In my experience as an ancient Brit, the real Gentry are far from 'stuck up' or 'posh', they don't have to be as they probably have generations of experience in dealing with their position in society. Mostly its the nouveau riche who have the airs and graces that probably comes from a basic insecurity and the need to affirm their supposed status, a trait I have seen in many Americans with bulging wallets. The war time phrase of the 'Yanks are over paid, oversexed and over here' is particularly apt. You will often find the local landed gentry down the pub drinking with the locals, driving around in a beat up 40 years old Land Rover instead of the more elegant vehicle in the garage that is kept for special occasions. They will dress in well worn practical clothes, they will know and contribute their time and money to the local community, without favour, shop in the local store and spend time gossiping about local issues. All of that is hardly stuck up or posh.
Agreed, all the ones I’ve met drive battered old Landys, Volvos or Subarus. Most are worried how the hell they’re going to afford to replace their ancient roof or rotting windows and if their tenant farmers can pay their rent on time. Asset rich and cash poor for many of them, I almost feel sorry for some of the ones I’ve met - that ancient family castle can be a mill stone around their neck.
@@bordersw1239 A family home is a family home, no matter how many rooms it has. I know people who can't bear to part with their childhood homes after their parents die. And these are just your average two up two downs. Also the landed gentry seem to care about the land more. Certainly more that "self made" tycoons do.
When looking after American students as a resident assistant in the late 80s early 90s I always enjoyed watching a newly arrived student (there was always one) spoon on English (must be bland) Mustard on a ham sandwich. That was their first lesson!
I just want to add to the "bland food" thing. Traditional British food is more herb based, because our climate never used to have many spices hundreds of years ago. In modern times spices are thought of as flavoursome, but herbs can add just as much flavour, but taste more "earthy".
Also, traditional British food requires good quality ingredients that have a lot of flavour. A lot of modern supermarket food is virtually tasteless making the resulting dish bland. A good stock, meat, veg, potatoes and a few herbs can make a really tasty stew or pie if you have the right ingredients.
As a former English Man now living in America… my experience is more that Americans season more by comparison, so if an American eats food in England they will consider it bland.
@@PotentiallyAndy Depends, you can't beat a roast dinner, Lamb with Rosemary, Yorkshire pudding, carrots cooked in butter, personally brussels sprouts, Also in butter, thick onion gravy, followed with dessert of choice.
I suspect the "bland/bad food" idea dates back the WWII when food was rationed, and Americans coming over would have been introduced to food which was pretty much made of whatever people could get their hands on, which often wasn't much. When questioned about what food they think is bad, they generally struggle to think of a single example. Some might say 'kidney pie', but that doesn't even exist.
@@jonadabtheunsightly Actually, steak and kidney pudding is not the same as steak and kidney pie. The pie is, as you might expect, just baked in a shortcrust or, sometimes, puff pastry. The pudding however is steamed in suet pastry. Still the same meat and gravy inside though. And both are really delish!
On the bland food thing - I've seen a couple of food vloggers from the US say that we don't add enough salt and sugar to our food, and they add some and prefer it. I think it's because we have had educational programmes telling us about the dangers of too much salt and sugar, so people add their own to taste rather than it always being pre-added. Not the whole issue, but it might be part of it being "bland" to the American palette.
A lot of it is that traditional British food leans towards quality ingredients cooked simply. The actual taste of the food, isn’t meant to be overwhelmed by spices. Also, we don’t pump everything full of sugar, so many Americans think it’s odd. Compare a slow cooked beef stew to a curry, many of the same basic ingredients, just different seasoning. Both have their place.
@@andysutcliffe3915 this is very true, whenever I eat in the US the food has so many sauces and things mixed in that I’m no longer sure what it’s supposed to taste of
Alanna, I'm 70 years old. When I was young it was my grandmother who cooked for the whole family. During WW2 in Britain the best cuts of meat, etc., and other imported or rare foods, were only available using the points system on your rartion card. But offal and other inexpensive cuts weren't. My Gran was a genius at cooking delicicious, satisfying meals using only simple inexpensive ingredients. If you had asked her what an avocado pear was she would have have looked at you in bewilderment!
