Welcome back, dear listeners, to another riveting episode of Tea and a Butty. Today, we're diving headfirst into a topic that's sure to spark some laughs, eye-rolls, and maybe a bit of friendly banter. Join us as we dissect and react to some of the dumbest things Europeans often say about America. Buckle up for a rollercoaster of misconceptions, cultural nuances, and good-natured humor.
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All over the world, the stereotype of the average American being uneducated has permeated. Largely thanks to the atypical American tourist who took a trip to Europe and expected it to be "up to American standards" or something like that but there are plenty of stories, whether true or false, of foreign travellers coming to America and being met with questions that largely puzzle them as they are caught off-guard.
What is the dumbest thing you have heard in America??
Brand names in the US might seem like they're a worldwide thing, right? You might be surprised not all of them are. Brand names are heavily relied upon as a mark of quality and assurance in both the US and UK but not all of them are known in the UK, or may have different names. In this episode, we talk about the brand names that aren't known in the UK.
What brand names were you surprised about?
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A British Mount Rushmore is a curious thought. Who would be on it? Past Prime Ministers? Kings and Queens? Or would it be general celebrities from history? Could you see Shakespeare up there next to Holly Willoughby? John Lennon up there next to Joey Essex? Have a listen to our latest podcast episode below and let us know what you think!
Who would your ultimate Mount Rushmore be made up of?
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Bread. It's the oldest food. It's been mass produced in the US and UK for centuries. In this episode, we compare mass produced bread brands Wonder Bread from the US and Warburtons in the UK and what the differences are in US and UK mass produced bread. Simplifying an answer is obviously beyond Dominic's capabilities, especially when it comes to Tiger Bread!
What is your favourite type of bread??
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Today's episode takes the form of a philosophical discussion on the existence of the USA without the UK. That is, would America be the USA if Britain had never existed? Surely this is one for the great American and British minds to ponder, sitting in their kitchens, looking into their cups of tea, or coffee if that's their beverage of choice!
What do you think America would be like if the UK never existed?
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Birthday traditions around the world are usually the same sort of affair. Cake, candles, cards and presents. But there are plenty of traditions that differ between the UK and USA. In this episode, recorded just before Dominic's birthday, we talk about our different experiences growing up.
What are some birthday traditions you have?
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Much the same with British culture, there are some things in the culture of the USA that are uniquely American. In this, our newest podcast episode, we're discussing all the things that foreigners find unique about the United States and its customs. Tipping is obviously one, but Ranch dressing? And the big gaps in bathroom stalls? What's up with that?
What are some uniquely American things you didn't realise were just an American thing?
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Season four of the hit Netflix dramedy 'You' premiered recently. If you're not familiar, the show centers on Joe Goldberg, an obsessive psychopath who keeps falling for the wrong women. Season four manages to make things a little more interesting with Joe finding himself in England trying to catch another version of himself! A twist on the classic whodunit genre!
Have you been enjoying this season of You?
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"1966 ... Michael Caine pedals!" by x-ray delta one is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. |
The UK is known for many things but being foul-mouthed isn't really one of them. Or is it? Plenty of Americans believe the citizens of the UK to be noble, charming and polite and they navigate an elite society that prides itself on status and glory. That, like Americans non-stop cussing in movies, is a fiction in real life. This episode of the podcast was triggered by a story Erica saw on Tik-Tok regarding a woman's experience with a British man.
What has been your experience with British cussing culture?
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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has embedded itself into the hearts and minds of a generation of Americans. The books and films having a predominantly British background were, for the most part, translated into American English when released in the USA. For example, the first book 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' became 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' in the US. Some of the food items and mechanics of Hogwarts School in the books were assumed to be an invention of Rowling and not just an everyday, normal British thing.
What did you assume was an invention of JK Rowling?
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Christmas is about family, friends and presents and for many around the world, the most important part is the feast. Some countries, their feast traditions start on Christmas Eve and for a lot of them, the traditional roast turkey doesn't play a part at all. In Italy, it's all about the fish and pasta and in Japan, fried chicken is traditional.
What are your traditional foods for Christmas?
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Like many not from the USA, before moving here I had plenty of misconceptions about America. In this episode, I narrowed them down to 5 of the more unique ones I had of the country. It's easy to get sucked into the usual stereotypes but I believe in this episode, you might be surprised what I thought about the US before moving here.
What misconceptions did you have about the USA?
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Now, we know the US has some weird laws but the UK may have outdone them as in this new episode of our podcast, Dominic talks about some of the strangest ones. Road and Land laws in the UK seem to be the most different to the US. Does all of the land in England and Wales REALLY belong to the Crown? (The Monarchy, not the Netflix show, in case you were confused.) Of course, the strange food service laws regarding eggs which sparks a great debate amongst people of the US and UK...
Should eggs be refrigerated or not?
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There are a lot of differences between the American and British general dialects. Thanks to the huge influx of American TV and films on Britain's Channel 4 in the 1980s, American words became known to much of the UK quite quickly and their equivalent in Britain. However, sometimes there are things that just don't translate in the UK because the thing they describe doesn't exist.
What are some things that surprise you about the UK?
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With the news of the Coronation of King Charles III being on May 6th 2023, we decided to kick off our new weekly news round up with what is going on. In this episode, we talk about the Coronation and if Harry and Meghan will be invited or accept an invitation. We also discuss the current crazy that's happening in the UK Government under the Prime Minister Liz Truss and whether she'll be forced to resign or call an election. Also, the deaths of Angela Lansbury and Robbie Coltrane are discussed and their impact on cinema and TV all over the world.
What are your memories of Angela Lansbury and Robbie Coltrane?
In this episode, our newest to date, we briefly discuss the slimmed down monarchy of King Charles III and what his plans for the coronation might be before diving into the heart of the episode with how Americans say words like "Harry" and "Hairy" and "Mary" and "Merry". They sound the same, right? A good old example of the Homophone! How do you know what someone means when they say either word? Is there a way to not be confused? We seem to have plenty of confusing moments in this episode! Listen to hear what we stumbled on!
How do you say these words?
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| Image: Daily Mirror December 2005 Issue (Public Domain) |
The British have a serious problem. No, it's not THAT one, it's their obsession with nicknames. Shortening names, coming up with nicknames based on a personality trait. In this new episode of our podcast about all things British and American, we discuss the British capacity to nickname everyone and everything. There's also a little quiz in this podcast on the nicknames of cities in the UK.
Do you have a nickname? Let us know in the comments!
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| Image: Public Domain |
Britain has had a tumultuous and fascinating history and some of the marks of the events which it as a country has seen are still visible in the present day. World War 2 is one such event that, while still relatively recent, is starting to slip from the collective consciousness. The marks of that war still remain, however. Physical emblems that stand as almost secret memorials to how close the nation came to invasion in the 1940s. In this podcast, we talk about some of the ways in which the world war has left its indelible mark on Great Britain.
What fascinates you about Britain's hidden history?
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To follow on from our previous episode about Brits being great at things, we bring you things the Yanks (that's Americans to you Gen Z lot out there!) are great at! And it turns out, that's quite a lot of things. Let me guess, you were probably thinking this list was going to contain "Burgers" and "Freedom", right? Well guess again and listen to our new episode! It may surprise you!
What do you think the Americans are great at?
