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What do other nationalities think of the British

999 replies

Baggingarea · 28/10/2020 19:06

For non UK MNers, what are your general impressions of the British?

I was watching a documentary recently and a Spanish man said our houses are all dirty. I'd never heard that before but can see why someone might think that with muddy weather etc etc.

What do you think about us? Promise I won't be offended (no racism/sexism/general bigotry though please). Can't vouch for others though.

OP posts:
likeamillpond · 29/10/2020 13:33

Ts obvious.
Washing up bowls help prevent chipping the crockery, which can happen if it accidentally bumps into the hard sides of the sink.

BigBumSmallKnockers · 29/10/2020 13:38

I always used to wash meat, including mince!, as did everyone I know, until we were advised not to due to the risk of bacteria being sprayed around the sink and the fact that over here, meat is packaged in a sterile environment.

Maybe that’s not the same in other countries?

NoIdea1234 · 29/10/2020 13:39

I am French and I would say most people I know think quite highly of the Brits (or the ‘English’, as French people call anyone who lives in the U.K. aka ‘England’. If you’re Welsh you are ‘English’ and live in ‘England’...).

Things French people don’t understand:

  • Brexit and Boris Johnson
  • not always eating meals as a family, ie everyone making different sandwiches etc for lunch and not eating together.
  • eating dinner really early, again not as a whole family, and the kids going to bed so early. Dinner at 5 and bed at 6:30, everyone thinks I’m joking.
  • carpet in the house, especially downstairs.
  • two taps in the sink (although it’s less and less common).

People also think the Brits all:

  • eat boiled meat with mint sauce.
  • don’t eat much veg or fruit as it’s not available (!). I’ve been told that by university educated people...
  • don’t have clean houses.
  • don’t have table manners.

So basically a lot of food related clichés!

Goldenbear · 29/10/2020 13:54

English eat lots of veg in my Mum's and Grandma's generation as they would grow it and we have allotments for a reason- that is not to say it tastes interesting. We had loads of veg every night, just boiled or steamed but I can't remember a meal without veg.

mylittleyumyum · 29/10/2020 13:56

Easily offended!

bananaskinsnomnom · 29/10/2020 14:02

I’m English (maybe one tenth Welsh!) I’m not finding this thread offensive, I’m finding it quite funny! Some of the stereotypes do make me chuckle, like how much tea we drink (I’ve had three cups today), everyone thinking we have High Tea everyday (I wish), the queuing, talking about the weather, queuing to complain about the foreigners who can’t queue.....
Some of them I’m finding quite baffling! The dirty house one (I’m feeling quite offended Grin) - never heard that before!

I spent two years in America in total (two summers for a summer camp and about 18months after graduating) and a term of my uni degree in Germany. I realised some stereotypes are not far off the button, some I can’t explain and learnt about the stereotypes of these two countries as well!

The Americans in general loved my accent! Always thought I was so posh (I’m really not). Many definitely thought I had High Tea every day and several would ask about the Royal Family and had I met the queen. British people (from those I met) were perceived to be well off, posh, went to Oxbridge and drank a lot at the pub on a daily basis.
I was there when Obama was doing the healthcare reforms and this is where my life got interesting. I was in a liberal state so they were largely pro the changes but worked on possible tax hikes. In the opinion of many, at least half my income in England went “straight back to the government”, and while many wanted healthcare reforms they didn’t want to pay much tax at all. My opinion of the NHS was asked a lot. It was presented on American TV as the face of all evil, run by the devil himself and controlled by government, in that the Prime Minister would receive a list of all treatments needed and make his choice of who got it. All NHS hospital ward photos were basically from war times when the beds were a foot apart and 100 people shared a ward. An interesting interpretation. Several people were shocked that I am in fact a cancer survivor (how could that NHS have saved my life?!) and they all asked about my teeth! I told them the truth - don’t judge the whole system on one persons experience. There is good and bad within the NHS but the fundamental is that everyone can access healthcare. And I remember saying the American Healthcare is amazing - if you can afford it.
Now obviously I’m older and more experienced with life I still get very defensive of the NHS (so I probably meet a stereotype there) but recognise the faults and know it’s far from perfect and would be supportive of a more European style insurance system where we can all still have access. I’m very Anti - American healthcare system - not the actual care, the system.