Hi, Alana. Great video. You're 100% right that British food gained a bad reputation during WW2. The most popular cuisine in England these days is Indian food. When I was a child I remember my Mother refusing to use any kind of spices, declaring " I'm not eating that foreign muck ! " Thankfully, times have changed now. It is very difficult to find a genuine English restaurant on any high street these days.
Adrian Pollard. If you want good English food you go to a pub. Although Indian food is popular in Britain I would not say it was the MOST popular. I know lots of people who never eat Indian food.
OMG Alanna you must be exhausted getting changed all the time. Time to chill out with a nice Drink. Don't forget we all know the Queen personally and are great at playing villains in Hollywood movies. Personally I think Americans are more obsessed with Royalty than we are. Hopefully see you soon:)
Hi Alana, When my nephew (who's parents had emigrated to the USA when he was a baby) visited me and my wife a few years ago, from Long Island, New York, the things that amazed him most were: What he called "The twisty roads." (He even thought we were on someone's drive at one point). - Manual gearboxes "How do you do that?" Corner shops; his nearest 'shop' was a mall, which was 3 miles away. All those and the fact he could buy drinks in pub when he was 18! He's a lovely guy and has made a good life for himself and his family in the US (He's an Ice sculptor!) but he still misses Fish and Chips
My impression of British drinking culture was that it was mostly young men that like to go on pub crawls and get pissed/drunk, but that as they got older that became less appealing. That is, there is definitely a drinking culture there and people get caught up in it, but there's also people that go to the pub more for the social atmosphere and less for the alcohol. Is that fairly accurate, that it is mostly young men that like to drink in order to show off how much alcohol their system can handle, and then as you get older and more responsible getting drunk just becomes less appealing for most?
Mmmmmhhh! When I was in the RAF we had tentative contact with the American Airforce, they told that they were actually warned about Brits who they may come into contact with. Basically the warning told the Airforce personnel “don’t try out drink the British forces you can’t do it, you will not win”. I was never sure whether to puff my chest out in pride or got no idea what. We mostly saw the Americans in Sardinia at the NATO base there, never been to a toga party before they made the mistake of inviting us, the ground crew to the said party. They didn’t provide enough beer. Met the Canadian AF in Senegalia, in Italy on operations to Sarajevo for the UNHCR, they always had enough beer. Nuff said really Canucks forever, we seem to be more in tune!
I know in France, dentists discourage bleaching your teeth and the constant use of whitening toothpaste because of the potential damage to enamel over time.
@@AdventuresAndNaps I never understand this - I didn't visit a dentist for 20 years after leaving home, but decided to after all that time. My teeth were fine, they look white (but not fake), clean and neat. All I did was brush twice a day... not hard!
@@MrSammotube not everyone is this lucky :) No matter what I do, I get plaque behind my bottom front teeth. So I can afford not going super often, but I wouldn't be able to not go for 20 years!
I have a lot of respect for the Queen. At 95 she works harder than many people half her age. During WW2, in her late teens, she joined the ATS (women’s army) and learned to drive and maintain various vehicles. I think there is a lot of value in a hierarchical monarchy. The Queen has visited many countries and met many heads of state, some of whom she knows well. Our Prime Ministers have a weekly meeting with the Queen. It is sobering for PMs to have to account to someone who (at least in theory) could dismiss them. Because of her background and long experience, many PMs report that she gives wise advice. By convention, the monarch never gets directly involved in politics. Finally, the monarchy is to a significant extent self-supporting. What is more, it helps to bring in tourists, who like to see the pageantry, which more than covers residential costs. If we became a republic, with a president instead of a monarch, I think we would lose a lot and gain very little. The problems we have in Britain come not from our monarchy, but from the politicians we elect, particularly the very wealthy self-centred ones…
Plenty of countries function very well without a monarchy. The tourism argument has been debunked many many times. I recommend you red "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine. The monarch you so idolise actually considered putting in for a winter fuel payment. Then take a look at her kids- all are warped and dysfunctional, and it's very likely that one of them is a sex offender. As for not meddling in politics, take a look at what happened to Gough Whitlam in Australia. Why do you regard yourself as inferior to another human being?
and people assume that president will be free. In order to argue "The Queen costs us...". You'd need to assume the president works for free and never entertains, travels I.e. doesn't do anything of use
A point I always make for these kind of videos is that people who think our food is bland just don't understand our food culture. I think people from many countries are used to food being placed in front of them ready-seasoned, whereas we actually season our own food at the table to suit our own individual tastes.
