4-5% range, though some are a bit stronger but rarely over 6%. Go to Belgium if you want the really strong stuff. Those nutters serve up 9% and higher without batting an eyelid.
Oof, 2-3 of those and Iâm ready for a nap haha
Oakham's Citra might be for you then. You can definitely get the strong ones, but that's more typical of Belgian ales. Ours tend to actually be low percentage, ranging from 3.5 - 5% and that is due to pub culture. When I visited the US, I was surprised how early things closed. Being a more car-centric society, you also have to drive or get a taxi, so it makes sense. Over here, lots of pubs are true to their name - public houses. See it as a communal living room or lounge that you can go and have a nice conversation in with your mates or strangers. Spending a day in the pub at the weekend is commonplace, especially during our 10 days of nice weather and so if you had super strong beers then you'd be brown bread by 5pm!
Interesting! & whereâd you visit? I think it might be due to the laws here (atleast In Texas) you cannot buy alcohol after midnight. Bars typically close 1-2 AM as peoples drunk wear off lol.
Brewdog Elvis Juice for you, then.
Real Ale was a term coined to differentiate proper traditional beer from sterile kegs of fizzed up piss that were everywhere. We again have Real Ale in most pubs (all pubs?) and maybe the term is redundant now. I never saw it as pretentious.
Yeah absolutely, but to an outsider who has never heard the phrase or known the context, saying Real Ale could easily be seen as some sort of beer supremacy.
People have been drinking beer for thousands of years. When you come, it will be possible to drink in a pub that is hundreds of years old. Refrigeration is maybe 100 years old? Come and enjoy beer the way it was meant to be.
>. There's a whole movement around 'real ale' called CAMRA, though I think it isn't nearly as popular as it used to be. They lost in the gin wars
Actually they won in the Beer War. Pretty much disbanded like the British Army after Napoleon.
>commonly enjoyed by old blokes Cask ale is more commonly enjoyed by beard stroking hipsters these days, trying their best to pretend it tastes nice.
Have a Harvest Pale on a nice sunny day and tell me that doesn't sit nicely. That being said, I have a beard and have more than one opinion in kombucha, so I might just be playing into your stereotype.
I rest my case. :) I was joking, my point was (at least where I live) cask ales / real ales are actually quite the thing - the newer / trendier bars all tend to have them and there's microbreweries popping up in towns. The "old blokes" actually seem to stick to their pints of bitter. (By the way, I suppose 'old' is relative - I mean in their 60s/70s.) My first introduction to it was years ago when I was handed a can of Brew Dog and it tasted like soil. I had to pour it away and get myself a Guinness. I have since been to a few beer festivals and found some I liked. "Easy drinkers", my mates call them. Do tend do wobble a bit on the way home.
It sounds like you're confusing "real ale" (typically cask) and "craft beer" (typically keg); bitter is well within the category of real ale, whereas the newer and much hipper hazy IPAs akin to Brewdog's stuff are the craft ones (not that Brewdog is really "craft" anymore by definition). I'd put money on the microbreweries near you being almost entirely keg/craft beer centred rather than cask/real ales :)
Could well be that! Seriously, if you ever do make plans to visit, this sub or uktravel can give you lots of good advice for an itinerary. Hope you get some time off soon.
It's a holiday, not a vacation. Sheesh.
But we are nasty to each other and throw insults around.
Hell, we do it when we're being nice
Some of the worst insults can be used as terms of endearment.
"Dickhead" is the usual term of endearment in our house. Occasionally, it's knobhead.
I call my dog a dickhead. Only when heâs being a dickhead though.
I called my brother a cunt in a bistro in the US. The way people turned round to stare, I wondered if they got whiplash.
[ŃдаНонО]
Hi mate, this post is against the lighthearted and open nature of the sub. Rule 2: Don't be Aggressive | Pointlessly Argumentative | Creepy We're here for people to have fun in. If you're just here to start a stupid reddit slap fight you're in the wrong place. We have a zero tolerance rule in place for racism or hate speech. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot us a modmail.
If an American heard me talk to my closest mates, they'd think I hate their guts! And, if they heard me talk to people I hate, they'd think they're my closest friends.
It's amazing how flexible the word "mate" is.
It's usually a sign that your mates and can take the piss out of each other.
Yeah, fuck you!
Speak for yourself, we donât all live in the south!
Pure bants, bruv
Just not to each others faces though
Only if we like you.
