Nobody likes the British

The article is specifically about the English.

A lot of people like what they imagine the British to be... Downton Abbey... but get them loose and drunk and they get pretty undesirable pretty quickly. The moneyed are generally obnoxious and the working class are generally obnoxious and violent. I don't know any country where class bedevils the population as much as the UK (and the last "class" that bedevils them has been dead for fifty years, replaced by wealth. All the trappings of the old system exist but if you've got enough money you can send your dullard to Eton or anywhere else the dead class used to own.)

I love the Brits, especially the Scots. I’d expatriate to Britain in a heartbeat if there were a viable legal pathway for me to do so. I found the Scots to be some of the nicest, warmest, and most enjoyable people I’ve ever met when I spent a year over there to study.

Christ, I expected a cheeky little article, not “Remembrance of Things Past.”

It is a dull and rainy little island, of course the people are miserable and dull themselves.

It must be like a plague of Windsors descending on some pour country: the supreme arrogance and tone deafness of Prince Philip, the perviness of Andrew, the condescension of the Queen, the drunken antic of Princess Margaret and the stupidity of Prince Charles all rolled into one delightful package.

I just heard a joke/saying recently that if you see two fishes fighting in a river, an englishman must have passed by few minutes ago.

One time I was in a seaside hotel's outdoor restaurant in Normandy watching a bunch of tourists get drunk out of their minds and misbehave loudly and embarrassingly. I asked the waiter when he came by whether they were Americans (because I was already so ashamed by them), and he said, "Are you kidding? It's always, always the British who act like that. Even the Russians are polite compared to them."

They are a seriously ugly people inside and out.

R8, Americans are actually rather polite compared to the Brits.

The Germans are notorious poolside chaise thieves. Seriously.

[quote]The article is specifically about the English.

So, you're actually trying to claim that only the English behave this badly abroad... that the [italic]Welsh[/italic] are better behaved? The [italic]Scots??[/italic] The [italic]Northern Irish???[/italic]

Honey, get real.

It's the drinking. The English have this dual thing - they're the first to tell you how awful your country is and criticize it - but in an passive aggressive polite way. Then they're such good fun and humorous.

But boy do they get out of control. Still, I'd rather be around some drunk Brits than Germans or French.

Drunk straight Americans are embarrassing AF though - God knows what Mexicans think of us when we're on vacation in their country.

R12, I claimed nothing of a kind. OP titles the thread, "Nobody Likes the British," but posts an article that is critical of the English. British and English are not synonymous terms.

England is a metonymy for the United Kingdom, and the English are a metonymy for the British.

Stupid article and stupid post. DL can really top out on dumb.

How is it stupid R16? The British do seek out British pubs abroad and rarely venture out of their comfort zone.

If you think people hate the British just wait to find out what the world thinks of Americans.

r17 We don't want to. Our main emigration destination even when we're in the EU wasn't Europe. It was Australia so British culture but with nice weather. There are some exceptions the expats in France tend to try and integrate better than the ones in Spain where Andalucía is or at least was essentially a colony with Sky sports on every screen.

They are truly horrible people, even when they’re not drunk.

I once observed to an Englishman - not a born or even resident Londoner - that compared to many cities the skyline of London was not distinguished, in that it had so few high rise towers dominating. (No disrespect to the dome of St. Paul's.)

He turned bright red, the charm dropped, and he snarled: There's a fuck of a lot history here, mate.

They are a touchy, odd lot, especially when they're drunk.

I like them but their food is disgusting and they were filthy colonizer. Good music and comedy though.

Ah, the ancient DL tradition of Sunday Brit-bashing! It had gone away for a while, I noticed.

I’m Scottish and can say with confidence that nobody does snide passive aggression like the English, especially those from the South East. It tends to be worst among the middle classes; real-deal uppers and the working classes are usually far more direct (and more alike in general).

The Scottish and Northerners tend to be a lot more open and less anxiety-ridden than the Southern English. Since coming back to the UK after living abroad for 10 years in a hugely extroverted culture, riding roughshod over prissy, controlling sensibilities and calling people out on their sanctimonious bullshit is a favourite pastime.

No, they just hate Meghan Markle.

Which is another way of saying most of them have really bad manners, especially when drunk, which is often. Throw in sport and you may as well be in Iraq.

R24 is a typical Scot with a superiority complex masquerading as an inferiority complex.

"We're better than you because you're so awful and treat us so badly."

You can’t hate people for what their ancestors did. All we can do is move on and try to do better

Well, if we did that, R28, what the hell is Twitter supposed to do all day?

R27 is a triggered, likely Southern, Englishman with poor reading skills.

The Scots hate the English more than literacy.

they sound fun. I need to meet more Brits.

r32 Tuesday to Thursday afternoon is usually the best time for that. The weekend hangover is gone and we haven't started pre-drinking for the coming one.

[quote]I’m Scottish and can say with confidence that nobody does snide passive aggression like the English. The Scottish and Northerners tend to be a lot more open and less anxiety-ridden than the Southern English.

Scotland has the highest alcohol and drug related deaths in Europe. England and Wales don't even come close.

When when it comes to violent drunk football supporters, nothing in England will ever top the ultra sectarian hatred in Glasgow between Rangers and Celtic.

