The International Culture Thread: The U.K.

[UnitedStatesOfAmerica-]

This series of thread is for the discussion of the culture of various nations. The format will be to start with questions about the culture and, if any one lives there or did live there, providing an answer. Since most people here are of english heritage this starter thread will be about British culture.

To start this off:

1. Is there such a thing as correct english?
2. The UK is referred to as a democracy but it has a queen. I do not undertand that.
3. Are Muslims taking over their country?
4. How is the cost of living there?
5. What's with people drinking warm beer?
6. What do the British think of Americans, French, Arabs, etc.

Anyone can ask questions.

[Greed and Death]

1. No, there are several standards of English which both sides like to yank each others chains about.
2. The queen is for show and a sign of national cultural identity.
3. No more then Catholics were taking over the US in the 1860's.
4. I hear it is slightly higher.
5. Some beers are brewed to be served warm, also hear it gets you drunk faster.
6. No clue ask a Brit.

[UnitedStatesOfAmerica-]

1. No, there are several standards of English which both sides like to yank each others chains about.

Kind of like the discussion about spanish in the language thread?

I'm assuming you've been both to the UK and the US. How would you compare the two?

[Barringtonia]

1. Is there such a thing as correct english?

Yes, mine, though everyone will say that,

2. The UK is referred to as a democracy but it has a queen. I do not undertand that.

A consequence of history, when you have one yourself you'll start to have your own oddities,

3. Are Muslims taking over their country?

We're still a bit bitter about the Normans thanks,

4. How is the cost of living there?

London, expensive, everywhere else, quite reasonable,

5. What's with people drinking warm beer?

Cold country, plus it actually tastes of something so we don't need to chill the hell out of it to pretend it's a refreshment,

6. What do the British think of Americans, French, Arabs, etc.

Americans - kind of like that rich, cousin who has all the expensive toys, enthralling but irritating,
French - there's not enough words on the Internet to describe this relationship, you know when you see a couple arguing and you think you ought to step in but when you do they both turn on you, it's a bit like that, we hate each other so much because we love each other
Arabs - I don't think anyone likes the Saudis, even other Saudis, as for the rest I think we've a long history with them and they're to be admired in far more respects than they are to be feared,

[Blouman Empire]

1. No, as GandD said there are standards of English, the Queens English is the highest of these standards the Seppos is down near the bottom
2. Called a democarcy because people get to vote, The Queen is a figurehead and provides a check on the Executive
3. Probably not
4. Quite high
5. According to my Pommy friends that is a myth
6. They should at least still hate the French

[Discount Liquor World]

1. The brits used to talk like Americans before they adopted their bizzare versions of the launguage to reinforce their social status in their economic castes. The typical American accent is what english always used to sound like. They call the best British English "BBC English" like the news anchors.

2. The Royal family is about as relevant to British politics as the Kennedy family is to the USA. They hold no formal powers, they are simply a rich family with a free lease in their palace.
3. The Liberal government did "invite" a bunch of pakistanis and other middle eastern people via relaxed immigration laws, but its hardly a majority. Birmingham is the city with the largest non-native population and its still 80% white.
4. Its high, the wages are high, taxes are high.
5. They insist its not "warm" its just not "ice-cold" like how the yanks like to drink their awful light beers.
6. Its very trendy to hate on American stereotypes, like most of Europe, but it has cooled off since the Iraq war and Dubbya are out of the public mind

[Mad hatters in jeans]

This series of thread is for the discussion of the culture of various nations. The format will be to start with questions about the culture and, if any one lives there or did live there, providing an answer. Since most people here are of english heritage this starter thread will be about British culture.

To start this off:

1. Is there such a thing as correct english?
2. The UK is referred to as a democracy but it has a queen. I do not undertand that.
3. Are Muslims taking over their country?
4. How is the cost of living there?
5. What's with people drinking warm beer?
6. What do the British think of Americans, French, Arabs, etc.

Anyone can ask questions.

