Best of British: Roast dinner, fish and chips and BBC voted top icons
The 2016 Britishness Audit was commissioned by Tetley an the audit includes analysis of the British Social Attitudes survey by NatCen Social Research and a poll of 2,000 people identifying typical British traits and our most popular national icons by OnePoll.
The most common national behaviours that emerge from the audit include wearing summer clothes at the first sign of sun and making a cup of tea in response to a crisis.
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Hide AdThe famous British stiff upper lip is also highlighted in the top 10, as well as declaring ‘its fine’ when faced with poor customer service and queuing for absolutely anything.
And, when asked what the country’s national emblem should be, most Brits say a cup of tea (32% of those asked), closely followed by Big Ben (31%), with the Queen’s face coming third (21%).
The NatCen report reveals that the majority of Brits (82%) are proud of their nationality and 62% of people who live in Britain say they’d rather be citizens of Britain than anywhere else.
The report also reveals that the older people are, the more positive their feelings about Britain appear to be, with 66% of those aged 75 and older saying they were ‘very proud’ of being British, compared with just 20% of those age 18-29.
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Hide AdIan Simpson, Senior Researcher at NatCen, said: “The notion that the people who inhabit this particular set of islands have strong emotional attachments to our nation is an enduring one.
“Our report delves a little deeper into these feelings of national pride, and who exactly is feeling them. Differences in age, gender and education have an impact on the depth of patriotic feeling – but the report reveals that feelings of national pride still run high, with eight in ten people saying they feel proud to be British.”
When it comes to recent events, the poll shows that British pride was at its peak during the 2012 Olympics, which was voted the most rewarding time to be British. This chimes with the NatCen report findings that national pride is linked to our sporting achievements, with 73% of Brits feeling proud when the country does well in international sports.
The Queen becoming our longest serving monarch and the 70-year commemoration of VE Day also make the top of the list of events that make us feel most proud of Britain.
40 MOST COMMON BRITISH TRAITS
Wearing summer clothing at the first sight of sun
Apologising automatically
Ability to talk at length about the weather
Making a cup of tea in response to a crisis
Finding queue-jumping the ultimate crime
Forming a queue for pretty much anything
The typically British ‘stiff upper lip’
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Hide AdGrumbling throughout a meal, but not telling staff so as not to cause a fuss
Making sarcastic/dry jokes
Having a beer at the airport even though it’s before 8am
Giggling at innuendos
Making a cup of tea when you have no time to drink it
Getting sunburnt on the first warm day of the year
Finding the American forwardness ‘a bit much’
Avoiding eye contact on the tube
Binge drinking at the weekends
Insisting the other person goes through the door first
Searching for a fry-up when on holiday abroad
Mistaking brightness for warmth
Finding nothing better than a bacon sandwich
Not asking for help so as not to ‘put anyone out’
Insisting the barbecue will still go on despite rain
Bringing out fancy biscuits on a plate for visitors
Feeling extremely patriotic during sports events
Indulging in a pint and a packet of crisps
Reading newspapers in the morning
Feeling at home to the tune of EastEnders or Coronation Street
Wearing extra layers rather than putting the heating on
Feeling appreciative that the person in front put the ‘next customer’ barrier on the conveyor belt
Doing anything possible for a light tan
Owning a picnic hamper but only ever using it once a year
Starting a controversial statement with ‘I’m not being funny, but...’
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Hide AdBeing vague about your plans rather than decline an invitation
Thanking someone when you’ve done them a favour
Not correcting someone when they pronounce your name wrong
Loving your cat/dog more than your child
Searching your pockets when asked for spare change
Feeling extreme excitement over a Sunday roast dinner
Having mixed feelings towards the ill colleague who is still coming to work
Being skilled in writing a letter of complaint
TOP 20 BRITISH ICONS
Traditional Roast Dinner
Fish and chips
BBC
Union Jack
Wimbledon
A British cup of tea
The London Underground
The Royal Family
Only Fools and Horses
The Beatles
NHS
The City of London
Buckingham Palace
Red buses
Winston Churchill
Queen
Queuing
Cream tea
James Bond
Stonehenge
For more information about the audit visit the Tetly website at www.tetley.co.uk or join the conversation on Twitter @Tetley_Teafolk #ItStartsWithTea.