Moving abroad comes with plenty of surprises—some charming, others downright confusing.
One American woman living in the UK has taken to TikTok to vent about a few British home quirks that continue to baffle her.
And let’s just say… not everyone was sympathetic.
Known on TikTok as @yorkshireyank, the US expat regularly shares funny observations about life in Britain.
But her latest video, which has now racked up over 200,000 views, touched a nerve—especially when she listed the four most confusing things about UK homes that, in her words, “send her into a coma.”
Let’s break down what she said—and how people reacted.
“Why Won’t My Toast Work?” The Plug Socket Mystery
The first thing that left her completely puzzled? British plug sockets. Or as she calls them—“outlets.”
In her video, she talks about how she kept getting tripped up by the on/off switches that control the power supply to each socket.
“I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve tried to make toast and the darn thing just wouldn’t turn on,” she laughs.
For Brits, this switch is second nature. But for Americans, who don’t have a master switch on every outlet, it’s one of those little details that takes some getting used to.
“So Much Space… Finally!” – A Different Kind of Problem
Next up on her list was actually something she loved—but thought other Americans might find strange: the amount of space in UK homes.
She explained that after living in cramped city apartments back in the States, she was surprised at how much room she now had.
“Space is a premium—now I have lots of it,” she says, still sounding slightly in awe.
“What Even Is 17:16?” – The 24-Hour Clock Conundrum
Then came the thing that truly stumped her: timekeeping. Specifically, the 24-hour clock.
“Yorkshire Yank” referred to it as “military time,” admitting that most people in the US would struggle to read a time like 17:16.
“Most people would see this and go, ‘I don’t know what time that is,’ when it’s really 5:18,” she said. She added that Brits “overcomplicate it” by sticking to the 24-hour format, especially on appliances and digital clocks.
As you can imagine, this particular gripe didn’t go over too well with British viewers.
“Where Are the Closets?” – The Wardrobe Dilemma
But the biggest shock for her came with the absence of closets.
Apparently, when she moved into her house in Yorkshire, she expected to find built-in wardrobes.
Instead, she found… nothing. “Why does my house not have any closets?” she asked her followers.
She ended up transforming an empty cupboard by adding shelves and even turned a spare bedroom into a walk-in wardrobe.
She said it would’ve cost her around £10,000 to get a built-in closet installed in a new-build—only to be offered glass doors on rails.
“I don’t get it,” she said with visible frustration.
The Internet Responds: Not Everyone Was Amused
The video drew a lot of attention—nearly 450 comments—but many of them were critical of her take.
One viewer couldn’t believe her confusion over the 24-hour clock: “You’re telling me America really doesn’t know what the 24-hour clock is?” Another added, “Calling the 24-hour clock ‘overcomplicated’ has absolutely sent me.”
And when it came to the outlets, someone explained the switch’s purpose: “It’s for safety—our electricity runs at 240V.
American electricity is only 120V.”
A few people were more confused by her toaster issue than anything else: “I’m sure toasters won’t even click down if they’re not plugged in,” one person said.
“We Buy Wardrobes” – Brits Defend Their Home Setup
On the closet front, some Brits chimed in to explain that built-in storage isn’t always the norm.
“Yup, we buy standalone wardrobes. Not sure why we don’t have built-in cupboards—maybe it’s a space thing?”
But not everyone was so understanding.
One comment read bluntly: “If it’s so bad, you can choose to leave.”
A Bit of Common Ground
Still, a few commenters saw where she was coming from.
One British viewer confessed, “I’m British and these things annoy me too.”
Whether you agree with her or not, @yorkshireyank’s video definitely got people talking.
And honestly? Cultural quirks like these are part of the fun (and frustration) of living abroad.