The English love tea, pets and soaps

Frozzy · February 8, 2003, 20:18

http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,3888-2129460,00.html

Quote:

Poms Love Tea, Soaps & Pets
09/02/2003 07:00 AM
Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is a nation of tea-loving soap opera fans who value privacy, love their pets, gripe about the weather, refuse to admit they like reality TV and are most proud of their sense of humour.

They also consider themselves hip and cosmopolitan but their habits are traditional, and prawn cocktail and steak and chips are their favourite meals, according to a nationwide survey of what it means to be British in 2003.

People generally don't mind queuing and can be spotted abroad by their sunburnt skin, football shirts, wearing socks with sandals and the distinctive pint of beer in their hand.

"We are such a country of contradictions," said Sophie Daranyi, a spokeswoman for UKTV which commissioned the survey.

"We're happy to give people 50 pence at a bus stop but very few of us go around to meet our neighbours."

UKTV, which is jointly owned by the BBC and Flextech Television, a division of Telewest Communication, is a leading digital and satellite broadcaster.

It commissioned the survey of 1,000 people to get a better perception of how people see themselves.

According to the poll, 53 percent of people treat their pets like a member of the family, 39 percent think the weather is the most annoying aspect of living in Britain and 73 percent drink traditional tea, compared to six percent who prefer Earl Grey tea.

"A lot of people think that we are this quite quirky nation. What the survey has done is confirm that, rather than contradict it," Daranyi added.

I never knew Poms were so messed up

Gangerolf · February 9, 2003, 08:48

Quote:

People generally don't mind queuing and can be spotted abroad by their sunburnt skin, football shirts, wearing socks with sandals and the distinctive pint of beer in their hand.

they forgot short hair and sideburns

Paul Hanson · February 9, 2003, 08:55

The shame! It's all true, every word of it!

Timexwatch · February 9, 2003, 08:57

What about the gap teeth, shepard's pie and castle sieges?

Paul Hanson · February 9, 2003, 09:00

We gave up sieging castles some time ago, shepherd's pie is still common place and we have good dental hygiene.

Timexwatch · February 9, 2003, 09:05

Do you guys ever say "Tallyho!" and "For Queen and Country!" anymore?

The Mad Monk · February 9, 2003, 09:07

Dosen't everyone?

Timexwatch · February 9, 2003, 09:10

Do you still serve tankards of gruel or is that only during Happy Hour?

Paul Hanson · February 9, 2003, 09:10

Quote:

Originally posted by Timexwatch
Do you guys ever say "Tallyho!" and "For Queen and Country!" anymore?

Only when drunk.

Paul Hanson · February 9, 2003, 09:12

Quote:

Originally posted by Timexwatch
Do you still serve tankards of gruel or is that only during Happy Hour?

9 out of 10 orphans still swear by their daily gruel allowance, and what sort of civilised people would deny the poor orphans their right to a decent meal?

Timexwatch · February 9, 2003, 09:16

Is 'Teatime" before or after lunch? If it's after lunch, do you still eat crumpets?

Is everyone's accent Cockney? It's such a charming accent.

Paul Hanson · February 9, 2003, 09:19

"Teatime" varies between families. Sometimes it refers to the time of the day when you sit down and drink tea, some times it refers to evening meal.

And no, not everyone speaks with a Cockney accent. Thank ****.

Paul Hanson · February 9, 2003, 09:21

Now, I've got a few of my own questions:

What's meatloaf?

What's a corn dog?

What's a "punt", when used in the American football sense?

Timexwatch · February 9, 2003, 09:25

Meatloaf is essentially baked beef cooked into a flat "loaf", usually covered in material like tomato sauce or katchup.

A hotdog on a stick with a bread exterior .

A punt is the process of kicking the ball a long distance down the field.

Does is allright to call someone a c*nt over the dinnertable?

Why did the Oliver Cromwell chap get all riled up?

What's the difference between "humor" and "humour"?

Gangerolf · February 9, 2003, 09:30

Quote:

Does is allright to call someone a c*nt over the dinnertable?

in australia, yes

Rogan Josh · February 9, 2003, 10:30

Quote:

People generally don't mind queuing

Surprisingly, this isn't true. Having lived in France and Germany, I have found that both nations are much more queue tolerant than the British.

What the British object to is the disorganised 'melees' that you often get on the continent - they like to be organised, which leads to the belief that they like queues.

