10 facts about the United Kingdom that will surprise you: classes, boring food and a strange sense of humor
How much do you know about the United Kingdom? No, not about England, but about the whole of Great Britain as a whole? I bet you've never heard of the class system and the British love of queues. Well, then, our material will open up a lot of new things for you.
The British have a strange habit of apologizing for everything, on any occasion, and even without it. According to statistics, on average, every person in the UK says the word "sorry" at least 8 times a day, which is equivalent to almost three thousand times a year. What manners!
To this day, the United Kingdom has a system of social classes that divides people according to their material condition, employment, level of education, political outlook, and other criteria.
There are seven strata of society-the precariat, the traditional working class, the service sector, the technical middle class, the well-to-do wage earners, the stable middle class, and the elite.
British cuisine is often called one of the most unpretentious and boring in the world. Here you will not find exotic dishes and unusual combinations that affect the taste buds. The British are used to eating modestly and without too much sophistication, so there is a high probability that when you come to visit a native of Albion, you will get mashed potatoes, beans and some vegetables for lunch.
As mentioned above, the United Kingdom is not just England. This term refers to the union of four separate states-Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England. But some confuse England with Great Britain or the United Kingdom because of England's dominance and power over Great Britain. At the same time, if you call a Welshman, a Scot or an Irishman an Englishman, it is unlikely that he will be delighted.
Speaking of the British, it is impossible not to mention their addiction to tea. According to the results of a social survey, 53% of the population of the United Kingdom will prefer tea to coffee, and in just a day across the country, about 165 million cups of this warming drink are drunk. Among their favorites are blends of black teas from Sri Lanka, East Africa and India.
There are no shouting people in the British queues, trying to push their way forward, jostle others and take someone else's place. Everything is organized and civilized here. If someone still dares to break this idyll, he will simply be kicked out of the queue by other waiting people.
To understand the British sense of humor, you need to be born British. And this is not a joke, because the jokes of these people are usually sarcastic, ironic, sometimes offensive and even have notes of sexism.
In the Foggy Albion, the weather is very unpredictable — in the morning it may rain, in the afternoon the scorching sun will look out, in the evening it will start raining again, and even with hail. And this is the order of things for the British. No wonder the majority of the UK population is so obsessed with the weather.
Studies have shown that more than half of all conversations between people are reduced to it. And they mention the weather at least once every six hours.
Those who visited Britain for the first time may have noticed that the" favorite " facial expression of the locals is tight-lipped. And this does not mean that they are callous or rude. It's just that the British are used to stoically meeting all sorts of problems, and hiding unpleasant emotions just helps them with this mask of restraint.
More tea in the United Kingdom, perhaps, like only toast. Here they are eaten for breakfast, lunch, as a snack, with jam, butter, stewed beans and other various "spread". Do not be surprised if you are served cold toast and do not think that it is just cold. The British specially make toast so that the butter does not melt too quickly.
What other little-known facts about the United Kingdom do you know?
Keywords: English | England | Britain | Great britain | Habits | Facts | Tea