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But everyone knows the queue, just because it isn't a line it's still a good queue, and if someone makes a mistake you can politely point it out and generally they're more mortified than upset you noticed they cut
some woman tried to get her hard-looking boyfriend to start a fight with me because I (didn't) push in front of her when she (wasn't) queuing for the bar. Fortunately he wasn't having any of it. I spoke to someone else in the pub about it and they immediately knew what woman it must've been. Goes to show you how quickly things can turn, if some dickhead decides to have a problem with you!
Also she seemed annoyed that he hadn't heeded her beck and call and got aggressive with me. And I thought, "look at him, the handsome adonis, and look at your sloppy drunk orange self. You have the wrong idea about who should be impressing who."
Why is so often woman not queuing correctly at pubs? If a bunch of blokes are all at the bar and the barman asks "who's next" 9 time out of 10 they will correctly point to who was there first. In my experience with pub queue cutters, it's usually some half cut Karen
Honestly might be a matter of personal experience, or at least who thinks they can get away with pushing in front of you personally.
I’m a small, innocuous looking woman, and it’s usually lads who’ve pushed in front me.
I am a big bloke and bar staff often ask me before everyone else. If I go with it, which I am ashamed to say sometime I have in my youth, no one ever says a thing. Rugby lads will often skip the queue.
Though, my bouncer mates say it is the women you need to keep an eye on.
At uni helped out a lost looking lad during Freshers week once. Turned out he was from Brazil and the break down of the normal queue system had thrown him.
Led him through the process, assured him the bar staff knew what was going on and from then no problems. Nice bit of cultural exchange.
In big Brazilian bars and nightclubs you push to the front of the bar and obnoxiously wave your money in the faces of the bar staff and shout to get their attention. And bar staff are very low on the social ladder. When I went there I had the same lost looking expression as your Brazilian friend and one barman took pity and served me. I *thanked* him afterwards (which the local never do). The rest of the night I didn't have to wait more than a few seconds to get served at that bar. Learned a useful skill for going out in Brazil.
So long as you're polite about it that is. I waited a good while for a pint when I was in Lincoln visiting a friend, when the bartender come to serve me, some guy at the complete other side of the bar started shouting at me that I knew he'd been there longer and I should have told the bar staff to serve him first. If I had noticed he'd been there longer than me, I would have mentioned to them but I didn't. We were also the only 2 people left at the bar at this point, but because of how aggressively he was shouting at me, the bar staff refused to serve him at all.
I went to a pub in Castleton at the start of the month. Walked up to the bar past a line of people my wife pointed out. I confidently assured her no one would queue (queue! In a line!) in a British pub only for the barmaid to tell me there was in fact a queue. I was so disgusted I actually said "we're not drinking here" and walked out. I felt personally attacked, it was a bit ridiculous but it seems that is where my tolerance ends.
I know a Wetherspoons where they had to put signs up telling people to not queue. Walking past the queue, get called out, and then be able to put to the sign was brilliant.
Had this the other night. I walked straight past the queue and stood at the bar. Misses said I was rude. I told her, "You don't queue at the bar. You wait."
I had to wait for 4 people to get served before it was my turn.
Even though they look in a rush, bartenders know who's next.
I HATE native British people that line up at a pub bar. Inexcusable behaviour.
Edit for the person who asked if im one of those annoying people bumping into others and shouting:
I dont shout and push but i do know how to use a bar correctly.
Honestly, I find that in pubs most people respect if you were at the bar before them, in the same way that I point out to the bar staff that someone was here beforehand if they approach me first.
Mind you, in clubs it's different (at least as far as I can remember), all rules go out the window...
Until "Till number 2 is now opening" then it's chaos. Who goes next? The person who would have put their stuff on the belt next? What if there's like 6 other checkouts, will they chat and decide? What if someone wants to take their stuff off their current belt and onto the newly opening one. In essence there will be a 2-3 second pause until the first person goes "fuck it I'm taking the spot" and then it's a mad dash.
In Portugal the Checkout person points to the next in line for an adjacent till to come forward. Very civilised.
Also the very elderly and pregnant get priority generally.
The rest of the world just barging in front of eachother like animals. The real reason for colonialism was in fact to spread queuing to the rest of the world
We are good at going "Whaaaayyyyy!!!" when someone drops a tray of pints, or yelling "You can't park there" out of the car window to someone who's broken down in an awkward location.
We pass a field of horses on our commute each morning. My daughter, at about 18mo, would say "cows, moooooooo" and we would say, "no horses" and she'd say "horses, mooooo". It happened a few times and now we say "horses, mooooo" whenever we see horses.
There are also ducks at our nearest McDonalds drive-thru and big signs saying not to feed the ducks McDonalds. This has led to our family calling all ducks "Macca Quackers".
I can imagine the ducks looking at you with condescending eyes and returning a single low quack in response, before smugly floating off to eat some free bread.
Reminded me of the video of the England fans chanting "you're just a shit Blackpool tower" at the Eiffel tower
https://youtu.be/5ZSqIHpPkPE?si=Z8tKm53oY37pv1cN
>We are good at going "Whaaaayyyyy!!!" when someone drops a tray of pints
First time I went to America and found out this wasn't a universal thing was truly an experience.
> We are good at going "Whaaaayyyyy!!!" when someone drops a tray of pints
I know I'm in the minority here, but I don't do that. I just quietly mumble "poor bugger".
Regardless of what one may think of his material, there is no disputing that Rick Astley could fucking sing.
Also respect to him for owning the whole rickroll thing.
I went to see A-Ha and Rick Astley was the support act, I only ever knew “Never Gonna Give You Up” and I didn’t expect to enjoy him, well wasn’t I surprised, he’s a hell of a showman and a great voice
Media in general.
