13 British traits foreigners hate | The most annoying bits about the Brits 

I am from Yorkshire and my wife is from Lancashire, our relatives didn't speak to each other. The war between us ended in 1485. But, you know, some things are difficult to get over.

I’m British and have never ever heard a fellow Brit say our way is the best. It’s simply not necessary to say it.

I'm British and would like to try to clarify Some Things, The expression "To keep A Stiff upper lip" it actually refers to when you have a task, job, or objective that is not easy to complete But it has to get done. its not a life style or group of people its just a motivational British phrase. I think it did originate during the war though. Hot tap and cold taps is because the hot water in houses is not drinking water. What we have in most houses is A water tank in the attic and they are not fully sealed containers (bats and birds have been known to get in there) and the hot water tank is filled by the attic tank, also the upstairs cold taps (Bath, toilet, upstairs sink) are fed by that tank so be careful when brushing teeth(drinking water upstairs). The reason for the tanks is to increase water pressure and to be more efficient. People in the country-side are very friendly and will always say hello when passing them, Unlike towns and citys where people are what it seems to be like their stuck in there own little bubble's unaware that there are other people in the world at all. The moaning/complaining.... yes but its just something we do like small talk, Complaining about the world to each other i think makes us feel good because it's like O yea they have the same problems i do and that way its a bit better because least I'm not the only one. The class thing does exist but i don't encounter as much as you think but yeah it is a thing. However if you come across some one who lives in a huge Victorian mansion and/or talks soooo posh you can barely make out whet there saying you are going to have strong opinions about them and "some not all" are stuck up there own rump. The only thing i say that is better than other places is that we use Celsius rather that Fahrenheit because C just makes sense. And what is the deal with the cup's measuring system over in North America that is just bizarre when you can just use a set of scales to get a precise amount and it make cooking instructions very simple to follow no guess work. yeah we do talk about the weather but it changes so much from day to day i think its natural when its freezing 1 week and heat wave the next :) Sarcasm and teasing........ We do like to tease our friends. If some one is working or preoccupied and we are relaxing we will be like oooo im soooo comfortable or mmmmm this cider is soooo cool and refreshing to wind them up :P it's all light hearted. Also the amount of different accents is mind blowing, Just drive 50 to 60 miles in any direction and you will find a different accent. Yes Drinking is a bit of a problem here. Yup we are horrific tourists, you got that right its shameful. But, that is what we me when we say "Right i better be off" means, right i better be off......... lol. We don't like to cause a fuss unless something is actually properly wrong or if someone is purposefully rude and then you will hear about it! Red-sauce is absolutely 100% not a thing that its said here, it is ether "Ketchup" or "Tomato Sauce" however "HP Brown sauce" is a condiment and i don't like it's very vinegary. Well if you made it through all that thanks for reading! Just my personal thoughts on the matter :-D

The “stiff upper lip” is just another word for stoicism. It means facing adversity with calm and coolness. An admirable trait. One doesn't bare one’s soul to strangers. Once we get to know you we will open up. It isn’t good to burden people with your worries. Talking about the weather is a way of breaking the ice with people you’ve just met. We don't like getting in peoples’ faces.

26 minutes of complaining.........see, you're British already. 😘

As a Brit living in the US I am always telling people we Brits are right 😆

The leg slap is normally a cue to the wife to begin her “goodbye tour”where she circulates for another hour. Whereas my goodbye tour consists of”Bye!” - end of tour.

I like the honesty of the British acknowledging class. In Australia people boast of a classless society, in reality it is anything but.

You should move up north, the weathers shit, we drink like pirates for half the money you’ll pay down south but people will talk to you.

