What Are the British

WHAT ARE THE BRITISH LIKE?

Living in Britain has lots of positives, and also being born here gives you lots of opportunities. They have great history and culture, and the people of the british Isles are certainly diverse.

Living in Britain has given them a free education, free health care and perscriptions as well as a sense of freedom to live their life

Brits are hilarious 

It’s hard to say whether Britons are especially amusing, but enough foreigners have complimented them on their successful comedy franchises that they certainly think The British are – hence the number of silly jokes in this piece. It may seem stupid at first, but those visitors who start to understand their ironic sense of humour say it’s one of their favourite things about the UK. Honestly.

Britons, it is generally agreed, are reserved. In foreign parts this tends to translate as “snooty”. But in fact we’re just quite shy, almost apologetic for our presence. Thus, in a city, only beggars, lunatics and tourists speak to other members of the public; in London, you’ll be lucky to make eye contact. If you want to get a Brit to open up, wait until you know us a little. Or talk about the weather.

Socializing

You may sometimes get the impression that the British are an unfriendly lot, as your neighbours won’t always say hello and probably won’t drop by or invite you to their home for a cup of tea. As an outsider, it may be left to you to make the first move, although if you drop by uninvited, your neighbours may think that you’re being pushy and just trying to sneak a look at their home. Northerners are generally friendly and warm-hearted, particularly when compared with the detached and aloof southerners who won’t usually give you the time of day.

If you wish to start a conversation with your neighbor , a remark such as “nice weather” usually elicits a response . The weather is a hallowed topic and it’s the duty of every upstanding citizen to make daily weather predictions because of the awful hash made of it by the meteorologists. The UK has rather a lot of weather and there’s often rain, gales, fog, snow and a heat wave in the same day .

Dialects

It’s a common misconception among many foreigners that the British all speak English. There are numerous accents and dialects, half of which are so thick that you could be forgiven for thinking that people are conversing in an ancient secret language. A Briton’s accent and choice of words is usually a dead giveaway as to his upbringing. One-third of the British use such long words that most of us cannot even pronounce them and some 25 per cent are immigrants who speak only Chinese, French, , Arabic, Russian, Italian, Turkish, Spanish, or Polish and others.

The rest are tourists, who usually speak the best English of all, but unfortunately don’t remain in one place long enough to hold a conversation with anyone. Some foreigners actually pay real money to come to England to learn English, which is part of a grand plot to get them to teach us how to talk proper at their expense. If you’re a foreigner and speak good English, you can always practise with other foreigners who you will understand perfectly. The best compliment a foreigner can receive from a native is that his English is rather unusual, as he will then blend in with the rest of us and won’t be taken for an alien. If you speak perfect English you will be instantly exposed as a foreigner.

Many Briton are prejudiced against all foreigners and the English are also prejudiced against English from other regions, Irish, Scots, Welsh, Yanks, Europeans, most other foreigners and anyone who speaks with a different accent. However, don’t be concerned, as British xenophobia always refers to ‘the others’ and present company is usually excepted. The British, in common with most other races, don’t have a lot of time for foreigners, particularly rich tourists and foreigners who buy up all the best property, and who should all stay at home. Most Britons’ image of foreigners is gleaned from the stereotypes portrayed on television.

Sports

The British are sports mad, although most people confine their interest to watching or gambling rather than taking part. The British, or at least the English, are famous for their sense of fair play and playing by the rules – cheating is considered very bad form. National sports are considered to be golf, cricket, and tennis, polo, fishing and hunting foxes. Cricket for England is more than a game. The British play it every Sunday. If you really want to win their trust, try to learn the rules of cricket. Foreigners may, at first, have a bit of difficulty understanding what cricket is all about, but after a few decades, most get the hang of it. The first thing you must understand is that cricket is a game for gentlemen, embodying the great British traditions of fair play, honour and sportsmanship.

Money and Gambling

Most people prefer to try their luck at gambling and will bet on almost anything, including the national lottery, football pools, horse and greyhound racing, bingo, casinos, names of royal babies or ships, public appointments, election results. However, the attitude to gambling is changing. Nowadays, someone who wins a fortune on the lottery is unlikely to declare that it won’t change his life and that he’ll be keeping his job as a 50 a week farm labourer. If the British injected as much energy into work and business as they do into gambling, they might even be able to compete with the Germans and Japanese.

The secret of life

The secret of life in the UK is to maintain a sense of humour and carry a big umbrella. Most Brits have a lively sense of humour and a keen sense of the ridiculous, which helps make life in the UK bearable.

It’s often difficult for foreigners to understand British humour or to recognise when someone is being serious or joking, although the subject at hand usually offers a clue. Generally, the more earnest or solemn the topic, the more likely they are to be joking. Amazingly, some foreigners think that the British have no sense of humour, usually Americans who don’t understand their subtle way with words and cannot understand real English anyway. Many foreigners believe the British are at least a little eccentric and, at their worst, stark staring bonkers.

Entertainment

The British enjoy superb entertainment, leisure, sports and cultural facilities, which for their sheer variety are among the best in the world . The quality and huge choice of goods in the shops is excellent and explains why many people travel from far and wide simply to shop in Britain. British television has no equal, national and local radio is excellent, and the country has an unrivalled choice of quality newspapers, magazines and literature.

The British have more freedom from government interference than the people of most countries to do, say and act any way they like, something most of them take for granted. The UK is still a great enlightened power and a positive influence in the world and London remains the centre of the English-speaking world. Whatever else it may be, life in the UK is spiritually, mentally and intellectually stimulating and rarely dull. Although foreigners may occasionally complain about Britain and the British weather, most feel they’re privileged to live there and wouldn’t dream of leaving.

Last, but certainly not least, there are the British people, who, although they can be infuriating at times, will charm and delight you with their sense of humour and idiosyncrasies. When your patience with the UK and the British is stretched to breaking point, simply take yourself off to the nearest pub and order a pint of ale or a large gin and tonic: the UK looks an even nicer place through the bottom of a (rose-tinted) glass, and, with a bit of luck, you won’t even notice that it’s still raining.

Which stereotypes are true?

Based on my own experience of Britain, I am going to list the stereotypes I often hear, and give my own opinion.

1 - The British are reserved. A couple of the interviewees pointed this out. I think this is true. If you want to speak to them about something besides the weather, wait until you get to know them!

3 - The British will form a queue (US: wait in line) in almost any situation. I have found this to be true. Unlike the French who are just the opposite, they queue at bus stops, airports, in shops, and in bars and restaurants in a strict manner, timed to the second according to order of arrival.

5 - The Britsh are hilarious. They have an extremely sharp sense of humor (US) humour (UK). True!
6 - You can't get a good meal in London. And it's worse outside of London. False, thanks mostly to the huge quantity of ethnic restaurants of all sorts, you can find fantastic food in London. Also, a lot of pubs, including those outside of London, usually have one excellent meal on the menu.