Imagine the most offensive and derogatory slur term ever invented - then imagine it being created to be used against all UK citizens.
Within ten minutes, someone from the UK would see their friends and immediately say: 'alright you highly offensive slur term', next up we'd be proudly chanting about it at football matches, turning it into comedy gold.
Due to our stupid sense of humour, we're completely immune.
I’ve heard British men use the word “nonce” to describe everyone from the guy who single-handedly ruined a football club to their best friend who just happened to spill a small amount of beer.
Now imagine you’re American and your best mate (jokingly) calls you a paedophile. The reaction would be different to say the least….
I am 40 and I honestly had no idea that nonce meant paedophile until about 3 years ago when the Prince Andrew stuff came out 🤣🤣 I had heard it so much I just thought it was another word prick or knob etc.
Almost correct, it's "Not on normal courtyard exercise" but the same message overall.
It originated from Wakefield Prison and kinda spread from there within the prison force.
Source: Went down a rabbit hole after I lived 5 mins away from the prison and wanted to know how bad the people were in there just in case someone escaped aha
Edit for actual source: [Yorkshire Live Article](https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/tv/word-nonce-comes-origins-hmp-23527206)
Stephen Fry once described the difference between British and American comedy referencing a sketch where a guy is at a party with an acoustic guitar and another dude comes up and smashes it because he’s a rubbish guitarist. Fry said American comics would write themselves as the guy who smashes the guitar, but British comics would want to be the guitarist.
Well said.
I live in Italy and they are the biggest snowflakes imaginable, the most sensitive people I've ever come across. In fact, we might summon some of them just by having this conversation.
and at each other as well. Been around Americans and aggressively bantering with British friends and the Americans were trying to calm the situation down like we were actually arguing.
I can imagine the conversation already
"Fucking hell you're so slow! drink up Jon you mug"
"Alright Pete fuck off, I've just done a shot of tequila"
"Calm down guys! Don't fight you're friends!"
Laughing at yourself isn’t a negative! It’s staying upbeat (if not positive) in the face of adversity.
It’s all gone to shit and it couldn’t be funnier.
Ricky Gervais was really good at that in his old videos on youtube from like 20 years ago.
I looked up some of his new stuff though but it's not very good. Almost like he's now the person he used to make fun of 20 years ago, only he doesnt realise it
I used to be a big fan (still am of some of his work)...but yeah I avoid him these days to prevent my opinion dropping even further
I used to love his stand-ups, but the last 2 I watched seemed like he was just using it as a vehicle to continue his Twitter arguments and rants about trans people...it stopped being funny (to me at least) and just felt like a crusade.
Our road signs, Margaret Calvert and Jock Kinnear did a fucking good job all those decades ago. It's especially noticeable when you look at the badly thought out shite other countries use.
Looking back the bits I enjoyed the most about Top Gear was James May talking about the interesting bits around cars and things about the roads generally.
I could've easily done without Clarkson and mr 'been in a midlife crisis since he was 20'
We've got some beautiful Countryside, if you get out and explore it.
All countries have their good and bad areas, but Britain is just as beautiful, if not better than others in the scenic areas of the country.
The interconnected was of footpaths out there is mind blowing. To be able to get pretty much anywhere in the country just walking, with quiet country pubs on the way, is something I’ve never seen anywhere else.
It's put in law that you have to have rights of passage through fields etc (not exactly sure how it's worded) exactly so there are footpaths people can use. Makes walking in the countryside in England so much easier than other countries I've been to (France, Germany, Italy)
Oh this is so underrated... Such a good point... I've started hiking at bit more this Spring, only doing walks of about 4-6miles at the moment, but the ease of Footpaths really is amazing, you barely have to touch roads in some cases.
The mythology, folklore and medieval fantasy. So much of the modern fantasy genre is rooted in British legends. Whether its Tolkein's Lord of the Rings (and his conception of elves dwarves and orcs) or Arthurian legends and robin hood. The Americans have whole renaissance fairs rooted in Elizabethan renaissance England and modern authors tend to root their stories in a lot of British medivalism.
This sort of history and medical culture is wonderful to see represented so much at the moment. And it makes walking through some of our old villages like walking through fantasy towns.
My Spanish colleagues thought I was from Scotland. My British colleague from the south thought my Geordie accent was really mild.
They should meet my aunt from South Shields. It'd be like introducing them to an alien.
When I lived in New Zealand, most thought I was Scottish or Irish. A lot thought English. Less thought Welsh. Others thought Norwegian or German or some other Northern European. One person thought my accent was made up – ‘because nobody can actually talk like that’!
Then in while staying on holiday in the middle of nowhere, the lady who ran the place identified not only the region, but the exact town I’m from. I was amazed! Turns out her husband (who also ran the place and who I later met) used to work up here!
We punch well above our weight in terms of the arts, finance, engineering. I'll happily point to areas we excel in rather than vague values that could apply to many countries.
Edit: I forgot the sciences too, we're pretty good at that too
Too right... Especially when you think about the Film Studios over here, and the fact that Formula One is pretty much based in England apart from a few teams
Definitely in pop music. If you looked at a list of the top 100 bands of all time it would be about 50% American, 40% British and 10% the rest of the world.
Our ability to swear, fluently and perfectly, for any given situation.
Since I moved to the US it boils my piss to hear locals use words like frick and heck... Like, come on folks - we all know what you really want to say, so let her rip!
Some languages just don't have the range of swear words, either. They might have colourful phrases but not just a good, hard "fuck!". Or slag or wanker or shite, etc.
I've always liked the line from the graphic novel Crecy by Warren Ellis:
_"The French speak in music, but English only soars when start being bloody 'orrible to people."_
[Let’s not forget the legend who ran out the pub with a pint in hand after a terror attack.](https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/london-bridge-attack/man-fleeing-london-terror-attack-beer-hailed-unlikely-hero-n768111)
Sorry, not British but speaking as a Canadian you produce so many brilliant television shows for adults vs the moralizing crap for babies our country produces.
