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Snapping your fingers at a waiter is rude in America also. Wave and call out for them as necessary (that’s why they’re supposed to wear name tags), but don’t treat them like dogs.

As an American, I don't know anyone that snaps their fingers and I've not witnessed it. I think that's a TV/movie stereotype but I've never seen that myself and I eat out approx 3x a week. As a matter of fact, snapping your fingers at the wait staff will surely get you crappy service.

Snapping your fingers at someone is considered incredibly rude in the US. It's dehumanizing. The most polite way to signal waitstaff is to make eye contact with them. Or, if one is walking by, simply say "excuse me" and they'll stop to check on you.

When you guys come to America I think 95% of the time you go to fast food or chain places. God forbid you go to good quality restaurants, large or small. Its much easier to go to a fast food place (any one) buy a burger and fries and say American food is greasy.

As an American, I along with plenty of other Americans think that clicking at your server is Super rude. Most people do expect hospitable service here because the tip pressure is pretty great. People here in the states depend on their tips to live. We all know this, so in a way, we are paying for good service.

We don’t usually tell a service person “I’ll get a coffee” we usually say, “I’ll take a coffee.” This is often followed by “please.” French people say something quite similar, “Je vais prendre un café, s’il vous plaît.” But they consider it even more to polite to say, “Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît” meaning “i would like a coffee please.” Americans sometimes say this also.

Remember, there's a large part of the US that hardly ever or never sees snow. And we definitely have brown gravy. You need more time here. :)

Where shall I begin with the WRONGNESS displayed here? 1st) Everyone here in America does NOT snap their finger when at a restaurant.✅ 2nd) We do have Brown gravy here, as well as Southern gravy(which is White in color)✅

You're always unimpressed by American food yet you literally only eat at crap chain restaurants. We don't have gravy? That's beyond ridiculous!

"Tradition" really is the key point about the Royals. I don't know any Americans who really fawn over the Royal family, but Americans who are more traditional respect the idea of maintaining the institution, and therefore are happy that the Brits are doing so. Americans who are less traditional seem to not care about the Royals at all and wouldn't be bothered at all to see the demise of that institution.

I am a nurse here in the US. The "above and beyond" service attitudes trickle into healthcare too. I don't know ALL the ins and outs of it, but I do know that patient surveys after hospitalizations, services, procedures, visits, etc, can affect how much healthcare providers and facilities are paid. Poor post-service surveys can cut payments from Medicare/Medicaid and insurance providers SUBSTANTIALLY. SO even as nurses, we're trained on always keeping the patients/clients/families/EVERYONE happy.

Joel, there are over a million restaurants in the United States, and many menus have dinners with brown gravy, like top sirloin with brown gravy, meat loaf with brown gravy, beef pot pie with brown gravy, hot beef sandwich with brown gravy, beef tips with noodles with brown gravy, chopped sirloin with onions and brown gravy. ect ect ect.

Threw your eating utensils on the dirty table in front of you?? And you accepted that & STAYED? I get it that you guys don't care for "service" like that, but throwing my utensils on a dirty table is UNACCEPTABLE on ANY level of service. And this is what you guys are okay with❓❓😂😂😂😂

A roast dinner seems very American. It's very common in the US. Brown gravy is also the most common.

It's interesting that you've somehow gotten the impression that we don't have brown gravy here. The white gravy you had is specific to biscuits and gravy in my experience. But with a roast or even pork loin, it's pretty common to use the drippings to make gravy for mashed potatoes or rice or something like that. It's just so funny to me every time it comes up.

Why Americans say British food is "bad". You are being judged by other European countries like France, Italy, and Germany, the most visited countries by Americans, where the food is legendary, meals are a huge part of the experience and daily life, and have amazing, well known cuisines and chefs that are renowned worldwide. So it's not that British food is "bad", it is just being compared to extremely high standards, by a group of people who , when they travel to Europe expect (or are told) that the food there is MIND blowing. So if you just get roast and nice potatoes.... not mind blowing like what you might get in Paris, Rome, or Munich. You see this reflected in American restaurants; you'll often find expensive "Fine Dining" French and Italian restaurants, but I have never, ever seen an upscale Fine British Dining restaurant. In touristy areas, you'll often see a fake British pub flying the flag and advertising "fish and chips!" but that's it, basically a tacky themed bar. But not a nice sit down restaurant, or even affordable chain restaurant like Italian Gardens that specialises in British Cuisine. It's just not considered upscale enough, or distinct and exotic enough (like Italians and their pasta dishes or French escargot and filet mignon). Roast and potatoes? Sausage and mashed potatoes? Not even thought of as British (and certainly not special occasion, fine dining). Those things are often offered at all you can eat buffets though. Actually, don't think I've ever seen you guys do a "normal" buffet, did see you eat at a very expensive one in Vegas I think, but, find a Golden Corral, you will be SHOCKED at the choice, variety, cheap prices, and usually they are carving a roast and always have brats/bangers and pizza and chinese and pasta, all in one place! And a CHOCOLATE fountain Joel... a CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN!