1) I'd say no there isn't, but ask an english teacher and i think they'd say yes.
2) The queen is just there for ceremonies, as a sort of tourist attraction, although in theory she could take more power if she wanted, the public would probably get rid of the monarchy if they try anything too silly. So she's tolerated and no one's really bothered by her. This is how she can exist and the UK remain a democracy.
3) lolol no far far from it, the opposite in fact appears to be the case. Too many people fear the outsiders, folks will get used to other cultures eventually here. But not, i fear before the BNP do something stupid it's only a matter of time.
4) Cost of living IS expensive, but then again we pursue slightly more left-wing policies than the US most notably the healthcare, which costs money to run.
5) I don't know why they do it unless they're really drunk or don't care, i think it's more often the latter than the former.
6) I think the Americans are overall struggling with alot of problems but there's plenty of nice people there, every country has it's share of louts and idiots, French seem to enjoy protests given any provocation if the news is anything to go by, i don't know much about tbh, Arabs i don't know again i haven't met many of them, but they are only feature in UK news when a bombing occurs or when nations talk about Iraq or afghanistan, hence why our public have a scewed view of them.

[Lizardiar]

2. The UK is referred to as a democracy but it has a queen. I do not undertand that.

As I think hundreds of people have already said, she has no power. She is a moral leader, not a political leader. She has no say in the government. She can only say she's against or for something. Besides that, she can't do anything about her country politically.

[Fassitude]

1. Is there such a thing as correct english?

No, but there is such a thing as orthography.

2. The UK is referred to as a democracy but it has a queen. I do not undertand that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchy

3. Are Muslims taking over their country?

No.

4. How is the cost of living there?

Depends on where one lives. London is expensive. But so is Stockholm. So is New York. A simple answer cannot be given, but generally for foreigners who are just visiting it is a relatively expensive place, depending of course a lot on how much the pound is worth compared to the traveller's home-currency.

5. What's with people drinking warm beer?

What's with people drinking beer at all? Tea is where it's at.

6. What do the British think of Americans, French, Arabs, etc.

You'll see that they all have individual opinions, in lieu of the hive mind you may be accustomed to.

[UnitedStatesOfAmerica-]

2. Called a democarcy because people get to vote, The Queen is a figurehead and provides a check on the Executive

How does the queen provide a check on the Executive? Isn't she part of the executive?

[Blouman Empire]

2. Called a democarcy because people get to vote, The Queen is a figurehead and provides a check on the Executive

How does the queen provide a check on the Executive? Isn't she part of the executive?

No the Executive is made up of the PM and his Ministers.

The Queen provides a check on them because she has the power to dismiss the PM and the government from holding power should they overstep their limits.

[UnitedStatesOfAmerica-]

2. The UK is referred to as a democracy but it has a queen. I do not undertand that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchy

Interesting. I had no idea Spain was a Monarchy. I always thought they were a Republic.

[UnitedStatesOfAmerica-]

2. Called a democarcy because people get to vote, The Queen is a figurehead and provides a check on the Executive

How does the queen provide a check on the Executive? Isn't she part of the executive?

No the Executive is made up of the PM and his Ministers.

The Queen provides a check on them because she has the power to dismiss the PM and the government from holding power should they overstep their limits.

She can dismiss them. Does she pick their replacements? How does that work?

[Braaainsss]

Interesting. I had no idea Spain was a Monarchy. I always thought they were a Republic.

But unlike Britain, Spain has a constitution.

[Forsakia]

She can dismiss them. Does she pick their replacements? How does that work?

Technically the Queen can appoint anyone as PM and dismiss them at will. Also disband Parliament. But iirc she can't do much like pass laws etc without them.

Off the top of my head the Queen is part of the de jure executive but not de facto.

[Fassitude]

Interesting. I had no idea Spain was a Monarchy. I always thought they were a Republic.

She can dismiss them. Does she pick their replacements? How does that work?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_o ... ed_Kingdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_o ... ed_Kingdom
Where do you live, and how could your school have failed you so? This is basic international civics.

[Braaainsss]

Interesting. I had no idea Spain was a Monarchy. I always thought they were a Republic.

She can dismiss them. Does she pick their replacements? How does that work?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_o ... ed_Kingdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_o ... ed_Kingdom
Where do you live, and how could your school have failed you so? This is basic international civics.

Two-thirds of Americans can't name the three branches of the U.S. government. And you want us to learn about other countries, too?

[Yootopia]

1. Is there such a thing as correct english?

Not really.

2. The UK is referred to as a democracy but it has a queen. I do not undertand that.

The monarchy doesn't have that much power that it could use.

3. Are Muslims taking over their country?

Not really, no.

4. How is the cost of living there?

Fucking high, as ever.

5. What's with people drinking warm beer?

We don't do it often.

6. What do the British think of Americans

They often have a poker up their arse but are sometimes ok.

French

Love the women, apathetic about the men.

Arabs

Couldn't say I knew enough to make a reasonable judgement.