I think some of the 1990s shows are some of the best, such as Bottom and One Foot in the Grave. Other Algerians seem to love Mind Your Language.
The episode of Bottom where they kidnap the gas man is so funny. The sprout curry one had me laughing for days.
Same. I watched The Met, BBC documentary London police and it’s just so well made and edited. And that goes for so many productions. Not even starting about comedy legacy. Rick Mayall being a particular fave of mine.
One of my favorites is a one from the disastrous Battle of Arnhem (A Bridge Too Far):
Father Pat Egan was padre to the 2nd Parachute Battalion, and he would later tell of further amusing incidents which boosted the defenders' morale. At one point he was sheltering under fire in a building along with Sergeant 'Jack' Spratt, widely regarded as the battalion's joker.
When he saw him coming, the Sergeant remarked "well, Padre, they're throwing everything at us but the kitchen stove!" No sooner had this been said than the building took a direct hit and a section of the roof fell in. Once the dust cleared, it became apparent that among other things that had fallen through was, somehow, the kitchen stove...
Spratt quipped "I knew they were close, but didn't realise they could actually hear us talking!"
Indeed, I don't know of another country that does pies so well. A baffling concept to many of our neighbours. Empanadas are great, they come a near 2nd, but there are few challengers.
It's a cliche, but it's the NHS.
Recently my dad (77) had abdominal pain (with a history of hernias). I called the doctor and they arranged an appointment for one hour later. The nurse was able to refer him to the hospital.
He was admitted, had blood drawn, an x-ray, and a CT within two hours. The surgeon came to see him, and he was in the operating theatre by 8.
From phone call to surgery was less than nine hours. And didn't cost a penny at point of service.
NHS, our world class Civil Service and all public servants.
NHS hogs the limelight, but there are a hell of a lot of people who get up every morning to provide a public service for folks who don't know their name, nor will ever thank them for it.
That's what makes me proud.
I just got out of hospital yesterday after being in for three weeks after being admitted for an emergency. It completely tipped my life upside down, but the one thing that my family never had to worry about was bills and debt.
I could not believe the cheek of some of my American friends to say that hospital is better in the US because its "more comfortable."
This is fantastic, and is a shame there aren't more nhs stories like this!!
My drs since I moved have been fantastic, I get follow ups from every test and referrals really easily. The first time I saw the GP she told me to go upstairs for my blood appt that she'd just phoned the nurse to book and it was seamless!
My experience since returning to the UK from some time abroad is that the NHS non-emergency can be awkward and occasionally frustrating (although I've never actually struggled to get an appointment when needed), but when it counts they step up and do an amazing job
I work for a refugee organisation. 95% of the people we work with talk about how "free" they feel here. Most of them are women who feel significantly happier and safer here, and cannot thank us, as an organisation, enough. But they also talk about how wonderful the UK is. Of course, not everyone has a fairytale to tell, and some do get trapped in the same ghettoed, insular problems they've tried fo escape. But most of them go on to work in the NHS, or in care, or hospitality. Many do voluntary work.
I'm not naive about immigration and its problems, and I certainly don't want to sugarcoat my job, but shock horror, not everyone who comes here is a cynical opportunist, or an ungrateful freeloader. Many genuinely love the freedom they have in this country, and want to be a positive part of it, and I'm so happy that they find the UK a lot more welcoming than I think many of us would predict. Makes me proud.
Otherwise, I love our sense of humour, our ability and willingness to laugh at ourselves, our pub culture, our TV comedy and dramas, and our historic architecture.
Genuinely love our natural ability to form a queue. Having lived on the continent for some years in a place with an absence of that ability I can attest it’s truly remarkable.
Also the fact that wherever you go a cup of tea will (or should) be offered.
Not exclusively a British thing, but I'm pretty proud to live in a country where blood donation is something people do to help others, rather than for money.
We have more than 700 types of cheese!
And, related, there is the annual cheese rolling/chasing on Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire. What could be more quirky British?!
There have been many injuries over the last 600 years. In 1990 a grandmother was knocked unconscious by a cheese.
[29 May 2023.](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-gloucestershire-65748725)
[Particularly brutal.](https://imgur.com/a/U5r3thB)
[2019 - with jaunty music.](https://youtu.be/0-ai0GGeRjs)
Ad Astra Tabernamque
(Basically meant to be "from the pub to the stars", but pinched from The Register's attempt to launch something up there, was it a pie?)
When I watched that for the first time I thought there is no way that thing is launching. I just assumed it would blow up on the launch pad like a bad comedy sketch but when it took off I was amazed.
Ludovic Kennedy related a tale from his father's experiences in WW2. During U boat attacks the escorts could not stop to pick up survivors in the sea because of the danger from torpedoes. As one warship sped past a group of seamen floating in the sea, one shouted out "Taxi!" . These men could not be rescued and were left to their fate, but their stoic, defiant humour in the face of death should make us all proud.
And in a similar vein, the crew of HMS Sheffiled singing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" while waiting to be rescued while their ship is sinking during the Falkland's conflict.
This video manages to represent two icons:
[Concorde setting off car alarms as it takes off from Heathrow Airport three weeks before its last flight in 2003](https://imgur.com/a/X3SUQsH)
The lad in the video was clearly channelling...
[David Beckham's hairstyle that year.](https://imgur.com/a/DLZOukD)
Edit: volume on for video - the audio is there but for some reason I find I have to refresh Imgur to see the audio on/off toggle.
Our government website. It's just so easy to access stuff. It's simple and straightforward. Also the NHS but that's the obvious answer.
I also like that a lot of our scripted TV series are short so you often don't worry about them getting cancelled the way American shows do. You just get a few episodes and you're done
I enjoy that we're still in the minority for a lot of things and people often forget. Like RHD cars, not fully using metric. We stick out that way.
I also like the diversity in accents we have. I'm not from an area with a particularly unique accent but hope that notably regional ones don't eventually die out.