American here , I have had mostly service jobs in my lifetime. I think EVERYONE should work service at least once in their lifetime, they will treat other service employees a lot better. Clicking at someone is just F-ing rude and should not be done, ever.

Joel, we have gravy for every meat there is. Sausage white, sausage brown, turkey brown(light brown), pork white, pork brown, chicken brown(light brown), chicken white, ham light brown, ham redeye 🥴, bacon white, bacon brown, roast brown, pork chops brown. The way you get white gravy is by using milk instead of water.

I can't comment on the taste of British food, or specifically English and Scottish, which I hear about the most, and Welsh to a lesser extent. But we have roast dinners as well, and my Grandma made a kot of roast dinners after church on Sundays. We also have brown gravy like the British. Ours come in 2 shades, dark brown for beef, and light brown for chicken or turkey gravy. The constant focus on white gravy is for southern breakfast and dinner dishes. For dinner, the white gravy, known as country gravy is for a dinner dish like country fried steak, and for breakfast, biscuits (American) and gravy. The breakfast country gravy has ground sausage in it. The 2 different brown gravies are for mashed potatoes, roast beef, chicken, turkey, stuffing. You both need to visit more American restaurants, and I suggest the independent restaurants over the chains, as there's not only more variety, but each independent restaurant will not make the same dish the same way. I hate to say it, but the Lost in the Pond channel does a lot more research on the differences between Americans and the British. Even Laurence Brown (Lost in the Pond) knows we have more than 1 type of gravy, and I overall prefer chicken and turkey gravy over country gravy.

GRAVY, omg you guys have got to get over it! LOL! That was one very specific kind of gravy, "white" or "country" gravy that is make with milk, flour, and sausage, usually meant for breakfast biscuit rolls, and often with chicken or breaded steak fritters and mashed potatoes. Of course America has normal, brown, beef gravy.... we have a LOT of cattle, so it follows that the savory "normal" gravy that you're talking about is very common. AS IS pork gravy which is similar but lighter in colour, and Turkey gravy, a staple at Thanksgiving of course, which is SO delicious. It also is made more or less like beef gravy. But the thick, white, creamy gravy with sausage in it is just ONE kind. It depend on what you are eating. If you're eating breakfast sausage patties and biscuits, you're GOING to get white sausage gravy with it. Beef gravy would be a TRAGEDY with that meal, because it is much more runny and you end up with soggy biscuits and essentially, beef and sausage soup on a plate. THAT is why white gravy is so thick. It is not meant to be watery so it doesn't soak the bread and meat, it's supposed to cling to but not absorb into the biscuits and sausages. It's almost like another food item and less of a condiment. And if it's done right, it is SO GOOD. I totally get when you are expecting one thing and something completely different shows up, that can seem gross. (I ordered a pizza in germany once that came with FRIED EGGS, sunny side up on it!) But you really should try it again, knowing now what to expect, and understanding what it is. There are entire restaurants built around it, or restaurants that are "known for" their epic biscuits and gravy. I live near one steakhouse, that in the EARLY morning, like that time some people haven't yet slept but the old people are getting up, like 4 or 5 am, is completley full because people go there to get their signature biscuits and gravy breakfast (and it's great drunk food if you haven't slept!). It's not what you put in a gravy boat to be served with boiled potatoes and a nice steak. It's hearty soul food, served straight from the stove to smother some nice crumbly biscuits and sausage (or even hamburger) if you're lucky. Like barbeque and so many famous American foods, it really began from poor origins. So many people didn't have access to beef, but sausage can be made from nearly anything, and if you crumble the sausage into a very simple milk and flour gravy (or roux), and serve it poured over any kind of bread you can stretch that flavourful meat even further when you're trying to feed a family with almost nothing. Now of course it's considered a family favourite and dinner staple... I actually rate how good a restaurant is by how good their "chicken-fried steak" dinner is, which ALWAYS comes with mashed potatoes and rich, peppery, white country gravy. If a restaurant can get this right, then they can do anything. The chicken-fried steaks are flattened to about the size of a saucer, breaded, and fried, and covered in the gravy. Again, if it were typical brown gravy, it would soak into the breaded fritter and make it soggy. Hopefully you guys will try it again, this time knowing what to expect, and PLEASE do order a chicken-fried steak dinner... you'll love the wienerschnitnzel type fritter, the gravy of course, mashed potatoes, and usually some kind of roll or bread to "sop up" any stray gravy that didn't get eaten with the fritter or the potatoes. It's THAT good, not one bit goes to waste. It may be the most American meal I can think of, actually, that isn't fast food. Or totally basic like "burgers and fries" or hotdogs. Chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and country gravy, that takes actual cooking effort and skill. Please try it. They have it at the Cheesecake Factory, and they do it VERY WELL!

