British as they are
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Great Britain is an island on the outer edge* of the European continent, and its geographical situation has produced a certain insular* spirit among its inhabitants.
The British look on foreigners in general with contempt* and think that nothing is as well done elsewhere as in their own country. The British people have also been known as superior*, snobbish*, aloof*, hypocritical* and unsociable*.
The ordinary Briton was seen to be friendly and sociable. Englishmen tend to be rather conservative, they love familiar things.
This conservatism, on a national scale, may be illustrated by reference to the public attitude to the monarchy, an institution which is held in affection* and reverence* by nearly all English people.
British people, or Britons, archaically known as Britishers, are natives of the United Kingdom.
Patriotic
Insular
polite
Insecure
Arrogant
Sportive
Humorous
Reserved
Conservative
Reticent
liberal
a traditionalist
Disciplined
a habitual queuer
friendly
Dogmatic
Scruffy
prejudiced a soccer hooligan
Scottish people ranked their patriotism at 7.1% out of 10, the Welsh at 7.06% and the Irish at 6.72%, while the Dutch were the most patriotic on 7.18%.
Ireland was the nation where people were most likely to display their national flag.
« I was always tempted to believe that it was British understatement; that we British don’t exhibit our nationality in the same vulgar way that other countries do. But it doesn't take long to see that this isn’t the case. On Saint David’s day entire fields of daffodils suddenly spring up on Welsh lapels, and when the rugby on it is striking how many people suddenly remember that their great-grandmothers were half Welsh. Meanwhile the Scots have always been wonderfully proud of their identity and homeland; so much so that they now have a political party based on a policy not seen since the emperor Hadrian. Across the water you can see a healing Northern Ireland that is heading towards the better, with a new pride forming out of today’s stability. Outside of the UK the Irish have a day of national pride that has swept the globe and is loved by drinkers everywhere.»
Charlie McClawn
The British have a passion for queuing (lining up) and appear to outsiders to have endless patience – as you would expect from a nation that can endure a five-day cricket match. The other form of queue popular in the UK is the traffic jam.
The best-known quality of the English is reserve.
If English people are making a journey by train, they will try to find an empty compartment.
But the people of the North and West of Britain, especially the Welsh, are much less reserved and modesr than those of the South and East.
Closely related to English reserve is English modesty. If a person is, let us say*, very good in golf, and someone asks him if he is a good player, he will probably give an answer like “I’m not bad”, or “I think I’m quite good”, or “Well, I’m very keen on* golf
The famous English sense of humour is similar. Its ideal is the ability to laugh at oneself — at one’s own faults. “He is a man of humour” or “He has no sense of humour” is often heard in Britain, where humour is so highly prized.
One significant element in the British sense of humour is that they dare to tell jokes about everything.
There are also famous "An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman" jokes, which punchline is usually based around the Irishman's stupidity, the Scotsman's meanness or the Englishman's snobbishness.
Monty Python's Flying Circus was comedy sketch show that combined surreal skits about transvestite lumberjacks and delinquent grannies with the weird imagination of animator Terry Gilliam. It has been called “the most influential TV comedy of the post-war era”.
There are many different kinds of humour, and often culture and tradition plays a big part in how funny you may find something. British humour is usually very dark, sarcastic.
"Britain is known for its humour as France is known for its food and wine"