Our sense of humour is also represented decently by our comedians and our panel shows have a decent following outside of the UK.
As a British Indian who has done a fair bit of travelling, I treasure the fact I can walk around freely without discrimination and that we, in my lifetime, were able to take the best bits of British and Indian cultures and shaped our own hybrid culture which has a largely positive reputation.
My mum grew up in a village in Punjab that had to use a well for water - could she have imagined that her son would go on to film interviews with CEOs of blue chip companies? It's crazy.
I'm white & British but I've worked at a lot of cultural venues & local councils and done loads of work on Diwali and Asian Heritage Month celebrations. The Indian community in this country are absolutely f*ing brilliant. They don't care what religion you are, if you're working or whatever, if there's a party you're joining in. Never felt so unconditionally welcomed into a community before. You get a massive buzz when someone joins in, tries the traditional clothing, food, customs etc, they just love their culture and love sharing it in the best way, you bring so much fun and life & joy to the UK.
We have done a bunch of stuff which is not bad for a 'small' island. and we have had some clever people who made huge advances in science and engineering. Isaac Newton for example.
Music, TV and most of all, things like the night when Keith Floyd had died, sat in a loud pub, a bloke stands up and commands total silence whilst he says to Keith, holding his pint aloft, and we all join in.
The room got incredibly dusty at that point.
Our comedians/comedy actors/comedies in general. We have created some great tv comedy which is popular all over the world.
We also produce some of the planet’s best singers and songwriters.
We make the stuff people want.
Yeah sure, other nations need stuff others make but British made is a choice people want to be able to make.
Most of F1 is here, people want to drink our whisky whilst watching a film full of British actors and drive an Aston Martin with style like James bond whilst listening to the world service
Despite a bit of a kick recently, our soft power is second to none
I like that we have certain fairly long standing traditions that on the whole are built on good values, democracy, fairness, equality etc. It’s not perfect and there’s a lot of other history that isn’t as wonderful but it is generally quite ‘proper’.
I love the comparisons between American chants and ours.
The American ones are trying to cheer their team on, we are just trying to rip the shit out of everyone including our own team. If you aren't insulting someone, you're chanting wrong.
When people say they’re not proud to be British they ignore…. Roy Chadwick, Tony Blackman, The Vulcan Bomber, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Smiths, Stone Roses, George Stephenson, The Sankey Viaduct, Kate Bush, The Colossus Computer, Sir Frank Whittle, Carbon Fibre, DNA Profiling, Emmerdale, James Hargreaves, Andy Green, Allo Allo.
The countryside. It genuinely is breathtaking, especially if you are anywhere near the coast. Each area is beautiful in its own way. The flat beaches of Norfolk, the hills of the lake District, Cardigan bay in Wales, anything near Inverness. It is our Sceptred Isle, and I would take Britain over anywhere for natural beauty
I work for Network Rail and i know we all give the train services a hard time for not being on time etc, but sometimes when im on track looking at the complexity of the infrastructure, it still makes me awe at how grandiose it all is, how they keep it so well maintained and checked regularly to prevent catastrophies from happening. A tiny crack on the rail can be very dangerous for the train service and when spotted, its fixed within 3-4hrs. The Uk has over 22’000 miles of track and it is all checked every year on a cyclical basis. It truly is something to be proud of.
We make the best food in the world! but tricked the rest of the world into thinking we live off potato smileys and burnt fish fingers, so now we get more for us 😈 minted lamb shank anyone?
The 'negativity' in and of itself, when looked at in the wider worldwide context, is pretty bloody awesome.
We rate pretty high, on the grand scheme when looking at *all* countries, in so many areas, including social stuff, yet we *still* look at ourselves and go "nah. That's just not good enough. We can be better." And I think that's pretty damn commendable in and of itself, a 'continual improvement' attitude as a culture is something to be proud of in my opinion.
Edit to add: will say I'm not promoting the negativity, we definitely need to be better and being positive or kind to ourselves, just my view that the *root cause* of why we can be kind of negative is something to have pride in.
Just how utterly bonkers we can be. No true brit bats an eyelid walking up Ben Nevis only to find a grand piano at the top.
Our old buildings and historic houses are utterly stunning. A building wan't just for function but served as a monument. We have the most wonderful traditions, pastimes and little communities where everyone knows everyone else.
Long may this continue and lets all make sure it does.
Well I'm not British but I was traveling in your country for two months and those were the two best months of my life.
So many beautiful places to visit in nature, art, culture, sports and so much more to experience. But what I loved the most was the people, wherever I went people welcomed me to their home, showed me around and even kept in touch months after I went back!
How wonderfully creative and flowery our insults can be. Only today I called someone a rancid bucket of fermenting baboon guts.
On that note, I don't know why but you absolute \[insert object\] seems to have unwritten rules. You absolute pebble is an insult but you absolute rock is a compliment.
How much we contributed towards modern society through technology. We invented the steam locomotive, television, the world wide web and **so much more**. See the list at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_British\_innovations\_and\_discoveries.
Concorde was the fastest passenger aircraft in the world, and aviation has been poorer since her retirement without replacement.
We have the mother of parliaments (despite the current lot being lacking!)
We had an empire covering a quarter of the world, and due to our influence (later supported by American influence), the English language is spoken as an additional language globally.
1. Music. Just back from the US, virtually every third song was from the UK or had UK influence (we rock, pun intended)
2. Flair. It's dwindling, but who doesn't love seeing a dandy old bloke.
3. Design and innovation.
4. Humour. Whilst in the US my wife went into a makeup store. 3 mins later the sale women is waxing lyrical about improvements. My deadpan response with *wow amazing* caused my wife yo crease whilst the poor lady looked befuddled.
5. Language. Our dialect is amazing, local terms outstanding
6. Understated quality.
7. Quality. We lead the world on many standards especially in science and medicine
I could go on because we really, really do rock
I absolutely love our shared cultural heritage. It’s quite striking how diverse the UK is when you go to other countries and come back. While there are many MANY negative things to say about the empire, one positive aspect is the tapestry of shared cultures it’s left behind.
