What does it mean to be British?

MzInterpret · Post by **MzInterpret** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:27 am

"Being British is about driving in a German car to an Irish pub for a Belgian beer, then travelling home, grabbing an Indian curry or a Turkish kebab on the way, to sit on Swedish furniture and watch American shows on a Japanese TV.

And the most British thing of all?

Being suspicious of anything foreign ".

:wah:

Skyliner · Post by **Skyliner** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:06 am

ThatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s so true!

well done, you summed up an entire population!:)

Uncle Kram · Post by **Uncle Kram** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:45 am

Those of us from the island nation do have a tendancy towards xenophobia, I must confess. We tend to lament the days when Britain was Great Britain and of global significance. The Empire and all that old boy.

With the internet and a multitude of media in our shrinking world, the differences in our national identities remain but the edges have become more rounded.

MzInterpret · Post by **MzInterpret** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:01 am

Ooops! Just to clarify. This wasn't thought out by me. It was sent to me in an email and it tickled my fancy.

:-6

pina · Post by **pina** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:10 am

sixyearsleft wrote: I like your post its very witty MzInterpret,

When you look at it doesn't it seem silly for the peoples of the world to have so many differences when really we share so many simularities the world is becoming more multicultural everyday, we've learnt to share so many diversities ie Food, Music ect, everybody is born with a clean slate, so its a such shame that we allow the ignorent to mislead the public, when one world is all that we have not a nation, we have a misconstrude notion of who we are, i dont have any borders i am from earth.

all the best... ian

Love the way you say it.

On this note I have just noticed I have a little English flag with my avatar, funny thing is I was raised in England from the age of 2 but that is where it ends. I am half Sicilian and was born in Scotland.

Which flag should I have.

emm!!!!!

SOJOURNER · Post by **SOJOURNER** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:26 am

Uncle Kram · Post by **Uncle Kram** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:18 am

pina wrote: Love the way you say it.

On this note I have just noticed I have a little English flag with my avatar, funny thing is I was raised in England from the age of 2 but that is where it ends. I am half Sicilian and was born in Scotland.

Which flag should I have.

emm!!!!!

Maybe you should have the UN flag

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:31 am

Being British means there is a little bit of you in many other countries.

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:16 pm

I drive to my American owned work place in my Japanese Toyota wearing my denim jacket made in China. My team consisting of Thai, Lithuanian and Polish guys who work on German machines and make speakers with wooden cabinets made in Denmark. At lunch time we have a choice of Indian Curry, Chinese Noddles or Italian pasta. Walk past a guy who is QA checking Classe CD player made in France and carry on making speakers that are sent to 98 countries round the world....whoops...just tripped over the bucket of water that the Brazillian cleaner has left in the way.

True story

....nearly forgot...might have just cooked dinner using Russian gas ! (joke)

Footnote: I think it's great...I like the multi-national feel of the world today. Every nation has something to offer. The alternative ??? Living on potatoes, cabbage and coxs orange apples ! (joke)

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:18 pm

minks wrote: Being British means there is a little bit of you in many other countries.

I once looked up my maiden name on the internet- Beeston- there were loads in Australia.....Now how did they get there ?....

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:26 pm

Bez wrote: I once looked up my maiden name on the internet- Beeston- there were loads in Australia.....Now how did they get there ?....

We here in Canada have no idea what it means to be..Canadian.... my heritage alone is (mom's side first) Scott, English, Irish and Yank. Dad is Hungarian.... and unless you are a native american or Eskimo a Canadian has genes from elsewhere. I like it really, it makes for interesting buying and eating hehehehe

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:31 pm

Bez wrote: I once looked up my maiden name on the internet- Beeston- there were loads in Australia.....Now how did they get there ?....

I wondered wether my ancestors were a bunch of 'rogues' that got transported to the colonies !!!

big red · Post by **big red** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:16 pm

not alot, i'd rather be dutch, or czech, or maybee even german

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:21 pm

as my Bothwell always tells me, being born English is winning the lottery of life!

(of course he also always calls me an upstart colonial :wah: )

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:40 pm

big red wrote: not alot, i'd rather be dutch, or czech, or maybee even german

There are regular flights and ferrys to 'said' places and plenty of cheap offers on the internet !!!:p

Slade1 · Post by **Slade1** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:45 pm

big red wrote: not alot, i'd rather be dutch, or czech, or maybee even german

Hmm...hopefully you could do a better job of writing in those countries languages too!

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 3:20 am

posted by ladycop

as my Bothwell always tells me, being born English is winning the lottery of life! (of course he also always calls me an upstart colonial )

Only an englishman would be daft enough to believe that. poor dears

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:22 am

Hey Guys...you're in danger of earning the title of 'Victor Meldrew'..