News: most Americans think the "clicks" are rude as hell. It is the hallmark of "Karen" behavior. Anyone who does that at a restaurant will get the stink-eye from fellow diners, as well as worse service. Have you two observed that often in the US? I don't go out very often, so maybe it's a new thing that needs to be eliminated...

When Joel and lia come to America, they eat at fast food or chain restaurants. Have they ever gone to a fine dining restaurant? Or a good steak house? Or a seafood restaurant? Or a good family owned restaurant?

Snapping at waiters/waitresses is usually by entitled rude (sometimes wealthy) people. I wave and smile.

You know there are plenty of Americans who dislike American stereotype bad behaviors that you two are talking about.

I don't know where Brits get the idea that Americans don't have brown gravy, we do. We just have other versions of gravy as well. Give me socialized healthcare every day of the week to assure me that I have at least a baseline of care and that I won't ever be bankrupt due to an emergency or illness.

British TV shows... Absolutely Fabulous was a phenomenon. So much so there were watch parties, costume contests, it was SO popular that they wrote a whole series of episodes where Eddie and Patsy had a big adventure in New York. At one point, they were going to make an American version (I think Roseanne bought the rights), but it was decided that it was already too well known (unlike the UK Office), and any attempt to "Americanise" it just would seem like a low effort cash grab. It ignited interest in "French and Saunders" also... for a few years the Comedy cable network was showing both shows very often, and sometimes nothing BUT AbFab marathons where it was on 24 hrs a day over a long holiday weekend. The show even spawned a pop song that was a big hit in America. That show is just a unique thing that can't be replicated. Dr Who, Red Dwarf, Downton Abbey, The Crown... lots of British TV is really appreciated in America. And even the news... one US news network used to show BBC during overnight hours, and of course there is the connection between Sky and Fox networks, and a lot of content is shared. Generally, British Television has always been considered better, edgier, and somehow just exotic enough to be super cool without seeming "too foreign" either. Benny Hill was a big thing too, years after he was popular in UK. Strictly late night, since America's TV rules are so much stricter, but so funny. Also Monty Python... really it goes on and on. Americans love British TV :)

Hi guys, I'm an American who lives in the UK (Yorkshire), and I don't exactly think British food is bad. But I would say that most of the quality food I've had in the UK is originally from other cultures like Jamaica or India. Ironically, I think a lot of "traditional" American food actually has British origins. Thanksgiving dinner, for example, is very similar to a roast dinner but has been adapted to North American/Native American foods like squash, corn/maize, cranberries, and turkey. All of which have North American origins. Nowadays, I think it's difficult to say that British food is "bad" because the foodie revolution has happened in the UK just like in other countries with the likes of Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, and Nigella Lawson. It may not be "traditionally British" but I think there can be very good meals to be had in the UK. AND....British baked goods are excellent. Scones, breads, and biscuits are of very good quality. Not to mention all the different cheeses. And the seafood (lobsters, crabs, and scallops). Typical British foods like fish n' chips, etc... are dependent upon the quality of the place you're eating at. I've had 5-star quality fish n' chips at a gastropub in London and shepherd's pie at a restaurant ON the farm where the meat came from. So even "British" foods can be of high quality. The one thing I will say as a criticism of British food is related to the availability of fresh produce. America is a much hotter and much sunnier country than the UK so our vegetable quantity and variety cannot be beaten. Most Americans are used to a larger selection of fruit and veg. in our diet than is available in the UK. This is the only difference I can see. Love you guys. Thanks

A lot of us Americans also order things by saying "can I please have...", so that's not really a British specific thing. You have to remember how big the US is and how different the culture can be in the different regions. Also, I have never met an American who "clicks." That would be seen as insanely rude.

As an American in the Midwest, I would never say "I want (fill I the blank)" or something like that while ordering food. I would say "May I get (fill in the blank) or Can I get (fill in the blank)? I always say please and thank you as well. We only make brown gravy in my family.

I am from America, but have a love for England because of my grandfather was from there…. My grandfather came to America in the 1920s.. when he got old he came and lived with us..my mom and her siblings always had a Sunday roast dinner when they where growing up, my mom continued that with me and my siblings even after my grandfather passed away, so much of what you share about English culture, I experienced to a degree with my English grandfather, I still miss him and hearing his stories of growing up in England.

As an American, I can say that I love cool, wet weather. I do not mind the rain at all.