Reginald D Hunter who is a African-American comedian living in the UK said it best “Class is what you use when you want to be racist to people who look like you”

Just an FYI re: taps. The taps were like that because back in the day most places had a storage tank in the attic for the water (and immersion heater). This water was stored, and so was unfit too drink, hence why hot and cold taps were separate, the cold tap was just fed from the mains. A lot of houses in the UK haven't been modernised to combi-boilers, so a lot of places still have two separate taps. They are being changed slowly though, most people now go for combi taps if given the choice (I managed a building company for 20 years)

In the west of Ireland, if you don't like the weather, you can just wait 15 minutes and it will totally change

When we go to restaurants we complain about the food amongst ourselves, then the waiter asks everything ok?, The standard answer is yes thanks

I never argue about hot and cold taps - I don't want to faucet on people!

My wife's a foreigner and it took her many years to "infiltrate" a British friend group. Everyone was very nice and friendly to her, but would make absolutely no attempt to involve her in anything. It was a tough time and my heart goes out to anyone going through it at the moment.

Binge drinking! Right I've never been so insulated so much in my life so I'm off to the pub to drown my sorrow's with a couple or ten . Bollocks the pubs are closed, and it's raining again!

Hopefully, the British trait of being able to laugh at ourselves will be in evident in the comments!! 🤣

I'm a West Country girl in England with a broad accent. Apparently this means I'm an uneducated bumpkin who drives a combine harvester and chews straw all day lol I do, however, love a nice cold glass of cider .. me luvver LOL

3:20 Separate taps are better for hgeine reasons. A hot water tap will fill a heating tank from a header tank whereas a cold tap will come directly from the mains. The header tank, usually in the loft or attic can often have dead birds, flies or wasps floating in it and a mixer tap will compromise your drinking water.

In general all the stand-off-ish-ness is cancelled if one or other of you has a dog: dogs are the ultimate ice-breakers in Brit society and I suspect in others too.

"The Brits love to argue" - no we don't!

I've heard that the Americans think they are they best in the world, however the British know that they are.

The knee slap paired with "right!" Is sooo accurate

Glad you persevered with us! Weather is kind of used as an ice breaker to start a conversation or fill an uncomfortable silence.....(looks away to avoid eye contact).

22:15 - we don't complain to the waiter because we don't want to get our food spat in.

Micheal Cain in The Italian Job, talking about Italy, 'and remember, in this country they drive on the wrong side of the road.' What more to be said?

I'm just shocked that anyone could hate any of these lovable traits.

I’m a Texan in the UK, we talk to everyone, at the grocery store, pumping gas, in line for anything. When I got here I had to double check incase I was growing horns, because they act as if you do. Someone said to me, at least we don’t tell you to have a nice day if we don’t mean it. Sorry, It’s our way of saying good bye, I miss hearing have a nice day, or have a good one. And please what’s up with eye contact, that I don’t get. Great point of living here, when you finally make friends you know they are for life, but that time until you do is sooooooooooo lonely, so acknowledge a stranger, you may make their day “a good one”

"Brits are always complaining !" You have just spent 26 mins complaining, which makes you a real Brit.Welcome home Alanna.😍😍😍

I remember on holiday in Florida, I was waiting in a queue for an attraction to open at 10am and as it was about a billion degrees at that time in the morning. As I waited I decided to get all continental and touristy so I sparked up a conversation with the attendant in my usual British way, "it's warm isn't it" I said, standard British protocol. She looked at me like a turd she had just scraped of her shoe and replied "what did you expect, it's Florida" I decided to be silently passive aggressive in response to such aggression.

I always love the Aussie joke: Q. How can you tell which plane is full of British holiday makers? A. It's the one that is still whining after the engines have been shut down. :-D Self-deprecating Brit, BTW.

I was wondering why I've never believed the English complain much despite being born and living in England. And then I visited my Italian relatives recently and I'm sorry, if you want to hear people complain, you need to spend time with the Italians.

Let's face it though if we cancelled every BBQ due to bad weather then we'd never have one

Complaining IS British culture. I'm proud of that.

