THE BRITISH WAY OF LIFE
During your four years of English classes you have already
learnt a lot about the language and the people who speak it.
Here are some facts about the British way of life.
In England many things are the other way round.2 On the continent people seldom speak about the weather. If they do, it usually means they have no other topics to discuss. In England, if you don't repeat the phrase "It's a nice day today, isn't it?" two hundred times a day people are surprised and think that you are very dull. On the continent Sunday papers3 appear on Monday; in England (the country is really hard to understand) they appear on Sunday. On the continent, some people like cats, others don't but in England cats are very special animals. Everyone loves them and takes care of them.
On the continent people are proud of the things they know. They try to show off their knowledge and often quote4 Greek and Latin writers. In England only those who don't know them or who haven't read them do it.
You can offend people on the continent in many ways, for
example, if you laugh at them or make jokes about their life and work.
But the English accept everything with a sense of humor. You can offend them only if you tell them they have no sense of humor.
People on the continent either tell you the truth or lie, in England they hardly ever lie, but they don't tell you the truth either.
On Sundays on the continent even the poorest person puts on his best suit and tries to look nice and respectable. In England even the richest man dresses in some old clothes and doesn't shave.1
Many continentals think life is a game; the English think cricket is a game. On the continent people have good food. In England people have good table manners.
Table Manners
1. We should sit up straight.
2. We shouldn't eat with our fingers.
3. We shouldn't put our elbows on the table.
4. We should not put dirty knife, spoon and fork on the plate.
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