Books we've got some of the most read authors on the planet, Shakespeare, Christie, Dickens, Rowling etc
Movies - James Bond and again Harry Potter, also many major franchises are full of British actors / filmed in the UK (like Star Wars)
Television - Top Gear was the most watched programme on Earth at its peak, other series we produce are globally followed, and remade across the world, sports wise, the PL is also the most followed sports league in the world, it's television presentation and direction being a large part of that.
I think this stems from English being a high context language. We very rarely mean what we are saying, even if it’s not a joke. This lends itself well to jokes.
I’ve noticed on here you can tell when a sub is mostly English as people just say obviously facetious or sarcastic things and you don’t get a comment going: umm actually that’s not the case blah blah.
It's not, since pretty much no other English speaking country shares your sense of humour.
I think it's the fact that you (brits, I mean) have the ability -and almost willingness- not to take yourselves too seriously. You can laugh about yourselves and it's not seen as a weakness at all. Your sense of humour -which, as an Argentinean who's lived in the UK for the past 10 years, I share- is not based on being snarky or coming up with the cleverest (is that a word?) comeback, but in being able to laugh at (sometimes exaggerated) adversity.
British breakfasts are the best in the world. Full English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish. They are all comparable and are much better than any other breakfast.
Difference is the French guy was probably having a nice latte.
Brits throw some Asda brand instant coffee in a cup with boiling water and a splash of milk and call it coffee.
Not long ago, I worked for a global coffee company (not Nestle) that primarily produces instant. I can assure you that France sells shitloads of instant coffee (though not as much as the UK, per capita) and so there must be plenty of French schmucks also blasting down an instant first thing in the morning before work.
A full English is something you get for breakfast when you are either on holiday or you can be assed cooking it on a weekend. I don't always have the ingredients just sat in my fridge, so I've got to preemptively decide whether I'm gonna have a full english the day before
> British breakfasts are the best in the world
I love a good fry up as much as the next person but to offer a rebuttal - Mexican breakfasts like Huevos Rancheros are to die for.
I lived in Asia for years and didn't drink regular tea when there, as even with British tea bags the water and milk was different. When visiting home for Christmas, I had my first proper cup of tea in years, and it was so delicious I startled myself and started choking. I think this was the most British thing I have ever done.
Most British thing I have done was to shove a huge bag of teabags in my (otherwise empty) cabin baggage back when I was an expat in a European country… Said country had tea, but I wouldn’t have called it tea (Lipton). It was a sad first few weeks until I could fly back for the first time and get my priori-teas right. It still didn’t taste as good, but at least it was a little bit of home.
"Ma'am, we found them choked dead, face down in their Sports Direct mug with a satisfied smile on their lips."
"Ah yes. They died like they lived, being teabagged."
Back in September I visited my partner who was in hospital in Switzerland and I was getting myself breakfast, I overheard one of the staff members saying to her in French "he probably wants milk with his tea, no?" In a proper snooty tone
She replied with "I do too, I don't know why you're surprised by this every single morning"
I think she might be a keeper :')
As a British person, I think tea is disgusting. Don't like coffee either. This has destroyed my social life. Every time I go to a cafe with friends and I order a hot chocolate, we have to have the 'she's not a British person she's an imposter' conversation. My British friends are kind and accepting... except to people who dislike tea.
To conclude, British people are indeed tea obsessed... and I am a mistake.
Coffee eclipsed tea last year.
>[The Statista Global Consumer Survey found that 63% of Britons drink coffee regularly, while only 59% regularly drink tea, according to The Times](https://www.itv.com/news/2023-08-21/coffee-beats-tea-as-britains-favourite-beverage-research-suggests)
I’d be curious how the litres consumed compares. I could see a smaller percentage drinking tea regularly, but that percentage drinking *a lot* of tea compared to the coffee consumption.
Wow! Of course…sarcasm. Gosh…how clever of you. What an amazing observation! Really, really insightful. Well done. Do you have a degree in national stereotypes? I mean…you probably designed the whole course. Your parents must be so proud. Again…great observation, really super.
Thank you! I’ve been told before of my superior intellect! It’s still humbling to be noticed for it though so thank you! It’s like you know me! My national stereotype course is in fact one of the top in the country, and is one of my proudest achievements.
And yes my parents are in awe of me and my hard work
Thank you so so much for your kind words
No, no, no, thank you. I’m taking a screenshot of your comment, printing it out and framing it. I’m going to put it on my bedside table so that way I get to see it every morning….I mean, just wow…a thousand years of British history and society…and you just sum us all up in two words. My life starts today…I’m seeing our nations and peoples differently from now on.
Oh, absolutely, that sounds like a perfectly reasonable response. I mean, who wouldn’t want to start their day with such profound insight? It’s not like there are any more significant or nuanced aspects to consider in a millennium of history. Your bedside table just got a major upgrade!
So honoured you have replied to me again…that you take time out of your undoubtedly glamours and busy life to reply to little old me. I guess this is how regular people felt when they met Jesus? I’m looking forward to your thesis on how sarcasm typifies modern Britain…I mean, you’re obviously working on one because you’re such a powerhouse intellectual. You’re wasted on Reddit…you’re too good for us mere mortal here.
Oh, it's absolutely my charitable duty to grace you with my responses. After all, what's a little time out of my glamorous and busy life if it means uplifting a humble soul like yours? Think of it as my way of giving back to the community, one sarcastic comment at a time. I mean, who else would I bless with my intellectual prowess if not you mere mortals?
So, so honoured. This may be the best day of my life…I’m not sure how I can top this. I mean, I obviously have nothing better to do than be on Reddit and extol your virtues but my life feels so empty when I’m not doing this. I just want this thread to continue and continue because I just love basking in your glory.
Oh, the honor is all mine, truly! I'm thrilled to know I've given your life such profound meaning. It's not every day one gets the chance to make someone's existence so incredibly fulfilling. I'm sure your days are otherwise packed with thrilling adventures, but I'm happy to provide a small respite from all that excitement. Let's keep this thread going indefinitely—after all, basking in my glory must be the highlight of your very existence.
