Americans Take First British General Knowledge Quiz - So Tricky! 

French was the official language because of the Norman French who took the throne in 1066. Old English was the language of the population.

The Norman Conquest in 1066 meant that the official language was french, as spoken by the governing class. This is why the English language distinguishes between meat on the hoof and meat on the table, i.e., sheep, lamb, cow or bullock, calf and pig, all of anglo-saxon origin, the language of the underclass who looked after the beasts(anglo-saxon) rather than animals or animaux(french). On the table the words are derived from the french, mutton/mouton, beef/boeuf, veal/veau and pork/porc, the language of the overlord. It is why english has such a huge vocabulary deriving from latin languages and those from northern Europe and the Celtic fringe.

A pleasure pier is one usually with a pavilion where entertainments are held and refreshments provided at the end of it.

It's called Welsh rabbit, by the way; "rarebit" is silliness. Or, in the words of the inestimable Henry W. Fowler, "Welsh Rabbit is amusing and right. Welsh Rarebit is stupid and wrong."

William the Conqueror was the Duke of Normandy - Northern region of France. So when he conquered the current English King Harold in 1066 he brought many French with him and put them in charge of certain high ranking positions and areas. So their language became the official language. So even though many of the regular people didn't know French, over time certain French words and concepts were adopted into "Modern English". There's actually a really good video by the channel "History Box" That gives a really good overview of all the Kings and Queens of England and the UK. It's a good because it includes some interesting facts or strongly held beliefs and fun/curious stories about the different kings and queen's. The channel is also doing individual videos on each King and Queen too. They were up to King Henry the a Eighth last time I checked.

There is a festival in US called the Testicle Festival , where they cook and eat them, they are also known as sweet breads

William the Bastard became William the Conquerer in 1066.

I’m must say, I think you did so well. You’ve remembered more than you think, watching all about the UK.

Excellent job guy's, well done 👏 😊

My wife and I what’s your videos and find them really funny as we see you open things that are just normal to us. It would be quite interesting if you could show us the American alternatives carry on doing what you do and please please find time to come to the UK, you will be so welcome, all our love Leslie and Evie

Because in 1066 we were conquered by the Norman French and their nobility replaced the Saxon nobility, so all the courts of the land conducted themselves in French. The common people didn’t really speak it, but it was the official language.

20:02 that question you missed so bad! it is illegal to be drunk in a pub One of those mad old laws 😂😂

I was going great guns until the where can't you be drunk question, that was the only one I got wrong. Mind you, I am a 65 year old born and bred Londoner.

William the conqueror didn’t get passed York so up North it held to the old Saxon language. Down south was more French thus the start of the north and south divide

The Normans from Normandy invaded us and it was the last time Britain was invaded. had skirmishes and raids from the vikings but not after 1066 I don't believe. Our King Harold fell at the Battle of hastings 1066 with an arrow in his eye apparently it;'s on the bayeux tapestry.

Catherine zeta jones was born Cathy Jones. Jones is the most common surname in Wales. So to stand out she added zeta to her stage name.

Hi Steve, Linsey & Sophia. Great channel 👏 👍. My only query is when will you sort the camera out? One day your facing the correct way then the next you are mirrored.😅

100% but i had to guess the library one tbh.

I as a british man did not know the French one I think I did but I really can't remember 😂 but the wife beat ya bud 😂and aa for the pub one the landlord of the pub can be fined for selling alcohol to a drunk person that why if your drunk in a club they throw you out or will not let you in.

Look up something about the Edinburgh festivals and in particular the Fringe. it's loads of fun. Lungs and testicles are both quite delish. U_U (And this is not a naughty comment.) Also, between 1066 and 1300-something the crown was held by Frenchmen, who were also subjects of the French crown. For instance, William the Conqueror was also Duke of Normany, At a certain point, the Plantagenets were kings on their own, but were also subjects of the queen of France, despite controlling directly a wider part of French territory than the French king. Isn't Medieval history fun?!

The first english invaders of ireland spoke french.My Grandmother used call me a gosun meaning young boy which was from irish but originally it came into irish from the french garcon which is the name for a young boy.Names like fitzgerald and fitzmaurice come from the french fils.French would never have been the official language because the Anglonormans never controlled all of ireland and many of them went native and spoke irish even in the english controlled PALEwhich is basically modern day county dublin.

If it's illegal to be drunk in a pub,most Brits have broken that law🤣🤣🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🍻

William the Conqueror spoke French, so the official language was French but that wasn't to say it was the most commonly spoken, as the general population wouldn't have spoken it.

Clydebank is a town in Scotland, the Clyde river runs through it. VERY famous for high quality ship building, to the point were "Clyde built" is an expression of a high quality product . Clydebank is known for its HUGE blue crane called The Titan

A London company that commissioned "Big Ben" bell also did the "Liberty Bell" for America.