I also find the “not well travelled” comment of the British quite interesting - considering how many Brits go abroad for Gap years, the amount of people who are upset at missing their foreign holiday this year, the cheap flights to Europe, schools doing lots of overseas residential trips....I’m just rather surprised that’s how many see us! I would apply that to how I see Americans (and from my time there that hasn’t really changed!)

The sexual comments - omg! I haven’t had that said to me but agree as a nation we are prudes - I refer to something as simple as communal changing! On holidays overseas, you can tell who the British are! European women on beaches just stripping off to change, the Brits are wriggling under their towels! Communal changing areas - I remember at a famous Lagoon, women were stripping off and strolling round the changing rooms naked and showering in front of all - British women were queuing for the cubicals (myself included). British spas always have the showers private, Europeans ones are always free and open! We are prudes GrinGrin

Likewise in Germany (I was in a school) I remember teachers just dropping their trousers and changing for PE in front of everyone in the staff room - bet ya bottom dollar that would not happen here!

The Germans I met found it funny how hard we try to speak languages but how terrible we are - we don’t learn useful vocabulary at school! Learning how to describe what’s in your pencil case for your oral exam gets us nowhere! They also said we are always late for everything - Probably true, everything in Germany ran to timetable. Train at 1pm? That’s when it’s pulling out of the station, not when it arrives. Everything was bang on in Germany. But they found it hilarious when I said about all of them owning some Lederhosen and eating schnitzel and pretzels everyday.

Anyway, one thing I have learnt over the years is that we all laugh at every countries leadership but most people understand that not all British voted for the current power or Brexit.

AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken · 29/10/2020 14:03

@mylittleyumyum

Easily offended!
HOW DARE YOU!
Figsandcream · 29/10/2020 14:03

Yeah, easily offended. Who could possibly take offence at being called ugly, fat, dirty , shitty arsed, having dirty unsanitary homes, having low intelligence, drunk all the time and that greatest of sins having two taps instead of a mixer tap ? So easily offended.

FatimaMunchy · 29/10/2020 14:09

My German neighbour finds it a lot more relaxed here than in Germany, which she likes.

Emmmie · 29/10/2020 14:14

I am not English but I don't see the point of this thread. It seems rather hurtful.🤷🏻‍♀️

rorosemary · 29/10/2020 14:15

@Figsandcream

Yeah, easily offended. Who could possibly take offence at being called ugly, fat, dirty , shitty arsed, having dirty unsanitary homes, having low intelligence, drunk all the time and that greatest of sins having two taps instead of a mixer tap ? So easily offended.
And now list all the positive things on this thread. You might be surprised at how much longer that list is.
peanut2017 · 29/10/2020 14:17

I'm Irish - 2 sisters live in the UK so know it quite well.

For me the following is my experience:

Often very loud when on holidays in Ireland- quite aggressive when drinking and sometimes an arrogance about some people when abroad. Irish people are very sensitive to this due to our past history

Great sense of humour

In parts some people are obsessed with class, schools and universities

Always loved British TV when growing up as in Ireland it was and still can be crap

From watching shows like Top of the pops we thought everyone in the Uk were very cultured and cool

The saddest thing for me is that we have had such a close but chequered past but most people in the UK don't know anything about this. We learn more about your history nearly than our own but it's not reciprocated. Brexit really highlighted this to people in Ireland and how much people don't know about Northern Ireland and the good Friday agreement

Think there is a big difference in perception between London and the rest of the UK. London is a world of its own and I would perceive people in northern England as more friendly

Never heard anything about dirty houses before that's a new one to me

Better roads than we have / had in Ireland

More work opportunities

Perception that people keep to themselves more than in Ireland

LucilleBluth · 29/10/2020 14:19

Lots of outdated stuff on this thread me thinks. Carpet in bathrooms, I’m 40 soon and I’ve never seen it. Bad food, maybe 30 years ago.

Ugly women and unclean houses is misogyny pure and simple. Most women work full time and have better things to do than scrub their front steps and bleach their nets (see, very old fashioned stereotypes).