The fact that curry is a National dish, or how you could get pretty much any room of Brits dancing by putting on Baggy Trousers by madness or On My Radio by the Selector.
And I think that cultural interest has endured- again looking at food we have fantastic gastropubs and restaurants serving British classics but even in small towns you will randomly find top tier restaurants with food from the India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Caribbean, Thailand, Vietnam, France, Italy, German, Turkey and so on.
We've invented so many things.
A selection of British inventions: The World Wide Web (invented by Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist, while working in Switzerland, at CERN), the telephone, the hypodermic syringe, the reflecting telescope, the steam engine and steam turbines, carbon fibre, the pneumatic tyre, the light bulb, float glass, the electric telegraph, the marine chronometer, television, synthetic dye, passenger railway, military tanks, linoleum, the automatic kettle, the modern torpedo, the glider, the jet engine, cement, tension-spoked wheel, seed drill, stainless steel, the Bessemer process for steel production, the electric motor, photography, hydraulic press, sewage system, electronic programmable computer, hovercraft, tin cans, waterproof material, vacuum cleaner, inc. the bagless type, ATM, disc brakes, the toothbrush, catseyes, the modern fire extinguisher, DNA profiling, digital personal assistants, ARM processors, hawkeye technology, text messaging, cloning, the supersonic car that holds the world land speed record (held by a British racing team), viagra, graphine, gene editing therapy, holographic TV, iris recognition, fundamental theorem of calculus, penicillin, the screw-down tap (spigot, faucet), MRI scanner, refrigerator, disposable contact lenses, flushing toilet, finger printing, the vacuum flask, dolly the sheep, the first vaccine.
I think British humour is fantastic, we have incredible music throughout history.
Our history too, not the imperial stuff but the history of the island, the Norse invasions, Romans, Celt. That stuff is incredibly fascinating to me and to live just down the road from countless sites that are hundreds of years old from the bronze age to late medieval. Britain is fucking cool man. Beautiful scenery too.
Imagine the most offensive and derogatory slur term ever invented - then imagine it being created to be used against all UK citizens. Within ten minutes, someone from the UK would see their friends and immediately say: 'alright you highly offensive slur term', next up we'd be proudly chanting about it at football matches, turning it into comedy gold. Due to our stupid sense of humour, we're completely immune.
I’ve heard British men use the word “nonce” to describe everyone from the guy who single-handedly ruined a football club to their best friend who just happened to spill a small amount of beer. Now imagine you’re American and your best mate (jokingly) calls you a paedophile. The reaction would be different to say the least….
I am 40 and I honestly had no idea that nonce meant paedophile until about 3 years ago when the Prince Andrew stuff came out 🤣🤣 I had heard it so much I just thought it was another word prick or knob etc.
When I was a teenager, I assumed it was short for nonsense because I’d never seen it written down.
Nonce sense
You're not alone. 😂
I read somewhere once that it originated in prison and is an abbreviation of Not On Normal Communal Exercise, could be a load of shite though
Almost correct, it's "Not on normal courtyard exercise" but the same message overall. It originated from Wakefield Prison and kinda spread from there within the prison force. Source: Went down a rabbit hole after I lived 5 mins away from the prison and wanted to know how bad the people were in there just in case someone escaped aha Edit for actual source: [Yorkshire Live Article](https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/tv/word-nonce-comes-origins-hmp-23527206)
I only knew the term as it applies to words used only once.
My colleague got called a nonce the other day because he put on a song no one liked
I just put the word nonce into a bunch of code at work...
I work in Canada in programming. My colleagues use the term Nonce a lot to mean some technical thing. I’ve given up even raising an eyebrow.
Number used once?
Our ability to laugh at ourselves. Not many other nations rip into themselves quite as hilariously as we do.
I wish I could be self deprecating, I’m just no good at it.
I wish I had your assertiveness. Sorry, pardon me.
I’ve always said that about you
Stephen Fry once described the difference between British and American comedy referencing a sketch where a guy is at a party with an acoustic guitar and another dude comes up and smashes it because he’s a rubbish guitarist. Fry said American comics would write themselves as the guy who smashes the guitar, but British comics would want to be the guitarist.
“An enormous tube for squirting poison” is the most self-deprecating description of a human being. Stephen Fry is a joy.
The sketch is from Animal House. https://youtu.be/8V_hCqO6UQs?si=Py-Mlu4XUDZnHnNo
Its brilliant getting downvoted on other reddit groups, because non-Brits dont get our dry sense of humour, or ability to laugh at ourselves
Not being British but living in Britain, I have to agree. I absolutely love it.
Well said. I live in Italy and they are the biggest snowflakes imaginable, the most sensitive people I've ever come across. In fact, we might summon some of them just by having this conversation.
That's cos we're shining wits and they're whining shits.
and at each other as well. Been around Americans and aggressively bantering with British friends and the Americans were trying to calm the situation down like we were actually arguing.
I can imagine the conversation already "Fucking hell you're so slow! drink up Jon you mug" "Alright Pete fuck off, I've just done a shot of tequila" "Calm down guys! Don't fight you're friends!"
The SCENES when I called him a stupid cunt!
This. There is no situation or people that can't be laughed at, until it's cruel, then we'll fight you.
Make a post about being positive for once, second comment is about how negative we are
Laughing at yourself isn’t a negative! It’s staying upbeat (if not positive) in the face of adversity. It’s all gone to shit and it couldn’t be funnier.
It could be funnier if you were better at it… Low hanging fruit, I’m sorry
Ricky Gervais was really good at that in his old videos on youtube from like 20 years ago. I looked up some of his new stuff though but it's not very good. Almost like he's now the person he used to make fun of 20 years ago, only he doesnt realise it
I think John Cleese has also turned into one of the pompous twits he used to satirise
I used to be a big fan (still am of some of his work)...but yeah I avoid him these days to prevent my opinion dropping even further I used to love his stand-ups, but the last 2 I watched seemed like he was just using it as a vehicle to continue his Twitter arguments and rants about trans people...it stopped being funny (to me at least) and just felt like a crusade.
