UK Dating

Which is The Best UK Dating Website?

With the advancement of technology nowadays, it has become much more straightforward to find love from different parts of the world especially with the rise of online dating websites. Interracial dating has become a lot easier. There are many dating sites where you can easily connect to others beyond the barriers of distance and culture.

But wait… before jumping into the international dating scene, it is essential to know the dating customs of different countries. Even UK and US, which shares a common language surprisingly has many differences when it comes to having a romantic relationship—these roots to the differences in both their culture and history.

With its large population of 66 million in 2017, a large proportion of single Brits rely on dating sites like eHarmony and Match for meeting potential partners. Here are some of the things you need to take note of in the UK dating:

UK Dating Lingo
The U.S and the UK are commonly depicted as “two nations divided by a common language.” For other nationals looking to date someone from the UK, you might want to brush up on your lingo. Here are some terms that are useful to get familiar with:

• Fancy- This is not the expensive or artistic meaning of fancy. In UK dating this word is used to express your interest. “I fancy you” means I find you appealing. Usually, but not exclusively, this is in a physical sense.

• Fit or Buff- In the US, these words are used to describe someone with good physique, shape or with fine muscle tone. However, in the UK, they just generally mean that someone is hot.

• Snog- If you’re not from the UK, this word might be unfamiliar, but this means kissing in a romantic sense. “Snog” means to make out with someone. However, you cannot use this word to describe kissing your relatives or friends as a greeting

• Out on the pull- This phrase means you’re trying to pick up someone for a casual hook-up or one night stand.

• Pants in the UK are underwear whereas in the U.S. the word is synonymous with ‘trousers.’

Getting to know each other
In the UK, people tend to get to know each other first, more appropriately in a group setting before agreeing to date if both sides have a favorable impression about each other. That’s why when two people are seen together in more than one occasion, it is already assumed that they are dating.

There is no notion of bringing temporary dates in events like formal parties or weddings. In the US, singles scramble to find partners to bring to events though they are not really in a relationship. Contrarily, in the UK, singles go to events to find potential dates.

In the UK blind dates are quite rare. In some counties, it is very typical to go on a date with someone you know nothing about. Typically, someone arranged by your parents or friends who are very eager to get you hitched. Brits, however, prefer to go out with someone they already know or are familiar with—from school, work, or maybe from mutual friends.

Brits also prefer to meet sooner with someone they are interested in. In the US, it is common to have weeks of emailing and phone calls before having an in-person meeting. The UK dating scene, on the other hand, has much less of the texting game to not waste anyone’s time on deciphering each other’s meaning through texts and emojis. These are all generalizations of course.

Starting A Relationship
Here’s an important thing before starting a relationship. In the UK if a person asked you out and you agreed that means you’re dating—EXCLUSIVELY. Brits are pretty much more reserved when it comes to initiating a date, but that’s because they have a much more serious attitude about it.

Exclusivity is a usual thing in UK dating. In the US, it is common for daters to keep their options open and date several partners at the same time before two partners agree to become exclusive after a while. However, that’s less common in the UK. A relationship is often assumed as monogamous from the start.

If you want a date with a Brit, be sure to end your other side flings first. If you are not serious enough to do that, then it is better to stop pursuing the person. Else, it might evolve into an ugly misunderstanding. Brits generally like undivided attention when dating and going out with multiple people at once can only mean that the person is not taking your relationship seriously. Being an ‘option’ isn’t deemed a good status.

It is also not very common to get picked up in public. In the US sometimes, it is very normal to approach a stranger you meet at the restaurant or gym, have a small talk, and then exchange contacts to set up a date. Try that in the UK, and the recipient is likely to give a much more wary response than the UK.

Dating Do’s and Don’t’s
Though more serious, in general, dating in the UK is less structured and more informal than dating in the US. There are not many rules as Brits usually just muddle along the process haphazardly. In the US dating scene, there are a lot of protocols like: How soon is it appropriate to call someone after a date? How long it is appropriate before you kiss? How long do you need to wait before sleeping with someone? When do you meet the parents?

