What is Britishness?
 

That's it! I've got to ask you boo boo.

What is your definition of being typically British?
I have a sneaky feeling we have a different perspective and define Britishness differently this side of the pond.

Saying twat a lot.

I'm not British, I'm Sarnian

I'm not typically British in all it's incarnations.
Unless saying "twat" a lot, counts.

How about the Man U fervor? That doesn't count?

What it is to be British deserves a thread of it's own.
It's a complex beast spanning the class system, regional differences and even politics.
There is no simple answer to being "typically British" I suppose.
Much like there isn't a typical answer for defining 'the American dream'.

If someone was to ask me what nationality I am, I always say English and not British for some reason. Once again another conumdrum of the inhabitants of this fair isle.

Well I'm not talking about this kind of british

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...onocle-man.gif

so much as this kind of british.

http://steveterrell.blogspot.com/MARKESMITH.jpg

Then you wouldn't be far wrong. ;)

No idea what that other pic is though...not working.

Edit: ahh...there it is.

Thread created to save another.

I'm interested in what other people from around the world consider to be 'typically British'.
Feel free to stereotype...

i've always thought of Britishness as a state of being in which you're completely disenchanted by the world in which you live but unwilling to do anything about it.

Why would we have to change how others live? I don't get it?

It's called realism Sam.

The difference between the British and the Americans, is that the British know they're going to die.
It always seems to come as something of a surprise to you lot.

oh i'm aware of my mortality. i simply find it silly to pretend there's nothing that can be done in the mean time.

Actual conversation I overheard between two old blokes on the bus just the other day.

1st old bloke: I heard Sid died last week.

2nd old bloke: Aye. I heard. At least he can't be nagged by that woman of his anymore.

1st old bloke: Aye! *long pause for contemplation*...I bet he was glad to die.

I heard a very similar conversation when I was living in Wales at a Wetherspoons.

I'm not really sure what constitutes being British I mean without stereotyping. One thing I noticed was that British men are far more reserved about their feelings towards other people. I'm in kind of a unique position because I have British citizenship, lived in Wales for 8 months, and was raised by British parents, while living in North America, so I kind of saw both sides.

I believe your old sig, "United > Kids > Wife," sums it up best RT

I'm growing to hate the words "twat" and "arse".

I believe it's mostly about queuing.

It goes without saying that Britishness comes in many shapes and sizes.

Here's one of them. The cockney/Eastend thug;

When I think of British I think of Coronation St characters!

Same here, but it helps remind me where they are from. Except right-track who's personality just screams "MANCHESTER". But without the elements of words like 'arse' I would forget their British, I sometimes completely forget that Piss Me Off is from UK and then there’s molecules who is sometimes so British I don’t even know what the hell he's talking about.

I tend to think Brits are cooler than everyone else, but have less attractive women. (I'm not talking about weight)
I have absolutely no idea why.
It doesn't even make sense to me.

I know what you mean, I think there's a reason they call them 'birds'. ;)

While I think that might be a bit of presumptuous notion, happening to agree I hypothesis it's because of the multi-generational cross breeding of so many cultures in America. It's natural that mixing races or ethnicities would result in a more exotic and\or attractive looking woman.

I have a very complex, subjective perspective of Western Europe having been born there and having a lot of family still round about. From my red\white\blue tinted glasses I see Englanders as having a better sense of humour and tact in general but perhaps lacking in the ingenuity and aspiration of your classic American.

The ability to chortle.

Even i'm not 100% sure how you chortle, i've been in the dark since my Beano days (now that's some British shit for you right there).

Ah that takes me back, i used to get the Dandy as well, Marvel couldn't hold a candle to that ****!

Complaining about the weather and public transport have to be too big facets of british life.

Fave strip? Blatantly Calamity James for me.

The ability to drink alcohol without the words 'lite' written on the frickin can.
To be so damn polite it can almost be annoying.
To be bare chested even in December (bred tough over here)
to still have the balls to say no to the Euro and long may it reign.
To drive on the wrong side of the road.
For middle class men to always have umbrellas in the rain and the working class to refuse them even in the worst downpour since the great flood.

I was also partial to the Bash Street Kids, i actually forgot about CJ i had to google him and it all came flooding back, he was pretty good from my memory.

Woo theres something British for you. This distinction in America is so tough to pick out that there may not even be one.

Maybe if you're from Newcastle!

Wanker gesture.. check.
Unkempt school uniform... check.
Terrible teeth.... check.

My teeth are lovely. I guess I'm a minority!

The wanker sign is the best british thing ever.

I recently heard an englishman call someone he was with a "cork". That was fantastic.

What you mean characters like Dev and his uncle Uhmed? ;)



I would have to say that VIZ comic represents a lot of real British adult humour,you have to be British to understand fully the humour lol.

Tennis. Tea and crumpets. Being up your own arse. Bad teeth. From London.

So the Yanks think anyway.. even though it's total bollocks.