In other words, be prepared to be served bland food, so bring along a load of seasonings and camp stove and a set of pots and pans if you do not like bland food? :-) But many or most Yanks eat bland food unless eating at an ethnic restaurant.
Americans do drink tea too, when in Rome. I used to work in pubs, and on Sept 11th a group of American students came into the pub I worked in and shared a pot of tea. I don't think they wanted to be alone and came along to the pub for company and a cuppa.
Apparently, if there's a particularly tense episode of Coronation Street, or a gripping mystery show, the National Grid registers a huge surge in demand for power on the ad breaks as people scurry into the kitchen to make a soothing cup of tea. :-D
When I was a member of a trade union the chairman(“Brother Chair”) would wait until a few minutes before Coronation Street was about to start before discussion began about something the union wanted adopted. At that point most of the members went home to watch the telly. When there were only activists left was when the show of hands was called on the matter. Sometimes, when there was to be an extra important vote, we had a guest speaker who would begin to drone on in a monotonous voice about butterfly collecting or a similar minority interest in order to make sure the majority went home to watch Coronation Street and miss the vote ( If you can call a show of hands, the result of which which was decided by “Brother Chair” a democratic vote)
Although this still happens, it's a much lower affect than back when the only TV option was broadcast television. These days with streaming and online services, many are moving away from watching traditional TV, which is why the BBC are so worried bout the future of their licence fee money. You can watch about 90% of the programs you normally watch without needing a licence these days.
The vast majority of Americans don't have a passport and have never left their country. So any opinions from them, should be taken with a pinch of salt.
I've never held much with stereotypes, but having chats with the younger people I work with, they are definitely fascinated by the UK. They seem to think that every Brit is incredibly cool and stylish. So good news for you guys; the American kids think you're cooler than they are!
You highlight another thing to bear in mind with all this - different generations will have different stereotypes. The thing with stereotypes is that there is a core of truth to them all, it's just never as widespread as the stereotype is used for. Which is why I've never put much into them either.
As soon as they find out about the Windrush Scandal, young folks will understand that many Brits are unreconstructed about their prejudices . . . and in the worst possible way.
The mention of bland British food (allegedly) immediately reminded me of the famous Goodness Gracious Me 'Going for an Indian' sketch. 'What's the blandest thing on the menu?' 'Well the scampi is pretty bland.' As to tea, of course we love it. We live on the stuff! Basing British people on shows like Downton Abbey is ridiculous. Would you base Americans on Dallas or Dynasty?
Visiting Gettysburg was asked "where are you from?"...very slowly and carefully enunciated. On replying "Britain"... Was complimented, again slowly and carefully and without irony, on my "excellent English"... From then on, always replied 'England' when asked. Saved a lot of bother.
I remember pubs being the way you described and drugs ruined it. There was always an old guy and his dog no matter what pub. Yeah I'm old, nearly half a century 😭
The referee outfit! Brilliant! 😂😂😂 Great Video... There's always room for one more pint! Stuck up & rich? I wish lol... Terrible stereotype! **wears a bowler hat, while drinking tea with a pinky finger raised** 😋😂
The dog I’m caring for did not like your whistle, I shouldn’t have laughed at him, he seems offended, he is absolutely posh and fond of tea. I don’t think Google should count all the cups of tea that get forgotten about and left to go cold, that’s got to be a few million every day. Thank you for the video, I enjoyed it. I hope you’re having a great week.
