If you've got an upcoming move to London, then count yourself lucky. London is one of the great cities of the world. Here are a few things to know:

The amount of rain that falls here isn't as much as you think. In fact, most of the time it rains so lightly that you could get by with a rain hat. That said, it is worth having umbrellas at your home and office, and a compact umbrella to go.

ATMs (called cash points) aren't on every corner, so you have to make an effort to find one. But everyone takes credit cards, and many locals use theirs like cash.

The ground floor of a building is always called the ground floor, not the first floor. Up one floor in the lift is the first floor.

In the UK, the words oriented and disoriented become orientated and disorientated. You'll also hear the following statements as a yes to a question like, "Would you like a cup of tea?" "Oh, go on then." "If you must." "It would be rude not to."

Soccer is called football, and it is serious business here. You will need to pick a team, but not Arsenal, Chelsea or Man U since they have enough fans already.

This is a country where fashion trends come and go quickly, and everyone wears them. But for all its fashion awareness, it's a place where any look is acceptable. As long as you look nice, you won't be out of style, whether wearing your Norwegian ski sweater, your Pucci shorts or your grandfather's wool coat.

British cuisine has improved greatly in the past 15 years, and restaurants serving Modern British cuisine are plentiful and reliable. Indian food remains the country's favourite, and getting bad Indian food in the UK is almost impossible.

Tipping is not done at pubs. If you wish to tip the bartender, ask if he or she would like a drink by saying "And one for yourself?"

Many restaurants add a discretionary service charge of 12.5%. In some cases this goes to the restaurant to pay staff wages (which are higher than in the US), in others it goes to the staff on top of wages, and sometimes it's a combination of both. Most people assume the service charge is a gratuity, and don't leave extra. If you don't like this practice, had excellent service or have a particularly large bill, you can ask for the service charge to be removed and leave a true tip in cash. If no service is included, leave a tip of 12.5%-15%.

When at the pub in a group of two or more people, it is expected that each person will take a turn buying a round. This can be strange to foreigners, but it's better to go with the custom (which is set in stone) instead of trying to do something awkward like offering to pay for your own drink. Very large groups will often break into unofficial smaller groups to continue round buying (without ending up on the floor).

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