And remember how the Scottish Government covered up the sexual abuse and bullying by its First Minister Alex Salmond. The behaviour was so well known that government officials put work rotas in place so female employees would never be left on their own with him. But apparently the Deputy First Minister knew nothing about it!

But yes, the Scottish are very "open".

Plus, you can understand most English accents.

Yes, R34, but you’re talking apples and oranges. Most people with any direct experience of Scotland, the North, and the South (of England) would agree that (in broad terms) there is a difference in the degree of openness and agreeableness between the former two and the latter.

The number of drug deaths, existence of football hooliganism, and the extent of the Scottish Government’s knowledge of and complicity in covering up Alex Salmond’s being a lecherous perv has nothing to do the observation that the Scottish and the Northern English are generally more open and friendly.

R35, I wouldn’t be too confident on that score - ever been to Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool or the West Country?

I think Americans are more tolerant of, and actually LIKE the British -- at least compared to Europeans.

[quote] Most people with any direct experience of Scotland, the North, and the South (of England) would agree that (in broad terms) there is a difference in the degree of openness and agreeableness between the former two and the latter.

This was my experience as well, r36. I did find the Geordies a bit more agreeable than folks from southern Scotland, but none as warm as the folks in the Highlands and northern Scotland. (Northern Wales was similarly filled with lovely people). The further South in England, the more reserved the culture seems to be. The only place where the people really put me off, though, was York-otherwise, I found the Brits generally a lovely people.

[quote]the expats in France tend to try and integrate better than the ones in Spain where Andalucía is or at least was essentially a colony with Sky sports on every screen.

That's quite an exaggeration, R19. Less than 1% of the population of Andalucía are from the UK and have some at least some kind of (easily procured) residency permit:

People from UK residing in Andalucía 2020: 81,631

Andalucía population 2020: 8.5 million

Yes, there are some towns that are disproportionately magnets for English residents, but less than 1% of the population doesn't add up to a British colony in Spain.

Because a fair number of Spanish people, not least from Andalucía, have worked and/or studied in the UK, they often confess of a preference for Americans over English. In part it's two sides of the same language coin, with American English perceived as more direct and less ambiguous, but more than that it often reflects ugly experiences in the UK where the English as bosses, colleagues, and teachers are very swift to turn mean and cruelly belittling, not just direct (which is a Spanish quality) but mean and quick to put down Spaniards as stupid and incompetent. Happily, Andalucía doesn't has its own Magaluf or Bendorm, so that picture of Little Britain is known but second-hand from the news, but Americans fare somewhat better than the English if only for a memory of bad treatment of Spanish in England.

I like them.

.....

R34- I read once that the country in Europe with THE highest rate of Alcoholism deaths is Russia.

[quote] I did find the Geordies a bit more agreeable than folks from southern Scotland, but none as warm as the folks in the Highlands and northern Scotland.

Jesus Cristo on stick. I guess the British don't focus on foreign languages. Me, I'm American through and through but know Spanish and Italian in order to get myself around.

And I can do without being drunk. My late 20's and early 30's when I worked in law enforcement was my most drunken period of life.

^ Does anyone understand what this post is meant to say?

I've never heard any American talk shit about the British. It's been my experience and I've witnessed first hand Brits treating Americans with pronounced disdain, when they were guests here in the US. Manners doesn't mean saying, "How nice to meet you" with your mouth, when your eyes say, "You are a repugnant pig." These sentiments of mine have existed for years, six visits to the UK, and being present when I've seen this treatment displayed. I've remained silent when I see these threads. And I'll more than likely go back to remaining silent.

It's a mild form of temporary payback to those who pulled this shite on me. And being raised to understand replying to a cunt when they treat you like this is giving them satisfaction, a little of what you don't fancy does you good; or so it should.

Quite interesting the idea that those wanting to makes a point about racism in football would want Italy, where week-in, week-out the crowds at some of the top league games engage in racist incidents last seen in the U.K. in the 1980s and widely condemned then, to beat England…

The U.K. has a tendency to be self-effacing and to make fun of itself. It should stop doing this, because the rest of the world is quite happy enough to do it for us (I’ll admit to being a Brit), and what to us sounds like modesty, sounds like whinging or a total lack of confidence to most of the rest of the world, especially to America.

In many ways the U.K. is backwards, prejudiced and grim, and I wouldn’t argue otherwise. America beats us on positive attitude, and usually, standard of living if you have a little money. On the other hand the US doesn’t seem to have sufficient building regulation not to let a building in a fairly wealthy area collapse and kill dozens, or clean water in some cities, or power on at all times in parts of Texas during some of the summer, or universal healthcare, or gun control, etc etc, so. All Western nations have their flaws but they’re paradise compared to most of the planet.

[quote] ^ Does anyone understand what this post is meant to say?

"Don't post on a Sunday afternoon when sloshed to the gills."

[quote]On the other hand the US doesn’t seem to have sufficient building regulation not to let a building in a fairly wealthy area collapse and kill dozens,

You mean, as opposed to...

R21, I don’t especially love London but it is something of a strange idea that not having huge towers all over the place makes a skyline less “distinguished.” It’s true that London is not built around the principle that having ever-increasingly tall buildings looming down on the city is the way forward. Perhaps they should bulldoze some of their 200 or 300-year old buildings to make way for another Shard.

No, like this r49.