Another great one Alana. It made me smile. For what it’s worth, here are my views: 1. Binge Drinkers - absolutely. Many Brits have a wholly unhealthy relationship with alcohol. E.g. going out to get drunk. 2. Bad Teeth - complete tosh. No more likely to have bad teeth than any other population. 3. Bland Food - well I prefer my food to be “not f**ked about with”, so in my case, yes. 4. Love Tea - as a population, yes. Me? Don’t drink Tea or Coffee (or alcohol 😂). 5. Stuck Up - 😂😂😂😂😂 some definitely are, others could not be further from being stuck-up. 6. Obsessed with the Royals - the tabloids and media are obsessed with them. Love the Queen, but when she goes, I couldn’t care less about the rest of them.
I would like to add that as someone who was born and bred in the UK that in this time of equality the one job that none of us can ever get is head of state. The idea of a royal blood line is an anachronism that needs to end.
My name is Peter, English 65 years old, worked around the world, lived in three countries now France. Binge drinking. Yes, it was a result of the licensing laws where everything stopped by law at 11 oclock at night so we rushed to get down another pint before the bell sounded. Food, we were poor at least in my family, we don't all have castles. Meat and two vedgeetables, even butter was an extravagence. Hoiwever in the 1970s we had an explosion of Indian, chinese, greek restaurtants. We were brought up with the most exciting cuisines in the world. I include French, the best french restaurant in the world where I have eaten was near Oxford. And I live near paris.
"spent a lot of time in Chatham" 🤣🤣 My sympathies (I've lived in Medway my entire life and don't remember the last time I went to Chatham High Street) and, like all places, there are nice bits and bad. Unfortunately, the last 30 or so years have really seen it go downhill, and all the new rabbit hutch and prison block style housing estates haven't helped the area.
There is a psychological effect to tea that helps with stress. IE it takes time to brew a good pot of tea. This creates some temporal space between the stressful event and actually thinking about it. That also gives time for cortisol and adrenaline levels to drop a little.
A (now elderly) Brit, I spent some time in the US around the time that Crocodile Dundee came out and it was cool to be Australian (apparently). We went for a meal in a brew pub in Bar Harbor, Maine and I thought the bartender's reaction upon hearing our obviously English accents was rather strange - his accent started to change, probably imperceptibly to an American but obviously to all of us. I asked him where he was from and he said 'Sydney, mate' in a nearly Australian accent. I left it at that but when the place emptied out a bit and there were not so many locals in I asked him again, commenting that though his accent was sliding around a bit and a bit Dick van Dyke, I would have put him more in the south of England than the antipodes. With a wee hint of desperation he said, "Actually, I'm from Southampton but being Australian has worked out really well for me here." I didn't spoil his fun but he wouldn't have got away with it anywhere else.
was having a rotten day but you really cheered me up,love your sense of humour,it,s refreshing and you dont realise how funny you are.thank you Alanna.
Great video! I remember the first time I asked my American friend at University if they wanted to “go for a pint” after our lectures. To me, as a Brit, that obviously meant 3 pints and a few games of pool/darts. However, they literally brought out enough cash for 1 beer. Still amuses me when I think back to the locals reaction to my friend in the middle of the rural Yorkshire village we were staying in 😂
Non-alcoholic drinks: here in Australia, when they introduced random breath testing and the cops started setting up what became known as “booze buses” that could appear anywhere at any time there was a rapid and widespread change in pubs and parties generally. Groups of drinkers would appoint a designated driver who would have to remain sober in order to take the others home or to the station at the end of the night Hosts would have to have non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks to offer their guests Now, after more than 20 years it’s just accepted that a significant number of pub and club and party goers will not be drinking alcohol.
On the tea/coffee thing. For years, all the time I was working, I only drank coffee, at least three at day. After I retired I was in hospital for a week. The doctor said I should not drink coffee so I started drinking tea and now rarely drink coffee.
2:08 I’ve had to tell a couple of Americans that phrases such as “do you wanna go for a pint” aren’t to be taken literally, no one ever goes for just one even they pretend to, to seem somewhat civilised or whatever 😂. Tbh we speak with so much dry humour, sarcasm, innuendo, metaphor that telling Americans not to take us literally is just good advice on the whole 👍
Makes me think of the Aussie in NYC who called a guy he was impressed with 'a sick cunt'. He meant it as a compliment - the Americans were horrified and deeply shocked. Brits just get it.
