‘What’s something really normal in the UK that visitors find completely baffling?’ – 23 very British oddities
13.
‘Buying basic drugs like paracetamol and hay fever in supermarkets, even Aldi, baffles other Europeans. They have to go to the pharmacy. And they pay five times the price.’
–No-Echo-8927
14.
‘I had a French friend visit and he was horrified that I had salted butter and only salted butter (I had no unsalted butter in my fridge). He could NOT get his head round the idea that it’s ok to have salted butter on your toast with your jam.
I pointed out to him that ‘salted caramel’ had originated in France, so the whole ‘salt and sweet’ thing was A Thing in France…. but he said that that was different. You have to have unsalted butter at breakfast-time with your toast/bread and jam.’
–Personal-Border5777
15.
‘A French friend of mine couldn’t understand why the buses had apologies on them when they weren’t in service.’
–DaveDeFelix
16.
‘The lack of sockets throws me too. Also, that I have to accept cookies/analytics for every web site I visit, every time. That melatonin isn’t sold over the counter in pharmacies. That you wash your dishes in a plastic bucket in your sinks instead of just in the sink. That everything in the grocery comes in small containers. Don’t get me started on the dysfunctional house buying process here. Baffling. I’m learning to love it all though! Well except maybe the house buying stuff, that’s just crazy.’
–Kitimatgirl
17.
‘When I first arrived in the UK 17 years ago I was baffled at how people would casually talk about drinking and being hungover, no matter where they were. I heard it at work and even on the radio.
Where I come from, that would be seen as a no-go and a bit embarrassing. I still don’t get the passion for drinking but I love that people don’t take themselves too seriously generally.’
–logeetetawerduer
18.
‘Big bags of crisps that contain lots of small bags inside. In a lot of countries they only really have the actual big bags of crisps, not the multipacks.’
–djwillis1121
19.
‘The phrase ‘lollipop lady’.’
–The0isaZero
20.
‘Being called ‘bossman’ in the kebab shop. Being called ‘mate’ by literally everyone else.’
–itssearstower
21.
‘Free tap water at restaurants/pubs. Anytime I’ve had visitors they’re confused by this knowledge and that we don’t pay for bottled water (or at least almost no one I know does). I miss this feature anytime I am abroad, especially Europe where they look at me with derision if I dare ask about tap water.’
–mazzy-b
22.
‘Pantomime! People in France are baffled that a thing like this exists, and the popularity of it.’
–endoflevelbaddy
23.
‘Saying thank you while driving shocked a few of my foreign ex-girlfriends. The first couple of times they saw it, they were genuinely confused why I put my hand up at people while driving.’
–captain_todger