Oh dear no R49, the point was to defend the idea that the U.K. is meant to be particularly bad. Whereas it’s just like everywhere else. Surfside is the U.S. Grenfell by all means. Like I say, no better, all Western nations have problems, all are still great places to live compared to the other options, and often don’t have a lot of difference between one another (again, Grenfell v Surfside, about the same).

*defend against the idea. My grammar is particularly bad, admittedly

Since we're talking about Scotland, what is the rivalry between Edinburgh and Glasgow about? I'm watching old episodes of Taggart and it seems to be a constant theme that Glaswegians don't like people from Edinburgh.

They have so many ugly women in England. While the top 10% are very beautiful, the vast majority of them are quite unattractive.

R55 very unlike America, I’m sure.

[quote]Since we're talking about Scotland, what is the rivalry between Edinburgh and Glasgow about? I'm watching old episodes of Taggart and it seems to be a constant theme that Glaswegians don't like people from Edinburgh.

It's probably similar to SF vs. LA.

I like that British cunt who went to some Spanish resort and complained there were too many Spanish people.

And they've made Ibiza seem trashy by their presence there.

R56 it’s universally known that the majority of modern day British women are ugly and fat.

Definitely ugly and fat compared to Swedish women, that’s a fact that Brits have to concede and do. But not compared to Americans, R59.

r3 sounds nice that you were able to study over there. what did you study?

There's a reason why the sitcom "Benidorm" was so popular.

[quote] called out for their flithy deeds Rubbish spelling and rubbish ideas.

[QUOTE]I've never heard any American talk shit about the British

Said someone who has clearly never seen any of the regular, slightly crazed, and weirdly shit-talking attacks on anything British that are posted here on DL.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

“English sports fans are all bullies and thugs! Heathens and zombies set on destruction! They set a bad example for children and aren’t socially-conscious!”

Americans:

“Unlike American women,” lol R65. Fairly decent anti-British trolling, needed to pick a better nation for comparison than the fattest one on the planet. Sweden was on the right track.

How does the world feel about the Irish?

R54, some reasons for Glasgow’s ire for Edinburgh at the start, courtesy of two Scottish Dataloungers

r68 I visited Ireland in '99. I thought the people were All wonderful

[quote] How does the world feel about the Irish?

Spent a few months in Ireland before the pandemic. The people in Dublin were pretty chill and friendly. I still email and text with a couple of folks I met there. The people I met in Western Ireland were also chill, but a bit more aloof. For me, I found the Irish to have a demeanor similar to the English (English midlands specifically) but without the subtle arrogance or snobbery that’s sometimes perceived in the English - friendly even if a bit on the cool side, but relaxed and not uptight. Thoroughly enjoyed Ireland and cannot wait until it’s safe to return.

Imagine picking Ireland over the English Midlands.

Disrespectful, that is.

[quote] Imagine picking Ireland over the English Midlands.

I didn’t choose, r72. I like them both!

[quote]I once observed to an Englishman - not a born or even resident Londoner - that compared to many cities the skyline of London was not distinguished, in that it had so few high rise towers dominating. (No disrespect to the dome of St. Paul's.)

Americans are very quick to measure their dicks against those of the rest of the world, and always find the particular yardstick that paints them the more favorably. First they get sniffy that their taxi driver was not born under the Bow Bells; then instead of just making an observation they decide to make a ranking. Rather than say "as an American it's interesting the skyline of London: with the tall buildings set well apart and framed individually; it's such a contrast to the cities in the U.S. where they are clustered together...a very different impression."

Americans never make make observations, they must use the observation as a basis to rate things. Everything is better one place than another, not just different, always superior. I've heard it many hundreds of times from travellers from the U.S.: every little thing has to be compared and one declared the winner.

I think the English relationship to drinking is what I most often find problematic. It's at the root of so much loutish behavior and it seems to be given far too much of a green light. I've done things while drunk that were horrible or stupid - but the day after I felt ashamed of myself for doing them and people were angry with me. In England it seems that it's all supposed to be in good fun because you were well tanked last night, mate, and how we laughed.

I was walking in Mayfair once around 6 PM or so and three young businessmen in suits pulled in front of me, braying laughter. They passed by a small elderly man and one of them shoved him so roughly that he only prevented himself from falling by grabbing the street post. He pulled himself up and kept walking; the friend I was with told me to slow down and let the three guys get some distance ahead of us. I couldn't help but think that this wasn't some immature bunch of young thugs, the way one might expect in New York - these guys could have been stockbrokers. But they were clearly drunk and aggressive.

If that's not too dick-wavy, R74.

The English: you either meet a member of the nobility or the whitest trash you’ve ever seen. There is nothing in between.

That said, if you want to see boorish, do visit my country or simply witness a couple of Dutch tourists abroad.

R5 Little Island? It's one of the biggest islands in the world. Fail.

That homeless boy in R72 needs a bath and a haircut.

R79 yeah but have you seen his arse like?

^^^...

^^^^.......

R15 Ireland is not England, you fucking moron.

OP took a poll of everyone on the planet and found that everyone hates the British.

Of course, illegal migrants hate Francevsp much they'll risk their lives to get to England rather than file for asylum in France.

Immigrants pour in by the hundred thousands every year.

Absent the pandemic, tourists flood the place every year seeking out that very England that OP so despises and thinks everyone else does, too.

Then there's the extraordinary literary, film, poetry, and arts contributions to the world ...

