December talking meme - 3rd Dec
Dec. 3rd, 2014 08:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amberdreamsOh lord, this is a fun one. For 
yohkobennington - Talk to me about notions people have about the British that are true and not true.
Actually this phrasing hits the nail on the head, because most of the things that are true are also not true... and obviously, the notions I will discuss here are my notions about other people's notions, so may not tally with your own, so bear with me. I've just picked ten things at random, feel free to ask me about any notions you may have that I don't cover here!
1. Brits are polite and reserved.
Yup, true. Mostly. Though I have noted that we moving from the stiff hand shake to hugging and even (the horror!) pecks on the cheek, continental style, for greetings these days. As a personal example of reserve, this year was the first time I've been able to throw myself into the Love Meme and not feel uncomfortable about "begging for attention", and I blame this breaking down of my barriers on too much time spent with you expansive, less inhibited non Brits. Is now a good time to say what a lovely bunch you are? And THANK YOU for saying such jolly nice things on my thread over there. I will be very unBritish and say - I love you all!
2. Brits like to queue.
Actually no - we don't LIKE queuing, but we do think it is important and should be done. If you come over here and queue jump, be prepared for a lot of angry tutting and muttering from the people in the queue. Obviously being polite and reserved we are unlikely to go for direct confrontation over your bad behaviour.
3. Brits always talk about the weather.
True, true and true.
4. Brits have stiff upper lips.
This links to #1 - we are uncomfortable with public displays of emotion (except in certain cirumstances - Lady Di, anyone? - when virtually the whole nation embarrassed itself in a frenzy of unexplainable grief). There is a certain amount of scorn reserved for people who can't control themselves and put a lid on it. Which of course in turn leads to supression and sudden outbursts which are probably even more embarrasing than the original emotion would have been, had we allowed it out in the first place.
5. When something goes wrong, blame the French.
I'm afraid the Hundred Years War has a lot to answer for. Strangely, although recent wars (and therefore recent memory) have been with Germany and France was our ally, there does seem to be a deep seated rivalry with France that lingers. So when Brits are complaining about excessive regulation by the European Union, the subtext is - bloody Frogs.
6. Brits are obsessed with Class.
Mmm probably. Mainly because it still counts. When you look at the education system, the majority of the current Members of Parilament, the distribution of wealth - there is still a slice of society that has an unfair advantage over the rest. If you ask a Brit what class they are, they will always have an opinion. It's unlikely they won't know where they fit.
7. Brits are good at sarcasm and irony.
I'm not sure if this is a national characteristic, or rather that we have a few people who are bloody marvellous at it. Either way, there is a perception here that Americans can't 'do' irony. To which, one might reply, Brits are arrogant. LOL
8. We all drink tea. Lots of it.
Probably not as true as it used to be, coffee is very popular now too. I'm atypical either way as I don't drink tea. I only used to have a cup of tea when I visited my grandparents, because my Granddad used to make everyone a cup at 9pm every night.
9. Brits never say what they mean.
Sigh. This one is true. Or at least, there are some 'conventions' on our speech patterns that you (Johnny Foreigner) may misinterpret. For example, this is pretty accurate:
So now you are going back over all my comments to see what I really meant, right? Ha ha ha!
and finally
10. Brits like to moan but don't know how to complain.
Kind of true, and linked to #9 - what you will hear is someone having a good old whinge about something, then finish it off with "mustn't grumble." It wasn't utnil I worked in cutomer services for a few years that I understood the value of complaining. Now I'm an advocate - up to a point. I'm not a fan of the compensation culture that seems to be growing over here, though.
So that's quite enough from me, I don't want to hog the limelight or blow my own trumpet. That wouldn't be very British now, would it. So toddle pip!
Actually this phrasing hits the nail on the head, because most of the things that are true are also not true... and obviously, the notions I will discuss here are my notions about other people's notions, so may not tally with your own, so bear with me. I've just picked ten things at random, feel free to ask me about any notions you may have that I don't cover here!
1. Brits are polite and reserved.
Yup, true. Mostly. Though I have noted that we moving from the stiff hand shake to hugging and even (the horror!) pecks on the cheek, continental style, for greetings these days. As a personal example of reserve, this year was the first time I've been able to throw myself into the Love Meme and not feel uncomfortable about "begging for attention", and I blame this breaking down of my barriers on too much time spent with you expansive, less inhibited non Brits. Is now a good time to say what a lovely bunch you are? And THANK YOU for saying such jolly nice things on my thread over there. I will be very unBritish and say - I love you all!
2. Brits like to queue.
Actually no - we don't LIKE queuing, but we do think it is important and should be done. If you come over here and queue jump, be prepared for a lot of angry tutting and muttering from the people in the queue. Obviously being polite and reserved we are unlikely to go for direct confrontation over your bad behaviour.
3. Brits always talk about the weather.
True, true and true.
4. Brits have stiff upper lips.
This links to #1 - we are uncomfortable with public displays of emotion (except in certain cirumstances - Lady Di, anyone? - when virtually the whole nation embarrassed itself in a frenzy of unexplainable grief). There is a certain amount of scorn reserved for people who can't control themselves and put a lid on it. Which of course in turn leads to supression and sudden outbursts which are probably even more embarrasing than the original emotion would have been, had we allowed it out in the first place.
5. When something goes wrong, blame the French.
I'm afraid the Hundred Years War has a lot to answer for. Strangely, although recent wars (and therefore recent memory) have been with Germany and France was our ally, there does seem to be a deep seated rivalry with France that lingers. So when Brits are complaining about excessive regulation by the European Union, the subtext is - bloody Frogs.
6. Brits are obsessed with Class.
Mmm probably. Mainly because it still counts. When you look at the education system, the majority of the current Members of Parilament, the distribution of wealth - there is still a slice of society that has an unfair advantage over the rest. If you ask a Brit what class they are, they will always have an opinion. It's unlikely they won't know where they fit.
7. Brits are good at sarcasm and irony.
I'm not sure if this is a national characteristic, or rather that we have a few people who are bloody marvellous at it. Either way, there is a perception here that Americans can't 'do' irony. To which, one might reply, Brits are arrogant. LOL
8. We all drink tea. Lots of it.
Probably not as true as it used to be, coffee is very popular now too. I'm atypical either way as I don't drink tea. I only used to have a cup of tea when I visited my grandparents, because my Granddad used to make everyone a cup at 9pm every night.
9. Brits never say what they mean.
Sigh. This one is true. Or at least, there are some 'conventions' on our speech patterns that you (Johnny Foreigner) may misinterpret. For example, this is pretty accurate:
So now you are going back over all my comments to see what I really meant, right? Ha ha ha!
and finally
10. Brits like to moan but don't know how to complain.
Kind of true, and linked to #9 - what you will hear is someone having a good old whinge about something, then finish it off with "mustn't grumble." It wasn't utnil I worked in cutomer services for a few years that I understood the value of complaining. Now I'm an advocate - up to a point. I'm not a fan of the compensation culture that seems to be growing over here, though.
So that's quite enough from me, I don't want to hog the limelight or blow my own trumpet. That wouldn't be very British now, would it. So toddle pip!