The other day I read this line in a travel blog from someone who has just moved to England: “Before I went to England I thought that they had the worst food in Europe. Because that’s what everyone always says.” Who started this rumour? This may actually annoy me more than the whole ‘London is the only city in England worth visiting’ ridiculousness.
I know we all do it. We stereotype without even really realising we are doing it. From an early age we judge people and places on first impressions or from tales passed down to us by others. No matter how hard we try to fight against them, we do unfortunately sometimes discover them to be true.
Maybe I have been oblivious to it for so long, but it has only really been in the last year or so that I have realised how many misconceptions people have about England, the people who live here, the culture and the food. I actually found it quite shocking. And yet, if I was to be brutally honest with myself, I have done it with other countries in the past and I feel ashamed for that.
If you are thinking of coming to England and are worried about brushing up on your Queen’s English because you won’t be able to understand anyone, then push your fears aside and read my guide to some of the most inaccurate English stereotypes.
• We don’t all drink tea – Coffee is actually the most popular drink in England these days, probably due to the many chains of coffee shops up and down the country. However, we DO all love a good brew when times are tough. That’s why you’ll always hear people on the TV say “Let’s put the kettle on, shall we?” when someone’s just died. Trust me, it actually works. (OK, maybe not when someone’s died, but it does make you feel a little better.)
• We don’t all know the Queen or are related to her – This actually makes me laugh and I’ll admit I have told people in the past that I am a member of the Royal Family just to see their awed reaction.
 |
• We don’t just eat fish and chips – OK, I’ll admit it, I pretty much do just eat fish and chips. I can’t get enough of them and always miss them when I’m abroad. BUT (and here’s the kicker) I despise bad fish and chips. So if you visit England please get a local’s recommendation of somewhere to go to eat them. Otherwise you will regret it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. In addition to fish and chips, however, curry is actually the most popular meal in England, but you can find every type of international and local cuisine here, from local cafes to Michelin-starred restaurants. And no-one does good pub grub like England.
 |
• When we say something sarcastic, do not take us literally – This is quite a big one when it comes to communicating with foreigners, I have found. I will regularly say “You’re joking!” (Note the exclamation point, this isn’t a question) which will be responded to with “No. I’m totally serious.” There are so many of these types of scenarios that I’m not going to list them all here, but I will say this – always assume that everything an English person says to you is sarcastic or cheeky in some way or another, that way you’ll always be prepared.
• We don’t drink warm beer – Maybe some people do, when they have forgotten to put it in the fridge and someone has died and they have no kettle. But apart from that, no. Just no.
 |
• It doesn’t rain all the time – Trust me on this one. I’m from Manchester, we know what rain is. We get at least three dry days a year, so there.
• British culture is not light years behind the US – A lot of popular singers, comedians and TV programmes in the US actually started life in the UK, whilst our music scene is probably one of the best in the world, particularly when it comes to independent music and local artists. Unfortunately our TV shows don’t always translate very well once they have been picked up by producers across the pond, the recent Inbetweeners movie was an example of this. And don’t even get me started on Shameless….
Anyway, enough of this list-making, it’s making me hungry. I’m off to eat some fish and chips while I talk to my Gaffer on the dog and bone and listen to my Wham cassettes. Toodles, darlings!
Photo credits: buckingham palace, fish and chips, beer
Leave a Reply