Funny Stereotypes: how foreigners see the British

Quite old-fashioned stereotypes aren’t they? Some may be true, some are ludicrous indeed. If I’m positive that never in a billion years would the typical British refuse a drink and generally wouldn’t care about what people think of their attire, (positive trait if compared to the Italian overly obsession for image, clothes and good looks), I must object they are fairly good travelers and I met more than a few speaking at least one additional language other than English. Most important, some British people I know decided to move to warmer countries, leave the UK to relocate to Australia/New Zeland or simply left their comfort zone to travel without deadline. Blame the European crisis, the impossible cost of housing or simply the British weather, they are becoming top travellers.

Finally, as the British stereotypes above mention dusty houses, it mustn’t be a coincidence that most British people I met hosted me in spotlessly CLEAN houses and requested you to take your shoes off when getting in.

Maybe these stereotypes are pure fabrication? Maybe foreigners simply tend to mix the British with the melting pot of cultures you can find in cities like London, where 85% are expats?

Let’s now take a look at the most common stereotypes about the British,  still firmly engraved in people’s minds and see if there is still an ounce of truth in them. These are my humble opinions and by all means you are most welcome to share your point of view or contradict me if you wish.

The British Love Tea, Especially in the Afternoon: Fact

A minority claims to prefer coffee, bur most British do love a cup of tea (or 15) a day, mostly accompanied with milk/cream/scones.

The British love queuing: Fact

It’s truly a lovely habit. It gives a sense of order and respect. If you go to Britain and see people trying to jump a queue, or standing on the left side of the tube blocking the passage to those in a haste, they are likely to be from other cultures where the concept of queuing is sort of not well defined…Having said that, I’VE ALSO SEEN THIS.

British love binge drinking on a Friday night: Fact

And on Saturday too…the Irish and the British tend to have a remarkable drinking culture which interests both men and women. I  think I met just one British teetotal in all my life.

The British All Have Pale Skin: Myth/Fact

What can exactly be defined by “British” nowadays? If you are referring to the typical Celtic, by all means it’s true. On the other hand Great Britain is such a mixture of ethnic groups that one may wonder how many British have real Celtic or Anglo-Saxon origins nowadays….

All British Have Bad Teeth: Fiction

Not sure where this comes from…..

The British carry an umbrella all the time: Fiction.

On the contrary, rain is mainly drizzle most of the time, so British people don’t usually bother carrying one. Besides, the weather in Great Britain is so unpredictable that opening and closing an umbrella may be deemed a waste of time. If you see people in Britain carrying an umbrella all the time, they are likely to be Italians, Greeks, Spanish….Portuguese….

It Rains Every Day: Fiction (Mostly)

It really doesn’t rain every day in the U.K., though it is possible to experience four seasons in one day; on the other hand there’s not really a distinction among the seasons as it happens in Southern Europe, at least not over the last decade.

The British Love Talking About the Weather: Fact

It is not just a conversation starter but actually the most loved topic.

Everyone in Britain has a plummy accent and talks like the Queen: Myth

There are hundreds of distinctive regional accents across the UK and Standard English is itself a synthetic language amalgamated from elements of regional languages.

British businessmen wear bowler hats, pin striped suites, a newspaper under the arm and carry a long unopened umbrella :Myth

Maybe politics wear that attire?? If you see a commoner dressed like that, he’s likely to be Italian.

All British people hate other nationalities: Fact/Myth

British people like to think they were once rulers of the world, so some of this quest for global notoriety still lingers up until the present day. However, nowadays most of the comments made about other nations are meant in jest.

Most British people live in London : Myth

84% of the British don’t live in the capital. London is mostly a city of immigrants and a melting-pot of cultures with large Italian, Polish, French, Spanish, Indian, Greek communities to name just a few. So if your aim is to go to London to learn proper English, maybe it’s not the brightest idea..

British are reserved: Myth

They are not cold, only generally a bit more reserved if compared to the standard southern European. Having said that, I met many more gregarious and sunny people in the UK than in the Veneto region in northern Italy where it may be difficult to know your own neighbor and where everyone minds their own business.

In Great Britain the food is awful: Fact/Myth

True. Supermarkets do not offer the variety of healthy-looking and cheap food you find in Italy…. and yes, the British tend to enclose in their diet of quite a lot of what is generally considered junk food. Restaurants, however, offer a wide choice of worldwide cuisine and real British cooking is not that bad after all. Only generally fatter than the Mediterranean cuisine.