I love the British, I really do; having spent 11 years being educated on those damp isles.
Now to be really British one must be able to strike up a conversation about the weather in any given awkward situation, it is the ultimate social umbrella as it were.
Next, one must be able to moan fluently [in a whisper] without ever thinking of doing anything about it; heaven forbid actually telling the head waiter your meal did not live up to your expectations. Just purse your lips and try to look somewhat annoyed, trained waiters will never actually look at you anyway.
Remember to have your dry satirical wits about you at all time, just because those damn yanks got what they wanted by actually complaining does not mean one must debase ones-self to their level, bloody colonials.
However to be truly British one must:
Learn to Queue Correctly.
* Be aware of other people’s personal space and don’t stand too close to the person in front of you.
* Even in the most disorganised of queues, there will still be an unspoken order.
* Where there is one queue for multiple till points, pay attention; don’t hold up the queue by failing to notice when it’s your turn.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/...
Only the British could come up with something quite so silly for a citizen test.
On the continent those dear Brits just get run over:
French Queue: But I was here first, pfft.
Italian Queue: What queue, I pushed to the front what more do you want.
Irish Queue: The drinks are on me, gets you to the front even in the newsagents.
German Queue: Push, shove, steal the place.
Queuing etiquette is subtle in the UK and can totally confuse newcomers, Americans look totally at a loss when informed obliquely by a breach. Usually a sharply drawn intake of breath followed by a tut tut is the tell tale sign that you are lower on the evolutionary ladder than a slug.
LaFeminista's
School of Queueing Etiquette
Is now open
Advanced Weather conversation and lip pursing courses start in the spring.
I'll be queue jumping in London soon, as a typical American I love teasing the Brits.
Pardon, I didn't see you there, I'm so dreadfully sorry, I might as well go ahead now I'm here, no?
;-)
Have a great St Valentine's day and its a Sunday to boot.