Part 14: Idiosyncrasies and eccentricities
There are many idiosyncrasies and eccentricities that Brits are renowned for the World over. Our obsession with tea and biscuits, for instance. Likewise, our love of fish and chips, Sunday roasts and full breakfasts. These days, however, what we eat is less of a national trait than it once was as British cuisine now includes a wide variety of foods that have been assimilated from other countries in Europe, India, and other parts of the world. A takeaway meal in Britain could just as likely be a pizza, curry, spring rolls, or a kebab.
In addition to our previously mentioned penchant for forming queues (see Part 5), another strange quirk of the British is our use of the word ‘sorry.’ To those who do not know us, it can make us seem overly polite, even self-deprecating, but it is far more complicated than that. Sorry can have a range of meanings depending on the context, from a straightforward apology to a request for someone to repeat themselves (meaning I did not catch what you said). Sorry can be an expression of faux sympathy (it is a shame that you feel this way or find yourself in this position). It can be used as an entrée to a conversation (can I butt in here) or as an excuse to leave (I have to go now as I am losing the will to live). However, it can also be a term of indignation (I do not believe you just said that), or as a precursor to a rebuttal (you are wrong). Like many things with the British, it is about understanding the nuances. For those who struggle with…