I’m a Brit and I have found American’s far more friendly. I was in London catching a train to Kent and I didn’t know where the train station was. 2 passers by (that I asked for directions) were American and they were really nice people. I would love to visit America one day 😊

British food.. yeah, most people say it's bad, "everything is boiled into tasteless leather ". Of course, Fish and Chips are appreciated (crispy and greasy lol). But the grossest well known Brit Dish is HAGGIS. So nasty! And more savory, immigrant inspired foods, like curry and others, isn't really thought of as "British food" and is very uncommon in America. (But even a small town will have at least 5 Chinese and 5 Mexican places!) This idea of "English food" carries over to Canada, where it is generally regarded as "bland and simple", compared to the French Canadian/Quebec food, which is of course influenced more by the fine complicated savory concoctions from France. Britain has so many GREAT reputations, but unfortunately, cuisine isn't one of them for most Americans. I have always been into British things, so I do appreciate Shepherd's Pie (most Americans think it is an America thing), and my mom made roast dinner all the time... took so much time and effort, bless her. But the tender of the roast and the potatoes (and gravy!) that resulted was sooooo good. But that's about it, never had bangers and mash although it looks great. And did have Tourtiere (meat pie) in Canada, and it was also really nice.

We definitely have brown gravy! Both in restaurants & at home. I guess it depends on where you are from. Here in New England we definitely have Brown gravy& I make it at home quite frequently especially for holidays.

Yeah, most of us don't love the royals. We think of them mostly as just celebrities who just won the birth lottery instead of thru hard work or talent. I know it sounds harsh, but that's what we think. Queen Elizabeth is the exception since we all know she's a badass.

I have not witnessed anyone snap there fingers at a restaurant employee in southern Ohio, USA. It's been my experience that everyplace you go in the US is different. I would never do that and I also ask for things with please and make sure to thank them. That's just how I was brought up. I wish you two would travel more places to see the diversity in this country. ❤️ Your channel, still love to hear what you all think.

1) I've never said, "I'll get a coffee" in my whole life. 2) Clicking fingers at a waiter is considered rude in the U.S., so your friend is just rude. 3) Tons of Americans like British TV, and have for decades. 4) There's no uniform opinion about British food among Americans. 5) I discount your opinions about American food, because you do too much fast food when you visit. Plus, we keep telling you to go to bread bakeries for decent bread, but you never learn. You just keep complaining about grocery store bread. 6) Royalty was part of the feudal system and it was not wonderful for peasants. And they still secretly consider you peasants. Who wants to be a subject? 7) Most democrats want socialized health care, and most republicans don't. The biggest objection is the waiting periods will increase. 8) I'm not under the illusion that Brits are more polite than Americans. The worst thing about some Brits is their (subtle to overt) snobbery toward Americans, and not really understanding our culture.

The standard American thing to answer when a shop employee asks if you need help is something like “Just looking, Thanks”… Polite way of saying leave me alone…😂

On British food: I lived in a Scotland for a bit and did a lot of travel. How does an entire country exist without vegetables in restaurants? And no, potatoes aren't a vegetable. One restaurant I went to gave a choice of any 2 vegetables from a list of 5: Chips, American Style Fries, Mashed potatoes, Roasted potatoes, and "mixed vegetables". So no matter what, one "vegetable" was a potato.

I find it annoying when they complain about America and do KZfaq videos complaining about America. I find it rude when they come to America without doing any research about America. I find it annoying when they judge America according to British standards. I find it rude when they have a sense of intellectual elitism without having the intellectualism to back it up.

7:35 WHAT is the "dirtiest" British food? I listened to her 10 times, even with subtitles on, and still can't understand her! Please let me know, thanks!

I love everything about the UK! And any American who doesn't say please and thank you when ordering anything is a jerk.

Never heard an American say “I’ll get a coffee” (I assume that’s when ordering?) but I’ve only lived in America my whole life We would say “Could I get a coffee please?”

Curious how you both feel about service charges being added to bills in the UK… As an American in the UK, I usually overlook lesser service at restaurants, but since moving to London, find it frustrating when the service isn’t great and a 12.5% service fee is added to the bill. I know you can have the awkward conversation with the waiter to take it off, but not the way I like to end a meal 😂

_"We love socialized healthcare!"_ 5 seconds later: my dad had to wait 4 years for a hearing aid. Open your eyes, J&L lol

Good point, guys, we all tend to judge other people's friendliness and manners according to our own cultural expectations. If others don't check off our expected boxes, we need to realize it may not mean much about who they truly are.

I've never been annoyed with Brits, unless they come here and complain about our culture in general, or especially our Constitution and the First Amendment, The Bill of Rights, etc. I knew a woman who moved here and had nothing nice to say about Americans. All day long, i heard her insulting us. She seemed to be here to "teach us the error of our ways," and promote socialism, and toward the end, i wished she'd just go back to the U.K. People from the U.K. are not the only ones who do this, however. I can't imagine going to someone else's country, and then insulting everything they do, (and if I did, I'd expect them to tell me to go home).