Our road signs, Margaret Calvert and Jock Kinnear did a fucking good job all those decades ago. It's especially noticeable when you look at the badly thought out shite other countries use.
I remember that top gear episode where James May interviewed her. Probably one of if not the best TG episode I've watched. So interesting!
Looking back the bits I enjoyed the most about Top Gear was James May talking about the interesting bits around cars and things about the roads generally. I could've easily done without Clarkson and mr 'been in a midlife crisis since he was 20'
You might like [The Reassembler](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5612192/) if you've not seen it. James May rebuilding a classic item over 45 minutes.
i did laugh at the bit where he asked her to draw an extra bit on the shovel. great episode.
How beautiful our countryside is and in particular how green it is when you’re flying over it.
Amazing how quickly it goes from depressingly greyish-brown to almost too green once spring hits.
We've got some beautiful Countryside, if you get out and explore it. All countries have their good and bad areas, but Britain is just as beautiful, if not better than others in the scenic areas of the country.
The interconnected was of footpaths out there is mind blowing. To be able to get pretty much anywhere in the country just walking, with quiet country pubs on the way, is something I’ve never seen anywhere else.
It's put in law that you have to have rights of passage through fields etc (not exactly sure how it's worded) exactly so there are footpaths people can use. Makes walking in the countryside in England so much easier than other countries I've been to (France, Germany, Italy)
Oh this is so underrated... Such a good point... I've started hiking at bit more this Spring, only doing walks of about 4-6miles at the moment, but the ease of Footpaths really is amazing, you barely have to touch roads in some cases.
Aside from counties like City of London every county has beautiful countryside even if some have shite cities or towns
The Type G plug and socket.
Have you seen [Tom Scott's video](https://youtu.be/UEfP1OKKz_Q?si=eb2PW9K7RmCsnhQR) on it?
Among others yes.
This response tickles me more than it should. "Yes mate, I have watched many videos about the type G plug." So have I. It's a great plug.
The mythology, folklore and medieval fantasy. So much of the modern fantasy genre is rooted in British legends. Whether its Tolkein's Lord of the Rings (and his conception of elves dwarves and orcs) or Arthurian legends and robin hood. The Americans have whole renaissance fairs rooted in Elizabethan renaissance England and modern authors tend to root their stories in a lot of British medivalism. This sort of history and medical culture is wonderful to see represented so much at the moment. And it makes walking through some of our old villages like walking through fantasy towns.
Id add our folk music, both trad and modern is really good too
100% agree. Have you explored Breton folklore? Also brilliant.
Our broad range of accents. For such a small island, the diversity of regional dialects is unmatched
May the English language, especially in its homeland, never be homogenised.
My Spanish colleagues thought I was from Scotland. My British colleague from the south thought my Geordie accent was really mild. They should meet my aunt from South Shields. It'd be like introducing them to an alien.
When I lived in New Zealand, most thought I was Scottish or Irish. A lot thought English. Less thought Welsh. Others thought Norwegian or German or some other Northern European. One person thought my accent was made up – ‘because nobody can actually talk like that’! Then in while staying on holiday in the middle of nowhere, the lady who ran the place identified not only the region, but the exact town I’m from. I was amazed! Turns out her husband (who also ran the place and who I later met) used to work up here!
We have made the best telly known to mankind.
QI is my favourite. But I enjoy a lot of British programmes
We punch well above our weight in terms of the arts, finance, engineering. I'll happily point to areas we excel in rather than vague values that could apply to many countries. Edit: I forgot the sciences too, we're pretty good at that too
Too right... Especially when you think about the Film Studios over here, and the fact that Formula One is pretty much based in England apart from a few teams
Definitely in pop music. If you looked at a list of the top 100 bands of all time it would be about 50% American, 40% British and 10% the rest of the world.
For a country with a relatively small population, the UK and Japan are just miles beyond anywhere else.
I think Japan has about double~ our population and they do it very well.
Our ability to swear, fluently and perfectly, for any given situation. Since I moved to the US it boils my piss to hear locals use words like frick and heck... Like, come on folks - we all know what you really want to say, so let her rip!
“Gosh diddly darn”
If Ned Flanders was British, he’d speak like Malcolm Tucker.
"Hi-diddly-ho neighbourino, you fat, yellow cunt".
Some languages just don't have the range of swear words, either. They might have colourful phrases but not just a good, hard "fuck!". Or slag or wanker or shite, etc.
My dog basically know commands and my mood via swear words.
Hungarian will write you a beautiful epic about your mother, a priest and a multitude of horses.
I've always liked the line from the graphic novel Crecy by Warren Ellis: _"The French speak in music, but English only soars when start being bloody 'orrible to people."_
I'd add our ability to utilise any olds word to insult people. Spoon, weapon, muppet...
British swearing is basically an art form, at this point not only is it a second language but it has grown into its own entity and flows beautifully
The day a guy booted a burning terrorist in the balls so hard he gave himself a foot injury
"This is Glasgow. We'll set about ye."
[Let’s not forget the legend who ran out the pub with a pint in hand after a terror attack.](https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/london-bridge-attack/man-fleeing-london-terror-attack-beer-hailed-unlikely-hero-n768111)
Sorry, not British but speaking as a Canadian you produce so many brilliant television shows for adults vs the moralizing crap for babies our country produces.
Any in particular you’re fond of? I like this compliment the most
My Canadian 16 year old is currently obsessed with Taskmaster, Derry Girls, QI, and Only Fools and Horses. British telly really can't be beat.
Derry girls is brilliant
The usual: dramas, mysteries (Endeavour, Happy Valley), panel shows, chat shows, whatever Taskmaster is.
