American Living Abroad Shares The Everyday Things That Confuse Him About Britain

Kasia Mikolajczak
London, U.K.
Unsplash | Lucas Davies

Moving to a new country comes with all sorts of challenges. As it turns out, even if you speak the same language, it doesn't mean things won't baffle you. That's what happened to this one American man after he relocated to Great Britain.

So he started a hilarious TikTok account to ask people about some of the strange things he has noticed while living in the UK. Let's look at a few of them and learn something new.

These Tiny Balconies

TikTok Screenshot
TikTok | @Swfinds

So this guy has been posting pictures of strange things he has found while living in England, and the responses have been hilarious. For example, he asked people about these tiny balconies, and most answers were that British people fit on them because they're not American.

Why Are Eggs Not In The Fridge

TikTok Screenshots
TikTok | @Swfinds

Here's a dilemma. Why do UK fridges have spaces for eggs when all the eggs you buy in the supermarket are stored outside of the refrigerated areas? As it turns out, fridges aren't made in the UK. And the British don't scrub their eggs before cooking them, so there's a natural protective layer which makes them safe to store outside of the fridge.

Wait, who washes their eggs?

What Are These On Sidewalks?

TikTok screenshots
TikTok | @Swfinds

My first guess was that these were some new 5G towers. But some of the comments people left on this video are a lot more hilarious than that, ha, ha. So which answer do you prefer – the boring one or the fun one? I'll definitely pick the latter.

What Are These On The Roof?

TikTok screenshots
TikTok | @Swfinds

So the guy asked what are these solar panels don't on the roofs if there's never any sun in England? Ha, ha, isn't that right? Well, they're not solar panels, mate. They're just windows for the attic. However, the other suggestions are too funny to pass up.

These Front Doors

TikTok Screenshot
TikTok | @Swfinds

So why do most British homes have these tiny front doors that open onto a dangerous sidewalk? Well, it goes way back. Many of theses homes were built before there were proper roads, so here wouldn't have been any cars to worry about back then. Aha! Makes sense, no?

This Washer In The Kitchen

TikTok Screenshot
TikTok | @Swfinds

Would you be surprised if you found a washing machine in a cabinet in your kitchen? Well, this guy definitely was, and he wanted to know if it was even legal. Some Brits joked that most of them can't afford a big laundry room as the Americans do, so this is pretty normal in Europe.

These Tiny Doors

TikTok screenshots
TikTok | @Swfinds

Oh my goodness, what are these little doors? I've seen people put these up as a fun little decoration around their outlets in the house. But in Britain, these are called "fairy doors." You put them up around Christmas time for the fairies, ha, ha.

These Dentist Offices

TikTok screenshot
TikTok | @Swfinds

Why are all dentist offices in Britain housed in little tiny houses like these? Well, this one is pretty easy. These houses were built a long time ago, and the dentists took them over to open their practices there. That's all.

That Are These On The Sidewalks?

Okay, as it turns out, these are on the sidewalks to deter people from driving on the actual sidewalk. If you never lived in Europe you would find that strange, but yes in some places people do drive on sidewalks. That's right.

These Cigarette Trash Cans

TikTok screenshot
TikTok | TikTok | @Swfinds

Why do they have these trash cans in the UK where people can dispose of cigarette butts? Isn't it dangerous? British people had a field day with that one. Obviously, these are designed in a way that the butts won't catch fire even if you don't put them out. Duh!

These Billboards

TikTok Screenshot
TikTok | @Swfinds

Speaking of dangerous, here's another curious find. Why are billboards right in the middle of the sidewalk, huh? Well, apparently, it's because British people have eyes, and they can spot them and walk around. What? Take that, Americans.

This On The Sidewalk (Again)

TikTok screenshot
TikTok | @Swfinds

What is it with odd stuff on the sidewalks in the UK, huh? I'm talking about this here. What is that? Again, this is something that dates back. In the old days, these hatches were used to deliver coal to people's houses. Wow, how neat is that?

These Yellow Boxes

TikTok screenshot
TikTok | TikTok | @Swfinds

If you've noticed these yellow storage boxes while in the UK, you probably wondered what their purpose was too, huh? Well, apparently they are used to store salt for when the roads are icy, and the grit trucks come out. That's such a great idea.

This Restaurant Name

TikTok screenshots
TikTok | @Swfinds

This guy was pretty confused why people in the UK call the restaurant Nando's "Cheeky Nando's." I hope this explains it better. Then again, he seems even more confused now, ha, ha. I guess it's true what they say — "When in Rome." In this case, it's "When in the UK." LOL!

These Raisin Biscuits

TikTok screenshot
TikTok | @Swfinds

This American dude was totally confused why these biscuits had raisins in them. All the British followers online had to break it to him that these were indeed scones. Sadly, he had no idea what scones were, ha, ha. Don't they have scones in America? We have them in Canada.

This Sidewalk For Wildlife

Perhaps this is unusual if you're from America, but in England, people want to watch out for wildlife. That's why they have special notices about ducks and other animals crossing at certain crosswalks. It's because they're nice.

This Underground Subway Confusion

TikTok screenshot
TikTok | TikTok | @Swfinds

Here's another confusing thing this guy found while in England. Why is the subway called the "Underground" when it's actually above ground? People were quick to point out that sometimes the trains pass an open area. That's all. It happens, get over it.

These Clock Towers

TikTok screenshot
TikTok | @Swfinds

Okay, so it doesn't look like he got a straight answer about this phenomenon here. Some folks who have lived in the UK have been wondering the same thing. So if you know, why don't you tell us because we want to be enlightened too, hee-hee.

Oh my goodness, ha, ha!

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I had so much fun reading about these facts about England. And, of course, people's comments were the best part. I could spend all day reading their funny responses to this American's questions. I bet he really made them laugh.