English cuisine has changed a lot over the years. I remember back in the sixties and early seventies a very bland and very limited cuisine. Vegetable (mostly peas, carrots, and beans) just thrown into water and served. Endless white bread with cucumbers, toast with baked beans (which does taste good, just should not be served 30 days a month and for two meals a day). Also, quantities were quite small, and I remember going hungry (as a kid), as I was not used to eating this little. The British kids were fine on these same rations, so it was my predicament, not theirs. It was weird. Then I returned in the late 80s and was astounded at the transformation. International food had arrived. Italian and Indian firstly, but eventually every international cuisine you could think of. And it changed the quality and quantity of British food too. All of a sudden, pubs were serving good tasting food, the breakfast sausages at the hotel were not just a flour mixture in sausage shape, herbs and spices actually made it into the food, and grocery stores were full of additional produce that had not been there a decade earlier. If somebody grew up in the UK in 90s and beyond, they would never know how it was, except for maybe school lunches or cafeterias in work places. But then you assume this is just because it is school, and in the end, school food or hospital food can be bad in lots of countries and places. But you would probably not understand why anybody would call British food bad. I bet these comments came from mostly elderly people who travelled years back. Now I don't know how things will evolve, now that UK is not part of the EU anymore. I hear from lots of grocery distributors who have stopped serving the UK market, and not everything can be grown in glass houses. Or it becomes really expensive to grow it artificially. We shall see, how England looks ten years from now. International food is here to stay, so I don't think it will ever be as bland as it was, but whether British cuisine remains as rich and diverse as it was in the last 30 years, that will remain to be seen.

Here's what I don't like, you put the Day then the Month, then the Year.

No offense, but seemingly, you still don’t get it. The examples you give of the American norm are not justified, Rather, they are basically exceptions to our rule. I have never heard anyone say, “I’ll take a coffee!” In the way you describe. “I’ll have a coffee” in an even tone is a standard way of placing an order. Also, come on you two…why on earth would you say that we don’t have gravy in the US? The white gravy that you describe is popular in the South, but certainly not indicative of American gravy. I must say, I don’t recall ever seeing you order anything that would include gravy. Sometime in your travels to the US, try a hot roast beef sandwich. We also have Sundays roasts. Gravy is part and parcel of that meal. I really wish that you could spend time with American people eating good old home cooking rather than restaurant fare. Your video today should have been titled “What Brit’s hate about the things American hate about Brits.” 😊

We do in fact have brown gravy here. The only time we use the white gravy is when making sausage and gravy, otherwise we use brown gravy on turke, chicken, ham, and other meats, as well as on potatoes.

Americans do not snap their fingers for service. In my entire life I might of seen one old man do it, don't paint a picture like all Americans are rude because you saw a couple rude customers.

re : British service In my experience, even at expensive places, the service was poor. My wife and I were in an expensive hotel in the Mayfair section of London (she was on a work trip, and they put her up in a VERY expensive hotel), and we had some problems with the room. When we spoke to the front desk, they acted like we were lucky to even be there, and took days to resolve a fairly important issue, that would have been resolved in an American hotel in minutes, or at worse, a couple hours.

My grandparents traveled the world quite often. (My grandfather was actually Greek even.) And they owned a very successful restaurant in the Chicago area. But they both thought that British food in general was very bland. The UK was very low on their list of countries with the best food. The U.S. was at their top of the list along with other European countries like Italy and such. But this seems to be what a lot of folks think as you are even seeing in this comment section. I tried Heinz beans made in the UK as well that are a British staple. And they were incredibly bland and didn't taste anywhere near as good as our Bush's baked beans. (Even though Heinz is an American company and does sell beans in the U.S. too) They weren't bad. But they we're incredibly boring and were just bean's in plain tomato sauce. That's literally it. The Bush's baked beans we have in the U.S. taste so much better on toast. Some British staples of course are good. But in general most folks I have personally talked with who have visited the UK and other countries tend to put the UK as a country with bland food. I have even seen some folks compare it to hospital food that were particularly ruthless with their opinion. So yeah. It's just that it comes off as boring and bland to a lot of Americans from both Canada and the U.S. But I have heard people from Europe often think the same way.

My mom and I love British TV shows! Call the Midwife, Doc Martin, Cranford, Father Brown, Grantchester, Lark Rise to Candleford, Midsomer Murders, As Time Goes By, Keeping Up Appearances....I decided to watch Midsomer Murders from the beginning; just starting season 16. I've been to London 4 times, all I do is eat and shop at the markets. My 5th trip is in March, Harry Potter tour and Les Miz.