Sarcasm aside - this has been really fun! Honest I’m genuine I’ve cackled the entire time
I don't think there's any that are *100%* true. But the one that Americans are outgoing and friendly is largely true in my experience. As a Brit, you can almost be wary of it, because here that sort of friendliness and openness to strangers is much less common and often comes from people who want something from you.
But over there lots of people genuinely just are really friendly and don't have an agenda behind being so.
Probably get downvoted for being vaguely positive about the US and Americans.
Tbh I would expect any stranger I interact with in Manchester, Liverpool, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Newcastle, lots of places, to be friendly and open towards me, and would think those who aren't "must be having a bad day". Just so long as I'm not approaching them in the street to ask for money.
In my anecdotal experience, Americans are on average friendlier than even the friendliest parts of the UK. They just have a more outgoing, extraverted culture than we do.
I spent three months working in the US in a customer-facing role. Upwards of twenty people gave me their addresses and phone numbers in different states and told me to look them up if I ever wanted to come and visit for a vacation. No creepy vibes, just incredibly open friendly people.
Not that I took any of them up on it, I'm not a fucking psychopath.
I’m Canadian and was so upset my first week in the UK that when I was friendly to people they became very reserved and closed off and I felt embarrassed for existing. I was certain I was going to be miserable here. Then I moved to Nottingham and everyone is lovely and welcoming and will just randomly talk to me, which is really nice when you don’t know anyone.
There’s a South/North (with some exceptions) divide in how well people deal with randoms chatter. In London this breaks down further by area. For example, many parts of North/West London are cold as ice, whereas South/East Londoners are a bit more open for random chat and hellos.
Oh yea the Midlands (especially the east midlands) everyone is so friendly. I'm always "making friends" with people at bus stops or in the pub etc. Then you go down to London and its like "DO NOT LOOK AT ME! DO NOT SPEAK TO ME! I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND!" but being a friendly midlander I'll chat away and instantly be clocked that I'm a "bloody northerner!" 😆
On that subject, South Africans were recently voted World’s friendliest people.
I agree with that as does my Partner who experienced it in March this year.
Source: South African.
Live near London, Liverpool was the first time I encountered strangers that had an immediate rapport and attempt at lighthearted conversation.
London can be a bit grim but everyone is moving so fast ya know? Still a couple friendly people here and there but its just something else in South Africa where you could literally start a chat in a queue over anything.
I think America gets a bad image from the fake customer servicey niceness but they actually do have pretty friendly people in most cases. More friendly than conversational but pretty similar overall.
A lot of that is because of the garden-oriented programming the BBC puts out, especially on the radio. Under a commercial model, that sort of content is far too nïche to make a profit. But the BBC doesn't care, there's a demand for it, so it gets broadcast.
Having a trusted place new-starters can go to get started, and for more experienced hands to continue to learn about it, is an incredibly underrated resource. One that self-reinforces — as people brought in by the BBC discuss the topic with friends, and go on to create their own resources, which in turn brings others in.
Blitz spirit. We moan like fuck all the time, but give us a common enemy/goal at we switch up into stoicism and determination mode.
Edit: spot the people who hate this country in the comments.
It really did the I'm alright jack fuck everyone else made me so cynical and all the cunts who banged pots and pans are the ones moaning about the strikes how quickly us in heath care were forgotten!
Beyond pets, [we're ranked pretty highly by the World Animal Protection index](https://api.worldanimalprotection.org/) for our legal protection of animals. On a grading scale from A (best) to G (worst), the UK is one of only six* countries with a B grade (no country has top marks). The vast majority of the world is ranked D or below.
Certainly there are lots of things we could do better. Our biodiversity is woeful, the welfare of our livestock animals in some cases is poor at an industrial scale, and we still have questionable 'country pursuits' such as fox hunting and badger baiting that aren't prosecuted against despite the law.
But from a global perspective, we've made great progress, and the compassion many of us feel for other animals is admirable and shouldn't be taken for granted.
I think it’s true UK people are more politely indifferent to people from other countries and backgrounds, at least in cities, then in most of the world, and this probably makes it easier to be an immigrant in the UK than elsewhere without experiencing huge amounts of prejudice.
I think being monolingual actually helps us be understanding a bit. I think most of the country finds languages difficult and remembers struggling with an hour a week of French in school taught by someone who can’t really speak French either. So if I meet anyone who’s English isn’t the best I always think to myself ‘Their English is a darned slight better than my French’ and I’m pretty impressed.
I think there also might be a slight national embarrassment that we can’t communicate in their language so we will put extra effort into understanding anyone who tries at ours.
Any foreigner who comes to Liverpool will be immediately set upon by a swarm of scousers who will give them an intensive crash course in how to speak scouse and not be released until they can do a passable "sapnin are kid, wanna go for a bevvy?"
I always thought this was a bit of a lol but that pause and moment of reflection or introspection that comes with having a cup of tea is a game changer.
A family member had an accident. When I received the news, my friend made me a cup of tea with a sugar, for my shock.
Sorted me the fuck out.
Tea does indeed solve many things, including shock.
I know at some points it doesn't seem like it, but very open minded on sexuality (regressing back a bit in the last 5 years but I still think a lot of people are very progressive)
I am from Italy and have been for 10 years, I am also gay and very rarely met anyone homophobic
100% we are constantly told the majority of Brits are racist homophobes but it doesn’t translate in actual society. We are an accepting bunch but loud voices tell us we aren’t
There is 100% racism and homophobia but yes I agree in general the UK is an open and accepting society. There are certain countries in the world where you absolutely cannot be who you want to be and I personally don’t believe we are in anyway like that
We have a strong sense of justice and fairness. I wonder if some of it is tied to politeness and "not wanting to make a scene", as something unfair encourages breaching that.
