When are you British?

[gavroche]

This only seem to apply to England as in Wales , they are Welsh and nothing else, same for the the Scotts and Irish. When it comes to sports, there is no such thing as British as each of the 4 nations remains proudly of their motherland. So the English seem to have a big chip on their shoulder by wanting to impose their will on the other countries they occupied in the UK by calling them British. Only the English call themselves British I notice. I wonder what will happen when Scotland finally becomes independent in a few years time ?

 

[snorri]

by wanting to impose their will on the other countries they occupied in the UK by calling them British.

Please do tell us you weren't a history teacher.

 

[classic33]

Yorkshire born n'bred!

British doesn't get a look in.

 

[Slick]

I'm Scottish about 90% of the time but I did get a row on a recent trip to South Africa from my cousin when someone asked if we were Afrikaans and I told him we were British. I normally can't be bothered explaining the differences when I'm abroad.

 

[oldwheels]

My passport says British even tho’ I put Scottish on the application. I remember an argument I had in Belgium with a camp site warden who insisted I had to be English as he said that was what was on my passport. When challenged to show me this he insisted that British meant English.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I know loads of English people who are happy to call themselves English, as they should be.

One problem though is the way the English flag unfortunately seems to have come to be seen by many as signifying the worst sorts of nationalists. Sadly it puts many perfectly ordinary people off displaying their nationality, whether with the flag or the their name.

P.s. Typical conversation when I have been travelling in the south west US :

Me: I am from Wales

Them: Where's that?

Me: In Britain (or the UK)

Them: Oh, you are English then?

Me:

 

[Brandane]

Definitely Scottish first, but also proud to be British. As has rightly been pointed out, British does NOT mean English. Boils my blood when I see people supporting England at a sporting event by flying a Union Jack. That flag is one quarter Scottish!!!

 

[Brandane]

same for the the Scotts and Irish

Errrm; don't let the Irish hear you calling them British ; they aren't!

 

[alicat]

I'm with Classic33. Yorkshire born and bred. I classify my nationality in this order:

Human being
Yorkshirewoman
European
Adopted Staffie
British.

Not one iota of me is English.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

That flag is one quarter Scottish!!!

Nope - it's 1/3rd Scottish. No Welsh contribution at all

 

[matiz]

@alicat you are in denial you are definitely English.

 

[alicat]

'Ow does tha' mek that out, @matiz?

 

[Rusty Nails]

@alicat you are in denial you are definitely English.

No, just strong in t'arm and thick in t'ed

 

[classic33]

Definitely Scottish first, but also proud to be British. As has rightly been pointed out, British does NOT mean English. Boils my blood when I see people supporting England at a sporting event by flying a Union Jack. That flag is one quarter Scottish!!!

One third, possibly half. Wales isn't represented on it, Northern Ireland is represented by St. Georges Cross. The Red Hand of Ulster is absent.

 

[dodgy]

This only seem to apply to England as in Wales , they are Welsh and nothing else, same for the the Scotts and Irish. When it comes to sports, there is no such thing as British as each of the 4 nations remains proudly of their motherland. So the English seem to have a big chip on their shoulder by wanting to impose their will on the other countries they occupied in the UK by calling them British. Only the English call themselves British I notice. I wonder what will happen when Scotland finally becomes independent in a few years time ?

I spent quite a long time in the RAF and worked with a lot of great people from all corners of the UK. One thing was always a constant, when a major sporting event was on the 'English' would support Scotland, Wales, Ireland and England without any issue. The Scottish and Welsh, however, used to go and actually buy the shirts of whatever team England were playing.

How's that chip on your shoulder?