But, hey, OP, don't let that stop you from seeing 1,000 years of history and culture through your selective lens.

So right, OP!

The place should have given me soooooo much more, but the bastards instead gave me so much less than I deserve!

How does "nobody" feel about, say, China these days?

After all, it's been such a peaceful, progressive place these many millenia . . .

The Germans and Dutch are far worse. Especially the young men, who are downright evil and sadistic.

He meant metaphorically, r78.

The English maybe OP. The Scots, Irish and Welsh are well liked.

R87 why sadistic?

I admit we can be a rowdy bunch, and we don't do under for the Brits when it comes to holding down a drink… but "sadistic"?

At least they are in r87's fevered fantasies.

Lick those jackboots, r87!

hahaha

I have a degree in English lit and I'm very interested in the history and culture of the British Isles, but I'm not raring to get over there and mingle.

This is London in 1996. It is not a distinguished skyline. New York, San Francisco, Sydney, hell, even poor old Toronto, visually, have elements of skyline that pop and are iconic symbols of each city. The only distinction for London is the dome of St. Paul's, which almost doesn't stand out (see photo.)

London was, historically, a city built low to the ground. I love it. It is my favourite city in the world. I love the architecture and character but it is indistinct as an urban skyline, in my view. Which was fine. London is a triumph at street and ground level and I wouldn't have changed a thing. And I'm not arguing the high-rise freak show of the present day is an improvement. It's like kind of like Madonna's taste in clothes... all wrong for a lady of a certain age.

R94 Agreed. One of the things I love about Paris is that all of the skyscrapers are relegated to the business district (La Défense), so that the classic architecture and views of the city centre remain unspoiled.

OP- More important

NO ONE likes BRITISH FOOD 🥘

Fish and chips.

Black pudding.

Haggis.

[quote] NO ONE likes BRITISH FOOD

Not true. I love a good Cornish pasty, a lovely Sunday roast dinner, and toasted crumpets with lots of butter and marmalade. At Christmas, I like a good mince pie as well. Not ALL British food is bad!

That's probably all British food is r98, aside from sausages, pie and mash.

I once stayed in a B&B and the breakfast buffet was most enjoyable. But for lunch and dinner I soon found myself gravitating toward the nearest McDonalds.

R98-Fat Whore that's because you're a FAT WHORE

R75- The English drink JUST AS MUCH as the Irish, perhaps that's why their food is so HORRIBLE. They get FAR MORE excited about the booze they're about to guzzle down than the food that awaits them at a party.

I hate anybody who doesn't like me.

Enough with the bashing. I've traveled a lot and one thing I've noticed is there are assholes everywhere in every country. I do giggle at stereotypes like the next person but no need to get nasty and label everyone of a certain nationality the same.

I dunno, the 8,000 migrants who entered Britain illegally this year so far seem delighted to be amongst the British.

The smile on that big hot looking guy flashing a huge smile and a V for Victory sign two days ago on the shores of Kent seem pretty clear.

Most of us don't eat a diet consisting of haggis and black pudding and fish and chips. Those days were over years ago.

But somehow, like OP, the rest of the world just cannot let go of some English officer out of G&S twirling a white handle-bar stache in his London club as he tucks into fried place and limp leek, all whilst reminiscing about Inja.

Sorry to disappoint you.

Maybe the migrants are more up to date.

R75 Been to Denmark or Russia lately?

They make the Brits look like amateurs.

^^*fried plaice (not place, Jesus this fucking autocorrect needs to dine out more often).

R103, are you o - never mind.

“They tend to be the most friendly, humorous and charming — and in my experience, they are also the least racist of the Europeans.”

The less racist of the Europeans?????? bwahahahaha please, stop the joke!

R98 No please, stop already, British have great things but food is NOT one them!

[quote][R98] No please, stop already, British have great things but food is NOT one them!

Have you never eaten roast beef with horseradish and Yorkshire puddings?

R111 I've tried a lot of things in London and Manchester. Seriously, at the culinary level you are very mediocre. In France and Italy, I can say that I really enjoyed myself. Real gastronomy there. Not in England, not in Scotalnd, not in Ireland. Food is just not your thing. Accept it.

^Scotland

Oh ffs, the big cities are filled with find restaurants of every imaginable culture. There really isn't much left of actual "British food" in Britain any longer.

I've had delicious pub lunches of perfectly cooked roast beef and Yorkshire pudding (on a dank raw London day, nothing better), delicious Indian food, and to be honest, it's the simpler things that linger in the memory, like fresh-baked scones and Devonshire cream.

Is it a renowned innovator of internationally recognised cooking? No. No one will take that away from a place like France.

But, really - Germany, nation of brats and beer, is hardly a standout.

But British metropolises no longer resemble what they did in the 1950s.

The Top Ten Restaurants in London:

Nutshell, Charing Cross

ROVI, FITZROVIA

CAROUSEL, MARYLEBONE

SIX BY NICO, FITZROVIA

KOL, MARYLEBONE

AKOKO, FITZROVIA

Manteca, Soho

Petersham Nurseries, Covent Garden

We don't eat at Lyons Tea Shops any longer. The last one closed in 1981.

Get the fuck off your imaginary high horse and turn the page of history, will you, OP?

Who’s more popular around the world: Americans or the British? Give a reason or two for your answer should you choose to respond.

R114 HAHAHAHA Typically the arrogant British the article is talking about. You all are the only ones loving your food.

