Every city comes with its share of assigned stereotypes, and London is no exception: The food is bad, it rains constantly and the people are all snooty with bad teeth, right?

Not quite.

Some London myths are based on a nugget of truth, while others are either no longer true or never were in the first place. Many are simply a case of misconception or misinformation.

Press "Start" to debunk 10 myths about Britain's capital city.

London Fog: It’s a brand of clothing, an alcoholic beverage and a typical phrase to describe the so-called “pea-soup-like” air. In truth, however, London has less rainfall than New York City, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. Sure, London weather can be a bit dreary at times but, as the UK’s tourism chief put it recently: “People do not come here to lie on a beach. That is not our offer. They come for culture and sightseeing, and they come all times of the year.”

This (pictured) is not London Bridge. It’s Tower Bridge, a sight often confused for the less-flashy box girder bridge known as London Bridge. The name itself -- glorified in a nursery rhyme and folk song about its demise -- refers to several iterations of the same crossing of the River Thames. The most recent and current is the bridge from the City of London to Southwark in Central London, which opened in 1973.

Brits have been obsessed with tea ever since Portuguese and Dutch traders introduced it in the mid-17th century. While you should definitely try a cream tea at one of London’s top hotels, the city’s residents are also hopped up on some bloody good coffee. You’ll find local chains Caffe Nero, Coffee Republic and Costa Coffee competing for sidewalk space with Starbucks and other international coffee shops, which all serve a mix of Italian and American-style drinks.

The London icon does not get its name from the clock but rather the “great bell,” the largest of five in the tower, weighing more than 13 tons. So what’s the real name for the tower itself? It simply goes by Clock Tower. Soon, however, it will be known as Elizabeth Tower, in recognition of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Ben the bell, it seems, will slide back into the anonymity from whence he came.

It’s not. Fish and chips, that most-British of fried delicacies, was actually introduced by Jewish-Portuguese immigrants. It became a stock meal of the working class in the second half of the 19th century when, in 1860, a Jewish immigrant named Joseph Malin began serving London’s first fish and chips from the bottom of his house in the East End. He combined the Portuguese fried fish with the Belgian chips (fries) to create the classic combination that’s now as English as a cup of tea (which, as you know, also has its roots elsewhere).

Brits have been fighting for some culinary respect for a long time. It’s been a slow battle and many remain unconvinced, but really, the food is not that bad. There are plenty of meat, fruit and vegetable markets, numerous vegetarian and vegan options and, like any metropolitan city, London offers every type of world cuisine, with Thai or Indian curry as plentiful in “traditional pubs” these days as bangers and mash. On the high-end, London sits proudly on Michelin’s list of the world’s most-starred cities in 2012.

Despite its reputation as a sprawling urban metropolis, a third of London is actually made up of parks and open spaces. The surprisingly green city has eight Royal parks: Regent’s Park (including Primrose Hill), Hyde Park, St James’s Park, Kensington Gardens and Green Park are all in the center city while Greenwich Park, Brompton Cemetery, Richmond Park and Bushy Park are farther afield. All parks are free and host millions of Londoners and tourists each year.

Blame Austin Powers for this one. Though the BBC said in a recent magazine piece that “British teeth might be described as having character,” it would be more appropriate to assume that Brits just aren’t as obsessed as, say, Americans are with perfect teeth. There is, however, no shortage of dentists, and it’s unlikely you’ll notice any difference in London where people are generally more concerned about their looks than in the hinterlands.

Is London Pricey? Certainly, but London is no Tokyo, and there are plenty of ways to save. The inexpensive city buses go everywhere, the London Underground Tube connects nearly every corner of the city, and flights in and out on Europe’s numerous budget carriers help save on travel. Furthermore, many museums are free on certain days, and strolls along the Thames are priceless.

When someone calls you “very British,” it’s not a good thing. It means you’re snooty. But this is really a misnomer perpetuated by stereotypes in popular culture (have you ever noticed that movie villains always have an English accent?). Sure, British people are British, and they may not run up to you with arms outstretched, but they’re not standoffish. What’s more likely is a few pats on the back and an exchange of jokes once you find yourself in the midst of Brits at their favorite spot: the pub.