To an outsider, any culture can seem quirky, confusing, peculiar¹ or just downright bizarre. And the UK's got a thing or two that raises a few eyebrows². Brits are quite capable of befuddling³ visitors with their idiosyncrasies. However, understand the why and things might be less perplexing. Here are the reasons for three of Britain's more puzzling practices.

 

In a world where 61% of nations drive on the right, the unorthodox Brits drive on the left. Why? "Most people think it goes back to Medieval, maybe even Roman times," explains Stephen Laing, curator of the British Motor Museum. This unusual behaviour makes sense when you remember that right-handed people wear a sword on their left hip⁴. Travelling on the left allowed you to keep your weapon arm toward your opponent, who would be on your right. This practice persisted until the 18th Century when a law was passed requiring all traffic crossing London Bridge to keep to the left.

 

Visitors to the UK that have just washed their hands in an old-fashioned sink might be wondering why one tap is solely⁵ for hot water, the other exclusively cold. Either can make washing very uncomfortable. So, why this oddity? "It relates to a time when hot and cold water were kept separate to prevent contamination," Kevin Wellman, chief executive officer of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing⁶ and Heating Engineering says. Drinkable cold water came from a mains supply, but hot water came from attic⁷ tanks and was not considered suitable for consumption. So they were kept apart.

 

Millions of people drink tea worldwide, but the eccentric Brits put milk in theirs. Why? This mystifying practice relates to the quality of china cup used in the 18th Century when tea was first imported. For the majority of Brits, "the cups available couldn’t withstand the heat of the boiling water and would shatter, so milk was added first," Simon Hill, Tea Buyer at Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate tells the Sun newspaper. This cooled the cup enough to withstand the water. And this practical tweak soon became a national habit.

 

There's a method to the madness, they say. As you can see, these quirky Brits have perfectly⁸ coherent reasons for left-hand driving, two-tap sinks and tea with milk. But until you comprehend them, they can seem unfathomable. Even if they still seem strange, at least now you're in the know.

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