You both did really well, but I think Lindsay edged you out slightly Steve! 💪😍

Fringe is just the edge of something like fabric, so you can have fringe science, fringe beliefs, fringe comedy... 'on the edge of normal'

Only a small percentage spoke French. Basically just the toffs 😂😂

i agree with previous comment, lindsey, you rocked girl, steve has been doing this a long time, you have only been doing it a short time, , you would have give us brits a run for our money . I think you british girl at heart

To this day., "monkey-hangers" is a nickname for people who come from Hartlepool. In 2002, as a joke, the mascot of Hartlepool United (H'angus the Monkey) was put on the list of candidates for Mayor of Hartlepool promising free bananas for all the schoolchildren of Hartlepool... and was elected! He was subsequently re-elected twice more until the post was abolished in 2013.

1066 was the clue for that language question. You need to watch a vid about William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings.

Not hartle-pool but hart-lee-pool with emphasis on all three syllables. The local football mascot is a stuffed monkey called Hangus.

French was spoken in England from 1066 due to the Norman Conquest

You both did really well - I'm a Brit and got one wrong... I had no idea what a Munro was. You learn something new every day! For info: people from Hartlepool have the nickname 'Monkey Hangers' still to this day... my cousin is from there.

In the UK we have 'wet years' and 'dry years' depending on the position of the Jet Stream above us. We have droughts in summer quite often - 2022 was the last, for example where it didn't rain for months.

The River Clyde runs through Glasgow!

what a wonderful memory, to remember the tree, means alot that, from someone aross the pond

a "quiz day" theme tune would be awesome... Maybe some dramatic "Thinking music" while you think too👍 I'd also like to learn a little about the history of Indiana. You've spent so long learning about UK and Ireland, I see learning as a 2 way street. How old is indiana? How did the history develop? Etc.

100%. Being English it was obviously very easy.

a pleasure pier tens to have an arcade, cafe's and sometimes a fairground ride at the end of them, you are also allowed to fish from them too.

French being the official language but with indigenous languages staying strong is why we often have two words for the same thing in English: venison and deer, buy and purchase, motherly and maternal, fair-haired and blonde, fall and autumn and so on.

Fyi, New York gets more rain and it rains more often than it does in London. Likewise with Sydney in Australia

William the Conqueror was from Normandy, a region of France where Scandinavians had settled about a hundred years earlier. The Normans adopted the local language. The Normans eventually ruled over much of France as a result of conquest and military alliances. The inept King John managed to lose most of that territory. The Normans are worth further investigation; they also settled in Sicily. Although the "nobility" spoke French the Magna Carta was actually written in Latin. A small plot of land at Runnymede where King John met the barons has been given to the USA. John and his brother Richard (the Lionheart) actually waged a military campaign against their father Henry II. If we fast forward 500 years we find James II being challenged for the throne by his daughter Mary and son-in-law William. A lot of European conflicts can be classed as family disputes that got really out of hand.

Believe me, don’t watch Braveheart!!! It was Gibson re writing history to his benefit. In Scotland what the English call swede is called turnip and turnip is swede!!! Really confused my wife’s mother when she moved south!

Well done guys, you both did great. Steve seemed rather shocked at your knowledge Lyndsey with a couple "How'd you know that!!?" Storing useless information is a gift when it comes to quizzing

You both did jolly well. Award yourselves a cup of strong Assam tea and a ginger biscuit each! 😃

My town allegedly hung a monkey thinking it was a Napoleonic spy

Well done Steve and Lindsey you both did really well x

You know more than half the U.K!

As a memberof the Ghost Club, I got a private visit at night to the Tower of London. This included a visit to the Yeoman Warders private pub, and watching the Ceremoney of the Keys. The Chief Yeoman Warder with soldiers comes from locking the main gate with a large key. At a gateway he is halted by a guard. "HALT WHO GOES THERE?" That night as it was in the year of the Navy,and the guard was five foot female naval rating in dress uniform. She showed her authority by really shouting, but the assault rifle with a fixed bayonet helped. "The Keys" "WHOSE KEYS?" "Queen Elizabeth's Keys" " Pass Queen Elizabeth's Keys all is well". They then pass down a alley way to some steps, at the top is a group of Naval ratings and a Naval officer all in dress uniforms. The officer has his sword above his head. The Chief Yeoman Warder shouts "God preserve Queen Elizabeth" The last post is played, and the keys go back Resident Grovenor of the tower. What a night I will never forget it.

Neeps and Tatties is pretty easy to infer if you know the root of the words tuNeeps in a scots accent for Turnips. And poTatties.