I'd immediately lose respect for anyone who said "red sauce" as an adult. Of course I wouldn't say anything and I'd still likely be friends with them (don't want to cause a scene) but I'd never fully trust them again.

As an Australian who lived in the UK for 20 years, I agree with all of this :) The pathological politeness - never asserting yourself - eventually drove me crazy. So nice to be able to express yourself here in Aust!

Come on Alanna, let's have more of this whining. You're becoming assimilated into BritCulture. Join us....

I smiled all the way through this. Made me feel proud to be British, where faults are a plus not a negative :)

Where I grew up, the house was so old that there were only cold taps in bathroom and kitchen. My dad installed a wall-mounted water heater to get hot. Those houses were pulled down at least 4 decades ago. My current home has only mixer taps. I was told that the taps in France were marked C and F for 'cold' and 'freezing', but I was taught French at school and learned that it was an indication of the plumbing standards, not temperature.

Complaining to friends, family and even strangers, is therapy for us.

Older generation stiff upper lip younger generation floppy lower lip

I don't know what red sauce or ketchup are, it's called tomato sauce.

Hi Alanna! I’m so glad I found your channel as I’m a New Yorker who has been living in Manchester, UK for 2 years now. Your honesty and ability to highlight the amazing and not so amazing in the UK is so refreshing. So nice to hear someone else notice these traits in the UK as I haven’t met any Americans this way, and when I mention certain things to my British husband, well you guessed it, he argues. He can never ever admit anything that’s done here is not as good as some place else. It’s extremely frustrating. Just glad to see I’m not alone!

Without the "stiff upper lip" we would never have had an Empire. :)

The British way is usually because it was invented here...

We don’t complain we moan , I’m moaning that you said complain 🤣

‘Ow much?!! (Northerner on being told price of London pint)

I have to say as a Brit, these aren't stereotypes, they are facts. My friend went to teach in Korea and made a lot of American friends there. One of the rules the Americans had was to never have a drinking contest with a Brit.

I personally thing you’ve just mentioned all our best features, 😂🤣😂

Whenever I see a combined tap I still think, “oooh posh!” 😂

As a Northerner I can confirm even i found it a little weird that strangers just don't randomly talk to you in the South. Even though I met some very lovely and very colourful Londoners.

Surely our most hated trait must be the phrase “I claim this land on behalf of the queen”

You mean working class (lower class) or as they’re now known “essential workers” 😅

We're so classist. My mum calls everyone common literally just on their accents, really winds me up.

there are two levels of stiff upper lip the first is the "wartime stiff upper lip" which is we can cry when this is all over the second is simply not burdening others with your problems

I wouldn’t call it a stiff upper lip, it’s just that when things get tough we don’t go scurrying for a safe space.

You Brits should get a petition together and send it to the home office saying that she's an assest to the UK and give her permanent residence!

As a second generation Canadian, my grandfather was from Bolton, everyone talks about my pasty white, nobby knees. My arms will burn even with long sleaved shirts. As Noel Coward would say, "Mad dogs and Englishmen...."

We turn into absolute monsters online, on holiday and after a few pints but apart from that we're a lovable bunch

You have an adorable personality and hats off to the way your parents have brought you up not dragged up !

Yep, this video was as brave as I thought it was going to be as soon as I saw the thumbnail. And it speaks volumes for the wit and wisdom of the British that the common tone of the comments is laughter and agreement. Another rivetting, funny, charming video Alanna. Thank you for doing this each week. It's a highlight of my life nowdays

Watching the English taught me that Brits talking about the weather is one of the best ways to break the ice and talk to them!

