England Stereotypes: What Makes the English, so Darn ENGLISH!!!

When somebody bursts into tears and starts to relate all the terrible things that have happened to them that day the standard British reaction is "I'll put the kettle on!"

How could you possibly forget the weather talk?! Weather is the basis of every small-talk conversation you'll ever have in the UK and, the funny thing is, it's meaningful and a source of endless fascination because weather here changes all the time (the British Isles being islands and all).

I will NEVER buy The S*n newspaper. You can't buy it anywhere in Liverpool and rightly so.

Soap operas in the US are daytime TV, whereas in England they are prime time drama and occasionally major cultural moments.

The stereotype of bad English food goes back to WW2. Rationing and limited supplies meant that the quality of food also suffered up to 1954 when rationing ended. A lot of US people took the tales of unpleasant English food home with them after the war and the stereotype was born. It also took decades for the food industry to recover and really turn things around as choice and quality improved along with a generally better standard of living and changing tastes. Now it's as good as anywhere in the world.

It is considered polite to thank people, like the bus driver, when they do something that makes your day better.

As an English person I can say the obsession with tea is accurate.

If you want to know what English are like watch Shaun's mum in Shaun of the Dead. Her reaction to a zombie apocalypse is the most English thing ever. "It's been a funny sort of day, Hasn't it?"

“Hi. How are you” “Yeah not bad” (even if you’re dying) Also, you haven’t lived until you’ve had a Boots meal deal.

Rain and queues !

The sandwich thing is food on the go generally for people at work or in transit and will have the main meal in the evening. Of course you can get better in a restaurant but if you not a tourist you are not going to a restaurant every day for your lunch.

Punctuality and being on time is a huge thing here. Latecomers will always get "the look". This is more so in a professional setting than in a social one. The Brits are sticklers for time.

Never been this early before! Love the videos! So right about the queueing! The most solidarity I’ve ever seen between Englishmen and Americans was in the customs line in Brussels. Everyone needed to make their flights and people from all over the world were jumping the line around the snaking barriers. There were lots of Americans and English who weren’t. You could see the English slowly losing their minds as guards did nothing to reprimand the queue-jumpers, but unwilling to say anything. My travel-buddy is very outspoken and I kept stopping him from yelling out, since I get embarrassed more easily. Eventually another American man, a dad with young kids, yelled out to the whole line, which must have been 150-200 people to STOP CUTTING THE LINE because we all have to get through it, and it will go faster if we go in order. I’ve never seen the always-polite British look so happy at a loud American!

The obsession is not with the premade sandwich its the meal deal when you work out how much your selection has saved you, you feel like you have some how got one over on the evil faceless corporation you bought it from even though you know you really haven't

On P&O Iona when I went in June 2024, they had a choice to virtually queue for mealtimes

And biscuits (cookies to Americans). We love biscuits!

Meal deal is a British institution

Getting pre-made sandwiches at Sainsburys, Tesco or Pret is a London trip tradition for me. The equivalent of getting a Philly pretzel or other pre-made food at Wawa.

In the realm of academia and culinary delight, Where intellect and taste meet, a brilliant sight, An American professor named Wolter so dear, With a fondness for England's quaint charms clear. From bustling cities to quiet lanes of green, Where cups of tea are an everyday scene, Your passion for culture and food so refined, Meets the classic English spirit, that's so intertwined. For you, Professor, this song in its might, A tribute to tea, in the soft morning light, Gracie Fields sings, with a voice so free, Of a simple joy, a nice cup of tea. --- Nice Cup of Tea by Gracie Fields You can talk about your coffee, Your Percolated coffee, Your Sanka and your Instant, too, You can have your chocolate, Hot or cold, But listen and I'll sing to you: When I feel a little glow, then I think I ought to go, Where the little man they call the tea boy, Is waiting for me with his teapot ready to pour. Oh, a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake, For me, you can keep your coffee and tea, Because a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake, Make the world go round. When I'm tired and feeling blue, There's only one thing that will do, To pull me through and cheer me up, To pick me up when I'm feeling down, Down, down. Oh, a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake, For me, you can keep your coffee and tea, Because a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake, Make the world go round. When the room is full of gloom, And it's damp and cold, And you're feeling old, A nice cup of tea and a slice of cake, Can make you feel young. Oh, a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake, For me, you can keep your coffee and tea, Because a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake, Make the world go round. When it's nearly half-past three, Then it's time for you and me, To have a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake. When the day is nearly done, And the evening's coming on, And you're feeling so alone and blue, A nice cup of tea and a slice of cake, Will make you feel fine. Oh, a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake, For me, you can keep your coffee and tea, Because a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake, Make the world go round. Have a lovely day professor.

We definitely have a keep calm and carry on culture, we’ve survived invasions from many other Europeans over the centuries and 2 World Wars, just put the kettle on and we get through it! 😂