The british Isles are heaven and their people are darlings. the men are beautiful and hung, the women are amiable and quirky. The children are like adorable little mischiefs up to no good

I don't understand why the British get so offended when people point out their bad food. Every country has its strengths and food and skyline isn't one of England's. Even the "ethnic" food in England is oddly bland, I ate the worst Chinese food of my life in London. Like mall court bad. I have French relatives who did a year abroad in England who loved it but said, "oh the food was terrible!" in a hushed tone. Bad food is not a big deal.

The food is delicious

R116 I suggest you take some meds or st least a reading comprehension course.

There is little that actually is Britisf food you fucking moron. In case you failed to notice, London is less than half white British these days and multiculti England is filled with foods from across the globe, good, bad, and indifferent

There is no real British food any longer.

You need a fucking psychiatrist. And you sound like you're 12 years old.

When you go to the country you find the most delicious vegetable, zillions sorts of mouth watering meat pies, pastires galore, dairies to die for, cream so thick that you can hardly stick a knife in it,...

there

R120 You must be the “They tend to be the most friendly, humorous and charming — and in my experience, they are also the least racist of the Europeans.”, Aren't you?

I think you missed this part on R118 post, so i'm gonna help you. It said "Even the "ethnic" food in England is oddly bland, I ate the worst Chinese food of my life in London."

I'm drinking your British tears crying because his food is shit. Have a nice evening bitter Rosbeef

and there: This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall, Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands; This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England, This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings, Fear'd by their breed, and famous by their birth, Renowned for their deeds as far from home,

I'm English but have lived around Europe for the last 20 years. English food was appalling growing up, and some of it still is. What is the obsession with "sunday roast" - it's disgusting to me. With so much coastline, it's crazy that they eat so little fish and seafood. Mind, the Dutch cuisine is not much better, although in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven the Chinese and Indonesian food is incredible. Plus, the Dutch supermarkets are pretty good, especially Jumbo and Albert Heijn. Nowadays, the selection of food available in English supermarkets is vast and one can eat really well.

I live in Germany now, local food is dreadful and bland and the supermarkets so badly stocked that I despair on a regular basis. I suppose I should be glad that at least now I can buy potatoes that aren't covered in mud (10 years ago mud was standard). Behold the freezer section with 4 aisles of Dr Oetker frozen pizza. The ethnic restaurants are dreadful as Germans cannot handle spices, absolute slop. The only decent food is in Turkish restaurants but then you can't have a drink in them. There are some decent Asian places in Berlin, I admit.

[quote] I live in Germany now

OMG poor darling you WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ??????

Sloppy, I ask myself that on a regular basis.

Has Britain done anything on a global scale since WW2? Good or bad.

R128 Britain Has solved racism

Meghans the best thing that had happened to the BRF. They will realize it soon enough.

You can't drink in Turkish restaurants in Germany???

I like english food. Im not picky.

R130 = Doria

R131 By Turkish restaurant you mean a Donner or a Kebab right? These are not restaurant honey.

The UK showed it's ass with its over the top UK tabloid racism this year. Targeting Naomi Osaka,Meghan and today Marcus Rashford. The Marcus Rashrord hit article that is coming out today is going to start something. People are already furious and haven't read it. Piers going off on another successful black woman and tag teaming it with Megyn Kelly has just confirmed what his motivation is. Trolling off the charts including death threats logged against the Sussex today. The new legislation trying to be snuck into reality that will jail for 15 years any journalists who embarrasses the UK government. The UK is turning into a fascist state.

I don't know, honey, that's why I'm asking. I can get wine and cocktails at Turkish places here in Houston. I was asking about them in Germany.

Like water off a duck's back! :P

until I had proof recently, I always thought Joan Collins was lying when she was saying that she was a Hollywood star back in the day

In a Western World where committing murder is preferable to offending someone, the White, British, specially the English, are the only country where it's completely acceptable to vent all your pent up bigoted anger without being called a racist. The days where Americans could hang a black person to a tree or a German could wipe out an entire race are long gone (kinda), so where else can people place this anger? Against the only country that doesn't argue back. The Scottish also HATE the English with a passion and want to leave the Union, they didn't mind the Union with it was success and slavery (BTW if Scotland is that bloody woke then name 10 famous Black or Asian Scottish people, I'll wait whilst you google) but take away their right to cheap cigs and booze and they're off, but I digress. As for the British abroad, yeh some can be embarrassing, but at least we go aboard (America...Spring break in Hawaii? Groundbreaking...also google what you did to Hawaii). Also have you been to London? Have you seen how many protests/marches from different countries there are? Have you seen how many people of different colours and nationalities there are? Wow what a terrifyingly repressive country Britain is. "But they left the EU!!!" I hear you screech, yes but lots didn't want to leave and Britain just wanted a little more control, hardly the worst thing in the world, also if anyone has met a French person they would understand why.... I joke, calm down please. Yes Meghan wasn't treated well, and yes at times there seemed an element of racism, but Meghan was treated no different to how the press treated The Duchess of York (who was actually treated worse), or Countess of Wessex (nudes released before wedding, business destroyed) and Meghan was compensated with a wedding and brand to new cottage on the grounds of a castle. People don't like the hear this but Meghan was actually quite popular at first and you can't argue with her beauty, she as stunning addition to the RF. But if you're going to stereotype the British as money grabbing opportunists then they've obviously met Meghan's type before, like come on it's quite obvious to everyone but Harry. As for the British Empire (like the world was having some kind of love circle before hand) it's just SO easy for the unlearned to knock, they don't have to go into the complexities of it, just say something anti British, anti Queen and they are done. No one worries about human trafficking and slavery that happens across the world, the damage China has done/is doing, the growing problems in the middle east - no lets worry and complain about an Empire that's long gone, somehow Britain has got to go on some apology tour for winning battles in a time of eat or be eaten. No one likes the British, so very true, yet somehow the British have got to love everyone else or they are racist. The white British, no matter what they do, will ALWAYS be called racist because no one actually wants them to be anything else, because if the British are racist then that means YOU are not. As a British person I say to you, calm down dear and have a nice cup of tea. Also be brave, take a risk and actually attack some real problems.