My dear old thing, I came across your blog/RU-vid channel completely by accident a while ago and I've very much enjoyed reading a Canadian view of the Motherland. I've just watched the "Traits to hate" video and personally, I found it entertaining, witty and it made me laugh out loud at several points. I've often been described as a "professional Englishman" so I thought I ought to come back with a few comments: 1. Taps - yes, you've got us there. Mixer taps are, of course, the way forward, but what would happen, thinkest thou, if you needed to draw a pan of hot water and a pan of cold water at the same time? Imagine the scenario.....you're running late for work. You need to shave (well, YOU don't, but stay with me) so the hot tap is on full. At the same time, you notice your prize-winning dahlias are wilting and desperately need water - with two taps you can water your flowers whilst running your washing water. (Convinced? Me neither!) 2. Complaining - surely the birthright of all freeborn Englishmen is to complain? What with the weather (see below), Covid-19, the rubbish on television, dishonest politicians etc etc etc there's nothing more comforting than whinging with like-minded curmudgeons. The only time one is allowed to speak on public transport is when a train is cancelled, when the correct procedure is to make eye-contact with your neighbour, shrug and make a witty sally regarding how the country is going to hell in a handcart. 3. Class divisions - Is one of those things. One of the most popular hymns people choose at weddings (presumably because they sang it at school) is "All things bright and beautiful", which contains the verse "The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate. He made them high and lowly, and ordered their estate." THAT is how ingrained it is! But it is also more nuanced. At the very top, there is the aristocracy, with the monarch at the summit. Then there are the middle classes, which sprawl and range from the very rich to the "moderately comfortable", then the working classes (plural, as there are so many within that:skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled) and below that, a whole underclass. Over this is laid celebrity culture, where one can become super rich, but remain common as muck. Then there is the divide between town and country, which exist in an atmosphere of mutual hostility and suspicion. 4. Stiff Upper Lip - personally, I think this a marvellous trait. At the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington was riding along the British line with his second in command, the Earl of Uxbridge, when a cannon ball slammed into the Earl and took off his leg. Uxbridge turned to the Duke and calmly said "Good Lord, I've lost my leg", to which the Duke replied "Good Lord, so you have". At the same battle Lord Fitzroy Somerset, having had his shattered arm amputated asked the surgeon to bring it back as his family signet ring was still on the finger. You can't invent that stuff. It comes from centuries of breeding, bad school dinners and vicious beatings. It also goes back to the weather (see below). If you have a climate as irascible as Britain, you will naturally imbibe a measure of stoicism with your mother's milk. 5. Stand-offishness - Anglo-Saxon reserve is rather charming, don't you think? I'm being rather raffish here by emailing you when we haven't been formally introduced, but what the hell, one is only young(ish) once! I think there is a lot of Austen's Mr Darcy that still survives in a certain type of Englishman, thinking particularly of his line that "my good opinion, once lost, is lost forever!" but once you make friends with the English, they are true and loyal. I maintain that this is why, uniquely of the European powers, Britain was able to transform its empire into a free association of friendly nations in the form of the Commonwealth. 6. Weather. Yesterday in London we had sunshine, wind, rain, thunder, hail and sunshine. When your climate does so much, it provides a constant talking point and also a useful opening gambit if conversation falls flat, as everyone is guaranteed to have an opinion. The vagaries of the British climate are also key to our inborn stoicism (see above) 7. Playing fast and loose with the sun. This is what comes from having run India and much of Africa. As ever, dear Noel puts it better than I ever could: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BifLPGi4X6A.html 8. It depends on what you call binge drinking? Maybe a sherry before lunch, 1 or 2 glasses of wine with lunch, followed by port. Pimms on the lawn in the afternoon. In the evening, a martini or two before dinner, half a bottle of wine with dinner and brandy to finish......unless one has a whisky nightcap. 9. London and the Provinces live in a state of perpetual mistrust and suspicion. I grew up in deepest, darkest rural North Devon, but have lived in London for the last 28 years, so I can see both sides. The whole sage of Brexit was this situation writ large. London was resolutely and vocally pro-Remain. It is no coincidence that every other region of England (ignoring Scotland and N Ireland) voted to Leave. As much as any other reason, they wanted to stick it to London. It is also the reason why the Labour Party crashed to such a dreadful defeat in last December's election - the party was seen to be only interested in the concerns of the urban middle classes. 10. The art of obfuscation in Language - very closely linked to the stiff upper lip (above). It is a truism that Britain and North America are divided by a common language. An incident from the Korean War demonstrates this admirably. The British Gloucestershire Regiment (c.650 men) was defending an isolated position when it was attacked in a major offensive by 10,000 Chinese soldiers. When a US General telephoned the Gloucesters to ask how things were, the colonel, with classic understatement, replied that "things are a bit sticky". The general assumed there was nothing serious and reinforcements were not sent for some time. 11. Guilty as charged! At least I was, until I saw my father in action. My father was a professional head chef and we were once served a sub-standard meal - my father's complaint was utterly perfect. Concise, clear, friendly, with a little wit and all was resolved in an instant. I feel I learned at the feet of a master! 12. See item 4 and 6 regarding weather-based stoicism. my photograph albums contain numerous pictures of me holding umbrellas over barbecues. One of the joys of an English Summer. 13. What do you mean we love to argue? Who do you think you are? And by the way, what's all this "red sauce" nonsense? It's "Tommy K"!!! Finally, thank you for another entertaining video. I hope my reply is taking in a similarly light-hearted vein. All best, Lord M

