Questions tagged [united-kingdom]

Questions that have a specific focus on people in the United Kingdom or British culture.

Some questions require answers that may be specific to a certain region and so this is when this tag (and also other location tags such as or ) should be used. When using this tag it is presumed that the culture/situation reflects that of the average British person.

This tag should be used along with other tags that describe the situation which you find yourself in (such as )

183 questions
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14 answers

How do I tell my new boyfriend that I make a lot of money?

I am usually very secretive about my income. No one really knows how much I make and I was taught to never talk about money to friends. I make about ten times what my boyfriend does. He's also a professional and makes good money himself. We've…
stacy
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114
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10 answers

How to convince my wife that my best friend and I are just friends?

I have a friend (a woman), who I met around 8 months ago. Since then, she has become my best friend and we are extremely close. Understandably, my wife is envious of the relationship and even sometimes suspects it is more than a platonic friendship…
Teri0
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8 answers

My best friend has become increasingly xenophobic towards Muslims. What do I do?

My best friend (let's call him Bob for potential answerers) whom I have been friends with since childhood (around 15 years) has become increasingly xenophobic recently. He's a great person and genuinely means no harm (also leans slightly to the left…
97
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12 answers

How do I negotiate more "Man" time for myself without offending my partner?

I am almost 50, my partner moved in with me a few years ago (I was a widower before then), we have no children. During this period, I've grown a little more frustrated that I don't get much time to myself to do the things that I want to do - I work…
user1722
96
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11 answers

How to respond to someone when they ask how much you earn?

When I'm at social gatherings/parties, people would inquire about my job and, because I'm an app developer, they think I earn substantially more than I do. (Oh, the joy!) They then follow up asking about my job with something along the lines of…
93
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14 answers

How to respond when a Doctor's Receptionist asks the reason for the appointment, after confirming appointment is made?

I have recently come across a situation that made me feel very uncomfortable, especially if it had been more of a personal issue. I contacted my doctor yesterday with pains in my hand/wrist as I didn't feel it was serious enough for a visit to the…
86
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9 answers

What is the etiquette for asking a dog owner before I pet their dog?

Dogs are what I see mostly out on my day to day activities and I see some tied up outside shops and I'll pet them, I'll also pet some in passing i.e. just stroking them as I walk past and sometimes as they're walking past me (if they come over…
Bradley Wilson
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12 answers

How can I ask if something's free, without looking stingy?

Some waiters offer something (e.g. distilled water; more amuse-bouches, hors d'œuvre or bread) without disclosing if it's free. How can I clarify tactfully? I always decline, as I don't know how to ask without being judged. But this flopped…
NNOX Apps
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80
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9 answers

How do I stop making people jump at home and at work?

I make a lot of people jump when I enter the room or try to get their attention. I am not sure what exactly I am doing wrong, but I would like to stop it so I am looking for suggestions. I have had a long running joke with my wife and other friends…
scc268
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78
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20 answers

Not having to explain my reasons for wanting to keep my last name

As a female in the UK, I'm expected to drop my last name and take my (male) partners' name when we get married - there's no law against me keeping my last name, though it's generally frowned upon. Ever since I asked my Mum from a young age "Why…
Violet Flare
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77
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14 answers

How can I tactfully interrupt a customer service representative over the phone?

I had to telephone my bank, as my security device stopped working. The staff member said: Before we continue with the nature of your call, are you interested in completing a survey I wasn't. So I interrupted him: Sorry. I waited 25 minutes on…
NNOX Apps
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74
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13 answers

How can I convince my partner to accept my best friend instead of wanting to break up?

Background My partner (27F) and I (26M) have been together for about a year. We live together. Throughout our relationship, my partner has been jealous of my friendship with my best friend (25F) of 4 years. This has been manifested by her sending me…
Anon Ymous
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14 answers

Can I give flowers to a feminist as a present for hosting a party?

My wife and I are going to a social event to the house of a (not so close but still) friend who is a self-declared and active feminist (e.g. she blogs about it). For such social events, we normally take flowers to the host in gratitude for the…
luchonacho
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68
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4 answers

Witnessed a woman being abused (groped) in a nightclub

Scenario Last Thursday I (21 year old male) was in my student union as there was a Drum and Bass Event happening. I went out with a fairly large group, about 8 lads including me and 2 girls. We were all having a great time. I was talking to…
ChrisC96
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68
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10 answers

How to stop a colleague from talking to me about work when I'm on my lunch break?

More often than not, I eat my lunch at my desk. There aren't any shops or cafés nearby, so this suits me just fine. I usually put my headphones in and browse the news or SE to take a break from work. Occasionally, colleagues will come over to…
Cthulhu
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