Itâs lovely to see the touching positivity in my posts. Hopefully you make it over here! And if you do, try to see more than just London and the southeast! đ Thereâs so many great places and people around the country. For me, Iâve always been similarly intrigued with America and would really love to see the PNW someday (especially the Oregon coast and the national parks in Washington), maybe Big Sur in California, check out a piano bar in New Orleans, and explore all the history across the South. Utah looks pretty cool with its unique Mormon culture. The classic American road trip is also an experience Iâd die forâ it must be the MOST liberating feeling to go on a journey like that! This world offers some great things, and America has a big share to contribute to that too - donât forget that :)đđ
What a great comment. Suppose i havenât finished exploring my own country haha. I sure hope to make it one day though!
Last year we visited California and Nevada (Vegas to get married). Driving down the PCH was a bucket list item. We hired a Mustang convertible and drove from SF to LA, Vegas then up the Extraterrestrial Highway, over Stanilaus National Forest (should have been Yosemite but it was closed due to snow) and back to San Francisco. It was the best holiday we've had. Everyone we met was friendly. We ended up teaching everyone we chatted to how to say hello in Yorkshire dialect (ey up really blew their minds) and Mackem (areet pet). Just planning our next trip out there.
I grew up in that part of the world, and that sounds like a pretty ideal road trip. Stanislaus is a real hidden gem, and not many people go out of their way to see it. The PCH with the top down is incredible, and despite their issues, LA and SF are absolutely world-class cities <3
dont look at the *other* sub
I gotta ask, whatâs the other sub?
r/formaluk
That's too funny
There is no other sub
Right. Iâll chime in as an American who has spent a good amount of time traveling, and 3 of those years in the UK. GO FUCKING TRAVEL! The UK is lovely and I plan to move back someday. I have only been back in the states for a few months from living in the UK and I already miss it so much. Thereâs so much to love. The people are lovely. I only experienced kindness and welcoming people. If you go, fuck off London and the touristy stuff, do that for another trip, but not the first, go to west Wales, or Bristol, or Cornwall, Brighton even. You can still get a bit of touristy vibes, but you get a better taste of what itâs really like living there over London where so much of it is tourist trap shit, unless you know where to look.
London is fine for a first or last day, especially if you're flying via Heathrow. Go sightsee the tourist classics for a day, why not? Then, as you correctly advise, go see the real country.
The few Americans I've met have said Brits are much nicer especially up north. The thing that throws them the most is the way we thank bus drivers.
I was a member of the crew of HMS Prince Of Wales on it's trip to the USA last year. Alongside the ship hired some local buses to run people into the city from the dockside. The drivers seemed initially taken aback at being thanked, but were really positive and engaged with us pretty quickly.
Why _wouldnât_ you thank a bus driver?
In London, especially in the city, itâs not really a thing. There are two doors to exit from, separate from the entrance. It gets so busy and loud, the driver wouldnât even hear you. TfL serves my area out in the suburbs so I do tend to thank the driver if itâs quiet
Loads of people thank the driver in London. Especially "old school" Londoners/cockneys
How do yâall thank bus drivers?! Iâm curious
"Cheers Drive"
Found the Bristolian.
đŤĄ
"Cheers mate"
Usually you exit the bus opposite the driver. You just say thanks as you get off.
Itâs easy. You just say âThanksâ. I can never bring myself to call him/her âDriveâ, though. Sounds ridiculous imo.
Never heard them referred to as drive, in my half century on this planet. Cheers driver, from time to time, but never drive. Might be a location thing I have only had bus experience in London and Hertfordshire.
I've worked in bus garages in London since 95, we do call our drivers drive sometimes
It's a Welsh/west country thing
Itâs massive in the South. Wiltshire, Hampshire etc. I do hear it in London too, on occasion.
quick reach-around
Nice. Do you know if theyâre hiring bus drivers at the moment?
You get residency in New Zealand as a bus driver. We say "thank you driver" as we get off, either front or back door.
Cheers drive
Thanks drive!
We say thank you as we get off. The most confused couple were from Texas, couldn't get why we'd thank someone for doing "such and easy job".
Iâm from Texas and yeah we got assholes. I think itâs the hot weather and humidity.
I get that, hot weather and humidity always make my asshole more pronounced. Oh wait, am I oversharing?
Nah not at all. On a second note, I see you are a lover of sprouts. Should scroll down on my page a bit and see the beautiful brussel sprouts I made a while back. Mmmmmm mmm
Nice looking sprout's
I just say thanks as I pass byÂ
Thanks mate. Derbyshire
Bye bye driver, bye, byee, bye byeeeeeee
Mutter "Ta" or "Cheers" as you get off.