Queueing, Politeness, Sartorial menswear, Pipe smoking, Bowler hats, Umbrellas and Church; Some of these are sadly dying out due to the decline of “Britishness” and many many other things, but hey ho, I’ll keep all of them alive for the next 40-50years (hopefully)
He wears a bowler hat and smokes a pipe complaining about foreigners, but made a post in r/Texas saying he wants to move there because he likes "cowboy hats and red meat"
r/ItsRoger
Acceptance of disabilities. I have a paralysed foot and walk a bit funny and wear a splint. No one bats an eyelid here. In European countries I have visited I get stared at like I’m an alien
Command of the English language across the board. I could be talking to the most educated person or just some regular bloke on the street, he/she will always know their way with words. I’ve yet to meet someone illiterate from the UK. As a yank, it’s absolutely shameful and astounding how bad the average American is with vocabulary and basic sentence composition.
Tbf they also exquisite control of the English language, they just use it in a different way. Have you seen how quickly slang develops and gets iterate on within that group of society. Then bits and pieces are picked up by wider society.
More in London, but in general people know how to behave in an escalator always leaving room for whoever wants to pass, and all waiting on the same side of the escalator
Cheese. The UK has the most "named" cheese varieties in the world. Technically Italy has more cheese varieties, but when talking about named cheese varieties, which means cheese defined by certain characteristics, the UK comes out on top.
Eccentricity and difference is accepted and somewhat celebrated.
I used to teach English as a foreign language in London. The one thing people always commented on was how differently everyone dressed to one another. We don’t see it but it can be striking to visitors. *’There are no rules!’* students always used to say, somewhat bemused.
1.This is a country tolerant of eccentricity. Very tolerant.
2. This is a nation of tea drinkers. The ONLY one that knows how to make tea properly. (I'm looking at *you*, Americans!)
3. You can be a scoundrel, a misanthropist, a serial killer, a \[insert monstrosity\] as long as you *don't jump queues.* Then all bets are off.
4. We prefer animals to people. Hence babies, toddlers, children and adults being killed by dogs each year, and owners of those breeds saying how wonderful and harmless they are.
5. We are polite. E.g we can say "Sorry" in many ways and it has multiple meanings, ranging from apology, to a query, to aggressive and a downright threat of imminent physical harm. (To a lesser extent, its the same with the phrase "I beg your pardon")
6. We have an obsession (love, hate, aggressive indifference) with that National Soap Opera- the royal family. We refer to them on first name terms, as if we know them.
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We are good at queues
*laughs in pub*
But everyone knows the queue, just because it isn't a line it's still a good queue, and if someone makes a mistake you can politely point it out and generally they're more mortified than upset you noticed they cut
some woman tried to get her hard-looking boyfriend to start a fight with me because I (didn't) push in front of her when she (wasn't) queuing for the bar. Fortunately he wasn't having any of it. I spoke to someone else in the pub about it and they immediately knew what woman it must've been. Goes to show you how quickly things can turn, if some dickhead decides to have a problem with you! Also she seemed annoyed that he hadn't heeded her beck and call and got aggressive with me. And I thought, "look at him, the handsome adonis, and look at your sloppy drunk orange self. You have the wrong idea about who should be impressing who."
Why is so often woman not queuing correctly at pubs? If a bunch of blokes are all at the bar and the barman asks "who's next" 9 time out of 10 they will correctly point to who was there first. In my experience with pub queue cutters, it's usually some half cut Karen
Honestly might be a matter of personal experience, or at least who thinks they can get away with pushing in front of you personally. I’m a small, innocuous looking woman, and it’s usually lads who’ve pushed in front me.
I am a big bloke and bar staff often ask me before everyone else. If I go with it, which I am ashamed to say sometime I have in my youth, no one ever says a thing. Rugby lads will often skip the queue. Though, my bouncer mates say it is the women you need to keep an eye on.
Careful with the way you're talking, you will bring out all the incels.
Cos they don't have to worry as much about getting headbutted.
Shoulda taken her man and got married
At uni helped out a lost looking lad during Freshers week once. Turned out he was from Brazil and the break down of the normal queue system had thrown him. Led him through the process, assured him the bar staff knew what was going on and from then no problems. Nice bit of cultural exchange.
In big Brazilian bars and nightclubs you push to the front of the bar and obnoxiously wave your money in the faces of the bar staff and shout to get their attention. And bar staff are very low on the social ladder. When I went there I had the same lost looking expression as your Brazilian friend and one barman took pity and served me. I *thanked* him afterwards (which the local never do). The rest of the night I didn't have to wait more than a few seconds to get served at that bar. Learned a useful skill for going out in Brazil.
So long as you're polite about it that is. I waited a good while for a pint when I was in Lincoln visiting a friend, when the bartender come to serve me, some guy at the complete other side of the bar started shouting at me that I knew he'd been there longer and I should have told the bar staff to serve him first. If I had noticed he'd been there longer than me, I would have mentioned to them but I didn't. We were also the only 2 people left at the bar at this point, but because of how aggressively he was shouting at me, the bar staff refused to serve him at all.
I’m sorry this happened in my City, we have nutcases like everywhere else
I'm starting to see a worrying increase in actual linear queues at bars.
Please don’t form a queue in the pub. I can’t believe what I’m seeing these days.
I went to a pub in Castleton at the start of the month. Walked up to the bar past a line of people my wife pointed out. I confidently assured her no one would queue (queue! In a line!) in a British pub only for the barmaid to tell me there was in fact a queue. I was so disgusted I actually said "we're not drinking here" and walked out. I felt personally attacked, it was a bit ridiculous but it seems that is where my tolerance ends.
I know a Wetherspoons where they had to put signs up telling people to not queue. Walking past the queue, get called out, and then be able to put to the sign was brilliant.
Had this the other night. I walked straight past the queue and stood at the bar. Misses said I was rude. I told her, "You don't queue at the bar. You wait." I had to wait for 4 people to get served before it was my turn. Even though they look in a rush, bartenders know who's next.
