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[Kate]

I found this list of traits that make us British.

Do you think these traits will 'die' due to immigration?

Or will the traits be adopted by the 'new British'?

Have any of the traits already died?

Should we all adopt the ways of new cultures?

Will you be sad to see any of these traits lost?

What do you think?

TOP 50 TYPICALLY ENGLISH TRAITS
1.    A love of pubs
2.    Love of Sunday Roast
3.    Talking about the weather
4.    A soothing cup of tea to ease worries
5.    A stiff upper lip
6.    Moaning
7.    Queuing
8.    Watching soaps
9.    DIY on a Bank Holiday
10.    Eating meat and two veg
11.    Saying sorry
12.    Enjoying satire and wit
13.    Sarcasm
14.    Irony
15.    Not wanting to ‘make a fuss’
16.    A love of bargains
17.    Gossiping with neighbours over the garden fence
18.    Obsession with traffic
19.    Inability to complain
20.    A love of curtain twitching
21.    Starting the day with a fry up
22.    Washing the car on a Sunday
23.    The ability to laugh at ourselves
24.    Reading a newspaper
25.    Clever sense of humour
26.    Being overly polite
27.    Love of the package holiday
28.    Wanting a good tan
29.    Working long hours
30.    Taking the mickey out of others
31.    Pandering to political correctness
32.    Being unhappy with our weight
33.    Being proud of where we live
34.    Obsession with pets
35.    Obsession with celebrity culture
36.    Feeling uncomfortable when people talk about their emotions
37.    Asking people about their journey
38.    Fondness for mowing the lawn
39.    Looking uncomfortable on the dance floor
40.    Leaving things to the last minute
41.    An inability to express our emotions
42.    Wanting our sportsmen / teams to fail
43.    Obsession with the Royal Family
44.    Love of rambling in the countryside
45.    Down-to-earth
46.    Keeping our homes neat and tidy
47.    Achieving against all odds
48.    Punctuality
49.    Being softly spoken
50.    Grounded

[Nickbat]

With the exception of 31, I'd pretty much agree with most of those, Kate! 

[ronnyd]

Can,t see anything wrong with that list Kate, long may we be allowed to continue with it too.

[cleggy]

4, 31 and 34 can disappear for me, can't stand tea and as for PC it should be banned along with celebrities
OH and 22 is a job for the Kozovans

[Sir Tigger KC]

4, 31 and 34 can disappear for me, can't stand tea and as for PC it should be banned along with celebrities
OH and 22 is a job for the Kozovans Romanians and Bulgarians

Fixed that for you Cleggy!

[Kate]

I've just realised that there is something obvious missing from the list!

[Kevin Wood]

With the exception of 31, I'd pretty much agree with most of those, Kate! 

I agree. We seem to have sleepwalked into thinking that's a British trait.

[Kate]

Fish and chips isn't there is it?

[Gaffers]

Fish and chips isn't there is it?

I have questions as to whether it is uniquely British.  Some parts of the Netherlands and NW Germany also eat batter-fried white fish....as a delicacy.  The question is who introduced it first....

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Fish and chips isn't there is it?

I have questions as to whether it is uniquely British.  Some parts of the Netherlands and NW Germany also eat batter-fried white fish....as a delicacy. The question is who introduced it first....

History books record it was Jewish immigrants in around the 17th century.

It just goes to further prove that everything "British" is in fact an import along with the migrants who have inhabited these shores since before the last ice age!

[Gaffers]

It just goes to further prove that everything "British" is in fact an import along with the migrants who have inhabited these shores since before the last ice age!

True but I think that it goes deeper than that.

We are a country of immigrants.  Very few of us would b able to trace our roots back to being 100% English/Scotish/Welsh/Irish or probably even 100% British.  I know I can't as I have Anglo-indian ancestry on my father's side.

But I was listening to a discussion on the issue of community and it was stated that a well known scientific element to the success of a community was that it should not change quickly.  We are in an age where everything is quick (movement of data, food, transport, etc)

So maybe this reaction to a change in Britishness (which we know has changed over the decades and centuries) is actually a revulsion to a change which we feel is progressing too fast.  We all hold community important, otherwise you would not be reading this post.

Personally I think that being British is what you make it and not what others feel it should be.  Many Americans think we still wear bowler hats, quite a few french think we are all mono-linguistic food-heathans and we all know what the Chinese think!

I would say do not worry, stick to your beliefs, don't impose them on others, and roll with it. This is still a Great place to be

[omega3000]

Fish and chips isn't there is it?

Friday = Fish and chip day 

[cleggy]

Fish and chips isn't there is it?

Any day = Fish and chip day 

Fixed

[omega3000]

Fish and chips isn't there is it?

Any day = Fish and chip day 

Fixed

 Dont forget sloppy peas 

[cleggy]

Fish and chips isn't there is it?

Any day = Fish and chip day 

Fixed

 Dont forget mushy peas 

Fixed again 

SWMBO wants a Chinese take away tonight and look what trouble your going to get me in why I say I want a fish supper, barsteward