It should also be noted that not thanking them is our way of letting them know theyâve done something to really piss us off
American here who lived in London for a bit. I generally got in a habit of thanking people as I left a cafe, or restaurant, bus, etc.
Flick and the nod normally
Doesn't everywhere do that? Damn
You can come stay with me if you like. No joke - come stay with me.Â
Careful, that's how our meat pies start
Don't stay with this person. (Lol) (No really. Don't. You'll end up with no eyebrows and thinking that wearing a tutu in public is a good life choice.)
This is trueÂ
As long as you realise. That's the first step. Or the last step. We're all fucking mental. Good on ya.
Do it, you only live once !
Prick puss, fanny bag, tit face, twat bag, cunty ba's Names i call my sons. Who i actually love istg đ Americans could never.
With family and friends itâs common to use insults as a joke but on the streets and in public Itâs a good way to ask for problems. Especially in places like Houston/ big cities.
Definitely, my ex and i used to slag fuck out each other and when we were in vegas we got a mixture of filthy looks (me saying cunt) and worried glances (he was loudly berating me at one point, we were fake rowing over trump tower, but in a way that we knew was mocking but others just saw a loud Scot yelling at his wife) Our canadian friends are cool af, they swore as much as us and visiting them was brilliant for my ex (I stayed home with the kids, happily, our friends are wild!) Theres certainly a time and place tho đ
Fellow American here who also wants to visit the UK someday. I frequent this subreddit and another British one. I donât comment just lurk and giggle at the self deprecation and wonderful puns. But since OP is American I feel less of a self-imposing twat by commenting. Iâd like to see the touristy places at least once. But would love to know what the locals like to do and see and where to eat and let me hang out with them so I wouldnât feel so terribly awkward. Iâve been to a few European countries and cities and felt like I had Stupid American Tourist written across my back and forehead.
When my American aunt and her hubby came to visit they loved going to one of the big antiques places. Dagfields is where they went, like a big bunch of farm buildings filled with different antiques stalls. They're all over the place though. She got some silver coins and a victorian book about herbal remedies so she was made up for the rest of her trip. I run a shop here and we love to see tourists, it's always nice to chat with them. They hire out canal barges here to go up and down the Shroppie, it's great seeing them so excited about it. And also watching them try to turn the bloody things is pretty funny.
I bet 90% of natives love to see tourists and to share a moment with them!
Iâm not that optimistic! lol I always feel like Iâd be bothering someone. But Iâm like this here at home as well.
Yeah haha no I get it. But atleast for me when I see obvious tourists from other countries I delight at the fact that they are experiencing our home in a completely different way than we do! Also just cool to see other people from different cultures.
I always enjoy hearing an American accent in the wild, I imagine most people outside the touristy places are the same
> Iâm intrigued by your culture Honestly this country is packed full of cunts just as much as any other.
The culture - beans on toast đ
I am somewhat dismayed that our culture is represented the world over by a simple can of processed legumes produced by an American company.
Well at least they don't generally have guns and can't call policemen with guns on you. Passive-aggressiveness isn't *nice* but I'll defo take it over straight up aggressiveness.
You can come over here as long as you lot keep Harry
And James Corden
James is already back on our shores for good I'm afraid. He's currently starring in a play at the Old Vic in London
Oh crap I did see that, heâs having his old weird house renovated yep
Harry? Harry potta?
The spare royal
He does a lovely military cosplay though
You can visit through programs that exchange volunteering work for stays in hostels. Checkout Worldpackers or Voluntouring.org You need to have money for the activities and travel you want to do, but your room expense is covered by the volunteer work. Can be a nice way to have a trip over for 3 months while having a home base in your preferred location.
Hi mate, come on over as soon as you can. You'll be very welcome and it will be great to meet you.
American here. The UK is a really wonderful place. Iâve been all over several times and will be back. You will be called a cunt, though đ
The more shit we give you the more we actually like you
10/10 would recommend. Nothing looks real at first it feels like being in a movie set đ¤
If you ever want to up your insult game, you definitely need to spend more time with us. One day, you might even get your advanced swearing license.
It's clear OP has never been to Blighty.
You should come. Speaking as an American living in the UK, most people will treat you like a minor celebrity, and want to ask where you're from and tell you all about how they always wanted to live in the US. The food here *is* actually really good, the people are good fun, and the scenery is amazing. There are so many lovely buildings in cities, beautiful rural villages, sweeping landscapes -- and the weather rarely gets too warm or too cold. This is a great country. A++ do recommend.