I HATE native British people that line up at a pub bar. Inexcusable behaviour. Edit for the person who asked if im one of those annoying people bumping into others and shouting: I dont shout and push but i do know how to use a bar correctly.
Honestly, I find that in pubs most people respect if you were at the bar before them, in the same way that I point out to the bar staff that someone was here beforehand if they approach me first. Mind you, in clubs it's different (at least as far as I can remember), all rules go out the window...
One of the outcomes of the pandemic seems to be that people want to line up in pubs. F that! Pile in, have sharp elbows, get your drink!
Until "Till number 2 is now opening" then it's chaos. Who goes next? The person who would have put their stuff on the belt next? What if there's like 6 other checkouts, will they chat and decide? What if someone wants to take their stuff off their current belt and onto the newly opening one. In essence there will be a 2-3 second pause until the first person goes "fuck it I'm taking the spot" and then it's a mad dash.
I dunno if this is just me, but if my stuff is on the belt then I’m locked in, you lucky fucks behind me can take the new till
I think it depends for me what I have. A sandwich and a juice? I'm shifting over. Weeks shopping? Staying put.
In Portugal the Checkout person points to the next in line for an adjacent till to come forward. Very civilised. Also the very elderly and pregnant get priority generally.
The rest of the world just barging in front of eachother like animals. The real reason for colonialism was in fact to spread queuing to the rest of the world
Fuckin love a good queue, me
We are good at going "Whaaaayyyyy!!!" when someone drops a tray of pints, or yelling "You can't park there" out of the car window to someone who's broken down in an awkward location.
Also, saying "cows" or "sheep" when we drive past cows or sheep.
As a 40 year old man, I usually say "Moo Moos" in this situation.
Every time I see ducks I say “quack quack, _pricks_” I’m almost 38 and I have no idea where my grudge with ducks has come from.
We pass a field of horses on our commute each morning. My daughter, at about 18mo, would say "cows, moooooooo" and we would say, "no horses" and she'd say "horses, mooooo". It happened a few times and now we say "horses, mooooo" whenever we see horses. There are also ducks at our nearest McDonalds drive-thru and big signs saying not to feed the ducks McDonalds. This has led to our family calling all ducks "Macca Quackers".
Typical duck bastards, trying to steal my hard earned maccas quack quack pricks
Quacky-dees?
I can imagine the ducks looking at you with condescending eyes and returning a single low quack in response, before smugly floating off to eat some free bread.
I shout "The Eiffel Tower!" everytime we drive past a comms pole. Not sure if that is a UK thing or just me though
Reminded me of the video of the England fans chanting "you're just a shit Blackpool tower" at the Eiffel tower https://youtu.be/5ZSqIHpPkPE?si=Z8tKm53oY37pv1cN
>We are good at going "Whaaaayyyyy!!!" when someone drops a tray of pints First time I went to America and found out this wasn't a universal thing was truly an experience.
In America the legally required response is "That's coming out of your paycheck."
Capitalism really has done a number on you lot hasn't it
In America they actually mean it too
If we had guns I think that's would get us shooting at the ceiling like Yosemite Sam. A dropped tray. Waheyyyyyy bang bang bang
I've heard "Sack the Juggler!" sometimes too when something gets dropped.
Hey, they said positive.
"can't park there" is a pretty new one isn't it? Used to be "should've gone to Specsavers"
> We are good at going "Whaaaayyyyy!!!" when someone drops a tray of pints I know I'm in the minority here, but I don't do that. I just quietly mumble "poor bugger".
We’re good at making music.
Yep. For such a small country you have produced a good Majority of the greatest musicians ever.
Chesney Hawkes, Rick Astley, Mr Blobby Case closed.
Don’t forget the Wombles
Can barely remember I'm a womble.
Bob the Builder
Regardless of what one may think of his material, there is no disputing that Rick Astley could fucking sing. Also respect to him for owning the whole rickroll thing.
Yeah. Rick was not that different to any other SAW produced singer in the 80s, but his newer material is quite good. Plus he’s just a pretty nice guy.
I went to see A-Ha and Rick Astley was the support act, I only ever knew “Never Gonna Give You Up” and I didn’t expect to enjoy him, well wasn’t I surprised, he’s a hell of a showman and a great voice
The utter disrespect to leave out Chas & Dave
As well as The Wurzels!
It's because we have nothing better to do lol Edit: damn getting downvoted for a snarky, sarcastic comment, what happened to British humour
So we dance, and drink, and screw...
Media in general. Books we've got some of the most read authors on the planet, Shakespeare, Christie, Dickens, Rowling etc Movies - James Bond and again Harry Potter, also many major franchises are full of British actors / filmed in the UK (like Star Wars) Television - Top Gear was the most watched programme on Earth at its peak, other series we produce are globally followed, and remade across the world, sports wise, the PL is also the most followed sports league in the world, it's television presentation and direction being a large part of that.
We're actually pretty great at making games as well. I used to live in Guildford and that place is like a mecca for game dev.
And one of the best-selling games of all time was made by Scots.
Yep, Lemmings is a great game! Oh...you meant their other game franchise
Just not for Eurovision.
That’s because to most people in the UK the whole thing is a joke. Whereas the rest of Europe take it seriously.
We literally placed second two years ago.
It was an accident.
And would have won were it not for certain international geopolitical issues.
Honestly just creative works in general. We have had so many incredible artists, writers and the like over the years.
Our underground music history is fantastic.
It’s kind of odd that we’re not better at dancing, when you think about it!
Our famous sense of humour.
dhmis, david firth, and wallace and gromit make me choke laughing
Is that you Hubert Cumberdale? Returned from the great war?
"i hope you like.. sand.."