Hey from the UK 🇬🇧 Loving you’re videos as always. As a Brit, personally it’s nice to see what we’re like from an “outsider”. Some of these I didn’t realise and can only apologise for but probably won’t change lol I also personally ‘like’ the stiff upper lip sorta trait (in small doses) 😅I suppose it’s a very stoic trait which I would be very happy to hold my head up high to 😊 Please keep the videos coming, loving them as always ❣️

Hence the phrase "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun" lol. I find it must be the verity of British weather that makes it a topic. For example the other day the sunburn on my neck was hurting as it got pelted by hail stones. Where else does that happen?🤷🏻‍♂️

From UK - Only watched the first 30 seconds, but my prediction is the video should be titled "13 things foreigners haven't yet realised are correct" 😉

When you come back to the UK you want to live in the North, either North England or Scotland. I think your perceptions will change a lot.

George Orwell described his childhood as "lower upper middle class", and if you're British you instantly know exactly what he meant.

“RIGHT! ...well I won’t keep you any longer - I’ll let you get on!” (Because I’m desperate to get the hell away from you, but this way I make it seem like I’m doing YOU a favour! 😎)

I’m so relieved you only came up with 13 Alanna, bless you lol

You're videos are a blast! I liked this one!! Keep them coming :))))

There's the British way and there are mistakes:)

Video only a couple of minutes in, still watching. "Today..... might be a mistake ..." brave, courageous Alannah...! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

For someone who lives as close in the world to the USA as you do, (and who has spent time recently in the states,) It intrigues me that you consider the "our way is the only correct way" attitude to be a British fault/attribute.

How do you end a conversation without a long silence and sighing and saying "Right!... I better be off now...".

As a Brit living in the U.S - and hearing your observations on British habits - especially those living in the south of the country - I thought was spot on. The obsession of how much a pint costs in London, was really funny!

Alana dont you understand that as Brits it’s hard to be humble and perfect in every way

Correction.. It's not 'low class' we say 'working class' And working class people are very proud to be.

Ref sinks: you were actually talking about wash hand basins. Sinks are found in kitchens, utility rooms and cleaners' cupboards.

The stiff upper lip is a good thing. Do not like cultures which get emotional all the time.

The British sinks are the best sinks. Where do I send a complaint to?

I could add about 10 more things to your list but I'd just be a complaining Brit :-D

I think the reason we talk about the weather so much - and we do! - is because it's so unreliable. We're a windy little rock in the Atlantic so our weather can change several times in one day. This messes up plans, wrecks days out etc and means we're always wearing the wrong clothes so we're too hot, too cold, too wet etc etc.

