Posted on 09/20/2014 1:42:20 PM PDT by Brother Cracker
If you are British, or know a lot about Britain, you won’t be surprised by the misconceptions below. However, you may be even MORE surprised to learn that in some places these things are believed! If you believe all or any of these points, sorry, but you are mistaken – but fortunately listverse is here to correct things. Here they are, in no particular order: 10
British Nation
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Misconception: Britain is a country.
While “Britain” or “Great Britain” does refer to the general area, neither of them refers to a country. Britain is a general term for Wales, Scotland and England collectively, while The British Isles also includes Ireland (Northern and the Republic). England is most often incorrectly named in this way, and English people are often referred to as “British”. Northern Ireland is part of the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” which differentiates between the part of Ireland that is governed by England (hence the suspension of the Northern Ireland government in 1972 and the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2002) from the Republic of Ireland which is a self-governing nation.
While calling an English person British is technically correct, it is quite unspecific in the same way that calling a Canadian person “North American” would be; only Britain is not a continent.
9
Warm Beer
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Misconception: British people drink beer warm or room temperature.
I myself have heard this said a number of times but I have yet to discover where it comes from. Walking into a British bar and ordering a beer any way but cold would raise eyebrows just like everywhere else.
In fact, the most popular lager beers in Britain tend to be of the “Extra Cold” variety, and this applies to most bitter beers and ales too! Nobody likes a warm beer, the British included.
Having said that, most Americans like their Beer super cold, so an English beer may appear to be warm in comparison, but it is still cold. Chilling beer too much can damage its flavor. 8
The Book of British Smiles
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Misconception: British people have bad teeth.
This one is commonly referred to in comedy shows poking fun at Britain, but is believed by many to be hard fact.
While a percentage, just like any other country, will suffer from dental problems, the standard of oral hygiene is generally very high. In fact, the shortage of available NHS dentists is a constant issue in England. Just like anywhere else in the world, a person with bad teeth is considered the slightly gross exception, not the rule in Britain. 7
God Save The Queen
Misconception: “God Save The Queen” is the National Anthem of England.
That’s right, I said England, not Britain. GSTQ is the national anthem of Britain, but not England itself. Despite this, even English people will insist that the song is our national anthem. This is not the case. Wales has it’s own national anthem, as do Scotland and Northern Ireland. What sets England apart is not that its national anthem is applied to the whole of Britain too, but that it in fact does not even have an official national anthem at all!
So what happens when (for example) England plays against Scotland in a game of football? We can’t both use GSTQ for the opening, this isn’t a problem for Scotland who can bring out their own anthem, but England’s choice will vary. Common stand-ins for when GSTQ cannot be used (for whatever reason) are “Land Of Hope And Glory”, “I Vow To Thee My Country” or “Jerusalem”. All of which are popular contenders for becoming the official anthem. Sadly none of them are official, and neither is GSTQ, which is only official for Britain itself.
People may be interested to know that God Save The Queen is the official anthem of New Zealand which is one of the very countries in the world which has two anthems of equal status. New Zealand’s other anthem is God Defend New Zealand. 6
Absolute Power
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Misconception: The Queen is the ruler of Britain.
Did I hear you say “But she IS the ruler of England!”? Sorry, you’re still wrong. The monarchy has not had political power in Britain for a long time. Each British country has it’s own parliament and are ruled politically by their own Prime Minister.
While the monarchy does technically rule Britain, it does not have any power outside of ceremony. The Queen does not have power in Britain any more than she does in Canada and other commonwealth countries. All of these countries are technically “ruled” by the Queen, but she does not have power in any of them.
The British monarchy exists today mainly for ceremonial and tourist reasons.
5
How Now Brown Cow
Misconception: British people speak the “Queen’s English”.
Or to use the more common term, British people talk “posh”. Look at any representation of Britain from a foreign country and you will see British people speaking in a manner that is considered just as ridiculous to most of Britain. We all know what that sounds like, if not, take a look at Fry’s Holophonor tutor in Futurama. Know what I mean? Then read on.