As a British person, I would say you are very accurate with your observations. When my American family first met us English cousins, they thought we would speak either like the queen, or like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins !
From the Midlands: I have lost my reignal accent. Iived around the country and around the world, taught English. And yet in America, they really struggled with my "none" accent.
Binge drinking is usually for the young generation as it involves drinking fast and getting drunk quickly , were as having a pint or two ish is like you said is sipping your drink ( lasting 20--30minutes ish )and chatting while you have a game of cards , darts etc etc , but if you're in a round you have to buy a drink for everyone so you may stay longer than planned lol. I do know friends that don't like the monarchy at all but low and behold if any Johnny foreigner slags them off then they will defend them and even our government / parliament ( even if hated ) lol
That was really funny! The referee outfit was so funny, I appreciate that you always have funny ideas for your videos! You always make your videos fun to watch! Thanks so much for the video! It’s one of my new favourite A+N videos!
As someone who has tasted both American and British chocolate, I find the taste of American chocolate horrible. Very sugary and has a slightly stale taste to it. It tastes cheap unlike british chocolate which tastes very creamy and velvety smooth!
Loved this!! You had me laughing the whole time. That reff outfit made it even more funny!! Thanks for another awesome video Alana! Hope you are staying well! 🏴🇨🇦
Out of the ten houses I can see from my window only one has people who regularly go to the pub. In my local area there are three pubs and about two thousand houses, so I don't think everyone lives in the pub. I go to the pub more for a meal.
That was a really well done episode. It's also the second time recently that I've thought that you've really got a handle on how the 'pub' fits into life here. (But I don't know anyone who drinks zero alcohol beer in a pub! 3.5 abv could be considered low, as long as you're not driving) 👍
The refereeing was great; I think you've fund your true vocation. You didn't have to be quite so diplomatic about British drinking habits. You know as well as the rest of us that us Brits like to get plastered. Going for "a drink" is never just one drink. The vast majority of Americans never leave the US and it's possible that some of them never leave their home state. This can make them rather insular and unaware of the wider world, relying instead on their media outlets- some of which are not renowned for their accurate reporting.
That's a very skewed viewpoint as many of us Brits do not drink or drink very little. The binge drinking fad, is more prevalent in younger age groups and the amount of people who go to pubs to socialise without drinking is quite high.
I think that may be your own demographic as if I do go for a drink it's normally a lunchtime one with a friend, usually includes a bit of lunch. Even teenagers aren't all spending their money in pubs anymore, apparently we now have the generation of the most teetotal.
@@Thurgosh_OG There's a certain truth in what you say although, for those that do drink, I think there's probably more drinking, and binge drinking, at home with the older generations than any other. The binge drinking on holidays or weekends etc is perpetrated by a very small minority and is obviously highlighted more by the media because it's in public.
The tea:coffee ratio hides the fact that a large proportion of the coffee is from a coffee shop, but the vast majority of the tea is brewed in person. Stick the kettle on! 🍵
Hey Alanna. Great choices for stereotypes and correct observations, as I still see these passed around as 'fact'. American tourists likely see Wetherspoons in every city they visit, so that's the image they take home. Also, having eaten American food over a long period, UK food is far superior. Does this mean we get to look forward to a 'Brits Think Americans Do What?' video?
@@AdventuresAndNaps this could be some great content here. Canadians always say Eh? After they finish a scentence or, they cant say about. They say aboot. Is that true? Eh.
Stereotypes I absolutely love them as they are just bonkers but we still go off them, although sometimes people don't do themselves any favours when it comes to the stereotypes. Like us English folks with the French, just when you think it's all rubbish they go and do something stupid. Nothing against the French it was the most relevant analogy I could think off at this late hour. The tea thing to me is an addiction thing, I either drink tea or coffee but my god I drink bucket loads. Ps good choice of tea 👍
Posh started out as an acronym - it means Port Out, Starboard Home and came from wealthy passengers preferring being able to see the land travelling to and from India during the time of Empire. Port being left, Starboard being right on a ship.