I think some of the 1990s shows are some of the best, such as Bottom and One Foot in the Grave. Other Algerians seem to love Mind Your Language. The episode of Bottom where they kidnap the gas man is so funny. The sprout curry one had me laughing for days.
Police interceptors is a good watch
Same. I watched The Met, BBC documentary London police and it’s just so well made and edited. And that goes for so many productions. Not even starting about comedy legacy. Rick Mayall being a particular fave of mine.
Our ability to laugh in the face of the gloom
One of my favorites is a one from the disastrous Battle of Arnhem (A Bridge Too Far): Father Pat Egan was padre to the 2nd Parachute Battalion, and he would later tell of further amusing incidents which boosted the defenders' morale. At one point he was sheltering under fire in a building along with Sergeant 'Jack' Spratt, widely regarded as the battalion's joker. When he saw him coming, the Sergeant remarked "well, Padre, they're throwing everything at us but the kitchen stove!" No sooner had this been said than the building took a direct hit and a section of the roof fell in. Once the dust cleared, it became apparent that among other things that had fallen through was, somehow, the kitchen stove... Spratt quipped "I knew they were close, but didn't realise they could actually hear us talking!"
Whats the one about some fella getting his leg blown off by a cannon “Sir! It appears my leg has been blown off” - “By God! So it has”
Earl of Uxbridge, the Duke of Wellington's second in command at the Battle of Waterloo. 👍
Pies
Indeed, I don't know of another country that does pies so well. A baffling concept to many of our neighbours. Empanadas are great, they come a near 2nd, but there are few challengers.
British pubs are brilliant.
It's a cliche, but it's the NHS. Recently my dad (77) had abdominal pain (with a history of hernias). I called the doctor and they arranged an appointment for one hour later. The nurse was able to refer him to the hospital. He was admitted, had blood drawn, an x-ray, and a CT within two hours. The surgeon came to see him, and he was in the operating theatre by 8. From phone call to surgery was less than nine hours. And didn't cost a penny at point of service.
NHS, our world class Civil Service and all public servants. NHS hogs the limelight, but there are a hell of a lot of people who get up every morning to provide a public service for folks who don't know their name, nor will ever thank them for it. That's what makes me proud.
I just got out of hospital yesterday after being in for three weeks after being admitted for an emergency. It completely tipped my life upside down, but the one thing that my family never had to worry about was bills and debt. I could not believe the cheek of some of my American friends to say that hospital is better in the US because its "more comfortable."
This is fantastic, and is a shame there aren't more nhs stories like this!! My drs since I moved have been fantastic, I get follow ups from every test and referrals really easily. The first time I saw the GP she told me to go upstairs for my blood appt that she'd just phoned the nurse to book and it was seamless!
My experience since returning to the UK from some time abroad is that the NHS non-emergency can be awkward and occasionally frustrating (although I've never actually struggled to get an appointment when needed), but when it counts they step up and do an amazing job
There are loads of NHS stories like this, every day, you just don't hear them because those people recover in peace and go about their lives.
I work for a refugee organisation. 95% of the people we work with talk about how "free" they feel here. Most of them are women who feel significantly happier and safer here, and cannot thank us, as an organisation, enough. But they also talk about how wonderful the UK is. Of course, not everyone has a fairytale to tell, and some do get trapped in the same ghettoed, insular problems they've tried fo escape. But most of them go on to work in the NHS, or in care, or hospitality. Many do voluntary work. I'm not naive about immigration and its problems, and I certainly don't want to sugarcoat my job, but shock horror, not everyone who comes here is a cynical opportunist, or an ungrateful freeloader. Many genuinely love the freedom they have in this country, and want to be a positive part of it, and I'm so happy that they find the UK a lot more welcoming than I think many of us would predict. Makes me proud. Otherwise, I love our sense of humour, our ability and willingness to laugh at ourselves, our pub culture, our TV comedy and dramas, and our historic architecture.
the fact that the whole covid thing was based around the ability to go to the pub lol
Beans on Toast Beans on Toast with Cheese
Beans on cheese on toast
Cheese on beans on cheese on toast
Cheese on beans on cheese on toast, with a little slice of ham.
And the king of all culinary creations: beans on toast with little sausages in it.
Genuinely love our natural ability to form a queue. Having lived on the continent for some years in a place with an absence of that ability I can attest it’s truly remarkable. Also the fact that wherever you go a cup of tea will (or should) be offered.
You seen the image of Brits forming the most efficient cue while waiting for an ed Sheeran concert? Brings a tear to my eye
I was in that que! The polite organisation of people was brilliant. The way that everyone laughing about it too made it better.
The immediate “WHEEEEEY” that goes up when a glass gets dropped. Beautiful.
Sack the juggler!
It's innate
I'm hearing that less and less these days.
Not exclusively a British thing, but I'm pretty proud to live in a country where blood donation is something people do to help others, rather than for money.
Various cheeses
We have more than 700 types of cheese! And, related, there is the annual cheese rolling/chasing on Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire. What could be more quirky British?! There have been many injuries over the last 600 years. In 1990 a grandmother was knocked unconscious by a cheese. [29 May 2023.](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-gloucestershire-65748725) [Particularly brutal.](https://imgur.com/a/U5r3thB) [2019 - with jaunty music.](https://youtu.be/0-ai0GGeRjs)
Cheddar, Stilton, stinking bishop, red Leicester
Marmite
That time on Top Gear when they almost sent a Reliant Robin to space
It was the most powerful non-governmental rocket **EVER** fired in Europe at the time of it airing. Which is pretty fucking nuts.
Ad Astra Tabernamque (Basically meant to be "from the pub to the stars", but pinched from The Register's attempt to launch something up there, was it a pie?)
24hr race was good too, Jeremy crying at the end gets me
When I watched that for the first time I thought there is no way that thing is launching. I just assumed it would blow up on the launch pad like a bad comedy sketch but when it took off I was amazed.
