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Understanding the British: A hilarious guide from Apologising to Wimbledon
The British are not who you think they are...
In fact, they’re not even who they think they are...
Come on a tour of the most misunderstood people on Earth!
Throwing away all the usual, boring stereotypes, author (and Brit) Adam Fletcher will explain:
- What cricket has to do with the Grim Reaper.
- When you shouldn’t say sorry.
- The real reason Brexit happened.
- Which secret religion every Brit is a member of.
- The twenty most annoying phrases in the English language.
- What every Brit automatically does when left alone.
- The revolutionary hangover cure invented in Scotland.
- The thing his people are most scared of (hint: it can fly).
- The secret ideology behind roundabouts.
- The Ten Commandments of British humour.
And much more.
Bonus: includes a How British Are You? quiz that will reveal just how well you understand the British mentality.
In fact, they’re not even who they think they are...
Come on a tour of the most misunderstood people on Earth!
Throwing away all the usual, boring stereotypes, author (and Brit) Adam Fletcher will explain:
- What cricket has to do with the Grim Reaper.
- When you shouldn’t say sorry.
- The real reason Brexit happened.
- Which secret religion every Brit is a member of.
- The twenty most annoying phrases in the English language.
- What every Brit automatically does when left alone.
- The revolutionary hangover cure invented in Scotland.
- The thing his people are most scared of (hint: it can fly).
- The secret ideology behind roundabouts.
- The Ten Commandments of British humour.
And much more.
Bonus: includes a How British Are You? quiz that will reveal just how well you understand the British mentality.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 26, 2019
824 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Adam Fletcher
28 books131 followersGet a free book at - http://adam-fletcher.co.uk
Adam Fletcher is a 38 year old bald Englishman living in Berlin, Germany. When not shamelessly selling his life in story form, he spends his days eating chocolate and napping. He's a particularly good napper.
He's the author of eight traditionally published books, including three Spiegel bestsellers, and has sold more than 350k copies combined, not all of which were to his mother, he hopes. She no longer lets him in her garage. Adam specialises in taking you, from the comfort of your favourite armchair, to the strangest countries and places in the world with his popular Weird Travel series.
He also writes comedic fiction as Adam R. Fletcher - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Adam Fletcher is a 38 year old bald Englishman living in Berlin, Germany. When not shamelessly selling his life in story form, he spends his days eating chocolate and napping. He's a particularly good napper.
He's the author of eight traditionally published books, including three Spiegel bestsellers, and has sold more than 350k copies combined, not all of which were to his mother, he hopes. She no longer lets him in her garage. Adam specialises in taking you, from the comfort of your favourite armchair, to the strangest countries and places in the world with his popular Weird Travel series.
He also writes comedic fiction as Adam R. Fletcher - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
July 13, 2021
I've just finished Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour which is very funny, but very scholarly too, and I'm hoping for another view of how the British are. It's written by an ex-pat, as I am. I've been an expat for more than half my life although I had a place in London as well for most of it.
The author is distinctly left-wing, but being British quite passive-aggressive about it and quietly amusing. No one ever comes straight out and says anything direct in the UK. Well, only if you are a foreigner and start staying English when you mean British and you are talking to someone Irish, Welsh or Scottish, then you will get it directly. 'England' is not a synonym for 'Britain'. And Wales is not part of England. One big difference between England and Wales is that if you go to a pub in England, have a bit to drink and start singing loudly, they'll throw you out for being drunk and disorderly. Do it in Wales and everyone will join in.
If you ask how someone is, they are always fine, give them a compliment and it's brushed off (self-praise, feeling proud of oneself, knowing one has done well should never, ever be expressed out loud. The worst is clapping oneself like on an American game show. Oh the horror....) Not everyone eats Marmite on hot-buttered toast (which is strange, as it's the most delicious thing there is) nor do they go to chip shops which since the EU aren't allowed to serve chips on newspaper only plain paper, or worse, in polystyrene takeaway containers. Maybe since Brexit they've gone back to newsprint. I'm sure that the ink got dissolved a bit with the malt vinegar and added to the taste. Still, it probably doesn't do anything for the curry sauce option.
I enjoyed the book, somewhat. I liked how it was written through stories, but I wasn't sure if it was meant to just be humorous or really illustrate the British 'national character' through speech patterns. Come to think of it, there isn't a British national character.
All of us four nations share very little, we all drink tea though and I think we would all be horrified at the American idea of 'sun tea' where the water is cold and poured on the tea to infuse in the sun. All of us know the water has to be freshly drawn and come to a boil before being poured on the tea. Not all of us agree about milk in first (last, last, last) or whether cream comes before jam on scones (no, jam first, easier to spread). But there you go, even for expats like the author and me, no matter where we live, we will always apologise for everything we never did, and if you think that's peculiar, well I'm sorry, but that's just how we are. Sorry means, I'm sorry, excuse me, get out of my way, this is how I feel, I'm right and you aren't. Sorry means anything and everything, but is not a synonym for the American 'excuse me' (we also say excuse me in various tones of voice to mean what we want it to).
