What are some of the unspoken social rules or etiquettes in the UK that may not be commonly known to the average foreigner?

27 comments

1. Queuing

2. Rounds

3. Go to the end of the queue or suffer the angry shuffle, stare and muttering

4. I feel like we don’t really ask others about how much money they make or how much their houses cost (if they’re lucky enough to afford them). I might be wrong though.

5. Some of our modes of speech can be very confusing to some foreigners who might think more literally.

   E.g. “What did you think of <restaurant>?” “Well, it wasn’t my favourite” means that they hate it, rather than it was just OK. “With the greatest respect” sounds like the person really respects your opinions, but it generally means that they think you’re an idiot.

6. We love animals more than people

7. When farting in company look angry at someone else

8. Make sure you use the open air urinals in Trafalgar Square.

9. Get the beers in .

10. When walking towards someone on a pavement go left, then right, then right, then apologise, then shuffle your feet a bit, go left, and ….

11. Do not speak to other men while standing at the urinal.

12. Don’t try to make conversations with people on public transport. I wear earphones so if someone does try to make conversation with me on public transport I pretend I can’t hear them.

13. There’s this one that is rarely mentioned, but it is this. If you are asking a question on an internet forum it is considered polite to search said forum to see if it has been asked, and answered, already.

14. Always leave enough gravy for others.

15. We are obsessed with house prices but will avoid talking about salaries at all costs

16. That thing we do when we see someone we know a little, but don’t speak, just marginally raise our eyebrows, nod upwards and slightly open our mouth with an almost inaudible ‘alright’.

17. You have to talk about the weather to strangers and constantly apologise

18. The response to “Alright?” is alright.

19. When someone asks you “Y’all right?”, they are not really asking. Don’t answer the question, just say “Y’all right?” back and carry on with your day.

20. If I’m in my car and I wait patiently for you to drive by (because there are parked cars on my side) you better say thank you by at least lifting a pinky up or I’ll have mild road rage for the next 5minutes. Its courteous to do so and rude if you don’t! Haha. North Americans to us seem over dramatic with the “Hi, oh thats so cute” or “oh wow, how quaint that is” etc etc don’t do that. When telling us how to speak the English language or to say we sound funny, don’t. When walking in the countryside…especially in Yorkshire, if someone saying “mornin” doesn’t mean they’re opening up for a full conversation, it’s just a nicety whilst out and about. Just say “mornin” back or “lovely weather isn’t it!” Whilst walking past.

21. Road etiquette such as indicating and giving way and thanking someone if they give way to you

22. Continuously looking down when you’re walking on a pavement, so that you don’t step in dog shit, is a must. It’s everywhere here.

23. Don’t eat the water chickens.

24. Stop fking yelling down your phone! Nobody wants to hear your business in full volume on public transport… STFFFUUUUÙ

25. Even though the bus says ‘stay seated until the bus has stopped’ you absolutely should be ready to get off the bus as it stops (unless you are disabled / unsteady etc), especially if you sit up stairs and wait until it stops before getting out of your seat: everyone, especially those waiting to board the bus will be calling you a bell end under their breath.

26. Mostly a London thing but on the escalators in the tube stations you stand to the right if you’re lazy or have mobility issues and leave the left clear for those of us who use them as moving stairs and walk up then.

27. Queue for anything if someone is infront of somewhere you need to be stand behind them and wait you uncultured swine