R139 you must be exhausted

Everyone hates them because they have no fucking manners and most of them are very ugly.

R141 I haven't met 1 British man IRL who was not beautiful and suckable

Nobody likes the British because they eat Jellied Eels.

Everybody adore the british because they give enormous cocks to eat

I liked the food I had in Britain, but I did find the need to salt everything. It tends to be bland to my tastebuds, but it could be because I’m used to high-salt American food.

I don’t know why Brits get so offended when people say they don’t like British food. Who cares? That leaves more for the fat British whores who love the local cuisine.

R145 Agreed about the salt thing. Not always, but I never add salt in the states, so it's noticeable when you need to. I always opt for a curry when I'm in London because it's some of the best food I've ever had. Even the cheap places do a good one. London's also become sort of a vegan mecca if you're into that.

[quote] I always opt for a curry when I'm in London because it's some of the best food I've ever had. Even the cheap places do a good one.

Agreed, r146. London (and Edinburgh) has some of the best curry I’ve ever tasted. I don’t consider it a classical British dish, but it does seem to have become a British staple.

Are Kiwi fruits still considered middle class at candle light suppers?

This thread is making me hungry for a cheeky Nandos!!

R139 tl;dr apart from your signature.

Queen Mary was “HM”, not “HRH”.

I'm American and Anglophile. I love the British! Let me the count the ways:

London:

To me it is the center of the universe. They have some of the most beautiful restaurants, dining, lounges, and shops in the world. Luxury is true luxury, not cheap American "luxury". You can't fake being rich in London like people do in LA.

Excellent gay night life - they have a ton of nightlife including dance club every day of the week.

UK:

Pubs - there is a sense of community.

Country Pride - I love how everyone is so excited to watch their soccer team, including the PM and the BRF. It was so exciting to see them all rally. I feel like nothing unites Americans anymore - even the Olympics are drama central.

British Grandmothers - They are just amazing. I love a plump British gran who is always "topping up" your glass and trying to feed you.

History

Monarchy

Proximity by air to Europe and cheap but not totally terrible airlines

Decent railway systems and public transportation in cities

NHS/free health care

One other thing I love about the British and I don't mean this as bitchiness. I love their attitude of making the most out of an occasion, even if that is in the gutter drunk. The Brits love to celebrate, they love nothing more than a beach holiday w/ a pub on the sand, they can't be bothered with sun screen - they want a sunburn. The make the most of every second. I think I'm really feeling down on the US right now.

Again, for many of you:

“British” and “English” are not the same thing.

“Britain” does not include Northern Ireland.

“Northern Irish” and “Irish” are not always the same thing. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland is not.

“Scottish” and “Welsh” are technically “British” but usually don’t consider themselves as such. Same for the English, most of the time.

It’s a little tricky understanding the differences but if you are going to weigh in with your opinionfrom across the Atlantic it’s best to at least give the appearance of knowing what you’re talking about.

I love the Queen!

Why would anyone try to memorize something as convoluted as that R153

Because, R155, ignoring it because it’s all too difficult to understand, while at the same time sharing your “wisdom” on the subject, makes you look stupid, clueless and parochial.

If I had difficulty discerning between Washington state and Washington DC, or between Portland Oregon and Portland Maine, or understanding the status of Puerto Rico or the difference between the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, or between American Samoa and Samoa, that’s no big deal. On the other hand if I were to sound off on topics about these places with the excuse that’s it’s all too convoluted, I’d come across as an arrogant person who expects everybody to accommodate my ignorance.

Foreign stuff can be sooo confusing, right?

Who would revel in that ignorance, R155?

R156 Forgot her meds, or maybe not.

I lived in Munich for a while and there were often disgusting drunk British tourists making leery comments at people and being arseholes. They either didn't know or didn't care that a lot of Germans could understand them. My family is half British so I know it doesn't represent Brits in general, but it's the drunk and disorderly tourists responsible for this. I'm in NZ now and the British tourists we get are great, so I think socio-economics plays into some of it too.

Makes me think of the show 'Benidorm'.

If I squat down, I'll piss myself.

Brits act like apes 🦧

R151 I agree with everything you said. I too love England. It has so much rich culture and history which I find quite intriguing.

It’s just fucked up that the travel conditions makes it rather difficult to travel there right now.

As far as the food I simply stick with breakfast or something from Pret à manger and then the rest just Indian food for dinner.