Speaking Island English
Tomorrow I'm flying to the US on ghetto. That's Spirit, we call it ghetto because it's all us locals on it, tourists go American Airlines! Once I'm in the US people will think I have a lovely English accent... I'm not going to say I'm Welsh. And I'm not going to say, oh everyone speaks like this, I will say thank you. Years away from living in the UK have changed me a bit!
This review is all over the place, I'm sorry about that. Actually I'm sorry I even started it as I don't seem able to stop. The words have run away with me, sorry but that's how I am, how English is and now it's time to pack.
The author is distinctly left-wing, but being British quite passive-aggressive about it and quietly amusing. No one ever comes straight out and says anything direct in the UK. Well, only if you are a foreigner and start staying English when you mean British and you are talking to someone Irish, Welsh or Scottish, then you will get it directly. 'England' is not a synonym for 'Britain'. And Wales is not part of England. One big difference between England and Wales is that if you go to a pub in England, have a bit to drink and start singing loudly, they'll throw you out for being drunk and disorderly. Do it in Wales and everyone will join in.
If you ask how someone is, they are always fine, give them a compliment and it's brushed off (self-praise, feeling proud of oneself, knowing one has done well should never, ever be expressed out loud. The worst is clapping oneself like on an American game show. Oh the horror....) Not everyone eats Marmite on hot-buttered toast (which is strange, as it's the most delicious thing there is) nor do they go to chip shops which since the EU aren't allowed to serve chips on newspaper only plain paper, or worse, in polystyrene takeaway containers. Maybe since Brexit they've gone back to newsprint. I'm sure that the ink got dissolved a bit with the malt vinegar and added to the taste. Still, it probably doesn't do anything for the curry sauce option.
I enjoyed the book, somewhat. I liked how it was written through stories, but I wasn't sure if it was meant to just be humorous or really illustrate the British 'national character' through speech patterns. Come to think of it, there isn't a British national character.
All of us four nations share very little, we all drink tea though and I think we would all be horrified at the American idea of 'sun tea' where the water is cold and poured on the tea to infuse in the sun. All of us know the water has to be freshly drawn and come to a boil before being poured on the tea. Not all of us agree about milk in first (last, last, last) or whether cream comes before jam on scones (no, jam first, easier to spread). But there you go, even for expats like the author and me, no matter where we live, we will always apologise for everything we never did, and if you think that's peculiar, well I'm sorry, but that's just how we are. Sorry means, I'm sorry, excuse me, get out of my way, this is how I feel, I'm right and you aren't. Sorry means anything and everything, but is not a synonym for the American 'excuse me' (we also say excuse me in various tones of voice to mean what we want it to).
Speaking Island English
Tomorrow I'm flying to the US on ghetto. That's Spirit, we call it ghetto because it's all us locals on it, tourists go American Airlines! Once I'm in the US people will think I have a lovely English accent... I'm not going to say I'm Welsh. And I'm not going to say, oh everyone speaks like this, I will say thank you. Years away from living in the UK have changed me a bit!
This review is all over the place, I'm sorry about that. Actually I'm sorry I even started it as I don't seem able to stop. The words have run away with me, sorry but that's how I am, how English is and now it's time to pack.
May 27, 2020
Like the author, Adam Fletcher, I'm also an expatriate. He escaped to Germany, I to Norway. In my case, it wasn't an active choice. I was working abroad for an English company, fell in love with a local girl, and stayed. I don't know, but I suspect there are more genuine Brits living abroad than there are in Britain these days.
Anyway, about the book. Mr Fletcher describes Britain as I remember it thirty-five years ago, and I can voucher for his (often embarrassing) perception of the English culture. One observation he didn't mention was our love of self-irony, something he shows with droll clarity in this book.
However, I did notice a touch of horrified disapproval in some of Mr Fletcher's renderings and I frequently went into defence mode. Despite our (perceived) nonchalance, I expect foreigners will find this book more amusing than the British. Still, we have to keep a stiff upper lip and laugh along out of politeness. We may have been a great nation in the past, but as Vladimir recently said so charmingly about us: we're nothing more than an insignificant little island off the coast of France.
So cheers to that, and cheers to this quaint guide to our quirky little nation.
Anyway, about the book. Mr Fletcher describes Britain as I remember it thirty-five years ago, and I can voucher for his (often embarrassing) perception of the English culture. One observation he didn't mention was our love of self-irony, something he shows with droll clarity in this book.
However, I did notice a touch of horrified disapproval in some of Mr Fletcher's renderings and I frequently went into defence mode. Despite our (perceived) nonchalance, I expect foreigners will find this book more amusing than the British. Still, we have to keep a stiff upper lip and laugh along out of politeness. We may have been a great nation in the past, but as Vladimir recently said so charmingly about us: we're nothing more than an insignificant little island off the coast of France.
So cheers to that, and cheers to this quaint guide to our quirky little nation.
April 24, 2019
Why Does This Sound Familiar?
I laughed all the way through this book. Definitely tongue in cheek but with kernels of truth. I kept thinking that I know this stuff but how? Then it hit me! My mum was a WWII bride.Met my American dad while he was stationed at an airfield near her village. So I'm half Brit. Seems the genes run true. My Brit side teases people I know like the book says, war and is a given and I do some of the 'if it's no bother' & 'so sorry' things. Looks like I'd fit nicely anywhere in Britain but the big cities. Too many strangers.