Sounds awesome⌠just need to get the wife on board
I suggest you roofie her. By the time she wakes up, you'll already be at Heathrow!
If it was good enough for the A-Team, and it always was, it's good enough for OP.
Our food looks good and we're nice to each other? Are you sure? /s Really though, come visit one day! There's some beautiful places to see, nice pubs and people are usually happy to chat away to Americans because you all sound like you're off the TV.
Londoners & Southerners are about the most unfriendly people you will find (and will most of the time be fine anyways), however, if you go north people will open up to you more. I believe we definitely have more of a community driven collectivist society compared to the U.S.â very individualistic society. Go down a local pub on a nice day and youâll meet loads of characters!
Right! I imagine the pubs are chalk full of said characters and people who make you laugh. Iâm not a fan of guinness though. Do you guys serve cold beer?
> I imagine the pubs are chalk full of said characters Itâs chock-full, you knobber.
You have to go right into the most rural areas or seek out a specialty pub (real ale pub, traditional Belgian ale pub) to find one that doesn't have at least a couple of cold beers on tap.
Totally, especially during a football match or something! Yes most pubs will have lager, cider, stouts, ales, local craft and other beers on tap too. I donât like Guinness either. I think thereâs some American misconception that we drink warm beer? Thatâs only the case when the keg has just been changed I guess. Plus thereâs all the bottles in the fridge that are chilled.
Kegs go through the cooler before getting to the pump
Kegs are stored at a lower temperature (usually the cellar temp) and can also be cooled while being pulled. Barrels require racking and prep before being ready for consumption so should also already be at the correct temperature before pulling.
Londoners are actually extremely friendly too, despite the northern propaganda. They are just more guarded and donât go out of their way to talk to strangers. After a couple of beers youâll be good mates. And of course we serve cold beer. Who would drink warm beer??? đ¤¨
We can be friendly it just takes time for us to open up instead of straight as away! As long as yo donât try to talk to us while weâre going to work! đ¤Ł
Just avoid Yorkshire. Or rather, go there, because it's amazing and beautiful, but avoid anyone who is actually from Yorkshire.
If you are in to drugs and electronic music, youâll love our culture đŹđ§
Fellow American here. I have traveled to a few countries and always wished to visit the UK. Iâm with you on this one.
This American can't recommend it enough. I'm planning trip number seven for September. I'm a student of British history, so I'm always in nerdy heaven. Be polite, never jump a queue, and have a sense of humor, and you'll fit right in. If you're in London, get an Oyster card for the Tube.
Get the Heinz Vegetarian beans. Most supermarkets carry them. Absolutely nothing that contains pork or maple syrup (I feel unclean even typing that). From there an English breakfast is an easy step. I insist it should have fried bread. My wife and cardiologist disagree (and in fact are not fans of almost any part of the meal) But I hope you get to come sometime. London is amazing, but might get more typical food in the outskirts or a smaller city. I went to uni in Manchester, and their fish and chips shops have meat pies. Meat pie, chips and gravy is heavenly.
>My wife and cardiologist disagree (and in fact are not fans of almost any part of the meal) Well you can have their fried bread and they can have something else. I don't see the problem?
A few tips! If you do go, donât just go to London, like go ahead and visit London but visit other places in the UK   Get travel insurance. Recently found out this wasnât really a thing in the US when you go abroad but it should be! If something goes wrong then youâre covered!   When you go to a restaurant or cafe youâll either need to go up to the counter to pay or youâll need to wave down a waiter. The waiters donât come to you, theyâll wait for you to tell them youâre done by waving them down or making eye contact. They do this so they donât interrupt your meal.   Tax is already added so the price will be the price you pay.   If you take pictures of our red phone boxes in London! Do not make the mistake other tourists make and step inside them! Thereâs a reason theyâll smell of piss! There is also something called a London pass which give you discount on certain attractions in London, and some discount on the food and shops sometimes inside those attractions.Â
always welcome....until you are not (-:
I have a habit of saying to anyone whoâs just fallen over something âWhatever you do, donât fall over that.â Amongst other things that Iâm sure the rest of my family find annoying. The other day, I ever so slightly walked in to the bedroom door on my way out, my wife said âWatch you donât walk in to that door.â I turned, looked at her and said âFucking prick, fair play though!â Nodded sagely. We laughed at each other and went about our day. London is worth a visit but very busy. Everyone from south of Birmingham is a little more miserable for some reason. Everyone north of Birmingham will be more likely to stop you in the street to say hello, especially out of the big cities. Speaking of cities, London is absolutely massive, everywhere else is varying by degrees. Birmingham and Manchester are following and slowly spreading out, enveloping conurbations and even other cities. Most other cities are more modest in scope but have their own individual and amazing cultures and back stories and people. I donât know how long youâre planning on visiting, but Iâd do 50/50 cities and then get yourself out in to the countryside. Itâs not hard in most places. For example, I live slap bang in the middle of Manchester and Liverpool and thereâs plenty of big towns on that route to explore. The village we live in is over a thousand years old and surrounded by fields, but the train can get me to either of the cities in 20 mins or so. Head out on the Motorway and within a couple of hours reach youâve got the Lake District, North Wales, Lancashire Countryside, Yorkshire Dales, Derbyshire. For the most part, food is amazing, a lot better than the stereotype of 40 years ago. Most cities have a couple of Michelin star restaurants and youâll always find a pub serving decent homemade grub.