London does have a few lovely restaurants I’ve dined at which were Italian.. La pappardella’s on Earls Court was excellent and Ciccetti’s on Piccadilly Circus was fabulous. So not all of the restaurant’s are bland. You just have to read the reviews before you try it if that helps. I did try a traditional English Pub there once for and I didn’t like it at all. I felt bad because I had to send the entree back for something else and that too wasn’t great I ended up taking it with me and discarding it in the dumpster down the street.

I will say this though the Indian food there is far more superior than the states for sure. It’s more authentic tasting to me.

Other than that I love it and can’t wait to go back.

And one more thing, The Dutch and the Irish can cook. I don’t know what that other poster was talking about but they season their food fantastically IMO.

I'm an American of Irish and Italian descent. I love the British -- the English, the Scots, and the Welsh. I recognize the dirty underbelly of, for instance, liberalism (a particularly British development) -- the exploitation of resources and peoples epitomized by the growth of the second British empire, the racism of that empire (which the English first expressed about the Irish. And...

There are plenty of attitudes and manners of the British that are unlikable: the classist attitudes, unrelenting cynicism, the laddish/racist/sexist behavior exhibited at soccer games, to name a few. But...

What do I admire? Our democratic, judicial, and political traditions have their roots in English and British history. A trial by a jury of our peers did not develop in India, Africa, China, or amongst indigenous populations. And, for better or worse, at least under the British educated middle classes grew in their former colonies. There were plenty of crimes and evils of the Empire, but we should also recognize the positive developments.

You are very kind, R163.

Too kind.

I like how they pronounce Spanish words; in particular ‘tacos’ and ‘Nicaragua.’

TACK-ohs, NEEK-ar-agg-u-ar.

And Pie-ELLAH, made with choreetho the Jamie Oliver way, R166

Aluminum is a tricky one - Al-O-Min-ee-Um and Nike rhythms with bike there.

I hope there is travel to London this Christmas. London is always the hub for travel and I love to stay for a week over the holidays. I'm Nobody does Christmas like the UK. I believe a lot of people get pid monthly there. Everyone blows their paychecks for parties, drinks, dinners, and presents. Everyone is then broke in January until the end of the month, but they go all out in December.

I can't get into Dr. Who though.

The only good thing they have is is this

Do you know why the sun never sets on the British Empire? Because God won't even trust an Englishman in the dark.

We all have a little British in us!

That horsey faced woman stole Glenn's Oscar!!!

We are the most aggressive people on the planet.

r21 I think defining a city by how many skyscrapers it has is very American. London has plenty of tall office buildings but they are concentrated on the Isle of Dogs, like Paris and La Defense. Would you say Paris is a less than impressive city because the office skyscrapers are confined to one area? Fuck no. Dublin, Helsinki and Stockholm have fewer tall buildings than Dallas. Who cares.

1) All nationalities are cunts and dicks. Or, to be fair, have a large number of their populations who behave cuntishly and dickishly. Dreadful Brits, Frenchies, Dutchies, Yankees, Ruskies, BRAZILIANS, Indiastanis, Ozzies, A-rabs and Chinesies have flooded the planet with their shitty behaviors. All of them awful.

2) The whiter the skin, the worse the cuisine. The British Isles, the Dutch, the Germans, the Poles, the Scandies, the Russians....all with pretty dreadful food. Other than simple grilled meats and fried fish and chips they really haven't added much to the world's cuisine. Now, all the Mediterranean countries, they all have good to great food.

3) I think it's more of a question of the British are awful because they either believe that they are posher than they are, or they're dead common trash and each group behaves to the extreme in each case. And, since the US is largely founded by the Brits and strongly influenced by them, even today, we're not much different. The privileged think they're better than they are and the poor are happy to be ignorant and nasty.

Brits were just better organized back then. The British Empire was created off of the back of triangular trade across the Atlantic and then the Industrial Revolution.

Definitely agree, R174.

Americans abroad often have a great defensiveness coupled with a need to rate everything against against what they know back home.

It's natural to make observations and to consider the similarities and differences one place to another, it's all but inherent in travel. But Americans make everything a contest of "who wore it better?" No observation, it seems, can be made without keeping score, and announcing it loudly,

And Americans like their foreign experiences quaint, cozy little shops, thatched roof crofters' cottages, jolly looking peasanty-looking people pulling pints, serving paella, selling wooden fucking shoes. I think in that sense it provides them with a cozier sort of comparison and feeling of superiority. When it's young, attractive people working at a modern hotel, the staff must be made a bit mean or, worse, a bit snobby. Americans like to feel superior, but any imagined whiff of the same from someone with an accent...that's the worst of perceived crimes. When it's modern things -- plumbing, architecture, fast food, hotel rooms, bottled drink sizes, tall buildings -- everything is always bigger and better in Texas.

A little bit of this is easily forgiven but it's so easily overheard all the time. People who travel naturally draw comparisons. Americans who travel spend their trips telling themselves they would have been better off staying at home.

There always comparing because the Americans are so insecure about themselves.

Stick them in a country where English isn't really spoken and they go to pot. They're like ducks out of water.

[quote] And Americans like their foreign experiences quaint, cozy little shops, thatched roof crofters' cottages, jolly looking peasanty-looking people pulling pints, serving paella, selling wooden fucking shoes

We do like these things because they are so different and special from what we have at home. Americans travel to have unique experiences. Otherwise we can see the same old same old in every state in the US. Nothing is different except the varying shades of trash here.