As many times as you both have been to the US, you should know by now we have different types of gravy. And your brown gravy isnt necessarily our version of "proper", we have our own brown gravy...thank you😜

I absolutely ♥ British TV. I am just frustrated that the seasons are so short.

I'm in Texas, and I grew up with a roast dinner with brown gravy most Sundays. I've visited the UK and didn't really notice a difference in what I would get for breakfast from my grandfather and what was served at the hotel restaurant. And you complain about American food being greasy, have you had a pork pie in York? I realize you are just playing with stereo types and not really trying to expand your knowledge or the knowledge of your audience, but I guess you are still making bank, so you don't care.

I can assure you.. you brits are overthinking this And America doesn't HATE British culture I can assure you we don't care about your culture hardly anything from outside America shows up on media but everything of America shows up on everything outside of America you guys are fascinated with American culture

I’ve been living in America for almost 25 years now and I’ve definitely had a few Americans say they don’t like the food in England, but when I ask where they ate at it’s usually in a pub. If that’s what they’re comparing the food in America to, no wonder they don’t like the food!! Pub grub is alright, but it’s not the best. Most Americans I’ve met love us Brits and always say how much they love British tv, particularly Keeping Up Appearances!! Most Americans love the royals, they just don’t understand the concept of having a royal family who we pay for with our taxes, but I educate them on the work the royals actually do and that they don’t just sit all day on a throne doing nothing. It’s definitely true that many Americans “before” Covid were totally against socialised medicine, but during isolation when many people lost their healthcare due to being unemployed they started to come around to the idea that socialised medicine is actually a good idea, because it was on the news everyday about how in the UK people didn’t have to worry about the cost when they went to hospital. You also have to remember that the states are so varied that you can’t really lump all Americans in one basket. It’s more appropriate to mention the state you were in before talking about an experience with an American, because I’ve never once seen any of my American friends nor any other American around me click their fingers at their server. I also can’t think of a time in England when I’ve had bad service and I go home regularly, but home for me is well away from London. Although, I’ve been in London in recent years and found the service to be great. There was one time though when my friend from Guyana (who is a US citizen now), but also having lived in the US for 26 years, kept going on about how slow the service was at a restaurant we were in and I had to tell her to relax, because in England we go out for the evening when we eat, we’re not just there for 40 minutes and rushed out again. I know that if I’d had any of my other American friends with me they would have appreciated not being rushed and found it a refreshing change. Going back to how different things are in each state, so many things about Americans shouldn’t be generalised, in New Jersey and New York people are so much more abrupt and impolite than they are outside of the tri-state area. In Florida, Iowa, Colorado not to mention many other states the people are so much friendlier. New Jersians and New Yorkers take some time to grow on you, but after a while you get to know and understand and love them!!

I absolutely love British TV! I'm currently watching a British crime drama called Broadchurch with David Tennant and Olivia Colman. I'm on the final series 3 and I don't want it to end.

The first time I came to the UK, I was absolutely terrified. I grew up hearing that Brits were cold and distant. As my tour went through England and Scotland, I watched the locals closely. Finally I figured out it wasn’t true.. and that I just had to look and listen more closely . The sense of humor is different, and often a bit more rowdy, but very funny.

Re: “I’ll get/have a coffee” comment. You’re walking into a cafe that SELLS coffee. They are in the business to SELL coffee and MAKE MONEY. It’s understood that you’re going to buy something and what you buy is your decision, so it isn’t necessary to say “PLEASE May I have…”. On the other hand, it doesn’t hurt to say thank you when you get it and I always make it a point to say thanks.

Joel, you don't know what you are talking about. America has over a hundred kinds of gravies, we have many kinds of brown gravy, hunters gravy, mushroom gravy, marcella gravy, turkey gravy, pork gravy, chicken gravy, Au jus, just to name a few. Americans love gravy and we eat it all the time. Joel you need to eat some real American food, aside from a cob salad or a chicken sandwich.

You all keep having breakfast gravy and expect dinner gravy. We have four kinds of gravy here, thick chicken gravy, thick brown gravy, thin pork gravy, or breakfast gravy. We have brown gravy, and if it’s made at home or at a nice restaurant it’s so good, and looks like the gravy you pictured.

We cannot stand Harry and Meghan! And the rest of them are getting pretty close to that level of disgust, except for the Queen. She's had to put up with a lot. I can tell you exactly why Americans hate socialized medicine. Because of the long wait times, and the incentive your doctors have NOT to treat people! If they refer too many patients for further treatment, they are penalized in some way. This results in people being given tylenol for a condition which will become terminal if not treated within a certain period of time. Often, the wait list far exceeds that window.