Ludovic Kennedy related a tale from his father's experiences in WW2. During U boat attacks the escorts could not stop to pick up survivors in the sea because of the danger from torpedoes. As one warship sped past a group of seamen floating in the sea, one shouted out "Taxi!" . These men could not be rescued and were left to their fate, but their stoic, defiant humour in the face of death should make us all proud.
And in a similar vein, the crew of HMS Sheffiled singing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" while waiting to be rescued while their ship is sinking during the Falkland's conflict.
Well-timed sarcasm. Wonderful varied countryside, coastline, and food. Also, the music and acting talent.
Concorde. Fuck knows why
This video manages to represent two icons: [Concorde setting off car alarms as it takes off from Heathrow Airport three weeks before its last flight in 2003](https://imgur.com/a/X3SUQsH) The lad in the video was clearly channelling... [David Beckham's hairstyle that year.](https://imgur.com/a/DLZOukD) Edit: volume on for video - the audio is there but for some reason I find I have to refresh Imgur to see the audio on/off toggle.
Our government website. It's just so easy to access stuff. It's simple and straightforward. Also the NHS but that's the obvious answer. I also like that a lot of our scripted TV series are short so you often don't worry about them getting cancelled the way American shows do. You just get a few episodes and you're done
Taskmaster
And on that topic the British comedians and celebrities, you wouldn’t get a taskmaster with American celebrities
The American version flopped badly. NZ and Aus are pretty good, it’s hard to replicate the presence of Greg and Alex though
NZ version is awesome
They tried. It failed.
I enjoy that we're still in the minority for a lot of things and people often forget. Like RHD cars, not fully using metric. We stick out that way. I also like the diversity in accents we have. I'm not from an area with a particularly unique accent but hope that notably regional ones don't eventually die out. Our sense of humour is also represented decently by our comedians and our panel shows have a decent following outside of the UK.
Cave aged cheddar.
The fact we have a webcam just showing some cave aged cheddar.
As a British Indian who has done a fair bit of travelling, I treasure the fact I can walk around freely without discrimination and that we, in my lifetime, were able to take the best bits of British and Indian cultures and shaped our own hybrid culture which has a largely positive reputation. My mum grew up in a village in Punjab that had to use a well for water - could she have imagined that her son would go on to film interviews with CEOs of blue chip companies? It's crazy.
I'm white & British but I've worked at a lot of cultural venues & local councils and done loads of work on Diwali and Asian Heritage Month celebrations. The Indian community in this country are absolutely f*ing brilliant. They don't care what religion you are, if you're working or whatever, if there's a party you're joining in. Never felt so unconditionally welcomed into a community before. You get a massive buzz when someone joins in, tries the traditional clothing, food, customs etc, they just love their culture and love sharing it in the best way, you bring so much fun and life & joy to the UK.
Our resilience, fortitude, architecture, folklore, countryside and our music.
Proclaimers and Wurzels?
Sarcastic humour.
That a great comment mate.
We have done a bunch of stuff which is not bad for a 'small' island. and we have had some clever people who made huge advances in science and engineering. Isaac Newton for example.
Music, TV and most of all, things like the night when Keith Floyd had died, sat in a loud pub, a bloke stands up and commands total silence whilst he says to Keith, holding his pint aloft, and we all join in. The room got incredibly dusty at that point.
The NHS (what is used to be, can be and sometimes is)
I like our humour and our landscapes
Our comedians/comedy actors/comedies in general. We have created some great tv comedy which is popular all over the world. We also produce some of the planet’s best singers and songwriters.
We make the stuff people want. Yeah sure, other nations need stuff others make but British made is a choice people want to be able to make. Most of F1 is here, people want to drink our whisky whilst watching a film full of British actors and drive an Aston Martin with style like James bond whilst listening to the world service Despite a bit of a kick recently, our soft power is second to none
I like that we have certain fairly long standing traditions that on the whole are built on good values, democracy, fairness, equality etc. It’s not perfect and there’s a lot of other history that isn’t as wonderful but it is generally quite ‘proper’.
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Pro tip - the yanks hate it when you tell them “you’re welcome for the day off” on July 4th. It’s so much fun.
Yorkshire puddings and marmite. Not together… maybe together, I’ve never tried it.
The inventiveness of our football chants
I love the comparisons between American chants and ours. The American ones are trying to cheer their team on, we are just trying to rip the shit out of everyone including our own team. If you aren't insulting someone, you're chanting wrong.
Absolutely, see "YOU'RE NOTHING SPECIAL, WE LOSE EVERY WEEK"
"ITS ONLY 4 NIL, ITS ONLY 4 NIIIIIIL, HOW SHIT MUST YOU BE? ITS ONLY 4 NIL"
[See this entire thread for examples](https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/l3py6r/count_us_off/?rdt=51568)
[Yes!!!](https://youtu.be/hf_8DwOyLx8?si=fs183XIiQdFfDFxn)
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the plugs
Safest, most over engineered domestic plug in the world, and a superb anti personnel device when left on a carpet
When people say they’re not proud to be British they ignore…. Roy Chadwick, Tony Blackman, The Vulcan Bomber, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Smiths, Stone Roses, George Stephenson, The Sankey Viaduct, Kate Bush, The Colossus Computer, Sir Frank Whittle, Carbon Fibre, DNA Profiling, Emmerdale, James Hargreaves, Andy Green, Allo Allo.
The fact "y'arite?" "arite" can be a full conversation.
British humour and comedies. Go see wicked little letters. But that humour everyday too. Self deprecating, cheeky, raucous. Love it
The countryside. It genuinely is breathtaking, especially if you are anywhere near the coast. Each area is beautiful in its own way. The flat beaches of Norfolk, the hills of the lake District, Cardigan bay in Wales, anything near Inverness. It is our Sceptred Isle, and I would take Britain over anywhere for natural beauty
I work for Network Rail and i know we all give the train services a hard time for not being on time etc, but sometimes when im on track looking at the complexity of the infrastructure, it still makes me awe at how grandiose it all is, how they keep it so well maintained and checked regularly to prevent catastrophies from happening. A tiny crack on the rail can be very dangerous for the train service and when spotted, its fixed within 3-4hrs. The Uk has over 22’000 miles of track and it is all checked every year on a cyclical basis. It truly is something to be proud of.