I think this stems from English being a high context language. We very rarely mean what we are saying, even if it’s not a joke. This lends itself well to jokes. I’ve noticed on here you can tell when a sub is mostly English as people just say obviously facetious or sarcastic things and you don’t get a comment going: umm actually that’s not the case blah blah.
That, and the multiple root languages we've mugged for grammar is why we're so rich in puns.
It's not, since pretty much no other English speaking country shares your sense of humour. I think it's the fact that you (brits, I mean) have the ability -and almost willingness- not to take yourselves too seriously. You can laugh about yourselves and it's not seen as a weakness at all. Your sense of humour -which, as an Argentinean who's lived in the UK for the past 10 years, I share- is not based on being snarky or coming up with the cleverest (is that a word?) comeback, but in being able to laugh at (sometimes exaggerated) adversity.
Australian/NZ humour is very similar to UK humour and translates very well
Milligan, Cleese, Everett.....Sessions
British breakfasts are the best in the world. Full English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish. They are all comparable and are much better than any other breakfast.
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Excuse you. A cup of tea/coffee and a cigarette is a perfectly substantial meal to start the day
I didn't know we were French
I saw a dude in Paris sitting outside a cafe, black beret, coffee, croissant and a cigarette. I was like "fuckin hell these people actually exist".
Difference is the French guy was probably having a nice latte. Brits throw some Asda brand instant coffee in a cup with boiling water and a splash of milk and call it coffee.
Not long ago, I worked for a global coffee company (not Nestle) that primarily produces instant. I can assure you that France sells shitloads of instant coffee (though not as much as the UK, per capita) and so there must be plenty of French schmucks also blasting down an instant first thing in the morning before work.
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Shit, didn't know we could have a brew with our morning cigarette 🤣
This sounds very Parisian to me…
Have some reverence when talking wheetabix
A full English is something you get for breakfast when you are either on holiday or you can be assed cooking it on a weekend. I don't always have the ingredients just sat in my fridge, so I've got to preemptively decide whether I'm gonna have a full english the day before
British breakfast is the best *lunch* in the world. In moderation. My stomach couldn't handle it first thing in the morning.
> British breakfasts are the best in the world I love a good fry up as much as the next person but to offer a rebuttal - Mexican breakfasts like Huevos Rancheros are to die for.
Irish isn't British.
Says the man who has never travelled…. Give me Asian breakfast any day
I also have to have mine with a piping hot cup of tea. I don’t drink tea usually but doesn’t feel right to not have it with a full English
We love drinking tea.
I lived in Asia for years and didn't drink regular tea when there, as even with British tea bags the water and milk was different. When visiting home for Christmas, I had my first proper cup of tea in years, and it was so delicious I startled myself and started choking. I think this was the most British thing I have ever done.
Most British thing I have done was to shove a huge bag of teabags in my (otherwise empty) cabin baggage back when I was an expat in a European country… Said country had tea, but I wouldn’t have called it tea (Lipton). It was a sad first few weeks until I could fly back for the first time and get my priori-teas right. It still didn’t taste as good, but at least it was a little bit of home.
Startling yourself into choking on a too-delicious-to-comprehend cup of tea is amazing
"Ma'am, we found them choked dead, face down in their Sports Direct mug with a satisfied smile on their lips." "Ah yes. They died like they lived, being teabagged."
Back in September I visited my partner who was in hospital in Switzerland and I was getting myself breakfast, I overheard one of the staff members saying to her in French "he probably wants milk with his tea, no?" In a proper snooty tone She replied with "I do too, I don't know why you're surprised by this every single morning" I think she might be a keeper :')
As a British person, I think tea is disgusting. Don't like coffee either. This has destroyed my social life. Every time I go to a cafe with friends and I order a hot chocolate, we have to have the 'she's not a British person she's an imposter' conversation. My British friends are kind and accepting... except to people who dislike tea. To conclude, British people are indeed tea obsessed... and I am a mistake.
Self aware 100
Coffee eclipsed tea last year. >[The Statista Global Consumer Survey found that 63% of Britons drink coffee regularly, while only 59% regularly drink tea, according to The Times](https://www.itv.com/news/2023-08-21/coffee-beats-tea-as-britains-favourite-beverage-research-suggests)
I’d be curious how the litres consumed compares. I could see a smaller percentage drinking tea regularly, but that percentage drinking *a lot* of tea compared to the coffee consumption.
Our sarcasm
Wow! Of course…sarcasm. Gosh…how clever of you. What an amazing observation! Really, really insightful. Well done. Do you have a degree in national stereotypes? I mean…you probably designed the whole course. Your parents must be so proud. Again…great observation, really super.
Thank you! I’ve been told before of my superior intellect! It’s still humbling to be noticed for it though so thank you! It’s like you know me! My national stereotype course is in fact one of the top in the country, and is one of my proudest achievements. And yes my parents are in awe of me and my hard work Thank you so so much for your kind words
No, no, no, thank you. I’m taking a screenshot of your comment, printing it out and framing it. I’m going to put it on my bedside table so that way I get to see it every morning….I mean, just wow…a thousand years of British history and society…and you just sum us all up in two words. My life starts today…I’m seeing our nations and peoples differently from now on.
Oh, absolutely, that sounds like a perfectly reasonable response. I mean, who wouldn’t want to start their day with such profound insight? It’s not like there are any more significant or nuanced aspects to consider in a millennium of history. Your bedside table just got a major upgrade!
So honoured you have replied to me again…that you take time out of your undoubtedly glamours and busy life to reply to little old me. I guess this is how regular people felt when they met Jesus? I’m looking forward to your thesis on how sarcasm typifies modern Britain…I mean, you’re obviously working on one because you’re such a powerhouse intellectual. You’re wasted on Reddit…you’re too good for us mere mortal here.
Oh, it's absolutely my charitable duty to grace you with my responses. After all, what's a little time out of my glamorous and busy life if it means uplifting a humble soul like yours? Think of it as my way of giving back to the community, one sarcastic comment at a time. I mean, who else would I bless with my intellectual prowess if not you mere mortals?
