A while back, u/FroggyBoi82 asked the AskReddit community, "Non-Brits of Reddit, what are your questions for British people?"
Some of the questions were humorous, some were serious, and most got an actual answer from one of Reddit's many Brits. Here are some of the most upvoted questions and responses!
1. "Is London overhyped? I've heard many say that London is just a filthy overcrowded city just like NYC and many other big cities."
Answers:
"No. Greatest and most diverse city in the world, if you know how to experience it properly."
—u/ALA02
"Yes. And that description sounds about right... You missed out expensive, incidentally."
—u/kingsizeslim420
"What people don’t realise about London is how green it is. OK, in winter it’s scuzzy, cold and wet, but in summer there are trees in all the squares, gardens everywhere, and more parks than you can shake a stick at."
—u/MisterShine
2. "Does anybody not support the monarchy? If there are, is that group growing?"
Answers:
"I despise the monarchy. There are a lot of us; they just don't like to portray us often in media because it would muddy the British imperialist image that sucks in tourists for some reason."
—u/YorksAP96
"I am neutral on them. Don't care; don't want to know. Except that pedo one; someone could do with fucking him into a volcano."
—u/corobo
3. "When is Chewsday? I don't see it on any calendar?"
Answers:
"Between Monday and Wednesday. C'mon, dude, we don't sound that bad."
—u/FroggyBoi82
"At least we don't say alooooooooominum."
—u/Prof_IdiotFace
4. "What are some habits or things Americans do that baffle you?"
Answers:
"Pledge allegiance to the flag. Some North Korea-style indoctrination there."
—u/YorksAP96
"Do people actually eat canned cheese? (That sounds really passive aggressive, but I genuinely want to know.)"
—u/Twisted_nebulae
"Constant, loud applause on talk shows (let the guests talk, please)."
—u/deleted
5. "Why is it that online people who say they are Brits make fun of US people for using miles and mph, but whenever I'm watching UK-based shows and they talk about driving or distance, they use the imperial measurements instead of metric? In a lot of comedies, there will be lines like, 'What? We can't drive to Manchester before dinner; it's 200 miles away!'"
Answers:
"The metric conversion was half-arsed. Everything you buy is measuring in metric, so sugar is marked as say a 500g bag, or a beer bottle is 330ml, but they never bothered with the roads. So I drive a car that measured temperature in Celsius, speed in mph, fuel consumption in mpg, and I buy petrol by the litre.
Some things have stuck, too, like beer is still served in pints, height is mostly measured in feet, and most people measure weight by stone and pounds rather than kg.
Weirdly, I prefer mph though. A mile just seems like a much more real and solid distance than a kilometer."
—u/dydey
"And cocks — we don't measure our cocks using metric either. I mean, when did you ever hear anyone saying, 'My cock is 213mm long!'"
—u/BrissBurger
6. "Those picturesque villages/towns in movies. Are they dying towns like here in the US, or do the young people stay there?"
Answers:
"They exist, but young'ens do tend to leave, and obviously they do because they need nightlife and culture, work opportunities, etc. Those places are only really good for wealthy old people."
—u/YorksAP96
"The only real threat they face is rich yuppies trying to buy second houses there, which kills the community spirit since they are effectively empty."
—u/graeUK
7. "Are Cadbury cream eggs sold all year?"
Answers:
"Indeed."
—u/FroggyBoi82
8. "Do you guys like mac 'n' cheese too?"
Answers:
"Hell yeah."
—u/IsThisNameTakenThen
"Yes. Either handmade or Bachelor's Pasta N Sauce (heat up some milk/water/butter, pour the dried pasta/powder). I tried the Kraft one once, and the Pasta N Sauce is far nicer."
—u/deleted
9. "Are y'all taught the history of places you've colonized? For example, do you know about the War of 1812? Or is history class more focused on in-country events?"
Answers:
"A bit; it’s quite brief for each country, as there are a lot to get through. The war of 1812 is overshadowed by the Napoleonic wars. (If I remember, was it a draw?)"
—u/TallDude888
"There are two disgusting truths about the UK: The British Empire did some horrible things, and modern-day British people don't know about those horrible things. l for one think it's a disgrace that they don't teach the nasty, non-patriotic bits about the British Empire in school. No Bengal Famine, no Mau Mau Uprising, no Irish war for independence.
Honestly, we really desperately need a truth and reconciliation campaign."
—u/xxsignoff
10. "Do you really put beans on toast, or is that a horrible joke someone made up?"
Answers:
"Nope, it's true. They're best when they're covered with grated cheddar that can melt on top of it. Also, jacket potato, baked beans, and cheese is the ultimate comfort food for me."
—u/deleted
11. "Do you actually understand Liverpool accents?"
Answers:
"Yeah, most Brits can understand all the accents; the only one British people normally struggle with are heavy West Country accents (shown in the movie Hot Fuzz). But being from the West Country myself, I can understand anyone."
—u/FroggyBoi82
"If you look deep enough, you can find completely new languages in different towns that are completely different from 20 miles away."
—u/404notfound420
12. "Why do you say, 'I'm going to hospital,' instead of, 'I'm going to the hospital'?"
Answers:
"If you go to hospital, it means you go as a patientm whereas if you go to the hospital, you're just going there for another reason.
A- 'I've got to go to hospital tomorrow.' B- 'What for?' A- 'Just for a scan.' B - 'Do you want me to come to the hospital with you?'"
—u/peterd1900
13. "How often do you say 'mate'?"
Answers:
"Quite a lot, mate. Either that or 'lad.' Northern England here."
—u/camalext
"Mate's common where I'm from too. Southeast here."
—u/IsThisNameTakenToo
