‘What’s a British thing you thought was normal until you realised it’s not?’ – 23 uniquely UK-based oddities

13.

‘My non-Brit partner finds the phrase ‘book early to avoid disappointment’ completely hilarious. Like the worst threat we can imagine is to be mildly put out, plus he always thought we kinda like being disappointed by life.’
–Western_Estimate_724

14.

‘Several European friends of mine were confused as to why we have washing machines in our kitchens instead of our bathrooms. I don’t think its exclusively British, but maybe limited to a few countries. Being honest a bathroom does make more sense.’
–OverthinkUnderwhelm

15.

‘Not a British thing but more of a Welsh thing. Im born and bred in Wales but lived and worked in England for many years. When a work colleague asked me to do something I replied that I would do it ‘now in a minute’. Thinking that now in a minute was pretty normal thing to say when it’s more of a Welsh saying.’
–rl_stevens22

16.

‘Rhubarb. Not that common elsewhere.’
–Y_Gath_Ddu

17.

‘My Thai wife finds what she calls ‘all these spitty little words’ in English odd. ‘I would like to go to the toilet’ as opposed like the way she would say ‘go toilet’ (bai hong nam). Think a lot of languages round there SE Asia, East Asia are similar in their direct manner.’
–somnamna2516

18.

‘I had to explain Punch and Judy to a Canadian friend.

‘So it’s like a puppet show where Punch beats his wife wife, Judy, with a baton, then there is a baby and a crocodile and the crocodile steals the baby and, er, yeah it’s for children, and er there is a policeman that also beats Judy, and er… sausages, er… yeah I forgot it was for children…’.’
–inspectorgadget9999

19.

‘Foreign friends of mine think I’m weird for making soldiers to go with my boiled eggs.’
–ConflictOfEvidence

20.

‘Ice creams in the interval of a theatre show. First time I went to a show here in NY I was so f**ked off when the interval came and all I could get was a beer (and I had to leave the auditorium). The show was crap so I was right looking forward to my little pot of ice cream with a spoon in the lid. My American friends looked at me incredulously when I asked about the lady with the tray. They all thought it was a good idea though.’
–ozzieowl

21.

‘Putting kisses at the end of a message, no matter what the relationship is between two parties xxx’
–Bombadombaway

22.

‘Absolutely no one else calls them fruit machines.’
–Jasper-Packlemerton

23.

‘I was once at a restaurant at a village in the Netherlands. A waiter dropped a tray, and I began to go ‘wheyyy’ and clap. I got stared at by my in-laws. Oops.’
–Trisaraht0ps91

Source r/AskUK Image Screenshot