We are moaners and we’re not very friendly. We lived in Toronto for six years and I’ve traveled all over the world. Everywhere has its good and bad.

ghostmous3 · 29/10/2020 14:25

Not so much bash a brit but bash the english eh

Pisses me off. If someone or someone english bashed the Scottish or welsh then there would be uproar wouldnt there and youd all be screaming racist ffs

I'm English living in wales. I've been called English bitch. Fuck off home to england. You're not welcome here..mindful of the fact I've welsh children and dp is welsh

Horrible. Oh and I have a Scottish friend..her house is absolutely boggin 🤣

ghostmous3 · 29/10/2020 14:28

My opinion of the welsh? Lovely country. Horrible, racist, uneducated and backward thinking people

Except I dont think this. Not really. Because I know that's just a stereotype based on my experience.

But hopefully you can see how I perhaps might come to that conclusion when I've had such negative experiences

MessAllOver · 29/10/2020 14:29

Actually, I'm not that offended by this thread. Given the collective insanity in which this country has been indulging for the past few years, many of the comments are a lot kinder than I would expect.

Some apply more to specific sectors of British society than others. If you're Spanish and you live in prime budget "sand, sea and booze" holiday destination territory for young Brits who trash and vomit over your streets in holiday season, you're going to have a different (and much more negative) view than others might. Similarly, large sections of our population do have issues with obesity and poor diet... What is completely obvious to anyone who looks, however, is that this ties in to a large extent with poverty, social deprivation and lack of access to activities and safe open space. Taking the bus around south London (where wealth and poverty live side-by-side perhaps more so than in other areas of the country) shows you this. We do have a cultural issue with drinking too much in all sections of society, though.

Baggingarea · 29/10/2020 14:35

@mylittleyumyum

Easily offended!
I just choked on my boiled meat and mint sauce at this.
OP posts:
NoIdea1234 · 29/10/2020 14:37

I just want to say I don’t personally believe these stereotypes are true - this is a lighthearted thread asking what people abroad think about the Brits. I’m just saying what I’ve heard in France. I’ve lived here for years and my husband is British.

Poppingnostopping · 29/10/2020 14:37

This thread has made me fancy a roast with mint sauce. Especially in this weather.

Baggingarea · 29/10/2020 14:40

@NoIdea1234

I just want to say I don’t personally believe these stereotypes are true - this is a lighthearted thread asking what people abroad think about the Brits. I’m just saying what I’ve heard in France. I’ve lived here for years and my husband is British.
I'm finding all the responses really interesting and of course taking it all with a pinch of salt!

If you can't laugh at yourself etc etc!

OP posts:
bananaskinsnomnom · 29/10/2020 14:41

Oh yes! I may do a classic English roast in honour of the stereotype tonight @Poppingnostopping

If fish and chips is our stereotype meal, no wonder people think all our food is unhealthy!

XylophoneXavier · 29/10/2020 14:51

It's the contradictions that make the stereotypes so odd.

Women are apparently "easy" and "slutty" while simultaneously being prudes who are squeamish about penises. Confused

lazyfecker · 29/10/2020 14:52

I also don't see why the Scots are seen as better than the English. If this stems from colonialism, the Scots were just as involved as the English. Maybe people abroad shouldn't form all their opinions about us by watching Outlander

Yeah, don't understand that either speaking as a Scot.

lazyfecker · 29/10/2020 14:56

I am Scottish and some of the happiest years of my life were spent living in England. Didn't want to leave but did for various reasons. Took an English DH back with me though Grin

Twinkie01 · 29/10/2020 14:57

I find the teeth thing hilarious. All of my friends have lovely teeth and are v hot on dental hygiene, when one of them started dating an Irishman we were all very interested in his teeth 'Irish teeth' are a thing apparently. Everyone did a thing with their hands which made their fingers look like crowded wonky teeth.

My french relatives are filthy, don't bathe or shower every day and their house is so unclean that I refuse to visit anymore, well that and the lack of clean public toilets and the dog poo everywhere. (And they're arseholes!) I even remember a good 30 years ago being warned not to inflict bathing everyday on our french exchange student, I didn't nor did my parents but by god he stank!

Italians too, what is it with the lack of toilet seats?? Is there a shortage?