Usually, women who sleep with someone just after few dates are labeled as ‘easy’ women in the US, and if you sleep together in your first date, you might even be mistaken as a hooker. Brits, however, are not too much hung-up on such. Well, you can even sleep with someone on your first date if both parties consented.

Meanwhile, meeting with the parents to get approval is not an important thing. In the US, bringing the new girlfriend or boyfriend home for the parents to scrutinize is the norm. In UK dating, their mentality is much like—if they don’t approve, so what?’

In other countries, it is also an important custom to introduce your new lover to your circle of friends. Like going out for a meal with your girlfriend’s female friends or your boyfriend’s male friends. However, don’t expect that in the UK. It’s not because they don’t want to introduce you to their friends. They just tend to separate friendships and romantic relationships.

There are many things that you may find different in UK dating. Here are some do’s and don’ts you certainly have to know.

• Don’t expect to get a free meal
If you’re a woman, don’t expect to get a free meal on your date. And if you are male, don’t think that not paying for the girl’s meal is a hit to your male pride. That’s just how things are in the UK. It is common to split the tab and pay for your own meal. Men and women from the UK think it’s appropriate and politically correct for them to split the bill when going out on a date.

• Don’t expect a double date
Double dates are pretty much nonexistent in the British dating scene. They prefer one-on-one dates, and if ever they go out with other people, that’s just because they both happen to be invited out by a group of people.

• Never ask for the other party’s salary
In some countries, people prefer to be pragmatic. If your job and pay are not up to par, you might be dumped after your very first date. In the UK, money is not much of a question when dating, in fact, they find it rude and a major turn-off when someone asks for the other’s salary.


• Non-expensive dates are okay
When a date is mentioned, in other countries it automatically means movie nights on cinema and diner in restaurants—mostly something expensive and fancy. Brits, on the other hand, are okay with chill dates. According to The Telegraph, binge-watching some Netflix shows is the typical Saturday date night in the UK.

• Drinking some alcohol is the norm
According to BBC, a date without having some alcoholic drink in the UK is just not done. Although the drinking culture is also very much alive in the US, drinking on a date is not a requirement. In the UK on the other hand, drinking and getting hammered is very much standard.

Dating a British Man
What is it like to date a man from the UK? Well, that’s a good question to ask. From experiences of other people who have had a British boyfriend, we can get a general idea about dating British man.

British men love sports, and rather than coffee most British men are very fond of drinking tea. If you want some brownie points, you may want to bank some knowledge about soccer and golf.
They are also much more low-key in showing their affection.

However, that does not mean they love you less, that is just their nature. According to The Guardian, Brits are much stoic and “may not be able to put their affections into words… but frankly, they are more romantic. “ American men tend to be more, outspoken and touchy compared to their British counterparts. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the person’s preference.

“I found British men were a lot less affectionate or forthcoming with feelings unless they maybe had a drink or two,” Rachel Toledo, who lived in London for 13 years, said to INSIDER. She added that American men are much more “huggy” and “communicative.” But this does not mean that they are ridiculously serious. British men have a strong sense of humor and can be “very cheeky and charming when they want to be.”

Dating a British Woman
There is a joke that who you meet on your first date is not your real date but their representative. That is pretty much true for US women. Most American women eat like a kitten or say conservative answers on issues to make a positive impression during first meetings. On the other hand, British women usually eat, drink and do whatever they want on a date.

Politeness can give you plus points for British women. They won’t ask you to pay for their meals but being a gentleman and holding the door for the girl is very much appreciated. Courteousness is an essential part of their culture. People in the UK are the types to apologize quickly when they bump into someone.

British women are somehow classy. They tend to be quieter and like British men, are less showy when it comes to expressing their emotions. That’s how the concept of English rose came to be, which represents virtuous or modest types of women. They are also easily embarrassed and prefer to avoid confrontations. Instead, they choose to deal with situations quietly.

Compared to American women, British lasses also tend to be less pragmatic. They come across as less judgmental on a person’s economic situations and are more likely to be swayed by their emotions.