C4.73 Interesting Facts About the UK

(All the following content is written by Shishengmiao based on her own study and life experience in the UK and other known information, for reference only [Meow])

1. Discount offers like "1 for £2, 2 for £5" when buying fruits or other items.
2. If you buy something priced at £18.15 and give the cashier £20, plus 15p (pence) in change hoping to get a round £2 back, the cashier may not understand. Even if you explain, they might find it too complicated and give you a pile of coins instead of the round amount.

In the UK, 1 cent is usually called 1 penny, and 2 to 50 cents are pence. But people often shorten the pronunciation to "p", so it’s 15p.

3. When buying something for £8.50 and paying with £20, the cashier won’t calculate 20 - 8.5 = 11.5 to give you change. Instead, they’ll "make up to £20" by giving you the item (£8.50) plus £10, £1, and 50p to add up to £20.
4. Public washing machines are used to wash everything—especially shoes.
5. Housing has poor sound insulation. You can clearly hear even the faint, clumsy sound of the neighbor next door wearing his girlfriend’s high heels.
6. Milk is cheap—a large carton costs only £1 or a few dozen pence.
7. On cold winter days (a few degrees Celsius), you’ll often see people wearing down jackets on top and shorts with flip-flops below.
8. Drizzling rain that goes on and on and on.
9. Strong winds that flip your umbrella and blow your hair upright.
10. Occasionally seeing two men holding hands and being affectionate.
11. Many people with larger body types when you look around.
12. Shops don’t open in the morning.
13. Bars are always bustling.
14. Lots of parties and gatherings.
15. Easy to take the wrong train.
16. Desserts are extremely sweet—super duper sweet.
17. Clean clothes with uncut tags can be returned for free within a certain period. Some people wear them for a few days, return them, buy new ones, wear those for a few days, and return them again.
18. Fire drills happen from time to time during classes.
19. Taps are separate: one for scalding hot water and one for icy cold water—commonly known as "ice and fire".
20. Soybeans are their most common breakfast food.
21. Smoke alarms everywhere may not be used to Chinese-style stir-frying. If one goes off, the mild consequence is a verbal warning; others may result in a fine or worse.
22. Cats in the UK "speak English".
23. When opening a door, the person in front will hold it open for the person behind.
24. The most commonly used English words are "sorry", "thank you", and "excuse me".
25. Queues are everywhere—for buses, shopping, etc. People often form automatic queues. Sometimes, though, there’s no actual queue, but people follow the person in front thinking they need to wait, only to find that person is just standing there playing a game.
26. Things get done very slowly—think Flash from Zootopia.
27. Street performers are quite common.
28. Occasionally, you’ll hear "Big Issue"—it’s a newspaper sold by people who are turning their lives around and supporting themselves.
29. Diverse food flavors—even vinegar-flavored potato chips.
30. If a teacher says "very good" to you, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re really excellent; it might just be their catchphrase.
31. The Harry Potter Platform 9¾ at London King’s Cross Station has moved—it’s now located next to the Harry Potter Shop within the same station.
32. Small animals like swans and pigeons belong to the Queen. If you dare to harm them, the police will "send you back to your home country for free".
33. It’s a sports-loving country—you can watch football matches anytime.
34. Occasional protest marches.
35. I left a card with my phone number in a film prop box on Tower Bridge. Will you give me a call? If you do, you treat me to dinner!
36. You need to show ID to buy alcohol/tobacco or enter bars/casinos to prove your age.
37. Homeless people may ask for change on the street, repeating "change please".
38. Gingerbread is actually made with ginger. Oh, I bought one because it looked cute, but the taste was unforgettable—I didn’t dare take a second bite.
39. Daffodils are toxic and inedible. But because they look similar to garlic shoots, many people accidentally buy them by mistake.
40. The British Library, the national library of the UK, is one of the largest academic libraries in the world with over 170 million items in its collection. It’s a legal deposit library—any publisher issuing books in the UK must provide one copy to the British Library.