This may come from the way in which English is generally written in Britain. It is always taught that you should write “properly” and use correct language in formal writing so that it is easier to understand when read. Despite this, British people rarely speak the way they write, myself included.
In reality, Britain has a wide variety of accents, some even bordering on dialects, the majority of which do not sound remotely like how British speech is presented in foreign media. To see some examples of this, I suggest watching some British television or British cinema. (NOT the news! Newsreaders are told to use Queens English so that they can be understood by all, this is even called “BBC English”).
Good examples are Trainspotting (Scottish accent – in the clip above – warning: clip contains bad language and drug use), 28 Days Later (Modern London and Manchester accents) and Sweeny Todd (Old London accent).
People who speak the way British people are commonly presented sound just as snooty and posh to British people. 4
Free Healthcare
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Misconception: Britain has free universal healthcare.
Ahhh… The good ol’ NHS (National Health Service)! Sadly, as is commonly unknown to people outside of Britain, the NHS is not free, nor will it cover any illness or injury. The NHS is paid for through taxes and donations and will only provide certain approved services or treatments.
While it is true that emergency treatment is almost always free of charge, treatment for long-term illness or injury is almost always charged. Certain drugs will be provided for certain illnesses, but if your illness or the drugs and treatment you require is not on the “approved” list. You will not get it from the NHS. This is always a controversial issue in Britain.
The NHS is also not available to non-British citizens except in the case of emergency. Even then the emergency must have taken place within Britain. 3
Scottish Money
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Misconception: Scottish money is legal tender in the rest of Britain.
If you have ever attempted to use Scottish pounds sterling in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you will know that many places will not accept it.
Scottish pounds sterling are not legal tender in all of Britain, and shops in outside of Scotland are not legally obliged to accept it. Banks outside of Scotland will accept it, but legally it is down to the manager’s discretion whether or not to accept it in any other location. What is the difference between Scottish pounds sterling and the pounds sterling used in the rest of Britain? Actually nothing. Aside from how it looks.
So why do many places outside of Scotland refuse to accept it? The most common reasons are that either they are not commonly seen and so are not recognised, or due to the idea that its design and the fact that most people outside of Scotland rarely see it make it easy to forge.
It may be frustrating if you come from Scotland for a trip around Britain, but there really is nothing to say that shopkeepers have to accept Scottish money, no matter how much you insist. 2
Rain Rain Everywhere
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Misconception: It always rains in Britain.
When people think of Britain, we all tend to immediately think of bad weather. We see rain clouds, storms and bitter wind. General misery. However, compared with many other parts of the world, Britain enjoys comparatively pleasant weather!
During the winter the average temperature can become bitterly cold (between 0 and 6 degrees C), but the average summer temperature ranges between 15 and 23 degrees, often higher. Britain ranks a comfortable 46th in a chart of worldwide average rainfall, falling well behind such countries as New Zealand (29th) and even the USA (25th).
Why does Britain have a reputation for bad weather? Most likely because winters tend to be longer than summers in Britain, most artwork of Britain depicts the weather based on expectation and we all like to dwell on a period of bad weather, even if the weather is generally good. 1
British Tea
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Misconception: British people drink excessive amounts of tea.
There are many ways of looking at which regions drink the most tea, but whichever way you look at it; Britain is not the biggest tea-drinking region by a long way. Taking population into account, Britain ranks somewhere around 3rd worldwide, falling well behind Turkey and India. Depending on your source, China still sits above Britain in the tea-drinking league tables even when considering population.
Where does this notion come from? Well, it is true that Britain does drink a lot of tea, but it is far from the top. Britain actually drinks almost as much coffee as it does tea. This misconception may actually stem from a linguistic difference between us and other English speaking regions. In most places, the evening meal is referred to as “dinner” or “supper”. This is correct terminology in Britain too, but an evening meal is very often referred to as “tea”. So when a British person invites you round for tea, they are inviting you for a meal, not to just sit and drink tea, which is how some people imagine the situation. This is also true of the commonwealth nations, where “come for tea” usually means “come for the main evening meal”.
