People shared the weirdest things that make them proud to be British – 17 especially unusual reasons to be patriotic
Sometimes it can be hard to feel proud to be British. Tooting our own horn isn’t in the national character, plus the country has made some… interesting decisions in the last few years.
This sceptered isle isn’t without merit though. And it’s the little things that seem to make people feel patriotic. EdibleBeans-on-Toast wanted to know more, so they tasked r/AskUK users to reveal the weirdest things that make them proud to be British.
They even got the ball rolling with their own suggestion:
‘For me, it’s the fact that none of us can handle the heat. We get frustrated, basically switch off until the temp goes below 20 again, and get pissed (the worst thing you can do in the heat), and I absolutely love it. Like, I’m feeling super patriotic in this heatwave. Is this heatstroke?
‘Close second is seeing England and Scotland at the World Cup. The Scots hate us, and the English couldn’t care less; we actually want them to win their games. Incredible dynamic, I hope it never changes’
These top answers will make even the stiffest of upper lips quiver…
1.
‘Larry the cat makes me proud to be British – Through thick and thin, he never gives up, the one constant in our political system’
-ed_cnc
2.
‘The weird camaraderie that emerges if you’re in a queue together long enough. Have made friends for minutes at a time (as opposed to for life). Love inviting someone who was clearly ahead but got cut off or delayed to go ahead of me, sharing that knowing smile and nod. Best is when there’s a kid in the queue who says something funny and everyone laughs but in a nice way. Maybe my local Co-op just has really good queueing energy, I don’t know’
-gentletonberry
3.
‘Our ability to not take ourselves too seriously
‘I’ve spent time in the US and it’s always a bit weird culturally when they do’
-FluidGolf9091
4.
‘Sandwiches. We’ll put anything in between two bits of bread.
‘Beans? Fish fingers? An entire meat pie?
‘Yeah sound, put it on a buttered barm and I’ll go to town on it. I’ve lived with non British people inside and outside the UK and the faces they pull at some of my lazy/drunk meals are amazing.’
-TacticalRiotChimp
5.
‘Meal deals and being allowed to get drunk in a park on a hot day.
‘I have consistently had international friends truly astonished by both of these things.’
-Status-Echo-4325
6.
‘Darryn Frost attacking the London Bridge terrorist prick with a narwhal tusk and Alex McIlveen kicking the Glasgow airport terrorist twat so hard in the balls that he tore a tendon.’
-MikeSizemore
7.
‘The instant, unified “Wheeeeeeeyyyyyyy!” when someone drops a pint glass in a pub.’
-WotanMjolnir
8.
‘Our ability to turn any weather into a national crisis and a conversation starter at the same time.’
-Sensitive_Water_5445
9.
‘Hedgerows: sounds silly but these little corridors of nature that we have managed to persist over hundreds of years and form the back bone of our remaining wildlife. I know it’s much diminished but it’s something I treasure and hope we prioritise.’
-confuzzledfather