Trait Britain!
WE LOVE OUR TRADITIONS
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PEOPLE have been lining up patiently at Mcdonald’s and Ikea stores this week as lockdown restrictions are eased. Even MPS have been forced to wait in single file to vote in Parliament.
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So it’s lucky we’re good at queuing, with one survey showing we’ll spend 47 days of our life doing it.
But it’s not the only British trait to come to the fore in the crisis as JAMES MOORE reveals…
SO SORRY: With the two-metre social distancing rule we’ve all been apologising even more than we normally do as we try to pass people in the street without coming too close. Research shows the typical Brit says sorry 200,000 times in a lifetime, taking up a whopping 56 hours of our days on Earth. Nearly 90% of us even say sorry for things that aren’t our fault.
FAMOUSLY POLITE: It’s no wonder Brits have been “clapping for carers” during the peak of the virus. A study of languages in the journal Royal Society Open Science found we say “thank you” more often than anyone else in the world.
TURNED OUT NICE AGAIN: With not much more to do than go to parks and sit in the garden, Brits have been chatting about the spring heatwave. A recent poll by Sky Arts found talking about the weather was our number one national trait.
NICE CUP OF TEA AND A SIT DOWN: Brits love putting the kettle on in a crisis and the lockdown has been the perfect time to indulge our national habit. In fact, sales of biscuits to have with our cuppas have boomed since coronavirus hit.
Our biscuit consumption is already the highest in the world.
MUDDLING THROUGH: You’ll often hear Britons saying “Mustn’t grumble!” We are known for being stoical and channelling the “Blitz spirit” of World War Two. In fact, a recent poll found the British are more likely to be relaxed about strict lockdown measures than people in other countries.
YOU HAVE TO LAUGH: We’re renowned for our love of humour and a few good old-fashioned oneliners. TV sales are up and, according to research from manufacturer Hisense, we’re seeking comfort in good old comedy classics to watch on the box, with four in five of us craving shows such as Only Fools And Horses and Fawlty Towers.
LOVE OF THE UNDERDOG: Eight in 10 Brits will always root for the underdog, a survey for Ladbrokes found. So it’s no surprise people who succeed against the odds have become national heroes during lockdown, such as Sir Tom Moore who walked 100 laps before his 100th birthday to raise £33million for the NHS.
SHOWING PRIDE: Brits never forget traditions, whether it’s proudly flying the Union Jack on VE Day despite the crisis – or moving heaven and Earth to get our football up and running.