Very British things I now find weird

I've been living in Germany for so long now, that I couldn't return to my homeland -- so many things would seem alien to me, even though when I was young they just seemed... normal. Here is a list of five of those things.

Chapters:
00:00 Thirty years later...
00:31 Keep left!
01:03 Time, gentlemen, please!
01:44 Salty snacks
02:38 Don't worry, luv
03:26 I'm terribly sorry, but...

Music:
"Style Funk" and "Hot Swing"
Creative Commons Attribution licence

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[chrisko]

I had a great laugh at the end when you said "Sorry Germany, I'm here to stay!"

[eastfrisianguy]

The "love" thing also confused me once in London. In a supermarket, a very small, old lady suddenly tapped me in the side and asked in a very strong accent "I am sorry to ask, but might you grab a jar of peaches for me, love?" - she was too small and couldn't reach it. 😂 And she thanked me with "Thanks, dear, very kind!" ... aww so sweet! 😊

[thof]

So true! Me at an English hotel: "I'm terribly sorry to bother you, but there seems to be something wrong with the toilet. Could you by any chance get someone to have a look at it?" In Germany: "Das Klo ist verstopft. Bitte lassen Sie das reparieren.."

[zaj]

Andrew, please trust me, when I express my firm believe, that it was never our intention to estrange you from your birthplace. We just couldn't help it. 😂
On the other hand, we appreciate to have you here and we're also very glad, that you're here to stay. I'm speaking for everybody - we had a meeting recently. 😀

[Colaholiker]

Du darfst gerne hierbleiben, dein Blick auf Deutschland is immer eine erfrischend andere Perspektive. Kein Grund für ein "sorry".😁

[martinaltmann]

In the Rhineland people do use the term "Liebchen" or "Liebelein" in a similar fashion as "luv" in England

[NoNoTheGreenOne]

Karl Kraus, der berühmte Schriftsteller und Publizist der Jahrhundertwende sagte einmal, glaube ich, über das Wiener Kaffeehaus, es sei ein Ort "wo man hingehe, um nicht daheim und doch zuhause zu sein".

[f.herumusu]

Die Auswahl an Chips-Geschmacksrichtungen ist mittlerweile auch in Deutschland größer. Salt and Vinegar gehört mittlerweile zum Standard in jedem Supermarkt (und heißt dort auch in Anerkennung des Urspungs "Salt & Vinegar" und nicht etwa "Salz und Essig"), Barbecue ist ebenso oft im Regal und in größeren Supermärkten sind meist auch noch ein oder zwei "Exoten" dabei: "Shrimps" habe ich dort schon öfter gesehen. Sicher, das ist noch nicht so viel Auswahl wie in GB, aber vielleicht hast Du andersherum auch einen antrainierten blinden Fleck vor deutschen Chipsregalen. Sieh noch einmal genau hin (Harfen-Soundeffekt ;) ): Sie sind da! Nicht alle, aber mehr als Du denkst! :D

[a.rassek]

The "love" addressing is so sweet! 😊 And by the way: once a bus driver in Scotland said "sweetheart" to me 😊

[Ultra_Glueckspilz]

We are happy, that you will stay here, we need you and your awesome content 😊👍

[xaverlustig]

Apologising for having a complaint is something I completely relate to. I do it all the time. And the British way of queuing is simply right. It's culturally superior, I have no time for people who don't get it.

[Leofwine]

I need more of that West Country accent.

[FrankenHerzEuropas]

Excellent! As someone who travels to England often and enjoys it, I particularly like these direct comparisons! Keep it up! I can confirm some of these observations. When I was first called "love" by older ladies (who I did not know at all), I was very confused...

[Ross]

Have to agree with the pub bit, one of the very few things I miss about Britain. Unlike German bars, pubs bring all kinds of people together whereas German bars tend to be very segregated. Also, everyone speaks to everyone in a British pub.
I've been in Germany since 1990 and do drive. Although I've never had any problems either driving in mainland Europe or swapping between Britain and Europe, I'd say driving on the left still feels more natural.
Oh, by the way, in and around Leeds it's not unusual to be addressed as love by older women and men.
Keep up the good work, Andrew.

[embreis]

4:21 'sorry Germany, but...' [we are stuck with you]...my brain was adding. it's alright, you're a keeper.

[AleaumeAnders]

Actually ... you are living in Barbaria, which might formally be a part of Germany but...
Actually ... you are living in (Unter)franken, which might formally be a part of Bavaria but...
Actually ... you are living near Arschaffenburg, which might formally be a part of Unterfranken but...

[jonathanscott]

One of my biggest problems is knowing which side of a car to get in. Driving in England and Germany is not a problem, nor that the gear stick and hand brake have changed sides, but I frequently, in both countries, go wrong door to get in the car.
Also crossing the road, I have learnt always to look both ways, and at both sides of the road when crossing. It is safer.

[SatuGustafson]

The "love" thing is something I truly love about Britain. It's such a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling to be called "love" by complete strangers.

[arj]

I can completely agree on all counts. Lived in the Allgäu for 30 years. I miss the pubs as well, but very little else. English or Irish pubs are not the same in Germany.

[lawrencelewis]

In Canada at roadside eateries, there is usually an older watiress who addresses everyone as "hun." People here do say "sorry" a lot and I once saw a waitress apologise to a chair. Just out of habit, I guess. I don't have a problem coping with cars on the left side of the road in Britain, it's the high speed that drivers do on narrow streets in London. That's what is scary.