[Yootopia]

Interesting. I had no idea Spain was a Monarchy. I always thought they were a Republic.

But unlike Britain, Spain has a constitution.

Britain has all the documents for a constitution, we just don't need it all to be in one place

[Yootopia]

[the Queen] is a moral leader, not a political leader

... the Queen isn't a moral leader, she's just a nice old woman who brings in the tourists.

[England and France]

1. Beauty of English is that it changes and is a mish-mash of so much. But we don't take kindly to Yankees changing it on stupid grounds, e.g. freedom fries, on lazy grounds, e.g. colour/color, or using old terms and sticking to older English, e.g. we say grill, from the French, you still say griddle a medieval word.

2. It is known as a constitutional monarchy. I hate royalty but it is far more effective for ensuring power is fairly separated than the American system. The Queen is a safety net, a PM can't do anything cos of her, but at the same time the PM doesn't have to wait for an ineffective system like the Senate and Represenatives to change its constitution (itself flawed).

3. No. Only a Daily Mail or Daily Express reader (right-wing British tabloids, think New York Post but way worse. Newspapers are still very important over here) would think that. Complete urban myth. The Mexican issue in America isn't even that big, but the Muslim issue is FAR smaller in comparison to that.

4. It's not as cheap as America but you get more in for your money. NHS, more effective benefits system etc. Many things wrong with this country but the policies of Labour in the 1945-51 government still stand strong. Food is more expensive but is of higher quality generally. America still has a quantity over quality problem. But Britain has a lack of quantity problem too.

5. Beer, ale, etc. get it from Britain, or Germany or in general Europe. The stuff Yanks drink is horrible. So weak and disgusting. Making it cold does not solve that problem. You can't handle your drink, so forgive us for liking warm beer.

6. America was never that much of a problem until Iraq. Anti-American feeling was always more a lefty and one-nation tory view, but now it's a majority. Obama is not really understood by the majority and no one cares. America cares little for the world beyond its border and in return Britain cares little for America (directly, indirectly we care a lot).

Frankophobia has been around for centuries. But that's more friendly nowadays. British people aren't particuarly serious people, not enough for real hate by the majority.

One thing to understand about the British is that they are humourous often by attacking the self, and it's always dry. We can get vicious but only with the mouth.

Britain never responded to the French Revolution across the pond because the country is moderate. There have been those who have shook politics, like Thatcher (just like Reagan over there) turning Britain and the world ever-increasingly right-wing but that is not by democracy, that is by all parties heading that way.

The British people are apathetic, and proud.

[Braaainsss]

Interesting. I had no idea Spain was a Monarchy. I always thought they were a Republic.

But unlike Britain, Spain has a constitution.

Britain has all the documents for a constitution, we just don't need it all to be in one place

How quaint. But seriously, get over yourselves and write it down.

[Yootopia]

Britain has all the documents for a constitution, we just don't need it all to be in one place

How quaint. But seriously, get over yourselves and write it down.

It's written down -___________________-

[Port Arcana]

1. Is there such a thing as correct english?
2. The UK is referred to as a democracy but it has a queen. I do not undertand that.
3. Are Muslims taking over their country?
4. How is the cost of living there?
5. What's with people drinking warm beer?
6. What do the British think of Americans, French, Arabs, etc.

I've only lived in UK for a brief summer but I loved it. I hope to return someday and might even apply for citizenship. Based on what little experience I have...

1) No, there's no such thing as correct English. The "correct" English is probably the most commonly heard dialect within a geographic region, and thus one dialect may be the "correct" English in one part of the world but sound strange in another.
2) The queen acts as a figurehead. It's more tradition than politics, I think.
3) No, when I went to England there were Muslims everywhere. But I didn't think of them any differently than the non-Muslims. I like to believe that for the most part, people are people and most Brits are tolerant to diversity.
4) Expensive as hell. Then again I live in the States and the dollar to pound ratio sucked when I was there. $7 for a big mac?
5) Warm beer is delicious. Well, much better than cold beer anyway.
6) All the Brits that I talked to (London, Bath, Cambridge mostly) were really friendly even though I was from the states. I got offered free beer, free fudge, people sitting next to me on the bench would say hi and start conversations, etc. (No, I'm not a woman )

[Braaainsss]

Britain has all the documents for a constitution, we just don't need it all to be in one place

How quaint. But seriously, get over yourselves and write it down.

It's written down -___________________-

In one place.