I’m an American living in Britain – here are the six things I like about the English

An American woman who made the move from the US to England has revealed all the ‘cute little observations’ and quirks she’s noticed about English people.

Content creator Jenna McKone moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Cambridge with her husband in January of this year.

The couple lived in England for some time four years earlier, but eventually moved back home.

Posting under her TikTok handle @jennamckonethe American decided to share the love she has for English people by listing her favorite things about them.

The video has already been viewed by more than 166,000 people, with one British commentator writing that she is the “American number one who really gets us.”

Jenna told her 7,000 followers: ‘I’ve been back in England for just over a month now, so I thought I’d share some random little things about England and the English people I love.’

Call appetizers appetizers

The first niche quirk that the American likes about English people is that we have a unique name for snacks.

The TikToker gushed: “Number one is naming snacks.

“That’s cute, and every time we get to a pub and there’s snacks on the menu, my husband and I say, ‘Do you want some snacks?’

In the comments, someone explained, “Appetizers are what we all enjoy. Nibbles are like little snacks.’

Etiquette on the road

The second thing on the list of content creators may be surprising to many English people – and it is that we have good traffic etiquette.

She explained, “Then you thank other drivers who let you in by flashing your hazard lights once. I had never seen that before I came here.

“Usually Americans just raise their hands, but it’s a great way to thank people. Plus, you guys are simply the most courteous drivers I’ve ever seen.

“Americans look, you know how when you turn left and there’s a lot of traffic coming both ways, ask yourself how long it’s going to take before someone lets you in.”

“Maybe the 12th car will let you in. In England this is almost always with the second car, even though the roads are sometimes really scary.

But she added that she was “more afraid” for her life driving in America than here.

Orange egg yolk

Jenna’s next point is about food and not people, and how delicious English eggs are, especially the yolks.

She told viewers: ‘The next thing is how orange your egg yolk is.

“I know people are talking about this and I know it’s not surprising that an American would say this is one of the greatest things ever.

“But let me tell you, in the US you have to pay twelve dollars to get the yolk as orange as here, and it’s probably still not that orange, and I pay £2.50 here.”

Telephone voices

Another thing that American citizens find funny is the English ‘telephone voices’ and our unique customs.

She laughed, “The next thing is how your voice goes three octaves higher when you say goodbye on the phone.

‘In Britain a man will say in a very deep voice, ‘Okay bye!’ (in a high voice).

She adds that she also loves that it takes “a solid 10 seconds to get through the entire farewell spiel.”

She did an impression of our long goodbye and said, “Cheers, yes, have a nice day, be well, yes, okay, yes, okay, goodbye.”

Freshly baked bread

Coming back to food, the content creator revealed that she is also a big fan of English bread.

Jenna said: ‘Next is a love for a nice freshly baked sourdough loaf.

“Some of my favorite brunch and coffee shops are here because of how much you love your bread.

“I could never find a good sourdough loaf even within driving distance of where I live, and there are about four that I can walk to.”

Adaptable people

Another compliment for the English from the American is that we are ‘very flexible’ and do not let the weather hold us back.

She explained, “I know you guys don’t like this, I know you guys don’t like the weather, but I will say you guys are very adaptable.

“Because you have to, and I realize that, but honestly, it’s inspiring that you’re all going to keep going no matter what.

‘You cycle in the rain, there are often no parasols, you just do your thing regardless of the weather, so thank you for that, I love that.’

UK viewers flocked to the comments to comment on how ‘accurate’ Jenna’s list is, calling her observations ‘sweet’.

One user wrote: ‘We do something on the phone where we gradually become quieter.’

A second wrote: ‘I hung up too early once so called back to apologize.’

Meanwhile, a third joked: ‘Funny how accurate this is. Umbrellas don’t bother me, because no umbrella has yet been invented that can withstand the conditions.’

Satisfied, another added, “You’re the number one American here who really understands us!”

Someone else said: ‘I assume your husband is also American.

‘I also hung up too early during the farewell ritual, felt bad, so the person called back to make sure I had said goodbye properly. The shame I felt because I cut off their goodbyes.’

One English viewer joked: “I’m finding this post makes me feel strangely patriotic,” alongside a laughing emoji.

Another wrote: ‘These are such sweet observations! My partner does the ‘goodbye until only dogs can hear the last’, while someone else adds: ‘The goodbye saga is often as long as the phone call that preceded it’.

Meanwhile, someone else wrote: ‘Just got back from the US and surprised we survived the roads. Britain does have road etiquette!’