BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture English Culture What do you think makes a person English?

For me, being English, I love top hats and tea from china cups! (of course with cream cakes!) as well as the word 'Gentleman'.

What do you think of?

When I think of being English (or woman), I think of eloquent, proper speech, having an awesome sense of humor, classical music, teas in the sitting room, having a beautiful garden, lots of beautiful, wooden furniture, having a country cottage built of stone, hospitality......the list goes on!

Okay, I have to ask, but truly truly, do all the English really love tea??

Does coffee ever get an honorable mention?

Well, Deanna, since I am not English so I can't say for sure, I'm sure that the English aren't as into tea as they used to be. Most of my English friends prefer coffee and they often mention how sick they get of people assuming they drink tea all the time. What about you, Nicola, do you prefer tea or coffee?

OH YEA! we love tea and beer! LOL!

Tell you what tho, I used to drink coffee, could not start the day without it, then I had brain surgery and I woke up and wanted only tea! weird or what?!

I think of the accent, but even more than that, the terms and phrases they use. My BFF lives outside London, and while she hasn't picked up the accent, she's picked up the lingo. I find myself doing the same thing when I'm there, just easier to be understood I guess. Silly things like "ring me on my mobile" or "car park."

And manners, or at least politeness. Once, my friend's DH was telling about a driving incident (someone cut him off in traffic) and another US friend said "Did you jump out and hit him?" His response was "OF COURSE NOT! We're ENGLISH!"

Coffee is certainly more popular now than it was 20 years ago. I honestly think that is partly due to tv shows where they go and drink in a fashionable coffee shop. We now have a Starbucks or similar in every town and it's considered quite chic to be able to understand the difference between the different types of coffee.

Certainly younger people are less and less likely to drink tea.

Tbunny, if you don't say carpark, what do you say in the US?

That's such a bummer about the decline in tea popularity in England. I utterly love tea and drink it all day. I think at any given moment I have at least 15 different teas.

My husband was talking about moving to England at some point for graduate work and I figured there would be good tea available everywhere. Is that still the case? Is it easier to find good tea or a Starbucks?

Tea is POPULAR! We do love tea!! And there are loads and loads to choose from, I promise. I go shopping every week and in there are at least 30 kinds just in one tescos!
Tea is definatly much easeir to find than starbucks! tho starbucks are around too. All the cafes I have EVER been in have tea and coffee!
I am a major tea fan and I never have any problems getting it at all.