"Would you rather eat a lung or testicles?" 😂😂😂😂 OMG, that was hilarious 👏

Hi my name is annie and are from sweden and love your shows have a niece living in uk and a have learned a lot from your shows soo tanx from sweden

The comedian, musician, television presenter and actor Billy Connolly, also known as `The Big Yin` is probably the most famous ex-Clydeside shipyard worker. Born in 1942 in an Anderston tenement he later moved to nearby Partick. He followed in the footsteps of many local youths when, at the age of 16, he started work in the Glasgow Shipyards, in his case with the firm of Alexander Stephen & Sons as a welder / boilermaker. Following the completion of his apprenticeship he worked at the famous Clydebank yard of John Brown & Co. Clydeside and Clydebank as the name implies are on the river Clyde, which runs though Glasgow, if not they should be.

1066 William the bastard invaded England (Yes that was his name lol )he became William the conqueror after the Normans defeated us, naturally their language took over. They built churches all over the country and we still use some words/ spellings from the French language switch makes English confusing to foreigners trying to learn it.

From 1066 after the Norman Invasion the oficial language was Norman French but only spoken by the normans & nobility the common people spoke old english the Clergy spoke Latin!!

You both did very well. So proud of you.

Others have mentioned about why French was the official language. But also, you can see it in our language today around meat! Meats eateb by the French aristocracy we now have French derived words (Beef/boeuf, pock/porc, mutton/mouton). On the other hand, meats eaten by the British non ruling class is derived from old English (chicken/ciccen)

The official mascot of Hartlepool United Football Club is called H'Angus the Monkey. Stuart Drummond, who was one of the people who wore the mascot costume, later became Mayor of Hartlepool.

French was only the language of the Nobles, the common people spoke old English (Saxon)

In 1066 the Normans invaded and brought with them the Norman French language which remained the language of the aristocracy and administration until well into the middle ages 😃 Incidentally, the poor creature in Hartlepool was apparently a chimp, not a monkey though people from Hartlepool are colloquially known as 'Monkey hangers' 😬

Lindsay is so pretty ❤with a lovely smile. I fell down the apples and pears last weekend after too many Calvin Kleins. Welsh rarebit is delish yum yum

If you want to learn a bit more about the Tower of London, I highly recomend a video called " Yeoman Warder Tower of London Tour 2018" it features Mark, a guy I served with in the Army, who is now a Yeoman Warder...its very funny and informative.

Re French: read up on the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings.

haggis as got lungs in it, and your not allowed to eat lungs, because only great empires can consume lungs and survive...

FYI: Did Mel Gibson know the below when he made "Braveheart"? Taken from Wikipedia: Wallace was transported to London and taken to Westminster Hall. There he was tried for treason, for which his defence was that he, unlike most of the other Scottish leaders, had never sworn allegiance to Edward. He was also charged with committing atrocities against civilians in war, "sparing neither age nor sex, monk nor nun". As a result, the trial has attracted the attention of modern legal scholarship as it is one of the earliest examples of, what would now be considered, a prosecution for war crimes. It is one of only three known pre-modern trials which raised, in today's terms, issues of international humanitarian law. Following the trial, on 23 August 1305, Wallace was taken from the hall to the Tower of London, then stripped naked and dragged through the city at the heels of a horse to the Elms at Smithfield. He was hanged, drawn and quartered-strangled by hanging, but released while he was still alive, emasculated, eviscerated (with his bowels burned before him), beheaded, then cut into four parts. Wallace's head was dipped in tar and placed on a spike atop London Bridge. Translation; he seriously p****d off King Edward I of England, so he INVENTED a new form of execution! It lasted for over 400 years!

OMG you guys did so well there were a few very obscure ones that even i guessed. Go team Roots.

Well done you two!! That was a really high score considering that you have gained the knowledge from your UK Internet exploration rather than growing up with it as a British born person would. It’s a pity that some of the immigrants who come here for a better life can’t put in as much effort, rather than dishing the UK from day one!

The William Conqueror invaded England in 1066 and defeated king Harold and the UK spoke French for 300 years all books and laws was in French. Many French words are in the English language today. The Nobels spoke French and Latin. The Cullom in Trafalgar Square is Lord Nelsons Cullom. The great Sea Lord, Merci Jean-Marc 💁‍♂

1066 william the conquerer "the french" invaded and took over the rule of britain.so became official but not widely used language

What a charming couple. The kind of people you could sit down the pub with and talk nonsense whilst getting pissed :) If you two haven't been to the UK yet, we should set up a fund..................

Well done - reckon you would have beaten most Poms!

Yay, 100% although i had to guess the Harry Potter one. I have never watched Harry Potter because i'm not a child. I think you guys did remarkably well, well done , you get a gold star for that one.