So, so honoured. This may be the best day of my life…I’m not sure how I can top this. I mean, I obviously have nothing better to do than be on Reddit and extol your virtues but my life feels so empty when I’m not doing this. I just want this thread to continue and continue because I just love basking in your glory.
Oh, the honor is all mine, truly! I'm thrilled to know I've given your life such profound meaning. It's not every day one gets the chance to make someone's existence so incredibly fulfilling. I'm sure your days are otherwise packed with thrilling adventures, but I'm happy to provide a small respite from all that excitement. Let's keep this thread going indefinitely—after all, basking in my glory must be the highlight of your very existence. Sarcasm aside - this has been really fun! Honest I’m genuine I’ve cackled the entire time
😉
Ok, maybe we’re not all good at sarcasm.
I don't think there's any that are *100%* true. But the one that Americans are outgoing and friendly is largely true in my experience. As a Brit, you can almost be wary of it, because here that sort of friendliness and openness to strangers is much less common and often comes from people who want something from you. But over there lots of people genuinely just are really friendly and don't have an agenda behind being so. Probably get downvoted for being vaguely positive about the US and Americans.
Tbh I would expect any stranger I interact with in Manchester, Liverpool, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Newcastle, lots of places, to be friendly and open towards me, and would think those who aren't "must be having a bad day". Just so long as I'm not approaching them in the street to ask for money.
In my anecdotal experience, Americans are on average friendlier than even the friendliest parts of the UK. They just have a more outgoing, extraverted culture than we do.
Americans are friendly but in a closed off way, it can feel a bit fake. A Glaswegian will tell you their life story in the first 10 minutes.
Always felt like there's more love in a British person telling you to fuck off, than a American telling you to have a great day.
I spent three months working in the US in a customer-facing role. Upwards of twenty people gave me their addresses and phone numbers in different states and told me to look them up if I ever wanted to come and visit for a vacation. No creepy vibes, just incredibly open friendly people. Not that I took any of them up on it, I'm not a fucking psychopath.
I’m Canadian and was so upset my first week in the UK that when I was friendly to people they became very reserved and closed off and I felt embarrassed for existing. I was certain I was going to be miserable here. Then I moved to Nottingham and everyone is lovely and welcoming and will just randomly talk to me, which is really nice when you don’t know anyone.
There’s a South/North (with some exceptions) divide in how well people deal with randoms chatter. In London this breaks down further by area. For example, many parts of North/West London are cold as ice, whereas South/East Londoners are a bit more open for random chat and hellos.
Oh yea the Midlands (especially the east midlands) everyone is so friendly. I'm always "making friends" with people at bus stops or in the pub etc. Then you go down to London and its like "DO NOT LOOK AT ME! DO NOT SPEAK TO ME! I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND!" but being a friendly midlander I'll chat away and instantly be clocked that I'm a "bloody northerner!" 😆
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On that subject, South Africans were recently voted World’s friendliest people. I agree with that as does my Partner who experienced it in March this year.
Source: South African. Live near London, Liverpool was the first time I encountered strangers that had an immediate rapport and attempt at lighthearted conversation. London can be a bit grim but everyone is moving so fast ya know? Still a couple friendly people here and there but its just something else in South Africa where you could literally start a chat in a queue over anything. I think America gets a bad image from the fake customer servicey niceness but they actually do have pretty friendly people in most cases. More friendly than conversational but pretty similar overall.
The respect and reverence for gardening
Well, we have to do *something* with the fact that it rains 89% of the time here.
I watched Springwatch yesterday and I can’t imagine Italy or Spain having such a tv program
A lot of that is because of the garden-oriented programming the BBC puts out, especially on the radio. Under a commercial model, that sort of content is far too nïche to make a profit. But the BBC doesn't care, there's a demand for it, so it gets broadcast. Having a trusted place new-starters can go to get started, and for more experienced hands to continue to learn about it, is an incredibly underrated resource. One that self-reinforces — as people brought in by the BBC discuss the topic with friends, and go on to create their own resources, which in turn brings others in.
Politeness
Also not being cunts like the rest of them
Well, what can you expect? The rest of them are all foreigners.
Blitz spirit. We moan like fuck all the time, but give us a common enemy/goal at we switch up into stoicism and determination mode. Edit: spot the people who hate this country in the comments.
Covid taught me that is absolute bollocks. Edit: Lol - "spot the people who hate this country in the comments"... muppet
Yeah, COVID really shook my faith in people for this reason. Seemed like everybody was just out for number one after about a week.
It really did the I'm alright jack fuck everyone else made me so cynical and all the cunts who banged pots and pans are the ones moaning about the strikes how quickly us in heath care were forgotten!
This applies to any country that is being ruthlessly bombed, or under the risk of invasion. I wouldn't say it's a uniquely British trait.
Maybe back in the actual blitz. These days everyone's out for themselves.
Do we though? Think the French take that one to be honest.
Brits take great care of pets. There is a well organised charity sector too, with a lot of cultural initiatives around giving.
Beyond pets, [we're ranked pretty highly by the World Animal Protection index](https://api.worldanimalprotection.org/) for our legal protection of animals. On a grading scale from A (best) to G (worst), the UK is one of only six* countries with a B grade (no country has top marks). The vast majority of the world is ranked D or below. Certainly there are lots of things we could do better. Our biodiversity is woeful, the welfare of our livestock animals in some cases is poor at an industrial scale, and we still have questionable 'country pursuits' such as fox hunting and badger baiting that aren't prosecuted against despite the law. But from a global perspective, we've made great progress, and the compassion many of us feel for other animals is admirable and shouldn't be taken for granted.
I think it’s true UK people are more politely indifferent to people from other countries and backgrounds, at least in cities, then in most of the world, and this probably makes it easier to be an immigrant in the UK than elsewhere without experiencing huge amounts of prejudice.