I don't know if "better organized" is the reason why the Brits grew to dominate the world for 200 years....maybe it helped. They had a strong and competitive merchant class that grew into power and they were certainly good at making a profit. Britain also had the advantage of having a very strong navy. And, probably most importantly, as an island that was mostly safe from invasion, Britain didn't get drawn into endless continental squabbles like France who also had a competitive merchant class but not as strong of a navy.

France also had its own internal squabbles and regime changes to deal with. The British had their main internal issues in the 17th century and from George the First on they had little internal strife to deal with, or at least not to the extent that France had in the 18th and 19th centuries.

British naval power, robust commercial interests, stable governments, the Industrial Revolution and capitalism/the rise of the middle class were all on their side in their quest to "take over the world".

I think we can all agree that NOBODY likes the French.

Oh I adore the French

[quote] Aluminum is a tricky one - Al-O-Min-ee-Um and Nike rhythms with bike there.

I like how they pronounce (correctly) Adidas. It’s “AHH-dee-dahs,” not “ah-DEE-duhs” as Americans say.

[quote] I hope there is travel to London this Christmas. London is always the hub for travel and I love to stay for a week over the holidays. Nobody does Christmas like the UK.

Nobody? Have you never been to Germany or Austria during Christmas, r168? Good luck spending the holidays in England if you’re from a country on the red list.

[quote] Quite interesting the idea that those wanting to makes a point about racism in football would want Italy, where week-in, week-out the crowds at some of the top league games engage in racist incidents last seen in the U.K. in the 1980s and widely condemned then, to beat England…

Chip on the shoulder, much?

[quote] Oh dear no [R49], the point was to defend the idea that the U.K. is meant to be particularly bad. Whereas it’s just like everywhere else. Surfside is the U.S. Grenfell by all means. Like I say, no better, all Western nations have problems, all are still great places to live compared to the other options…

… ie. you wrote a stealth “muzzie” bashing post.

[quote] Chip on the shoulder, much?

Or as the Brits say ‘crisp on the shoulder.’

“Go home to your ugly wives!”

[quote]Definitely ugly and fat compared to Swedish women, that’s a fact that Brits have to concede and do. But not compared to Americans, [R59].

No, I would consider the average “beautiful American woman” more attractive to the average “beautiful English woman”.

So would most of the world R188. Americans are no match for the Swedes but anyone can beat a Brit in the looks department.

The English seem to be a race genetically disposed to possessing weak chins. The charm of their accents however makes up for this unfortunately widespread deficiency of mental prominence.

My high school science and chemistry teachers would give us shit if we said "aluminum".

American here who has traveled to Britain many times and had a few work assignments in London that lasted for several months and I have to say I love Brits and I love London and the West Country (I am not familiar with other parts of England). Maybe it's because I'm a native New Englander and New England is as culturally similar to Britain as you can get in the US. We still have lots of vestigial British traits in New England.

I've noticed that Americans who have a hard time in Britain and dislike it the most tend to be from the West Coast.

[quote] All Western nations have their flaws but they’re paradise compared to most of the planet.

Absolutely true.

Right now, no one is more despised than the Shithole Chinese. Despicable, deplorable, contemptible China.

The Chinese are fucking animals.

[quote] The Chinese are fucking animals.

Not so, but they seem to enjoying eating every and all kinds of them.

R192 Yes, and accordingly a large number of cities and towns in New England are named after English cities and towns.

[quote] The English seem to be a race genetically disposed to possessing weak chins. The charm of their accents however makes up for this unfortunately widespread deficiency of mental prominence.

I worked with a Geordie and a Brummie on a 10 week project. That killed all mystique of “charming English accents”.

Yes, nobody like the English - especially in sports.

However, the English dgaf whether you like them or not. And I like that about them.

The English have some of the biggest chips on their shoulders when they are even slightly criticized. They very much DO care what people think of them.

Almost as big as the chips on American shoulders, R200.

It doesn't matter R201. The idea that the English don't care if you like them is false.

R5, you know the countries that regularly top happiest country lists? Norway, Iceland, Finland…cold and dark for much of the year. Tahiti, the Maldives, Fiji, don’t feature. Weather means diddly. And posters are so frigging ignorant to keep using English and British as synonyms. They aren’t. And there isn’t a ‘British accent’.

Well r203, Finland has higher rates of depression, suicide and drug and alcohol abuse than the EU average, but they have good schools.

Can a country simultaneously have the highest happiness AND depression rates? Not sure how it's measured

[quote] And there isn’t a ‘British accent’.

There really isn’t even an English accent as the regions all sound quite different. It’s just easier to generalize. Brits often talk about an American accent when there isn’t one of those, either.

These are the people who eat beer offal called Marmite.

R207 It's kinda good, though, in some weird, sick way.

[quote] I once observed to an Englishman - not a born or even resident Londoner - that compared to many cities the skyline of London was not distinguished, in that it had so few high rise towers dominating. (No disrespect to the dome of St. Paul's.) He turned bright red, the charm dropped, and he snarled: There's a fuck of a lot history here, mate. They are a touchy, odd lot, especially when they're drunk.

That’s the thing, r21. You can’t have a conversation about something distinct, like London architecture, before they get offended, attempt to lecture you about the history of St Paul’s or claim that they’re not as fat as Americans.