Allana 'you win some and lose some' is a philosophy that would lelp anyone in life!

Upper class, middle class and working class. Ive never heard the term "lower class" used in the UK.

Fair points, well made - but with all our faults, we're still the best bloody nation in the world!

really enjoyed your views on brits , hope comedy career goes well when you return, yes we are a nation of stoics and introverts (stiff upper lip) and perhaps we are to proud of that . The hot and cold taps ,you will find the sink has a plug so you can mix enough of each to desired level and temperature to wash hands etc.

The weather is something you could use as an icebreaker with strangers.

How dull life would be without your great videos, especially your observations on us Brits 😊. Thank you so much. Ps: It's June and the weather is crap, again. 😊🇬🇧🇨🇦

Once I noticed "Right" and the leg slap I couldn't stop noticing it. It is everywhere. I do it all the time. Everyone I know does it all the time. Why??

I spent some time in British Colombia, in Canada. It was a beautiful place, I loved it. The only thing that surprised me was the way the people were afflicted with vebal overload. I'd go to buy a morning newspaper & say the usual curt "morning" & they'd ramble on & on & tell me their life story when all I wanted was a paper, I'd have to make my excuses, like my salads getting warm & take off at top speed. Yes the English are the best & we are always right.

I don’t know how anyone could be angry with you! To me you are like a breath of fresh air, I especially like the way you have tried our different drinks and by the way here in Norfolk it has been chucking it down.

Fair do’s -though slapping your legs and saying “right, I’ll be off” isn’t talking around the issue. Bad example - but great point!

The best mirror to see yourself in is the mirror of someone else's eyes. Even though perceptions can be subjective , they still help to give a different perspective of how we are. I love the fact that you see the best in us and the worst in us and are brave enough to share it. I always love reading Bill Bryson's books because he lived in the UK for decades and actively loved being in the UK and that shows in his writing which is why his criticisms carry more weight. I laughed at your observations and thought they were brilliant. Keep them coming and good luck with the visa.

Being from the U.S. and having studied in Canada, I found the standoff-ness alive and well there too, but more so with younger people and in the big cities. Out in rural areas people are SOOO friendly, more than the states. It's wonderful.

the single tap thing.. you know you can put the plug in the sink, dont you?

I kind of appreciate the stiff upper lip attitude. It makes me feel better when talking to my English friends especially in this time of pandemic and unrest. Thanks for the video and reminding me it's Tuesday

Hi Alana - have lived in Ontario and Michigan, and 20 years on the continent. So can agree with many or most of your observations. My own counter-reflections are: 1) I think your point about class awareness is a very southern English thing. In the midlands and north, where I have spent 15 years of my life, as to 18 in the south-east, I am entirely unaware of this class attitude. There is an awareness of where you are from (e.g., a Yorkshireman will tease a Lancastrian, someone from Bradford will certainly comment on someone from Leeds), but it has zero to do with class. It is about geographical affiliation, which I think is similar to Canada and elsewhere. 2) I reckon there is a certain self-defence reflex of Brits defending British things. I have spent 20 years on the European continent where absolutely everything British, literally everything, was considered to be wrong. Plus something that they wanted Brussels to have obliterated. If you are under constant attack like this, you tend to be self-defensive about your differences. And, yes, some traits you pointed out are annoying - e.g., complaining, though we have won the World Cup for the last fifty years, at least.

I’m a Filipino living here in UK for 13 years. Absolutely you are right with this British traits. I can relate to it. Up to now I don’t have any real Brit friends. When I try to be close I felt they are a little bit suspicious. They want they’re little bubble and only small talk. But I like them because they are extremely very polite.

Classes are ingrained in our culture but I think a lot of foreigners make the mistake of thinking that we see those classes as one is better than the other. A lot of the working classes are super proud of it and even if they make a tonne of money would still be working class. It’s def not people looking up or down at people.