A British person will almost never invite you round solely to drink tea, although if you stop by it will commonly be offered. Tea is most often drunk after a meal at dessert, or after strenuous activity as another option to coffee.
Bonus Fact: I am British, and I never drink tea, I don’t like the taste. This isn’t uncommon either!
When I was young, Brain Salad Surgery was the first "true" album I ever bought. I thought the song was a rock song and did not then understand what Jerusalem had to do with England...
Useful list, thanks!
Traditionally Brits drank beer at cellar (not room) temperature. Pubs have been around a lot longer than refrigeration.
That’s a great album. I recently replaced my copy..
P.S. I think a lot of these stereotypes come from WWII, when millions of Americans were stationed there. Things like bad teeth and warm beer were probably more common then than now.
A lot of people think it’s an island, but it’s not.
the teeth thing is more true than false.
most of the people i met, i wouldn’t trade my mouth for theirs.
it’s all about where they go, and if they go, for dental care. i had a small problem i needed to have taken care of and i went to a private (ie non-nhs) dentist and had it taken care of and i paid for it right there.
most folks if they go to a nhs dentist may wait b/c they’re busy and don’t have to pay (or pay as much) and they pretty much weren’t happy with the service. i remember complaints far more than nice things said about nhs dentists.
I don’t know how useful the list is. If you read the comments to the original article, most items are wrong.
50-55 degrees is a big step from 30-35 degrees, when you’re talking about a liquid you’re drinking.
>>I don’t know how useful the list is. If you read the comments to the original article, most items are wrong.<<
I dunno — the comments look like the crowd after a Man U/Liverpool match (based on reports I have seen and heard — never been there).
In German, it’s Kellerkalt, or cellar cold.
Guess you're addressing Americans in the first place though.
Anyhow, what do you know about my corner of the World?
Do you even know what the difference is between Scandinavia and the Nordic countries?
Dental caries is often due to non-fluoridated water, genetics and poor hygiene. BTW raised in England, I have better teeth than most of my US neighbors. In school, we were taught to use correct grammar, enunciate each word according to the Oxford dictionary and encouraged to lose any regional accent. Villages, towns and counties had recognizable dialects which were both a source of pride (or ridicule) and considered ‘charming’ (or uneducated). Most Brits can identify your village/County of origin just by your speech pattern and pronunciation. BBC announcers do not use ‘posh’ English - they affect a bastardized Cockney/Cambridge hybrid. e.g. Piers Morgan.
10 Myths & Misconceptions About Scandinavia
Are all Scandinavians blonde, shop at IKEA, and listen to ABBA? Nope, far from it. Let’s clarify the most popular myths and misconceptions for Scandinavia and Scandinavians...
1. Misconception #1: The Weather is Rainy and Cold
This is one of the biggest reasons why there aren’t more people traveling to Scandinavia - the common “cold weather in Scandinavia” misconception. In reality, the climate and weather in Scandinavia is tempered continental with comfortably warm summers and mild winters. The places north of the Artic Circle (e.g. Finnish Lapland) do get colder in the winter but offer wonderful winter activities.
2. Misconception #2: Scandinavia is Expensive!
Prices in Scandinavia are only slightly higher than in the U.S. - the big difference is that in Scandinavia, all price tags already include the 25% sales tax. This makes the prices appear inflated, but when compared to the after-tax prices in the U.S. or the UK, the difference is actually negligible. And fish, for example, is a lot cheaper in Scandinavia.
3. Misconception #3: All Scandinavians are Blonde
Actually, you will see a variety of hair colors (and skin colors). Compared to the rest of the world, there is only a slightly higher percentage of people with blonde or red hair, and blue eyes. What is true, though, is that Scandinavians are bit taller or shorter, and there’s a lower percentage of people with average height!