You asked for a study; I know there’s a theory of positive versus negative politeness. Negative politeness is deferential to a person and his/her personal space or privacy. I think you see this more often in big cities or crowded places. The idea is that you don’t want to go into a strangers imaginary bubble and rob them of their privacy. For example, you don’t talk to someone on the elevator because perhaps they are deep in thought, distressed, or just not feeling like talking. It’s a recognition of people’s personal space. You see this in the United States in New England in New York a lot. People are far less likely to talk to strangers or look at you in the eye. They are trying to be polite by preserving your space, both mental and physical. Positive politeness is the idea that you never want someone to feel like an outsider or a stranger. I think this is more common in places that are rural and spread out where most people know each other. It feels like you’re reaching out in kindness so that no one ever feels stupid or out of place. I think you see this more in the American South and West, where people will look at you in the eye and say good morning because it’s an acknowledgment of your humanity. I think some Americans get annoyed when BRITs make fun of the positive politeness because it does come at a certain personal sacrifice. Putting yourself out there can be humiliating and embarrassing, but you’re willing to do it in order to make someone else feel comfortable. When Brit’s chalk this up to being stupid or uncouth, it can elicit a lot of eye rolls from Americans, and the thought “ OK UK, we get it. You’re very very cool.”

Missing from this list: British people talking about American politics.

I hate to burst your bubble, but most Americans don't pay any attention to Brits, or England or the UK. Most of us just think about our lives, our work, our many states for vacation, going to places like Disney world, Hawaii, Alaska, the Caribbean. Brits never come up in conversation.

I am a US citizen and I have loved British TV for forty-five years. The two times I visited the UK I had stellar service at every restaurant and pub I visited with one exception. My wife and I stopped at a restaurant in the north near where Monty Python was filming "The Holy Grail", and they visited a restaurant that inspired "Fawlty Towers". I am convinced it was the same restaurant. The owner was the epitome of Basil Fawlty.

To clarify, a gravy is when the sauce and the protein are cooked in the same vessel. Also the white gravy in biscuits (scones) and gravy is a bechamel sauce but the roux is made with flour and the fat of the pork sausage in lieu of butter.

As for the socialized healthcare the four year wait list for a hearing aid says it all.

British comedy is huge over here! PBS which is a public broadcasting station in the states carries classic British comedies. And yes Days is still going.

Culturally Americans have brown gravy especially for Thanksgiving and other major dining occasions. The “white” gravy is NOT traditional for most Americans (it was more of a regional thing). There are other types of gravy but brown was the traditional type.

When we say "I'll have a" it's followed up with a thank you. Our politeness comes at the end of the sentence and not the beginning.

I’ve always ADORED British TV. Torchwood, “Farty” Towers, Are You Being Served, Keeping Up Appearances❣️❣️❣️ Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding😋 Whirled Peas😋 Clotted Cream😋 I always envied your socialized healthcare.

As I've commented so many times over the years, you two need to get out of the major metro areas and actually see the rest of our nation. It's as wrong as us going to London and think that we know about the UK.

Never seen anyone snap their fingers myself unless it was in the movies.

British: Conquers nations for their spices... refuses to use any of them.

Fawlty Towers was a British show I watched ages ago. Loved it! We do have a huge variety of gravies. Homemade beef roast gravy, chicken roast gravy, turkey roast gravy are absolute must haves with those meat items, and lots of it.

With Monty Python on your bench, it's unthinkable that Brits should ever need to apologize for their television programs.

I broke a tooth Sunday night, found a dentist nearby online and sent an appointment request. They called at 7:30 Monday morning and saw me at 10. Have an appointment for a root canal on Wednesday and a crown Thursday. My problem with socialized medicine is that if it’s superior to the private sector then why not socialize every basic need? Housing? Food? Cell phones? Clothing? Cars? Computers? Entertainment? Education? (Oh yeah, that is socialized and it sucks.)

if you possibly think that americans never eat brown gravy then you may have fallen on your head a few times too many

I visited the UK a few years ago and loved it! It was mid-late October and the weather was actually very nice -- I only had 1 or 2 rainy days out of almost 2 weeks and the temperature was pleasantly cool. I enjoyed the food, too! Whenever I visit a different country (or even another state) I love trying the local cuisine. So I had a couple of full English breakfasts, a Sunday roast, fish & chips, and some Cornish pasties. In Wales I tried Glamorgan sausage and Welsh cakes. And in Scotland I tried haggis -- and it was amazing! I also didn't think the service was bad. But then again I'm not too picky.

I assume if one goes to good restaurants in either Britain or the U.S. one would get delicious food. In the U.S. you can get decent meals at chain restaurants, like The Cheesecake Factory, but there are many privately owned restaurants that have really wonderful food in every state. Oh, and we do have gravy in the U.S. We put it on turkey, roast chicken, beef roast, potatoes, etc. Yum!!

I don't think I've ever seen someone snap (click) at a waiter, that I can think of. Whenever I hear someone snap, it makes me think of when I was little, and if I was doing something wrong while one of my parents was on the phone, they would snap to get my attention without interrupting their call haha.