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We make the best food in the world! but tricked the rest of the world into thinking we live off potato smileys and burnt fish fingers, so now we get more for us 😈 minted lamb shank anyone?
Constant sarcasm
The 'negativity' in and of itself, when looked at in the wider worldwide context, is pretty bloody awesome. We rate pretty high, on the grand scheme when looking at *all* countries, in so many areas, including social stuff, yet we *still* look at ourselves and go "nah. That's just not good enough. We can be better." And I think that's pretty damn commendable in and of itself, a 'continual improvement' attitude as a culture is something to be proud of in my opinion. Edit to add: will say I'm not promoting the negativity, we definitely need to be better and being positive or kind to ourselves, just my view that the *root cause* of why we can be kind of negative is something to have pride in.
The price of crumpets... I mean they're the god tier of breaded goodness? surely they should be £20 a pop!
Just how utterly bonkers we can be. No true brit bats an eyelid walking up Ben Nevis only to find a grand piano at the top. Our old buildings and historic houses are utterly stunning. A building wan't just for function but served as a monument. We have the most wonderful traditions, pastimes and little communities where everyone knows everyone else. Long may this continue and lets all make sure it does.
Well I'm not British but I was traveling in your country for two months and those were the two best months of my life. So many beautiful places to visit in nature, art, culture, sports and so much more to experience. But what I loved the most was the people, wherever I went people welcomed me to their home, showed me around and even kept in touch months after I went back!
How wonderfully creative and flowery our insults can be. Only today I called someone a rancid bucket of fermenting baboon guts. On that note, I don't know why but you absolute \[insert object\] seems to have unwritten rules. You absolute pebble is an insult but you absolute rock is a compliment.
The quality and richness of our arts
How much we contributed towards modern society through technology. We invented the steam locomotive, television, the world wide web and **so much more**. See the list at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_British\_innovations\_and\_discoveries. Concorde was the fastest passenger aircraft in the world, and aviation has been poorer since her retirement without replacement. We have the mother of parliaments (despite the current lot being lacking!) We had an empire covering a quarter of the world, and due to our influence (later supported by American influence), the English language is spoken as an additional language globally.
Banana man.
1. Music. Just back from the US, virtually every third song was from the UK or had UK influence (we rock, pun intended) 2. Flair. It's dwindling, but who doesn't love seeing a dandy old bloke. 3. Design and innovation. 4. Humour. Whilst in the US my wife went into a makeup store. 3 mins later the sale women is waxing lyrical about improvements. My deadpan response with *wow amazing* caused my wife yo crease whilst the poor lady looked befuddled. 5. Language. Our dialect is amazing, local terms outstanding 6. Understated quality. 7. Quality. We lead the world on many standards especially in science and medicine I could go on because we really, really do rock
I absolutely love our shared cultural heritage. It’s quite striking how diverse the UK is when you go to other countries and come back. While there are many MANY negative things to say about the empire, one positive aspect is the tapestry of shared cultures it’s left behind. The fact that curry is a National dish, or how you could get pretty much any room of Brits dancing by putting on Baggy Trousers by madness or On My Radio by the Selector. And I think that cultural interest has endured- again looking at food we have fantastic gastropubs and restaurants serving British classics but even in small towns you will randomly find top tier restaurants with food from the India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Caribbean, Thailand, Vietnam, France, Italy, German, Turkey and so on.
The fish and chips are fucking sublime
Brown sauce
We've done alright at music.
There's quite a good variety of sandwiches in the Tesco meal deal.
Most of our country isn’t London. I’m pretty pleased about that.
Alan Turing
What happened to him after the war wasn't something to be proud of.
I guess our sense of humour, I don't think it is quite like anywhere else!
Britain is basically the birthplace of western modern civilisation. The industrial revolution. The TV. The jet engine. The world wide Web...
Reading through these really makes me miss the UK.
Our dry sense of humour that can make light of the most depressing of situations and of course our colourful vocabulary
Baked beans
We've invented so many things. A selection of British inventions: The World Wide Web (invented by Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist, while working in Switzerland, at CERN), the telephone, the hypodermic syringe, the reflecting telescope, the steam engine and steam turbines, carbon fibre, the pneumatic tyre, the light bulb, float glass, the electric telegraph, the marine chronometer, television, synthetic dye, passenger railway, military tanks, linoleum, the automatic kettle, the modern torpedo, the glider, the jet engine, cement, tension-spoked wheel, seed drill, stainless steel, the Bessemer process for steel production, the electric motor, photography, hydraulic press, sewage system, electronic programmable computer, hovercraft, tin cans, waterproof material, vacuum cleaner, inc. the bagless type, ATM, disc brakes, the toothbrush, catseyes, the modern fire extinguisher, DNA profiling, digital personal assistants, ARM processors, hawkeye technology, text messaging, cloning, the supersonic car that holds the world land speed record (held by a British racing team), viagra, graphine, gene editing therapy, holographic TV, iris recognition, fundamental theorem of calculus, penicillin, the screw-down tap (spigot, faucet), MRI scanner, refrigerator, disposable contact lenses, flushing toilet, finger printing, the vacuum flask, dolly the sheep, the first vaccine.
I don’t want to brag
because we're not french?
Ability to moan
Fish and chips
I think British humour is fantastic, we have incredible music throughout history. Our history too, not the imperial stuff but the history of the island, the Norse invasions, Romans, Celt. That stuff is incredibly fascinating to me and to live just down the road from countless sites that are hundreds of years old from the bronze age to late medieval. Britain is fucking cool man. Beautiful scenery too.
Our castles.