Things that Americans find odd about the UK

I watch sports online and most of the channels are from ESPN co.uk and I notice the commercials are odd. Instead of saying "This sofa is three hundred and ninety nine pounds" they say "This sofa is only three nine nine"

Is this common, or just an odd thing on this channel?

What are some other things that are weird that you can't/have trouble adjusting to or you hear and go "wha?"

Normally it's because a commercial can only be a certain length so they speak quickly and effeciently to get as much information across in as little time possible.

It's the same difference as if you were in America and said, "We bought our sofa for two ninety-nine" as opposed to saying "two hundred and ninety-nine dollars".  I have very rarely pronounced the full amount of money...usually only if it's a large and weird amount...like $29,381.24.

So I guess I don't think that's weird at all. 

This just may be for the people I work with, and over hear while walking around our town center, but they always seem to be miserable and dissatisfied with everything. The weather-even though the sun may be out; their children displease them in some way; their spouses displease them; what they watch on telly-just endless amounts of things! It's really hard to live in a town where everyone's like this, but I try really hard to ignore it all. It's not easy, though! :/

This just may be for the people I work with, and over hear while walking around our town center, but they always seem to be miserable and dissatisfied with everything. The weather-even though the sun may be out; their children displease them in some way; their spouses displease them; what they watch on telly-just endless amounts of things! It's really hard to live in a town where everyone's like this, but I try really hard to ignore it all. It's not easy, though! :/

Ev everyone at the first shop I worked in was like this.  It is so toxic.  I'm glad I'm in a different shop now where mostly everyone tries to be positive.  The customers are a different story though, but better than the area where I used to work.

they always seem to be miserable and dissatisfied with everything.

I see that you are based in Crewe...

I see that you are based in Crewe...

Yeah, I know. I suppose it just comes with the territory here. DH and I have talked about it ad nauseum. I've been here over a year now, and it still amazes me how depressing and down-trodden people can be in this town! I know it's probably not everyone, but some days, it certainly does feel like it!

I watch sports online and most of the channels are from ESPN co.uk and I notice the commercials are odd. Instead of saying "This sofa is three hundred and ninety nine pounds" they say "This sofa is only three nine nine"

Is this common, or just an odd thing on this channel?

What are some other things that are weird that you can't/have trouble adjusting to or you hear and go "wha?"

They do that in US commercials too.  Especially when it comes to movie release dates.  Like they might say "In theatres January twenty one" instead of "January twenty first".

The road numbers are often spoken in the same way, the A429 is said the A four two nine, except if it's a multiple of ten or under a hundred, like the A350 or M25, so it's not just adverts and money. Definitely weird.

This just may be for the people I work with, and over hear while walking around our town center, but they always seem to be miserable and dissatisfied with everything. The weather-even though the sun may be out; their children displease them in some way; their spouses displease them; what they watch on telly-just endless amounts of things! It's really hard to live in a town where everyone's like this, but I try really hard to ignore it all. It's not easy, though! :/

Positive side? You finally have your own place!

The road numbers are often spoken in the same way, the A429 is said the A four two nine, except if it's a multiple of ten or under a hundred, like the A350 or M25, so it's not just adverts and money. Definitely weird.

I'm probably a bit biased because I grew up here, but I don't think it's any less weird than saying (in the US), 'two-thousand one' instead of 'two thousand and one' (it took me a while to get my head around that one )... or saying 'twenty eleven' instead of 'two-thousand and eleven' (US and UK) - it's just a shorter, easier way of saying the number.

e g. Saying 'A four-two-nine' is much easier than 'A four-hundred-and-twenty-nine' (4 syllables vs. 8 syllables), and 'A three fifty' is easier than 'A three-hundred-and-fifty' or 'A three five oh'.  And I guess it's also easier to say 'M twenty-five' instead of 'M two five' (rolls off the tongue more easily).

e g. Saying 'A four-two-nine' is much easier than 'A four-hundred-and-twenty-nine' (4 syllables vs. 8 syllables), and 'A three fifty' is easier than 'A three-hundred-and-fifty' or 'A three five oh'.  And I guess it's also easier to say 'M twenty-five' instead of 'M two five' (rolls off the tongue more easily).

In my experience, an American wouldn't say "A four hundred and twenty nine," they'd say "A four twenty nine".  It's one syllable more inefficient, but we make up for it by leaving the "u" out of color and flavor.   

I have a theory that the voiceovers in commercials are scripted that way e.g. "This kitchen now only three four nine nine" so people who were thinking of over extending themselves would just think of numbers on a statement, (many people need little enough encouragement to do this) because if they said "Three thousand four hundred and ninety nine pounds" a lot of people would think "Hey! all that money!"

I watch sports online and most of the channels are from ESPN co.uk and I notice the commercials are odd. Instead of saying "This sofa is three hundred and ninety nine pounds" they say "This sofa is only three nine nine"

Is this common, or just an odd thing on this channel?

What are some other things that are weird that you can't/have trouble adjusting to or you hear and go "wha?"

I'm in the US, and most of the furniture and auto advertisements also give the prices as, "three ninety-nine," or "twelve thousand six hundred," omitting the word dollars completely. 

I have a theory that the voiceovers in commercials are scripted that way e.g. "This kitchen now only three four nine nine" so people who were thinking of over extending themselves would just think of numbers on a statement, (many people need little enough encouragement to do this) because if they said "Three thousand four hundred and ninety nine pounds" a lot of people would think "Hey! all that money!"

That makes perfect sense to me! People will think of it as just a number and not MONEY.

In my experience, an American wouldn't say "A four hundred and twenty nine," they'd say "A four twenty nine".  It's one syllable more inefficient, but we make up for it by leaving the "u" out of color and flavor.   

Fair enough . I wasn't actually suggesting that it's said that way in the US, but just giving a probable reason why we say it that way in the UK - I wasn't connecting that part of my reply to the US at all .