Stereotypes of the British

Both historically and in the present day, the British have often been associated with good manners by many people around the world,[3] similar to Canadians.[4]

British people are well known for their use of sarcasm and irony.[5] Monty Python was a well-known British comedic group, and some of the most highly regarded television comedies, such as Fawlty Towers and Mr. Bean, are British.[6]

Football originated and is very popular within the United Kingdom.[7][8]

Tea is seen as a key part of British culture.[9] Originally introduced as a luxury product in the 17th century, cheap imports from colonial India allowed its consumption to significantly increase during the second half of the 19th century.[10] Today it remains a massively popular beverage. One survey of British adults from 2017 found that almost three quarters of responders who drank tea daily drank on average two or more cups a day.[11] Whilst research from a similar time showed that the UK had the twelfth largest per capita tea consumption in the world.[12] Though other hot drinks such as coffee are also very popular.[13]

According to a popular stereotype, weather in the United Kingdom is often seen as being poor,[1] mostly consisting of either heavy rain or fog.[14] In reality, British weather is generally fairly mild but changeable.[15] Though, in recent years, climate change has caused the UK's weather to become more extreme with incidents such as heatwaves, heavy snow and flooding occurring more frequently.[16]

Americans often joke about the British having bad or even bucked teeth.[2]

Jokes are often told about British food being either poor in quality or inedible. Though historically British cuisine was generally fairly bland since around the post-WW2 period onwards, globalisation and immigration have caused it to become significantly more diverse.[2][17]

There is a common stereotype that the British are only able to speak English. This stereotype has some level of truth to it as, like in many English-speaking countries, levels of bilingualism are relatively low.[18][19][20][21][22] Additionally, the number of people who speak a language other than English as their first language is reasonably low, especially among those who were born in the UK (even among those with immediate immigrant ancestry).[23] However, most British children receive at least a few years of compulsory lessons in foreign languages at school. Traditionally, this was during the first years of their secondary education.[24] Though, in recent years, the teaching of foreign languages at an earlier age has been viewed as increasingly important.[25][26][27][28]

In some southern European countries such as Spain and Greece, British holidaymakers are associated with unruly behaviour.[29]