I’m from California and a lot of our food is influenced by Mexican food, which is very flavorful, so when I visit the UK I find the food very bland. Sausages? For example, are mostly flavorless as if not a single spice was mixed into it, not even a speck of pepper.

Not me. I love British Culture and British People. They are one of our biggest allies 😀😸☺ There's another British couple here on You Tube I subscribe to The Beesleys from Jersey. The sweetest couple and they love the US and are always very respectful 😀 I guess these two are just stereotyping us☺

We have brown gravy. I never had white gravy until I moved to the south but I grew up on brown gravy and mom made roast beef frequently and usually on Sundays.

Where do they get these lists from? Everything they say is wrong! My 55% of British in me is so embarrassed.

The crazy and confusing thing for me is that I was born and raised in the Southern US and still live here and I grew up on white and brown gravy. White gravy for me was a breakfast gravy that, a lot of the time, had breakfast sauage crumbled into it ans you poured it on top of fresh buttermilk biscuits. The brown gravy was a dinner gravy that you either simmered some good meat in and then you had it to put over your mashed potatoes (taters 😉) or rice or whatever you wanted. I never knew life without both gravies and always homemade. By the way... my hubs is Welsh and he is bringing me to the UK for the first time in my life in September. I have treated him with some proper, good southern food and other foods as well. I have also made a LOT of British food for him and I actually love it! I am one of those Americans that LOVE the British culture, but do have a somewhat hard time with a seemingly cold nature of some Brits. But my hubs... he is Certainly not a "typical stereotype" British as he is ALWAYS smiling, even in his sleep. He annoys me... haha! Anyway... God bless, y'all!

I love British tv and most British food but I did live there 3 years. Yes we do have gravy, all kinds of gravy. As a kid we used to have a beef roast every Sunday or a roasted chicken all with gravy! I had always thought England was a snowy, foggy place from tv, movies and books. It was back in the 90s and it was so hot and I think it only snowed once. Not very often you hear of someone being on a waiting listfor health care or equipment in the US.

I think politeness is surface level, and doesn't necessarily equate to kindness or caring. I don't get Brit humor (I think because continuous sarcasm isn't my cup of tea), but I do really like some tv shows. Luther was an incredible series, and I like the more modern Brit tv shows. Never really had British food (only the American equivalent), but I have had some biscuits as you call them, and they were delicious. We have brown gravy, I swear! The weather in England is definitely not for me (Florida girl who loves heat), but wouldn't deter me from a visit! I'm not a fan of the RF from the stand point that they cause too much drama in the media, and all the Harry and Meghan hate is really overwhelming and gross. So maybe it's the Brit media and commenters I'm not a fan of....anyhoo...love the two of you!

I have to say, as a 61 year oldSouthern Californian, for someone to say “I’ll have a coffee” should be completed with a “please”.Good service is a thing here- that’s true. WHAT.?? Most sane Americans LOVE British TV. Ab-Fab, Happy Valley, Braodchurch, Dr Who, Shetland…

You can't actually see well in a real blizzard. Often white-out conditions, where you literally can't see to drive. I love the Royal Family, with the exception of the 2 who left.

I'm American, and I would, absolutely, clean up after myself if I spilled! I would never expect extra special attention, just bring my food the way that I ordered it and check to make sure I don't need anything else a couple of times during the meal. Do that and you will definitely get a 20% tip! And I have never, EVER, snapped my fingers at the wait-staff! EVER!!! Please tell me who does that???? It would be extremely rude to do so, even in America! Also, my husband and I love British tv. We specifically look for British tv shows and dramas! As for British food, I've never really tried it so can't comment. I would LOVE to try it though! And we do have gravy in America! We don't just do white breakfast gravy, we do brown dinner gravy with our roast and mashed potatoes and it's amazing! Especially with peas! Next, the weather, I live the the Pacific North West, Oregon, and we had rain and cold weather all the way through June this year. So very similar. And it's the same here as far as the snow! If we get two inches the schools shut down! LOL Now....for the royals......LOVED princess Di.....but Harry and Meghan over here acting like they have a clue about Americans is just ridiculous and makes me literally roll my eyes and want to tell them to shut it. And that's all I will say about that.

I think a lot of British food is what we call here in Chicago “comfort food”. When I lived in England it was good, just not as seasoned as what I was used to. If one was in the mood for something spicier, there was so much choice! The Indian restaurants are absolutely amazing, Chinese, etc. I loved trying out various cuisines.

As an American, I think one of our faults is we are always in a hurry so we have become very direct and to the point 🤷🏼‍♀️

There is a reason English food is not popular worldwide. Like Chinese or Italian or Mexican. Not many people, outside of England, seek out English food.