41. Scottish men wear skirts, but these skirts aren’t called "skirt"—they’re "kilt". Prince Charles has worn one many times.
42. Kung Pao Chicken (or Kung Pao anything) in Chinese restaurants is sweet.
43. Go to Hyde Park early in the morning, and you’ll see countless ducks squatting by the road.
44. London’s Covent Garden is a place filled with luxury cars, wealthy people, and beautiful women. There’s a popular internet-famous hamburger there with extremely long queues.
45. Many bed sheets have elastic edges to wrap around the mattress.
46. You need to book appointments in advance for most things or trips.
47. Communication is mainly done via email.
48. Taking photos of children without permission may get you punched.
49. You may face the risk of hair loss at any time for various reasons.
50. They love drinking tea—elegantly, with pinkies raised.
51. Indoor carpets are standard.
52. Many items are on sale when supermarkets are about to close.
53. You need to press the bell in advance to get off the bus; otherwise, it won’t stop.
54. Calling back to China costs only 1 or 2 Chinese cents per minute.
55. Potatoes dominate the UK’s food scene.
56. No signal or internet on the subway (as of May 2022; WiFi and 4G are expected to be available on the Elizabeth Line by the end of 2022).
57. Subway escalators seem endless—one after another after another.
58. Free newspapers are available at stations and some shops.
59. If you don’t have your Young Person’s Card with you when taking the train and get caught, you’ll be fined. For the first offense, you can appeal by contacting the railway company that issued the fine, but there’s no guarantee of getting the money back. Being polite might help, but you may only receive a voucher for equivalent train tickets—valid only for that company’s trains and with an expiration date.
60. Fare evasion will result in having to pay the fare. Evading the subway fare depends on luck, but repeated evasion may lead to prosecution and a criminal record. Importantly, there are many plainclothes officers at stations, subways, and trains.
61. Many subway and train platforms don’t have barriers—stand back!
62. London’s subway is old. Several lines were built in 1856 and officially opened on January 10, 1863—over 100 years old!
63. There are many touching stories in London’s subway stations. In 2007, a gray-haired grandmother sat on a platform bench every day, waiting for trains to arrive but never boarding. When each train stopped and the doors opened, she would walk to the door and smile as she listened to the announcement "Mind The Gap". She did this for ten years because the voice belonged to her late husband, recorded 40 years earlier. He passed away in 2007, and those were his first words to her when they met.
64. A legendary stray orange cat in London changed its owner’s life and was made into the movie "A Street Cat Named Bob", with the cat itself starring. Bob passed away in 2020 at the age of 14 (equivalent to about 90 human years). Originally a stray, Bob was rescued by his owner after being injured. Through his companionship, he encouraged his owner to turn his life around and rebuild himself. A book about their story sold over 800,000 copies in the UK alone.
65. Using someone else’s Young Person’s Card to travel is a serious offense—it constitutes identity theft. You may be taken to court to enter a guilty plea and receive a criminal record. In the future, whenever asked if you have any convictions (e.g., when applying for jobs), you must disclose it and explain.
66. The UK has one of the longest place names in the world—a 58-letter town called "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch".
67. Queen Elizabeth II doesn’t have a passport. Passports are issued in her name, so she doesn’t need one.
68. Queen Elizabeth II doesn’t have a driver’s license. Like passports, driver’s licenses are issued in her name.
69. Queen Elizabeth II’s full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. She celebrates two birthdays a year—one is her actual birthday, and the other is her official birthday.
70. You need to pay to watch TV in the UK.
71. There are teachers with all kinds of strong accents.
72. UK bank card PINs are only 4 digits.
73. English is widely used throughout the UK, but it’s not the only native official language. Others include:

    (1) Welsh in Wales

    (2) Celtic and Scots in Scotland

    (3) Irish and Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland

    (4) Cornish in Cornwall, England
74. Great Britain and the United Kingdom are not the same.

    (1) Great Britain is the ninth-largest island in the world and the largest in Europe. Politically, it includes England, Scotland, Wales, and numerous surrounding islands (e.g., the Isle of Wight, Shetland Islands), but not the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. These are not part of the United Kingdom and have independent judicial and tax systems.

    (2) The United Kingdom, full name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is internationally abbreviated as the UK or Britain. It consists of Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and a series of smaller islands.
75. Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world today. It is the family home of the British royal Windsor dynasty and, like Buckingham Palace in London and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, one of the main official residences of the British monarch.
76. Don’t ask about salaries or ages. For acquaintances who aren’t close, don’t ask women their age or anyone about their salary.
77. UK bank holidays are public holidays in the UK, some Commonwealth countries, some European countries (e.g., Switzerland), and some former British colonies (e.g., Hong Kong). When the Bank Holidays Act was enacted in 1871, England had four bank holidays and Scotland had five. The dates are announced annually on the UK government’s official website: https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays
78. Tipping in the UK is optional—some tips are included in the bill. Shishengmiao has written about whether to tip in the UK and how much to give.
79. The UK basically has no summer—it’s very short with large day-night temperature differences. So few residences have air conditioning, but almost all have heating. However, London’s subway is extremely stuffy and crowded, and you know the "foreigners’ smell"—bring a small fan!
80. Most fruits and vegetables in the UK are imported.
81. London is divided into Greater London and the City of London. Greater London is the commonly referred-to London, including 32 administrative districts (boroughs). The City of London refers to the financial district.
82. "Cash back" in UK shops works like a manual cash machine. When paying, the cashier will ask if you want to withdraw cash. If yes, they’ll give you the cash directly, and the equivalent amount will be deducted from your card.
83. Stamps originated in the UK. The Penny Black was the world’s first adhesive stamp, officially issued in the UK on May 1, 1840. Although it came into effect on May 6, it went on sale on May 1 and was used the same day, so the earliest postmark date is May 1.
84. Although most places in the UK accept card payments, always carry some cash and coins—some places only accept coins or cash.
85. Teachers don’t take roll call in class, but there’s a sign-in system—you know what that means.
86. A few friends using a dozen student cards to sign in on behalf of others.
87. To cross the road at pedestrian crossings in the UK, you need to press the traffic light button—otherwise, the green light will never turn on.
88. No subtitles when watching movies in the UK.
89. Evian mineral water is much cheaper in the UK than in China.
90. UK coins can be arranged to form a shield.

I searched for a long time for photos of the two shields I made before, but couldn’t find them. I didn’t use the coins after that, and now I don’t know where they are. Maybe they love me so much that they decided to silently guard me to get rich!

In fact, besides shields, UK pounds can also be arranged into circles or even used to "promote historical progress"—there are various ways to play with them. Additionally, the UK issues special commemorative coins every year, such as the Peter Rabbit series with several cute designs. They’re not very expensive, similar to China’s Panda Gold Coins or the new Auspicious Culture Gold and Silver Commemorative Coins issued this year.

If you want to buy UK commemorative coins, you can do so on their official website: https://www.royalmint.com

92. When I first went to the UK, I looked up every unknown word in the dictionary. Later, I copied and pasted unknown sentences for translations. Now, I just use image translation for unknown content.
93. Don’t make the "V" sign with your palm facing outward in the UK—foreigners will automatically take it as meaning "f*** you", a gesture of contempt and insult.
94. Don’t tell anyone the last three digits on the back of your UK bank card—others can use this security code for online shopping directly.
95. Some banks will give you a checkbook when you open an account.
96. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the Harry Potter luggage trolley was temporarily removed in 2020.
97. Some products have better discounts before Black Friday than on Black Friday itself.
98. The first floor in the UK is called the Ground floor, the second floor is the First floor, and the third floor is the Second floor.
99. If a UK shop says "closing down sale" or "going out of business", it’s true—faking it is illegal.
100. Don’t ask foreigners about their age, salary, or privacy. But once you become best friends, they’ll tell you every detail, even how many times they cried after a breakup.
101. Street performers may earn more than some office workers. Wealthy people in the UK often give generous tips. Once, I saw a rich person give a stack of banknotes (either £20 or £50 notes, if I remember correctly).
102. UK driver’s licenses don’t require annual inspections.
103. British parents with good economic conditions, like those in China, often take care of their children—they don’t kick them out when they reach adulthood as rumored. There are also many NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) in the UK, and well-off parents will help pave the way for their children’s future in various aspects.
104. Foreigners mostly prefer small cars when buying vehicles.
105. In city centers, you can see cemeteries when opening windows—some UK houses are next to cemeteries.
106. As of May 2022, the highest mountain in the UK is approximately over 1,300 meters above sea level.
107. There is no Disneyland in the UK. Disney believes Europe only needs one theme park, and the location should be easily accessible to tourists from all European countries. The UK planned to build two "UK-style Disneylands". The first plan was a £3.5 billion resort in Kent, originally scheduled to open in 2024, but was withdrawn and abandoned on March 29, 2022, due to strong opposition from environmental activists and angry locals.
108. Queen Elizabeth II wears "second-hand" shoes and never wears open-toed shoes. New shoes are uncomfortable, so the Queen’s staff break them in by wearing them until they’re comfortable before giving them to her. These are not market second-hand shoes—staff just walk in them to soften the parts that might rub, so the shoes remain brand new. What looks like the same pair of shoes the Queen wears every time is actually multiple pairs of the same style.
109. The UK didn’t have the multiplication table (jiu jiu cheng fa biao) until 2015, when former British Prime Minister David Cameron introduced it from China.
110. When giving gifts to teachers, supervisors, professors, etc., in the UK, the value should not exceed £40 (some schools set the limit at £30). Exceeding this may be considered bribery (excluding other special circumstances). Note: Cash or cash equivalents are not allowed