Not so much for seeing land, but to be on the cool side of the ship on the outward and return trips. The west-facing side of the ship would heat up all afternoon, so the cabins would be stifling at night, whereas the east-facing side (Port out / Starboard home) would heat up in the morning, but have time to cool down a bit before bedtime. Also, the story is now widely held to be apocryphal - but it's still the best one we've got !
Broadly speaking, if one Wetherspoons offers non-alcoholic drinks as an option then most or all Wetherspoons will offer the same. Wetherspoons are a chain, not a franchise, so their sales policies are the same in every pub in the chain.
more than 1 cup a day ? well I would hope so, a cup of tea is a pick me up, a settling down , a welcome drink , it's basically everything . But I do drink 16 mugs a day
"I bought this outfit for this one joke" made me laugh, it did work to be fair. You had some good observations there Alanna, we can tell you've lived among us and absorbed the culture. I have two cups of coffee to start my morning and drink a lot of Yorkshire tea through the day, I love my tea :)
I think you're right, that a lot of stereotypes about the Brits date back to the experience of US forces in Britain during the war - the biggest stumbling block being that it seemed almost impossible to get across to them just how ruthless rationing was in Britain, and the fact that almost EVERYTHING was either rationed, in short supply, or non-existent. Typical ration for an adult per week was: Butter, 2oz; eggs, 1 fresh egg; bacon and ham, 4oz; margarine, 4oz; sugar, 8oz; sweets (US candy), 3oz; cheese, 2oz; meat, to the value of 1 shilling and 6 pence (about £2 today); milk, 3 pints - sometimes reduced to 2 pints; tea, 2oz; dried eggs, 1 packet per month; dried eggs, 1 packet per month; jam (US, preserves), 1lb every 4 MONTHS. What else was rationed? Clothes, furniture, cosmetics (if you could find them at all), soap . . . soap? SOAP?? Yep - the key ingredient of soap is glycerine - also used to make explosives, so guess who got first crack at supplies, soap makers or munitions? Also on strict rations, bicycle tyres and inner tubes (rubber was needed for military vehicles). Scotch? Most was reserved for export, as we needed foreign currency - so pubs got a small allocation; when it was gone, it was gone. Beer was weak, as most barley was reserved for feeding people and livestock, so the brewers got what was left, and had to stretch it as far as possible. Petrol (US gasoline) - for most of the war, ZERO.
@William Clark - yes, I'm well aware of that. I'm also aware that American troops arriving in Britain in 1943 were shocked into disbelief when told what our rations were, compared to the rations available to American civilians at home. Were Americans restricted to this, per week? One egg; 4oz of bacon and ham (total) a week; meat equivalent to two chops; 2 oz butter; 2 oz cheese; 4 oz margarine; 4 oz cooking fat; 3 pints of milk (sometimes reducing to 2 pints); 8 oz sugar; 2 oz tea; 3 oz candy; 2 oz preserves? And ZERO petrol / gasoline? I very much doubt it.
@William Clark - thank you, William; I appreciate that. Re. Churchill - from a lot of anecdotal evidence I've read, it appears that many didn't vote against Churchill himself, but against the Conservative Party - who they blamed for the disastrous policy of appeasement throughout the 1930s. There was another more sinister aspect of that election. The votes from servicemen and women who were still serving overseas were brought back and distributed by train to their constituencies (areas which voted for an MP). After the election was over, railwaymen started finding sacks of postal votes which appeared to have been deliberately hidden in railway stations all over the country. The most likely cause was rabidly left-wing union members, working on the assumption that men and women in the forces were more likely to vote for Churchill, and deliberately stealing sackloads of ballots. The electoral results were striking. Despite opinion polls in preceding years showing growing support for Labour, it was nowhere near enough to account for Labour's landslide victory in the 1945 election, when they had a majority of 145 seats. In the following election (1950), despite Labour receiving about a million and a quarter *more* votes than in 1945, their majority was cut to a mere 5 seats! (Labour called another election in 1951, lost, and were out of power for 13 years). Other points which seem very suspicious to me. In 1945, voter turnout was less than 73% - despite the previous election being as far back as 1935 - yet in 1950 it rose to 84%, and was still 83% in 1951. 70 years have passed since then, but Labour candidates are *still* being caught out in fraudulent voting, and charged by the police, AND convicted! I hope the mid-term elections this November go well for you, Willima, and best regards, Jack
Can't believe you're just up the road to me. Medway has declined a lot in the 20 odd years I have been here in Gillingham. Although my roots are still in Cockney East end London, it's also where I still work. Love your videos. You should take trip out the dogs in Sittingbourne one evening. You'll have fun having a flutter and a pint.
