A British woman living in the U.S. revealed she was left baffled after asking her American tradesman a quintessentially English question, only for the gesture to spark confusion – and possibly even a hike in the bill.
Amber, 29, from Lincolnshire Wolds, emigrated to Florida with her husband Josh and their son Rory in 2024 to pursue the ‘American Dream,’ and has since documented the ups and downs of their new life on social media.
But in a recent TikTok video, shared to her account @_amberinamerica, Amber recounted how a visit from a local tradesman took a strange turn after she greeted him and, in typical British fashion, offered him a cup of tea.
In the clip, she explained she had tried to be polite in extending a traditional gesture of hospitality by asking: ‘Would you like a cuppa, mate?’
The mother joked: ‘It’s basically something you learn at school in the UK. If you go to someone’s house and they don’t offer you a cuppa – the work ain’t getting done for the quoted price.’
However, Amber revealed the tradesman looked at her as if she had ‘two heads,’ before he politely declined her offer.
She was later informed by her landlord that the work on her home was ‘not getting done for the quoted price,’ which left her wondering if her offer of tea had somehow offended him.
Turning to her followers for answers, Amber posed the question: ‘My American friends: do you offer tradesmen a drink – is that part of the culture here like it is in the UK? And if so, what do you offer?’
Florida-based Amber, 29, from Lincolnshire Wolds, recounted how a visit from a local tradesman took a strange turn after she greeted him and, in typical British fashion, offered him a cup of tea
The post drew hundreds of responses, with many viewers offering clarity on the ‘cultural confusion.’
One person wrote: ‘My husband is a tradesmen. He will accept sealed water bottles and possibly sodas. He’s not keen on excepting drinks out of strange cups and glasses. He says no thank you also.’
Another British expat chimed: ‘I’m living in Florida too. I always say fancy a cuppa? … then stall, then oh I mean tea… Or coffee… then I stumble my way to water or fizzy drink. Jeez it’s complex.’
Many explained that while hospitality is appreciated, in the U.S., it’s more common to offer a cold bottled water or a can of soda.
One person said: ‘Generally we would offer a cold drink. Water, maybe lemonade or soda. A cup of tea seems like an invitation to sit and chitchat for hours lol.’
Another wrote: ‘It’s not expected, but usually I offer a drink. Especially if they have been working a while and working outside. Usually a cold bottle of water, Gatorade, or pop lol I think he was just confused.’
A third added: ‘Tradesman here, a cold bottle of water or a can of Coke unless it is in the A. M. then it’s coffee. I don’t know anyone who drinks tea unless they have a sore throat.’
One viewer speculated that the phrase ‘cuppa’ might have even thrown the tradesman off, adding: ‘A cuppa he probably thought that was something more suggestive than it was. Hilarious!’
She was later informed by her landlord that the work on her home was ‘not getting done for the quoted price,’ which left her wondering if her offer of tea had somehow offended him
Meanwhile, an American woman has revealed the one everyday British word that’s so offensive in the United States, she claims she wouldn’t even dare say it aloud.
Amber Kacherian, a popular TikToker with nearly a million followers, has been visiting the UK and regularly posts about her culture shock experiences, from slang to baffling food labels.
But one of her most recent videos has sent shockwaves through both sides of the Atlantic after she revealed three seemingly innocent English words that take on wildly different, and in some cases, inappropriate, meanings in the US.
Amber starts the video with a warning: ‘British people – do not say these words in America unless you want people to look at you very strangely.’