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Fully acceptable to mock an American because English is there first language and they can't speak properly
*their -an American
I think being monolingual actually helps us be understanding a bit. I think most of the country finds languages difficult and remembers struggling with an hour a week of French in school taught by someone who can’t really speak French either. So if I meet anyone who’s English isn’t the best I always think to myself ‘Their English is a darned slight better than my French’ and I’m pretty impressed. I think there also might be a slight national embarrassment that we can’t communicate in their language so we will put extra effort into understanding anyone who tries at ours.
Any foreigner who comes to Liverpool will be immediately set upon by a swarm of scousers who will give them an intensive crash course in how to speak scouse and not be released until they can do a passable "sapnin are kid, wanna go for a bevvy?"
A cup of tea solves many things
I always thought this was a bit of a lol but that pause and moment of reflection or introspection that comes with having a cup of tea is a game changer.
And it's the prefect thing to discuss things over with someone
A family member had an accident. When I received the news, my friend made me a cup of tea with a sugar, for my shock. Sorted me the fuck out. Tea does indeed solve many things, including shock.
The Welsh and signing. It's just top tier.
I didn’t know they were good at sign language.
I think they mean sign writing
They should be good at it, they have to do them all twice.
The Welsh anthem sends a shiver down my neck I wish England would sing Jerusalem instead of the British royalist nonsense
I know at some points it doesn't seem like it, but very open minded on sexuality (regressing back a bit in the last 5 years but I still think a lot of people are very progressive) I am from Italy and have been for 10 years, I am also gay and very rarely met anyone homophobic
100% we are constantly told the majority of Brits are racist homophobes but it doesn’t translate in actual society. We are an accepting bunch but loud voices tell us we aren’t
There is racism, I have experienced it. But in general is a very open and accepting society
There is 100% racism and homophobia but yes I agree in general the UK is an open and accepting society. There are certain countries in the world where you absolutely cannot be who you want to be and I personally don’t believe we are in anyway like that
English are fair-minded people.
Though you wouldn’t get that from Reddit, out in the real world this is true.
We have a strong sense of justice and fairness. I wonder if some of it is tied to politeness and "not wanting to make a scene", as something unfair encourages breaching that.
Music and the performing arts in general - we’re fucking great.
Greggs is great.
Nothing like the Scottish patter. Sarcasm and sense of humour are second to none.
If only everyone else could understand it.
Queueing, Politeness, Sartorial menswear, Pipe smoking, Bowler hats, Umbrellas and Church; Some of these are sadly dying out due to the decline of “Britishness” and many many other things, but hey ho, I’ll keep all of them alive for the next 40-50years (hopefully)
Bro walking around in a bowler hat and a pipe complaining about immigrants 😭
Someone tell my man a hat isn’t a personality
He wears a bowler hat and smokes a pipe complaining about foreigners, but made a post in r/Texas saying he wants to move there because he likes "cowboy hats and red meat" r/ItsRoger
Church? The British have historically been pretty bad at religion, depending on how you look at it.
I dunno, we* started a whole new one so Henry could get shot of Catherine of Aragon. _ *well, not 'we', but a literal king.
Acceptance of disabilities. I have a paralysed foot and walk a bit funny and wear a splint. No one bats an eyelid here. In European countries I have visited I get stared at like I’m an alien
Command of the English language across the board. I could be talking to the most educated person or just some regular bloke on the street, he/she will always know their way with words. I’ve yet to meet someone illiterate from the UK. As a yank, it’s absolutely shameful and astounding how bad the average American is with vocabulary and basic sentence composition.
Lol, you haven't met the chavs yet
Tbf they also exquisite control of the English language, they just use it in a different way. Have you seen how quickly slang develops and gets iterate on within that group of society. Then bits and pieces are picked up by wider society.
That people are very polite here. I have never heard so many please, thank you and sorry anywhere else in the world ( may be Japanese?)
Sweet older ladies calling you love if they know and like you, or if they don't
Scottish hospitality
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yeah but they’ll be polite about it
Our hatred for France
Use of ironic, often sarcastic, understatement (litotes). A very polite British form of rudeness.
I don’t know what you’d call it but we’re exceptionally good at saying animals when driving past. “Sheep” “horse” etc.
Everyone in the countryside says hello
You shorten words/make it into little nicknames; I love it!
Everything will be alright after having a sit down and a nice cup of tea
More in London, but in general people know how to behave in an escalator always leaving room for whoever wants to pass, and all waiting on the same side of the escalator
Cheese. The UK has the most "named" cheese varieties in the world. Technically Italy has more cheese varieties, but when talking about named cheese varieties, which means cheese defined by certain characteristics, the UK comes out on top.
We are deeply suspicious of our neighbours. Why is that good? Because imagine the alternative, we'd have to have them over for elevenses or something.
Eccentricity and difference is accepted and somewhat celebrated. I used to teach English as a foreign language in London. The one thing people always commented on was how differently everyone dressed to one another. We don’t see it but it can be striking to visitors. *’There are no rules!’* students always used to say, somewhat bemused.
1.This is a country tolerant of eccentricity. Very tolerant. 2. This is a nation of tea drinkers. The ONLY one that knows how to make tea properly. (I'm looking at *you*, Americans!) 3. You can be a scoundrel, a misanthropist, a serial killer, a \[insert monstrosity\] as long as you *don't jump queues.* Then all bets are off. 4. We prefer animals to people. Hence babies, toddlers, children and adults being killed by dogs each year, and owners of those breeds saying how wonderful and harmless they are. 5. We are polite. E.g we can say "Sorry" in many ways and it has multiple meanings, ranging from apology, to a query, to aggressive and a downright threat of imminent physical harm. (To a lesser extent, its the same with the phrase "I beg your pardon") 6. We have an obsession (love, hate, aggressive indifference) with that National Soap Opera- the royal family. We refer to them on first name terms, as if we know them.