I'm friends with a family from England who have been here over 25 years. 10 kids in the family. The parents have accents but you can tell they've been here awhile. Only the 2 oldest kids have accents. The oldest hasn't lost it a bit. Sounds much more British than her parents. 

British English often comes with subtext and inferred meanings whereas American English tends to be more direct. Here's a video by an American who's been living in the UK for a while. In it, she describes some of the phrases that initially confused her.

 

Hoss, do you prefer to be called British or English? 

 

3 hours ago, RogerDuke said:

Hoss, do you prefer to be called British or English? 

Because I'm still close to the UK, I'm usually identified as English, and that's fine with me (although I didn't celebrate St George's Day on Thursday!). My nationality is British, and that's probably how I'd be known further from home where people aren't so familiar with the differences between the Home Nations.

Why Are The British So Eccentric In War? That's the question posed in this video. It tells the story of why you can always make tea in a British tank, and of the soldier who went into battle in Operation Market Garden (the failed attempt to take the bridge in Arnhem as dramatized in the movie 'A Bridge Too Far') with an umbrella.

 

We go for cold tea down here in the South! I drink  several bottles of unsweetened Black tea! per day!....uh sorry about that comment about B$%#@ tea....that's not politicaly correct.....let's just call it African American tea!    

All this is VERY interesting  Hoss! Thank you!

We have iced coffee as an option here, but tea is a hot drink. It's a staple in the UK and Ireland. Until I started watching these videos, I hadn't realized how rare kettles are in American homes. I think one if them said that the lower mains voltage in the US means they take much longer to boil.

6 hours ago, HossC said:

We have iced coffee as an option here, but tea is a hot drink. It's a staple in the UK and Ireland. Until I started watching these videos, I hadn't realized how rare kettles are in American homes. I think one if them said that the lower mains voltage in the US means they take much longer to boil.

probably so.....We serve tea hot but mostly cold.  I couldn't tell you the last time I had hot tea.

Here's a short video with Stephen Fry explaining what he thinks are the differences British and American comedy. They're certainly very different, but both can be very funny. Watching the "Americans React" videos has shown me how few British comedies most American have seen and how it takes a while to get used to the different tone before they get into them and appreciate them. I hope I'm encouraging some of you to look at shows from outside the US.

 

This was great! I think Hobie, Cooter and a few other characters ( us!  )  in Hazzard need to work on building a highway straight from you ( Hoss) , to us!   It was funny when he talked about the "Knobs". You guys have neat ways of expressing things!  The highway can even be part of next years Moonshine Run!  Do you guys have Moon over there? What's it called?

I think we've already covered kettles being a rarity in America, but here are some other gadgets that an American has noticed after living in the UK for 10 years.

 

Fanta is Fanta, right? Apparently not. Here's a quick comparison of Fanta from the US vs Fanta from the UK.

 

LOL! That was good! I like her accent/voice

Here's another video from Girl Gone London, this time looking at British foods that are off the radar for most Americans. I have never had bubble and squeak or haggis, and have no intention of trying jellied eels, although I have enjoyed the pie, mash with liquor (a parsley sauce, not alcohol) where they're served. Of the rest, I regularly eat black pudding, marmite and sausage and mash. Toad in the hole is also good, but I haven't had it for a while.

 

Here's something a bit different. How well do y'all know British words and phrases?

 

16 hours ago, HossC said:

Here's something a bit different. How well do y'all know British words and phrases?

 

Well, I aced that quiz.  I probably have tv to thank for that.

Here's a challenge for you Hoss since you are so good at finding things....and I'm sure you will love it. 

Johnny Carson used to make fun of British accents so somebody pulled a practical joke on him with hidden cameras. They planted a lady at a social event with a thick accent and she started a conversation with him. But her accent was so thick that it was not even something that anybody could understand....just gibberish disguised as a thick accent. It was so funny to see him embarrassed for not understanding it since he was often the one pulling practical jokes. I'd love to see it again if you can find it. 

I found a description of the incident, but it didn't add a lot to your write-up. Johnny was invited to a fake cocktail party at the Mayfair Hotel after watching the tennis at Wimbledon. It took place in 1985.