In think it was Winston Churchill (himself half American) who described Britain and the USA as two countries separated by the same language.
The shared language leads one to assume more similarity than is in fact the case.
Let’s widen the debate. This must be an international forum, so let’s hope for a variety of replies.
England, Scotland (mostly), Wales (mostly), Ireland (mostly), Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand (and others less so) share a language and some culture arising from that fact.
What are the top misunderstandings between these nations about how others differ from theirs in customs, methods, beliefs, expectations, assumptions, habits etc… How much of these misunderstanding is false and how much has an element of truth.
My top five cultural differences between the USA and England are:
1/ Americans have a greater respect for work and the workplace than the English.
2/ The English find it difficult to complain, unlike Americans.
3/ The English work very poorly in service industries - resentment and indifference reign.
4/ The English are much more cosmopolitan than Americans; they tend to know more about other places and ideas
5/ The English find it considerably more diffficult to talk with people without excuse.
What expectations are not fulfilled when visiting another Anglophone country?