The U.S and U.K are two different countries that happen to have more than one difference besides the common language, English. There are a lot of other cultural, social and economical aspects differing the two. The history of America and The U.K is linked which is why there are a lot of similarities. Although Britain have many things in common there are some differences between in two.
One of the most common differences in the two cultures is the sense of humor. The British are famous for their sarcastic sense of humor; while the Americans have either a straight sense of humor or a self-deprecating one. The British often make fun of Americans for their lack of sarcasm and irony. Either comedy style is not better than on another, I believe it’s personal preference. I was watching this video about some of the comedy differences and I like how Ricky Gervais, a British Actor, said,” Americans are overall more optimistic, they are told they can be the next President of The U.S. and they can. British people were told it’s not up to you and they carry that.”(Youtube)
There are also some differences in word choices and word meanings between the two cultures. In the U.S. we stand in line to wait for something. In Britain, it’s called a queue. In the U.S. you might give a crying child a pacifier, but the British call it a dummy. A baked potato in the U.S. would be called a ‘jacket potato’ in Britain. (Ricker) Also there is no Thanksgiving, Christmas would be the only big day with families. Probably the most obvious and well known is the difference between soccer and football. Britain refers to soccer as football, not to be confused with American football, which is what many Americans tend to miss church for.
Another difference is the behavior between the two countries. Americans are more hectic, and tend to be in a hurry always and the British are more laid back. When meeting new people and making new friends Americans are more likely to start conversations with strangers in random places. British people don’t like to converse with strangers and tend to stick with their old friends. British also have right hand side driving and Americans have left hand side driving. (Vritika)
In conclusion there are many differences between the two cultures such as behavior, sense of humor, television, preference of food and drinks, sports, etc. The English culture is very interesting and quite unique, we certainly have a much more diverse society, due to the different size in the two countries. The U.K and the U.S may share a common language but the cultural differences can make the two places feel as if they’re world’s apart.(Reid)
Works Cited
- British vs. American Comedy: What’s the Difference? YouTube.
- https://youtu.be/Zyv4jGWEzxY. Published July 4, 2016. Accessed October 18, 2018.
- Reid L. Business Insider. Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/. Accessed
- October 18, 2018.
- Davies C. Divided by a Common Language: a British/American Dictionary PLUS.
- Sarasota, FL: Mayflower Press; 2000.
- Vritika. Difference between American Culture and British Culture. Difference between American Culture and British Culture | American Culture vs British Culture. http://www.differencebetween.info/difference-between-american-culture-and-british-culture. Published October 1, 2015. Accessed October 18, 2018.
- Ricker J. British vs. American Culture. Study.com. https://study.com/academy/lesson/british-vs-american-culture.html. Accessed October 18, 2018.
