What do other nationalities think of the British

[Baggingarea]

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.

Am irish and always loved the British and Britain in general, always thought you were a very integrated country compared to irish, really multicultural. I was shocked and Brexit, and even more so with covid, but now seeing what we're like this time around I think we're both making the same mistakes

Yes @lazyfecker our fish has been outstanding lately. There was an article on our local news last night about the impact of Covid on the fishing industry- another casualty it seems which is sad. Ironically we have been awash with doorstep deliveries here because so many of the restaurants and hotels have not been ordering the quantities they used to so the fish markets have been selling direct to the public. We had some John Dory in our last box - felt v upmarket

I assume supermarkets have fish counters for a laugh then and are just throwing thousands of pounds away every day.

Ugly and small houses..

Poor hygiene ! Where I come from places like the bathroom and kitchen get cleaned with a proper bucket splashing water and drainage so dirty water comes off. Mopping is for the days when ur not bothered to clean properly.

Very cold and spiky unless you get to know the person.. but very lacking in community spirit (I suspect more so in cities).

Nice sense of diversity and appreciation of other cultures however all within the condition that a sense of superiority is maintained. Snobbery

Terrible food. Vegetables that taste of water and chicken that tastes rotten and meat that tastes like plastic.

Intellectual and critical thinkers. But pretty stubborn about certain concepts that have cultural significance even if they make no sense.

And intimidating style of conversation that deliberately pushes you out

I meant ugly houses.

The people are fine. Just not the houses. It’s shocking how small the rooms are and how unimaginative the exteriors are.

Nice greenery though.

And it says a lot about people that they see signs of poverty as an excuse to despise some people.

Tollergirl, I had hoped that our commonalities were greater than our differences and that we were akin to old friends who had drifted apart but still had mutual respect and fondness for each other. I now realise that I was totally deluded

I have a sneaky suspicion that several of the more negative posts here are from expat brits.

What people type on the keyboard and say to someone's face is luckily two different things, suppose they get carried away.

I admit, I haven't warmed to brits since hearing what has been said by brexiteers about other eu countries, but I like you lot anyway .

What makes me cross about the Brexit thing is that half the country didn’t bloody want it! So all those people from foreign shores feeling negative towards us for not wanting to be friends anymore (& quite rightly as it’s a crap and shortsighted move) also would do well to bear this stat in mind.

I didn’t vote for Brexit; nor did half the country so we’re not all of the same thinking.

I'm British but currently living abroad.

This thread has made me feel terrible.

Thanks @giantangryrooster - nice to know we have one lone friend out there

Where are you from @Temporary1234?

I have just realised that pretty much spent the whole afternoon on MN so must get my wide backed ugly dirty uneducated ignorant superior self off the sofa and spend some time with my lovely hairy dog whilst drinking a large cup of British tea. Oh to be in England

my wide backed ugly dirty uneducated ignorant superior self off the sofa
Pics please, I'm imagining knuckle-dragging, empty eyed inbred beauty 🤣.

Ugly and small houses

Many are, and many aren't

Poor hygiene ! Where I come from places like the bathroom and kitchen get cleaned with a proper bucket splashing water and drainage so dirty water comes off. Mopping is for the days when ur not bothered to clean properly

You are talking utter bollocks

Very cold and spiky unless you get to know the person.. but very lacking in community spirit (I suspect more so in cities)

The community spirit is very much alive and kicking in my part of the world, and the people are friendly. We do a lot of walking, and complete strangers always say hello to each other. It is considered rude not to.

Nice sense of diversity and appreciation of other cultures however all within the condition that a sense of superiority is maintained. Snobbery

Speak for yourself

Terrible food. Vegetables that taste of water and chicken that tastes rotten and meat that tastes like plastic

Where are you buying your vegetables and chicken from? I buy my vegetables from a local farm where they have been freshly picked that morning, and free range chicken. You really are showing your ignorance here

Intellectual and critical thinkers. But pretty stubborn about certain concepts that have cultural significance even if they make no sense.

I can't disagree with this

And intimidating style of conversation that deliberately pushes you out

You are mixing with the wrong people.

Now, can you tell me where you are from @Temporary1234

......... tumbleweed.

@Figsandcream

......... tumbleweed.

Eden. Temp1234 is obviously living in Eden.

I deliberately downsized to have a small house with my husband - it is 300 years old - why on earth would we want a house bigger than we need?

that is not eco friendly Especially when we are so populated in Britain - we would pay more council tax and it would cost more to heat - completely unnecessary!

@Tollergirl

Yes *@lazyfecker* our fish has been outstanding lately. There was an article on our local news last night about the impact of Covid on the fishing industry- another casualty it seems which is sad. Ironically we have been awash with doorstep deliveries here because so many of the restaurants and hotels have not been ordering the quantities they used to so the fish markets have been selling direct to the public. We had some John Dory in our last box - felt v upmarket

We are going to be so clever with all that brain food

@zatarontoast

Oh yes and part of the lack of hygiene comes down to not washing are meat/chicken prior to cooking it. We use salt, flour and lemon juice.

the Food Standards Agency said poultry should not be washed before cooking. this was a few years ago, and there was a big hoo-haa about it. apparently, salmonella etc are spread all over the places by splashings during washing/rinsing. i believe it used to be done by careful dunking in various buckets, eg salt/vinegar water then clean water. not seen now.

Isn't the practice of washing meat more prevalent in countries with very lax food hygiene standards?

I’ve had a few non Brora as friends over the years.
Things they’ve said about their time in U.K:

• tv is the focus of living rooms
• smell of dairy
• suspicion of medicalisation
• obsessed with having lawns in their gardens
• obsessed with living in tiny houses rather than large flats
• too lenient with kids (eg not slapping!!)
• go to school too early/uniforms
• boarding schools
• the abundance of private schools
• buy cheap fast fashion rather than quality pieces
• weird preference for manual cars
• don’t value education
• expect the government to provide- an Asian friend was horrified that claiming benefits wasn’t seen as shameful.
• obsessed with supermarkets
• strangely ashamed of their flag
• perplexed that our cafes done stay open in the evening to serve alcohol
• young women fixated on having very long hair

You can't slap the kids, have you ever witnessed a thread on mumsnet about this

Obsessed?

I live where I live

I shop where's convenient

My gardens is my garden

Hardly obsessed

Those are interesting @Sarahandduck18

These ae the type of cultural differences that are a good point of discussion because they aren't rude.

Not sure what you mean by non Brora unless it is a typo.

The point about education is incorrect. We don't hothouse our children the way they do in the far East, so I assume your friends are from there?

Brora the woolly shop?

@TableFlowerss your attitude is typical of brexiters - everything about the UK is fabulous. Posters are talking about the british empire because we are in britain. can you tell me what fabulous things the UK did for the people outside britain? my family is from Jamaica and is black, what did you do for us - apart from stealing our very identities and then breaking our backs?

The UK was well respected in the EU as a country that could stand up to France and Germany.

As for criticism of this country by other europeans, I have heard english people say that the spanish/greeks should not have been allowed to join the EU as they are backward and lazy, spending all afternoon asleep, not industrious like the northern europeans. the stereotypes and criticism goes both ways.