But when it comes to the length of queue or the amount of time they have to wait, the Brits are not at all tolerant.....

Skanky Burns · February 9, 2003, 10:34

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Originally posted by Gangerolf
in australia, yes

If you want to wear your dinner, perhaps.

Rogan Josh · February 9, 2003, 10:35

Quote:

Originally posted by Timexwatch
Meatloaf is essentially baked beef cooked into a flat "loaf", usually covered in material like tomato sauce or katchup.

We have meatloaf in Britain too, but it is usually made from ham, not beef. I believe it is derived from German leberkaese (sp?)

Boris Godunov · February 9, 2003, 10:43

IIRC, many meatloafs call for a copious amount of lard to be mixed in with the beef for adhesive purposes. Some people throw weird things into the mix as well, such as peas. My great-grandmother was fond of that particular idea.

Not that meatloaf itself is an idea of any merit.

Buck Birdseed · February 9, 2003, 11:14

Meatloaf is awesome. Dude. (In sweden it's made of 50% beef, 50% pork for the most part, and served like a normal piece of meat with roast potatoes and veggies.)

red_jon · February 9, 2003, 11:15

We can get meatloaf over here in supermarkets - my mum used to serve it every now and then (when she actually used to cook).

I'd say the most annoying thing about being British is the fact that many of our citizens are under the illusion that English becomes easier to understand to a foreigner if you bellow it in their ear.

Boris Godunov · February 9, 2003, 11:15

It isn't awesome to someone who finds such meat repulsive.

Dauphin · February 9, 2003, 11:48

I don't like tea, I don't have a pet, and I hardly ever watch soaps. Never watched reality television (and not just saying it). I don't like steak, and not a fan of chips. Although I did start a "Lets complain about the weather" thread at CGN.

Am I that atypical? I don't even have a cockney accent, despite living within 20miles of Bow Bells.

Boris Godunov · February 9, 2003, 11:50

Why the hell didn't you tell us you'd changed your name, SD?

And the new one sux!

Dauphin · February 9, 2003, 12:04

Big Crunch is my old username, no re-introduction required except for the newbies.

Demerzel · February 9, 2003, 13:13

oh yus toodle pip and chocks away old boy!

no pet ( bloody landlord won't let us )
definitely no soaps ( who could actually enjoy wasting their time on that crap? )
definitely no reality TV ( again who & why?? )
no drinking of tea
don't like fish - so fish & chips isn't happening

mebbe life would be more interesting if we were all slaved to the stereotypes foreigners had of us..

English would stand in queues all day, talking about the weather and interjecting "toodle pip" and "what ho!" into every other sentence.

Americans would shoot each other for spare change, marry their cousins and never ever fight another major land war in Asia ( 'cos it was a draw right?!

)

French just wouldn't wash

Australians would be shackled due to their convict status

etc...

loinburger · February 9, 2003, 13:30

I always thought that the Brits said things like "Roight, you bastahd" or "Wot the 'ell is all this, roight?" or "**** off, roight, you bastahd," not "pip pip" or "cheerio."

Provost Harrison · February 9, 2003, 16:02

Whatto old bean?

I like fish but I find fish and chips in it's 'traditional form' way too greasy, I like my chips to be well dried and done in oil rather than pure grease, and a very light battering for the fish, if any at all...there are much better ways to serve fish.

Tea? Yeah, I don't mind a cup of tea from time to time. If I need caffeine I drink tea as I am not a big fan of coffee...although really I suppose I will drink anything

Pint of beer? Yes thanks

Soap operas, reality TV? No thankyou...I don't actually watch much TV nowadays...actually I think the only thing I really watch is the odd comedy and Star Trek

Ted Striker · February 9, 2003, 16:14

****ers!!!

Dauphin · February 9, 2003, 16:19

Quote:

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
I like fish but I find fish and chips in it's 'traditional form' way too greasy, I like my chips to be well dried and done in oil rather than pure grease, and a very light battering for the fish, if any at all...there are much better ways to serve fish.

DO you like mushy peas?

Quote:

Originally posted by loinburger

"Roight, you bastahd" or "Wot the 'ell is all this, roight?" or "**** off, roight, you bastahd,"

That is actually more common than you would expect. Its an east London/Essex accent and very annoying.

Watch an episode of Eastenders if you can.