Yay! It's Tuesday. Alanna and a Fresh Cup of Tea. Perfect. What's this? Americans think the Brits do what? Pubs? Well, if I wasn't drunk right now, I would give the Americans a piece of my mind.
Hey guys I'm an American from Mississippi. Yall are wrong on the Americans have stereotypes of brits. We has a country don't care about British customs and cultures all my fellow Americans that I have talked to don't concern our selves with brits and the rest of the world. Other country's need to stop talking shit about us Americans when they are ignorant about our culture.
One of my front teeth fell out six years ago so I don't have to polish that one now. Didn't bother fixing it as I can now funnel all the Tanglefoot through the gap. Non alcoholic beer is pointless. Alcohol gets the pub atmosphere moving along nicely.
This idea started and comes from Napoleon Bonaparte, who called the British “Roast Beef”, this was his insult against the British. Mind you he also said give me French soldiers and the British Sergeants and he could conquer the world.
Thank you, Alanna for another thoughtful video. You seem to have a great understanding about us inhabitants. It's true we have an affection for our "bland" food as we know it's fine when needed as well as the pub's timeless, integral part of the culture. That's a great point about the tea/coffee option. You can drink tea after tea if you've nothing better to do (and sometimes it is just something to do), but one or two coffees is enough. But when you said "Brits drink 100 million cups of tea a day" that is frankly nonsense as I don't drink that many, nor do I know of anyone who drinks that many. I would go as far as to say that might be unhealthy.
Pretty accurate analysis I'd say (I'm British). I'm in my 50s and have seen our British food gradually change over the years. Example as a kid I'd never seen dried pasta, never knew what a pizza was. Having said that we had Indian curry at home now and then. Continental (European) foods were unknown to my family at least until well into the 1990s. I've been to America 3 times and always find their food bland (bread especially), fresh produce looked better than ours but didn't taste as good. So it remains a very interesting topic. Comparing cultures is fascinating and often very amusing for all concerned. So, nice job 👍
A well presented video. The food thing does originate from WW2when food was in short supply and people had to eat what they could get. US military stationed in the UK at the time took this back with them and the myth stuck. UK is fantastic and varied, unless you're looking for authentic Mexican cuisine which you might be hard pushed to find.
@@bwilson5401 Porridge in what way? Many food items were rationed during WW2 and those that weren't rationed were in short supply and difficult to get, unless you grew your own veg and kept chickens to help bulk up your food supply.
@@GenialHarryGrout More to the point, rationing after the war was actually more severe than it was during the war itself, and of course the last restrictions weren't lifted until 1954. It's probably one reason why the generation who grew up in that period are frequently outliving their kids; they couldn't stuff themselves with unhealthy, fatty and sugary food because it just wasn't available.
Saying that we brits and us English in particular are snobbish and all live on country estates because the yanks have watched Downton Abbey is like saying all Americans are phenomenally rich back stabbing oil barons because we watched Dallas! Neither is true. Still, I'd rather be called beer obsessed and with crooked teeth than be obsessed with guns.
@William Clark As a veteran of 22 years service I'm fully aware of what guns can do having witnessed it on many occasions. Firearms do not frighten me it's the finger squeezing the trigger. Anyway with the Us's record in defending "freedom" in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan and now its lack of action in Ukraine I can definitely sleep easy knowing Uncle Sam has our backs.
One weird thing that comes to mind about the British people having bad teeth stereotype. There was a local news broadcast from the US a while back on RU-vid. It was something about a homeless man winning a scartchcard. The first thing he did after winning was to get his teeth re-aligned, fixed, and cleaned. They were literally interviewing him on the street after he got his teeth fixed. It made me think, did this guy really just turn down having 5 years worth of rent to merely have a nice smile ? That blew my mind.
