iconic British things – Stuff Brits Like

No. 7: Tea

“Tea isn’t merely a drink. It’s a way of life. It’s the panacea that fixes all curses and cures all wounds. It’s the first thing Brits turn to in the morning and the last thing they prepare at night. Tea is a balm for the soul, a rallying spot for friends, a punctuation point for the day, and, let’s not forget, a nice hot beverage that you can serve with milk and/or sugar.”

Back catalogue: Anglophenia: 10 Very British References in Beatles Songs

Anglophenia: Iconic British Things Part 5: The Humble Cuppa

Anglophenia: Iconic British Things No. 15: Afternoon Tea At The Ritz

Anglophenia: Components of a British High Tea

Anglophenia: Five Good Places To Get A Scone In The Lake District (In 2013)

Anglophenia: Noel Gallagher’s Guide To The Perfect Cup Of Tea

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July 2, 2015July 6, 2015 by KimberlyBright Tags: iconic British things, tea Leave a comment

No. 8: Weird Traditions

The annual Gurning World Championship, Cumbria, UK. Photo credit: Pinterest.

“As the natural world ticks along its endless cycle of birth, growth, and death, there is much to celebrate, much to commemorate, and much to be superstitious about. The Brits have had a long time to work up their own unique reactions to these moments, and their customs and traditions can loosely be split into two subjective categories: those I grew up with and understand (and are therefore Not Weird) and those I do not recognize and do not understand (and are therefore Weird). Of course, if you’re not from around here, they’re all weird.”

Back catalogue: Anglophenia: Five Birth Traditions of the British Isles (Some Of Which Are Disgusting)

Anglophenia: Iconic British Things No. 14: Morris Dancing

Anglophenia: 10 British Ways to Ring in the New Year

Anglophenia: The Brit List: Five British Holidays Americans May Not Know About

Anglophenia: Shrove Tuesday: Football, Racing and Lots of Pancakes

Anglophenia: British Good Friday Traditions: Pace-Egging, Tosspot and St. George

Anglophenia: Five British Easter Traditions That Will Surprise Americans

Anglophenia: Easter Is Coming: Let’s Make a Simnel Cake

Anglophenia: Five British Things You Must Do On May Day

Anglophenia: May Day: The Hills Are Alight With the Fire of Beltane

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June 30, 2015June 30, 2015 by KimberlyBright Tags: folklore, history, iconic British things, weird traditions Leave a comment

No. 14: Talking About the Weather

Photo credit: Enrico Natali / Art Blart

“Time to dig out the British cure for all awkwardness: a quick chat about the weather. This is one of the most commonly observed quirks of British social interaction; from Land’s End upward, the British are world renowned for striking up conversations that, to external ears, sound worryingly like banal observations about temperature and rainfall. They know this about themselves too and yet, in the absence of a better option, seem powerless to hold back. Where two British people are gathered together, there will be some talk about the weather.”

Back catalogue: Anglophenia: Iconic British Things No. 9: Talking About The Weather

Anglophenia: How To Discuss the Weather Like a Brit

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June 24, 2015June 24, 2015 by KimberlyBright Tags: iconic British things, talking about the weather, weather Leave a comment

No. 15: Marmite

SBL_Marmite

Photo credit: The Telegraph

“Marmite is perhaps the most contentious item in this entire book, or at least that’s what its marketing department would have everyone believe. The company has been running commercials for years claiming that people either love or hate its product, a breakfast spread that looks like boot polish and tastes like burned meat, and since then Brits have taken to labeling all manner of things that polarize opinion as ‘a bit Marmite.'”

Back catalogue: Anglophenia: Iconic British Things No. 7: Marmite

Anglophenia: Class Project: Let’s Cook Some Marmite

Anglophenia: 9 Things You’ll Find in a British Kitchen

Anglophenia: Junk Food Day: 5 Salty British Snacks Every American Should Try

Anglophenia: Lost in Translation: Five British Things Americans Are Missing Out On

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June 23, 2015 by KimberlyBright Tags: iconic British things, Marmite Leave a comment

No. 29: Phone Boxes

“Stand on a roadside in London and you’d be forgiven for thinking every object that provides a valuable public service has been painted an identical shade of red, so that Londoners can be on a constant state of alert as to where they are and what dangers may be present. These include: postboxes, double-decker buses, Royal Mail delivery vans, and fire engines, but the most iconic of all are red phone boxes.”

Back catalogue: Anglophenia: Iconic British Things No. 10: The Phone Box

Anglophenia: How The Double-Decker Bus Became Red, And Other Stories

Anglophenia: Why Are London’s Red Phone Boxes Turning Green?

Anglophenia: Five Things That Happened In The Year The Queen Was Born

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June 9, 2015June 9, 2015 by KimberlyBright Tags: iconic British things, K2, phone boxes, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott Leave a comment

No. 31: Keep Calm and Carry On

Photo credit: The History Blog

“In spring of 1939, a few months before the outbreak of the Second World War, the British government commissioned a special poster, knowing that dark times were ahead. The slogan “Keep Calm and Carry On” appeared in white on a regal red background, set in a specially commissioned typeface to prevent forgery and with a Tudor crown above. The intention was to put the posters up in areas where German bombers would do the most damage, in order to encourage the population not to lose heart. But despite printing around two and a half million copies, the British government kept them in storage, caught between a concern that the slogan would be taken as patronizing — or even frustratingly obvious — and waiting for a moment of sufficiently dire need, such as a full invasion. This never transpired, and so the posters were eventually destroyed, apart from a few exceptions.”

Back catalogue: Anglophenia: Iconic British Things No. 8: A Brief History Of Keep Calm And Carry On

UK Business Insider: The Surprising History of Keep Calm and Carry On

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