People are only just discovering what ‘off licence’ actually means

Off licences - they're on pretty much every British high street and jam-packed with every essential you'd ever need from loo roll to a six pack so it's no wonder that the humble offy - or corner shop if you're fancy - has truly cemented itself when it comes to daily UK life.

However, as useful as these businesses are, it's quite shocking that people are

only just discovering what the term 'off licence' actually means.

One American woman, who has been living across the pond for a whole decade, took to TikTok to share her confusion over the phrase.

Off licences are an essential part of everyday British life. (d3sign / Getty Images)

"American in the UK: Things I DON'T understand here," the overlay text reads.

Now, she shared a whole bunch of things but the part of the video Brits were most concerned about was her very first admission: "Coming in strong with off licence.

"What does it mean to be 'off licence'? Who's on license?"

She continued: "It's just not a term in the States. What does it mean to be off licence? What does it mean to be on? I don't know."

Clearly she wasn't the only one wondering as one viewer commented: "I've never questioned 'off-licence' before, you've blown my mind and now I NEED to know!"

Coming in clutch, the lovely people of TikTok finally explained the seemingly confusing concept.

Did you know this? (GoodLifeStudio / Getty Images)

"Off license = a shop that is LICENSED to sell alcohol for consumption OFF premises," one mapped out.

A second confirmed: "On licence = drink on premises (pub). Off licence = can't drink on premises (shop)."

A third joked: "'Who’s on licence?' - half the UK probably."

Thanking the people for their pearls of wisdom one TikTok user praised: "I was today years old when I learned this. everyday is a learning day! Thank you sir."

"Learned more from you today than I ever did in school," confessed a second while a third exclaimed: "Mind blown."

"I always thought it was a shop that just didn’t need to ID," revealed another.

And a final TikTok user echoed: "Never knew that!!

Yep, that's right.

An off licence literally means 'a licence permitting the sale of alcoholic drink by a shop for consumption elsewhere'.

And here's a bit of trivia for you next time you catch yourself at a pub (or on licence) - the first ever official off licence came about in the 1860s when the Refreshment Houses Act was passed through parliament.

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