I want to join that dragon eating a pie on top of a mountain! I'll bring the Irn Bru! 😂 ❤

Always like to see the enjoyment Steve and Lindsay get from this experience. One thing I'd noted was that both have adopted the UK pronunciation of "Ay-vunn" when I was expecting to hear to the American-sounding "Ay-vonn". You're learning!

i did read somewhere that 60% o so of what we think as english is actually french, who knows but if its true your welcome france and if you thought the magic round about was trippy you should check out the kids tv show... whoever came up with that was def tripping

Oh no she's an on accidenter 😅

You need to find the “Life in the UK” practice test online. It’s the test people take to become a citizen. When I worked in a library, we had an app on the computers and all the staff tried it. Let’s say, we might deserve to be deported.

In the North East, people from the various parts of it are called by regional nick names. So, there are Geordies (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), Mackems (Sunderland), Monkey Hangers (Hartlepool), Sand Dancers (South Shields), Woolly Backs (County Durham), Smoggies (Middlesborough), and so on. Each nick name has a definitive meaning behind it. It was hundreds of years ago... but people from Hartlepool are still called Monkey Hangers to this day. 😄

1066 the Norman invasion was from Normandy which is in France so we spoke French before it was old Saxon

It used to be said that every true English-man knew two dates from history. 1066 and 1966.

You did great - those you didn't know you used the knowledge you do have to deduce a sensible answer. Some of the questions were phrased in a way that needed careful unpicking to get them right. Feeling smug cos I scored 100% - but as a Brit in her '60's, I really would have had no excuse not to have picked up those pieces of information somewhere along the way! Background to the official anguage being french: 1066 is the date that William of Normandy conquered England (he is known as William the Conqueror) and from then on, the official business of the country was conducted in French, until 1362 when it was decided to officially revert to English.

The ceremony of the keys is fabulous - I’ve been to it and it’s really great - it’s free but you have to book!

Just look up what happened in 1066 and all will become obvious.

You're not weird for liking quizzes. My grandsons (in 🇦🇺🇨🇦🇰🇪) and I do an online quiz each Sunday morning before church (though for the 🇨🇦 cousins it's Saturday evening). Pub quizzes are an institution in the UK, and other English-speaking countries. We don't like multiple choice questions, though.

We still have a London Bridge in London

Rarebit is euphemism. It’s really rabbit. Rabbits used to be really cheap meat since they were considered a pest. The idea is that the Welsh were do poor they couldn’t even afford rabbit. So a Welsh rabbit is cheese on toast. The Welsh were known for their fondness for cheese.

William the conqueror was French and his decedents then they changed it to Olde English Chaucers era 🤷‍♀️

London Bridge was sold to Missourian oil magnate Robert McCulloch in 1968 at a cost of US$2.46million (£1.63million), and shipped piece by piece over the ocean. The bridge is now the star attraction at Lake Havasu City, where it sits in retirement by the lake of the same name, alongside a cluster of ‘Tudor-themed’ shops and restaurants. However, controversy has long been attached to the purchase of London Bridge, with popular legend suggesting that Mr McCulloch had intended to buy Tower Bridge rather than its flatter, more mundane colleague - and had confused the two structures.

You need to find a video on the Norman Invasion and Norman England / the Plantagenets

A program you might be interested in if you want some British history, “Digging for Britain”. They are about 1hr in length, but you might be able to condense it or edit or just take a look out of interest.

Im English and got them all correct, however it really doesn't rain every other day here.

Well done guy's. Not bad at all. I would let you into the UK. If you ever do visit our little island then you will be one step ahead. Take care and have a wonderful weekend.

As someone from southend! I'm proud! 😂❤ Funnily enough I've walked the pier more times than I've taken the train, it's more scenic that way. At the end there's a few cafes (including Jamie olivers) and a RNLI centre. It is always a MUST to eat a cream tea at the end of the pier 😂❤

Glad you got Wales right, Hopkins and Burton were born a mile up the road from me in Port Talbot, South Wales, Zeta Jones about 9 miles away

When Charles II regained the throne they dug up the corpse, tried and executed it.

Steve... It's 'Southend-on-Sea' - and it's in Essex, just on the side of the Thames Estuary... (_Not_ "South End On _The_ Sea" !!😊)

'Hart-lee-pool'

Old Saxon was BEFORE 1066 - that's how you were confused. Now also you can see why we have so many words related to French - it's French overlaid on Old Saxon, and linguistics today can trace each word - where it came from, and therefore which era it came from. Most town names (which were all later transported to the USA!) originate from BEFORE the French period. Today most British people can guess the original meaning behind town names from the suffix or prefix. And from that, an original date can be assessed.

I believe Big Ben the bell was named after a famous bare knuckle fight of the day!