R.E. the binge drinking thing, you have to remember the age/types of drinkers. First you have your teens heading out clubbing and getting tanked up first, your classic binge drinkers. Then you've got the slightly older generation, possibly with families eating out at Wetherspoons or somewhere who have a pint or two with a meal. Then you've got other folk spending an evening with their friends having a few drinks with their mates but not overdoing it. Basically, there are many different types of drinkers, but the ones you notice the most are the clubbers falling around in the streets late at night. Gives a rather skewed impression.
A lot of the stereotypes stem from when U.S. troops were stationed in Britain during W.W.2 , when there was rationing, so the food was bland ,dental hygiene wasn’t high on the agenda in pre- NHS days and the pub was the place the working classes socialised as it was warm cheery cheap and there was little else to do for entertainment other than variety music hall and cinema so they were often packed back then. Of course tea is popular, Britain had an empire that grew it.
Sorry but I was in Las Vegas in 2019 with my wife an we stepped over two chaps in the middle ages that where passed out drunk and and had soiled themselves... Americans are the worst for alcohol consumption and recognising the signs... my wife and I ordered our third round of drinks, a beer for me and a G&T fir her and we were asked if we had had enough? My wife's response was priceless "No as this the is the most watered down G&T is have ever had" Sorry Americans can't drink
just a little fact you may enjoy about where the word posh came from . back in the day when most travel was done on a boat/ship. the best views was on certain sides of the vessel so therefore the most expensive travel tickets. namely the port side on the outward journey and the starboard side coming back . so got abreviated to asking for p.o.s.h tickets when booking them . Port Out Starboard Home !!!! just one of those things I never forgot once told it .lol hope you enjoy 😁😁 (Dayz & knights)
All the pubs have shut down now ,there used to be alot more and a high percentage have shut down .( one of the main reasons is alot of people take drugs of one sort or another instead of going to the pub like the old days , people don't like to admit this but it's true , I know more people who spend there money on drugs more than I know people who go to the pub , that and supermarkets selling beer alot cheaper than pubs )
Many years ago I spent a couple of months in Glasgow taking Bagpipe lessons. Being new at it, I hadn't built up strength in my lip muscles, so after about 20 min I'd lose my embouchure and air would start escaping out the sides of my mouth; couldn't stop it. At this point my instructor would say, "Awch-aye, I think it's time for a cup of tea." It was a miracle! After the break and a bit of hot liquid, I could play again, so on with the lesson! One of my fondest memories of that time. Ahh.
In some American films I notice that they have a habit of mentioning the Yorkshire evening post. Now why Americans should concern themselves with a paper whose prime concern is Leeds is entirely beyond me. However one feels one visit to Leeds would be a profound disappointment.
Whenever I watch US cooking videos I am staggered at the amount of sugar and salt that are added to recipes. Sugar and salt overcomes subtle tastes, in the UK we don't add sugar to savoury foods and are therefore able to appreciate subtle flavouring, but can still appreciate a hot chilli or curry.
The British pub is a dying tradition, they are closing down at a rate of about 400 a year. In 2018 over 900 closed. I've not seen the figures for 2021 but I imagine it was a bad year.
Scotch eggs are amazing. I do 18th century living history, so we cook at lot of English dishes that we would have had in the colonies in America. I've cooked all kinds of puddings, meat pies, etc. I love all of. Not bland at all. Can't wait to cook up a British meal and serve it with home brewed Bitter.
My impressions, having lived almost half my life in the UK and half in the USA: Beer drinking by young men is most conspicuous in the UK, with inebriated crowds in town center areas in late evening when the bars close. Not so much in America where the legal drinking age is 21; bars tend to be spread out in strip malls and there are fewer concentrated areas of urban entertainment. On the other hand, America’s serious drinkers tend to be older; bars have a tradition of serving large measures of strong mixed liquor drinks (vodka, rum, tequila etc.) and many older patrons will drink six or seven of these in an evening without showing much effect. Dentistry in the UK is mostly concerned with tooth health whereas in the USA it is equally concerned with health and appearance; there are many more orthodontists who specialize in realignment and straightening in America.