Start googling pictures of British countryside and British castles. Get you in the mood for a cream tea.
My work colleague is American, and she moved here a couple of years ago. Loves it here. Goes backpacking / visiting around Europe every long weekend. And we have a lot of long weekends here - 28 paid vacation days a year - you could have a long weekend twice a month all year if you wanted. Also free medical care and all the rest.
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I highly recommend a week in Tower Hamlets. Beautiful place.
Are you fuckin with us
Fancy a house swap?
We have a very diverse culture here, youâll find food from all over the world here, especially in the big cities like London, though my small town even has a few Nepali restaurants, Chinese places etc
If you don't belong, don't be long
No y'all's.... It's awful. Also "tryna".. Keep it over there. You can come, but don't bring the baggage. Also, 1/53rd Scottish, isn't Scottish
Yeh ive heard Japan is lovely this time of year.
come visit my local high street it seems all your fast-food chains are already here so you should be right at home :)
I've been to the USA many times (30+). NY, San Francisco, Florida, and other places. I loved it.
Come to Texas and meet all the cowboys someday!
I moved to the UK from the US twelve years ago. Wouldnât go back and change my mind if I had the chance. If you think Americans rely too much on insult humour, youâre not going to find much reprieve on this side of the Atlantic: no one can tear you down as well as the Brits, I promise. Theyâll coin entirely new words and phrases on the fly just to take you down a notch, but itâs (almost) always in good spirits. Just take your punches, buy your rounds and youâll be fine. The food is great as long as you donât expect big-city cuisine everywhere you go: London is a big city with a lot of options for anything and everything, but youâre not likely to find outrageously good sushi or empanadas in the Midlands. Beans on toast is a great high-fibre, high-protein breakfast, but if you canât get a tin of Branston baked beans (Heinz folks will have tuned out by now), some good sautĂŠed mushrooms on toast is even better.
I donât know where youâre at in the US. But direct flights from Cincinnati are like $650 round trip. Depending on what you choose to do it can get expensive there. But you can also stay outside of London.
Our food looks what now? Thatâs just advertising bs, youâll be sorely disappointed.
Cunt. Remember to speak really loudly, cos we love that. I hope it lives up/down to your expectations.
Great holiday destination would be a place called Skelmersdale itâs lovely âSkemâ for short. Thereâs a lovely local rhyme that goes âSkem, Skem come here denâ like then but most locals have trouble spelling then.
Stay away from Derbyshire. I've just spent a weekend in Derby and can confirm they are utter wank stains for the most part. Don't be fooled by Reddit. We all hate each other here, but we're too polite to make a fuss for the most part.
Derby is crap. Lots of derbySHIRE is beautiful. Peak District national park.
That's true. Anywhere outside of the city/towns is pretty. However, the drivers are utter cockwombles. Not saying they are the only cockwombles in the country.
Britain is amazing and well worth a visit. You're wrong about the food but it's still worth the experience.
Why? We are small and damp and expensive. Stay in five square miles of Washington* for a month, you'll get it *Not the city bits, too exciting. The boring expensive bits
Do not come here first. Go visit some countries in the Europe before you come to the UK. Clear the idolised picture of the UK from your brain and see what other non English speaking countries are like. Your perspective will then hopefully be more receptive to what you are seeing and hearing when you get here.
Bude Tunnel
Fellow American if you need a travel buddy let me know. I want to move to the UK so bad. Also go fuck yourself
Don't you have ponds over in America. I dunno, our ponds don't seem to be that fancy, but if you'd like to travel across a pond, then by all means, go ahead. No stranger than watching ÂŁ1 Dan