British Manners and Etiquette! | British Culture

Ever wanted to learn about weird British manners and etiquette? We explain some things that you must or must NOT do when you visit the London or the UK!

Comment below some manners and unwritten-rules from your country/culture!

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Hello! We are Joel & Lia. We post videos every week, all about British culture, British accents and the English language! We live in London and love sharing our top travel tips in the UK and abroad. As well as being best friends we share a passion for language, different accents and all things British. With past and future trips to the USA, lots of our content is American vs British.

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[rmuske]

My first trip to London I remember noticing how EVERYONE just understood when on the escalator, stand on the right, walk on the left. I was so impressed. People don’t get that here in the US and now it drives me mad!

[jewelsgrl]

I’m delighted at the fantastically dry tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating humor here. I truly hope everyone got that part of it.

[inezwonderland]

Not only does taking empty plates make people feel that 'I am too slow and others are waiting for me', it also makes me feel like the waitresses are asking you to leave earlier so they can serve other customers...
Thank you Joel & Lia, most of the manners are similar in Hong Kong, looking forward to enjoying my university life in UK :)

[amymaliga]

I’m from the South and we absolutely use please & thank you, heck, you’ll also get a yes ma’am/sir, no ma’am/sir. We take great pride in manners. We will stand in line even if it takes hours to get to the front. (Thank you elementary teachers who drilled “single file” into our minds) and we will call someone out if they try and cut (you just don’t do that) as for the entering a train before everyone gets off, well that’s just stupid, unless you enjoy being trampled on? Anyway, I’m sorry you’ve experienced such bad behavior in the US. Come to Texas next time:-)
We’d love to have you!

[AeronJames]

Totally agree on all of these, I remember when I went to Disneyland Paris and meeting characters was pretty much a clump of people pushing to be first and you could always tell who were fellow Brits as they'd always try and start a queue. The plates being cleared before everyone is finished is the other one that really gets to me as it just adds so much pressure to finish. Great video x

[drsyedakiranumefarwabukhar]

I love the British culture politeness and mannerisms

[zupermaus]

In China there's an unsaid rule of 'queueing', which is up to 3 can approach the counter at a time (and the little old lady at the till will work out all your change simultaneously as she will have 6 arms). Thus if you're waiting patiently behind a lone person being served, you're also preventing two empty positions at the counter from being filled - which will become game for someone behind to push you out the way, exasperated, or literally just push you gently. Both parties will think the other idiots. In Russia you can silently leave your queue then reenter it when time to draw up at the counter comes, which is why you'll suddenly see people barge in front of you at the last minute. Both parties will think each other is pushing in. In Denmark if you ever, ever leave a queue, for example to pick something up you dropped or quickly grab an envelope from the counter etc, without consulting the person behind, your position is as good as gone. Your loss.

[jamier]

I've had Germans and American's tell me that the English habit of saying 'sorry' when we don't really 'mean it' is dishonest or hypocritical. However, they're really missing the point. We say sorry because we feel it is the right thing to do. It maintains a standard in civility, works to difuse potential conflict. Also, words have a magic to them- like a spell we can change our emotions through the language we use e.g. When I smile at and I'm polite to a stranger it actually gives me a positive feeling inside.

[Rachel-rege]

I can understand why the plates being cleared early is frustrating. However, growing up in the states it's become a very normal thing that I don't even notice anymore. My guess as to why that happens is because I believe most servers see it as being attentive. They want to clear the plates so that you don't have a lot of empty plates in your way. The service industry can be a big deal sometimes and servers who get the most tips are usually those that don't make the customers wait for anything and are constantly attending to them. Clearing their table and bringing them anything else they may need.

[chrisotto]

These are all common courtesy in America as well.

[adventuresofjumi]

I am from the United States, Southern states and I already do all these basically. Never been on the tube/subway but I get what you are saying. Oh a tip for restaurants in the U.S. When they come to get your plate just say you're not done yet and they will usually leave.

[DanKnopf]

All good advice! I think all of these are true in the US as well. People who live near a subway (NY, DC, Boston and LA) know the thing about waiting for people to get off of the train first, but so many people don't have any experience and are probably terrified that the train will leave them. The plate thing at the end I also think is rude, but I have found there to be a distinct difference between American- and European-style service, in an "Active versus Passive" sense. American servers want to make sure you know they are busy working and acting helpful, and they see the public more as clients, where European-style service does its best to seem invisible and be as quiet and polite as possible to their patrons. American waiters think people tip better if they look active.

Again, thank you for making this! You two are my favorite!

[jenifer]

OMG, not sure why this came up in my recommended now... but wow! You both look so different and I can totally see your growth! Love you guys.

[DanieVargas]

Just personal observations... living here in the Washington DC metropolitan area, riding the metro (our version of the Tube). We also wait for everyone to exit the car before getting on. As for clearing the table of empty dishes... the wait staff is usually responsible for clearing the table to get it ready for the next patron. In most restaurants, you’re given a 10 minute turn around time to get the table empty, wiped down and ready... so if you get sat with a party of 10, that 10 min turn around is practically IMPOSSIBLE... so we start taking empty dishes as they appear to help ourselves... and we ALWAY ask if you’ve finished eating before we take it away... and just me being me, I will leave 3 empty plates on the table BECAUSE someone will inevitably with be the SLOWEST EATER EVER and it’s embarrassing for that person to be the last one still eating at a table full of people...

Just saying...

[cwell]

My favorite Brits! Love these videos! I think the issue especially with us Americans is that basic etiquette has diminished through the decades. Growing up, manners and behavior were much more prominent as well as good order and discipline. I think I would fit in well in the U.K. Thanks for posting guys!

[chantellenew]

The tube etiquette applies to elevators as well in the US. Please and thank you is used by adults and children, but not so much people in their teens and early twenties. Most areas in the states do have a line etiquette. If someone breaks the line etiquette polite people will guide them non polite people will yell at the. When I mean guide they will say things like the end of the line is right over there dear, or excuse me he's next. We say excuse me or pardon me more than sorry.

Sorry, but please allow me to thank you for a great video. God bless.

[drsyedakiranumefarwabukhar]

Strangers smile back and eager to help me always

[monetflores]

You have practically described the south in the US. Pleas and thank you, Ma’am and Sir, thank you cards, all of it!
One awful thing we do is holding doors for others. It’s often frustrating if a person is holding a door and you feel the need to run so they don’t have to hold it for long, and the reverse is the “should I hold the door for them or are they too far away?”... we always end up holding it anyway.

[verac]

Although I'm British, I've got used to the waiters taking away empty plates in Germany and I even feel upset when then don't come and take the empty dishes away. I never realized that this could disturb someone! This was really informative for me.

[KM-lcke]

In America leaving a tip is our custom. It's rude not to. You have your customs and we have ours. You don't really need to come over if you don't want to. Respect goes both ways.