If you are an American planning a trip to the UK, a fellow citizen has a warning he thinks you must heed. Kalani Smith, a Hawaii native and TikTok influencer with 3.3M followers has created a video informing Americans about one thing they are likely to experience if they visit the United Kingdom.Anyone travelling to a foreign country is bound to experience culture shock. From food items to drinking customs, driving and attitudes, all differ. However, some experiences leave people wondering how to respond and wilfully searching for a fellow citizen who could help.
A heads-up for Americans
Oscar Wilde described sarcasm as “the lowest form of wit but the highest form of intelligence.” And right now, it might be the one thing dividing Americans and Brits who otherwise share a love for culture, history and more.According to Smith, a content creator who documents his travel experiences in different countries, Americans need one heads-up while visiting and exploring the UK. In a video labelled as a “warning” for fellow Americans, he asked them to be warned of the “British sarcasm.”As per the influencer, the sarcasm is not about what the Brits say but rather about how little they react while saying something. He added that they have a way of telling one thing while meaning another and if they appreciate you for something, there are chances you are actually doing it wrong.In the end, Smith called for other Brits to verify his thoughts and share if they have ever been sarcastic like that with people and have seen them not realise it.“Americans need to be warned about this before ever setting foot in the UK,” he said. “Today we’re gonna be talking about British sarcasm. British sarcasm isn’t really about what you say, it’s about how little you react when you say it.”“Brits have all of these ways of telling you one thing, but actually meaning another. If a Brit says ‘that’s one way of doing it’, they’re telling you you’re doing it the wrong way.“Or if they look at you and they say ‘oh, brilliant’, they don’t actually mean it’s brilliant, trust me.”“If you’re a Brit and if you’ve interacted with Americans, whether it be in person or online, let me know if there’s been instances where you’ve been very sarcastic and it’s kind of just missed, it didn’t hit like it should’ve, because some times in America we don’t get your guys’ sarcasm,” he concluded.
What do people think?
Social media users from the US and the UK shared their own experiences in response to the video, as per the Express. “When I arrived in the States I was picking up the rental car from the airport and the guy at the desk asked ‘how are you today sir?’ to which I replied ‘yeah I’m not bad thanks’.”“He immediately looked very concerned and said ‘I’m so sorry to hear that, how can we make your day better?’ I didn’t understand, so I sarcastically said ‘wellll… an upgrade would be good’, which we promptly got,” one revealed.Another Brit revealed how an American woman once asked them if they had “Christmas in England,” to which they responded, “I said no, I’ve never heard of it.”A Brit who used to live in the US shared how they had to simplify their sarcasm with an “eyeroll or something” for the Americans to be able to detect it.“Brits are never sarcastic. We love people from the US. They are so worldly (and) knowledgeable,” quipped another.
The loss of British sarcasm on Americans
Sarcasm as a word originated in the English language in the 1570s when it was spelt as ‘sacasmus’ and defined as a biting taunt or satirical remark. The word is borrowed from the Latin and Greek word ‘sarkasmos’ meaning sneer, taunt, mockery and more. In literature, it was first spotted in Shakespearean comedies and literature with ironic and scornful taunts, establishing it in British culture.But as many years as sarcasm has lasted and evolved in the British culture, it still remains an enigma to Americans. Interestingly, a 2019 research by YouGov, a British polling company, “half of Americans wouldn’t be able to tell that a Briton is calling them an idiot.”The company showed a number of common British phrases such as “with the greatest respect”, “I’ll bear it in mind” and “you must come for dinner”, to both Britons and Americans.The starkest difference was in the understanding of the phrase “with the greatest respect”, which most Brits took to mean “I think you are an idiot” but nearly half of Americans considered it as “I am listening to you.” While 44% of Brits thought “that is a very brave proposal” meant “you are insane” only 31% Americans matched the mind.Thus, if it is your first time venturing into the British lands, make sure to confirm twice rather than believe what you hear instantly.