OK...the UKs not perfect, but tell me which country is....at least we HAVE a NHS...pity the poor folks abroad that have to pay for their drs, hospitals etc. The NHS has NEVER let ME down.

I have 2 huge concerns. EDUCATION AND CRIME. If we can crack one (education) I think we can go a long way to improving the other (crime) but in the mean time we should be much harsher with the punishment metered out by the courts, and put more 'coppers' back on 'the beat'.

:-6

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:23 am

posted by clancy

......if you can pull off saying the above, in any one of the regional accents, then security at Heathrow will turn away and look elsewhere. because they'll know you're British.

Unless you're from lanarkshire in which case they will assume because of the accent you are an irish terrorist and if you happen to be carring a long parcel probably assume it's a weapon and shoot you.

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:40 am

lady cop wrote: as my Bothwell always tells me, being born English is winning the lottery of life!

(of course he also always calls me an upstart colonial :wah: )

I agree with Bothwell LC. He's been around the world and has more foreign experiences than me, but I keep up with what is going on in the world and I'm happy 'Being British'.

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:37 am

gmc wrote: posted by ladycop

Only an englishman would be daft enough to believe that. poor dearsGMC. you poor besotted Scot! LOL....you know i adore you despite your delusions. (actually, don't tell Bothwell, but i love beautiful Scotland and Edinburgh)

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:48 am

sixyearsleft wrote: Hi Lady cop:)

Isn't that where the name Bothwell comes from?

Bothwell Castle.

Lord Bothwell who ostensibly "abducted" Mary, queen of Scots. she adored him. when asked, he claimed he bedded her because it was obligatory to do so.

Bothwell · Post by **Bothwell** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:25 am

I think we should bring it back for politicians.

ps the quote on the lottery was Cecil Rhodes

Imladris · Post by **Imladris** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:04 am

Being British means that you have the ability to take the p*** out of yourself, that you excell at sarcasm and dark humour, that where ever you go in the world you will fit in because we once owned it (or should have), knowing that you are superior to everyone because you're British and that if Johnny Foreigner wants to understand what you're ordering in his bar then he should jolly well learn English like the rest of the civilised world. But most of all it means that you're not French!!

(Tongue firmly in check)

Having said that one of the best places I've visited was Australia 'cos everyone's your 'mate' and so friendly.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:12 am

Uncle Kram wrote: Those of us from the island nation do have a tendancy towards xenophobia, I must confess.

I very much disagree. We've been, for a long time, one of the most "international"

of peoples.

Uncle Kram wrote: We tend to lament the days when Britain was Great Britain and of global significance. The Empire and all that old boy.

What?? The Empire developed into a different entity before most people in the

UK were even *born*.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:13 am

MzInterpret wrote: "Being British is about driving in a German car to an Irish pub for a Belgian beer, then travelling home, grabbing an Indian curry or a Turkish kebab on the way, to sit on Swedish furniture and watch American shows on a Japanese TV.

And the most British thing of all?

Being suspicious of anything foreign ".

wah: cool:

You might have posted this in the "Jokes" forum... thread drift means this will be

taken seriously!

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:17 am

pina wrote: On this note I have just noticed I have a little English flag with my avatar, funny thing is I was raised in England from the age of 2 but that is where it ends. I am half Sicilian and was born in Scotland.

Which flag should I have. confused emm!!!!!

Well, if you were born in Scotland, you could fly the cross of St. Andrew. You

could also fly the Union Jack[1], which is what I'd tend to do.

[popular name, pedants can -off]

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:21 am

Uncle Kram wrote: Maybe you should have the UN flag

It'd have to be discussed on and off for some years, with much disagreement,

there probably wouldn't be any result, and the Yanks reinforced by a whole

platoon of Brits would launch a massive military strike on a target near to

where it would actually be useful, and the world would wring its hands. It

would be better to ask Granny to knit one!

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:23 am

Bez wrote: I wondered wether my ancestors were a bunch of 'rogues' that got transported to the colonies !!! D

Could have been guards, settlers, or soldiers....

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:26 am

Imladris wrote: Being British means that you have the ability to take the p*** out of yourself, that you excell at sarcasm and dark humour, that where ever you go in the world you will fit in because we once owned it (or should have), knowing that you are superior to everyone because you're British and that if Johnny Foreigner wants to understand what you're ordering in his bar then he should jolly well learn English like the rest of the civilised world. But most of all it means that you're not French!!

(Tongue firmly in check)

Having said that one of the best places I've visited was Australia 'cos everyone's your 'mate' and so friendly.

I love old threads! Just as it was getting rather boring! Well Done!