4. Misconception #4: Everyone Shops at IKEA
In a way, yes - but definitely not the way people think. You see, in Scandinavia IKEA is not the designer import store that outsiders see it as. To locals there, IKEA is just a mass-discount store with cheap items, almost like Wal-Mart is to Americans. And what’s more, nowadays IKEA isn’t a Scandinavian company anymore, but owned by a foundation in the Netherlands.
5. Misconception #5:
They Eat Moose & Swedish Meatballs
Both are sometimes available on your dinner menu in Scandinavia, yes - but it’s not too common. Actually, Swedes did not even have a word for “their” meatballs until 1755 and it is said that the meatballs came from southern Europe first. The most popular food in Scandinavian homes? All types of pasta - and in restaurants, it’s pizza.
6. Misconception #6:
You Hear ABBA Everyhere
No, not every Scandinavian listens to ABBA. In fact, Scandinavia travelers will find that ABBA music has retreated into the background - you will still see a few ABBA reminders (e.g. ABBA museums) in Stockholm, but more contemporary pop artists have long taken over the radio stations and night clubs. The good thing: ABBA CDs are always on sale.
7. Misconception #7:
Snow & Ice Covers Iceland, Greenland is Green
Sorry to disappoint. The “Land of Fire and Ice”, Iceland does have its fair share of snow and ice but you’re in for a disappointment if you expect the white powder in Iceland’s capital Reykjavik (except in Dec/Jan). Travelers find, actually, that Iceland is a lot greener than you would think. Ironically, Greenland is a lot whiter than you would think. So, Iceland isn’t covered in ice, and Greenland isn’t very green!
8. Misconception #8:
Scandinavians are Depressed
To clarify this common misconception, we need to clarify the root: the Polar Nights, where parts of Scandinavia do not receive sunlight for several weeks or months. That actually only affects a small part of northern Scandinavia beyond the Arctic Circle. The issue has been researched and no evidence has been found that those dark nights increase depression in Scandinavians. Many living in regions that far north, are immune to SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
9. Misconception #9:
Lego is THE Scandinavian Toy
Just like everywhere else, the electronic age has taken over in Scandinavia. Lego has become more of a tourist souvenir for families visiting Scandinavia. Yes, Lego was invented in Denmark, but that’s about it. Today, the original Lego location in Billund, Denmark, hosts Legoland Theme Park.
10. Misconception #10:
Norway Only Offers Skiing
Only people who have never been to Norway - or haven’t been told more about it - relay this misconception about the Scandinavian country. Norway isn’t just a destination for winter activities, but offers much more than that. Year-round, visitors experience natural phenomena, countless activities and events, and can enjoy breathtaking scenery in the country, or a European city atmosphere. And all that is possible in warm, sunny weather.
Here’s one widely-held notion about the Scandinavian countries about which a word or two might interest some Freepers: All Scandinavian women are gorgeous, hot-blooded, full-figured, and wild.
True or false?
Misconception 11: British cars are as reliable as cars from any other country.
Jaguars have had a reputation for questionable reliability, especially their electrical systems. This was due to their Lucas wiring system-also used in other British vehicles of the era. After Ford purchased Jaguar in 1988 they worked hard to change this reputation, doing away with the Lucas electrical systems and vastly improving reliability and build quality. Even though Ford sold Jaguar in 2008 to Tata motors, they succeed in improving the reliability. So much in fact, that Jaguar won best manufacturer for initial new car reliability from the distinguished JD Powers and Associates. It took a while for Ford to completely revamp Jaguar’s electrical system and improve engineering to the point of reliability. Any 1997 and new Jaguar can be purchased with confidence in reliability-excluding the X-Type, which is a re-badged and unreliable Ford Mondeo. Look for V-8 models, as they tend to have the best reliability overall.
I’m impressed.
But I’m also pretty sure you know absolutely nothing about true Chinese culture.
A lot of people here in the West claim to understand it. They don’t. This guy from Hong Kong a friend of mine once knew taught him what it’s really all about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuTD4yPCQfo
Kung fu? You’ve been doing it wong.
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