Thanks, Adam, for this cheeky tome. Please write more.
I laughed all the way through this book. Definitely tongue in cheek but with kernels of truth. I kept thinking that I know this stuff but how? Then it hit me! My mum was a WWII bride.Met my American dad while he was stationed at an airfield near her village. So I'm half Brit. Seems the genes run true. My Brit side teases people I know like the book says, war and is a given and I do some of the 'if it's no bother' & 'so sorry' things. Looks like I'd fit nicely anywhere in Britain but the big cities. Too many strangers.
Thanks, Adam, for this cheeky tome. Please write more.
July 19, 2019
Highly entertaining and a wonderful piece of research and observation. . The book pin-points the oddities of we British. Extremely perceptive. Most of the points are illustrated by a series of stories, many of which are hilarious. but by the time you finish the book, you feel you should reevaluate yourself.
The best read I've had this summer..
The best read I've had this summer..
March 14, 2020
Flashes of whimsical humour
My wife, who is French, resonated with much of the first part of this book which declares that we Brits “do not want to be a bother” and are concerned that things are done nicely, even if that means inefficiently and that nobody actually benefits as intended in the end.
However, the poignant observations are well spread out.
The shortness of the chapters mean that you keep looking for the next nugget and that it does not seem too long before you’re rewarded.
Not great but not bad. Quite British really.
My wife, who is French, resonated with much of the first part of this book which declares that we Brits “do not want to be a bother” and are concerned that things are done nicely, even if that means inefficiently and that nobody actually benefits as intended in the end.
However, the poignant observations are well spread out.
The shortness of the chapters mean that you keep looking for the next nugget and that it does not seem too long before you’re rewarded.
Not great but not bad. Quite British really.
August 17, 2019
There were parts of this book, specifically the section on Chip Shops, that literally had me helpless with laughter. As a Brit myself, living as a stranger in a strange land (Chicago) it was both refreshing and wonderfully entertaining to read this wonderful book which was written with such wonderful verve and style about the place and people I love the best - Britain and the British.
Whether you really want to understand the British or are just curious to understand the finer points of marmite, queueporn, or crumpets this is the book for you.
Buy it, read it, enjoy it.
Whether you really want to understand the British or are just curious to understand the finer points of marmite, queueporn, or crumpets this is the book for you.
Buy it, read it, enjoy it.
December 23, 2020
Short, light book. Do know this book doesn't actually explain any British terms, just pokes gentle fun. "Cuppa" is used without explanation; further on there's an entire chapter on tea with no mention of the phrase. Thank goodness I knew what zone 6 means, but am left guessing at the term "bedsit".
June 27, 2019
I love the insights and humor. This book was a good break from more serious reading, and in time before a trip to London. This is my second Adam Fletcher book. Check out this self-published author on Amazon.
September 12, 2022
Hilarious and Helpful
I just moved from the US to the UK and I was telling my sister in law (who is married to a Brit) about some of the unusual and confusing interactions I’ve had while out and about. She laughed knowingly and sent me this book. It was so fun to read and literally made me laugh out loud every time I picked it up. The author really captured the unique characteristics of the British through hilarious “tongue and cheek” examples and anecdotes - it was extremely entertaining but also quite helpful.
There are a lot more cultural differences between us than I was expecting (and I don’t know why I expected there wouldn’t be). We speak the same language and we understand the words (in most cases anyway - I still don’t know what the “crèche” at the gym is) but there are still times when I have no idea what’s happening or what I’m supposed to do. After reading book, I don’t get as frustrated and I’m having a easier time just going with it.
I just moved from the US to the UK and I was telling my sister in law (who is married to a Brit) about some of the unusual and confusing interactions I’ve had while out and about. She laughed knowingly and sent me this book. It was so fun to read and literally made me laugh out loud every time I picked it up. The author really captured the unique characteristics of the British through hilarious “tongue and cheek” examples and anecdotes - it was extremely entertaining but also quite helpful.
There are a lot more cultural differences between us than I was expecting (and I don’t know why I expected there wouldn’t be). We speak the same language and we understand the words (in most cases anyway - I still don’t know what the “crèche” at the gym is) but there are still times when I have no idea what’s happening or what I’m supposed to do. After reading book, I don’t get as frustrated and I’m having a easier time just going with it.
June 7, 2024
A very funny book about the British ethos and outlook.
August 22, 2024
Hilarious tongue-in-cheek guide to British culture. And now I finally understand UKIP and Brexit, but I wouldn't dare bring it up with anyone. Been a bit nippy out, amiright?
July 6, 2020
A light, self deprecating look at the British psyche. Don't expect a deeply academic sociological investigation and you won't be disappointed. Short, cheerful and funny.
May 22, 2019
An entertaining view of the British and our quaint habits many of which I could identify with. This guide to the Nation’s psyche is telling insight into our behaviour and whilst comical is based in truth. I would recommend this to all visitors to this country as a guide to the wonderful inhabitants of these islands and to the inhabitants themselves go in you will be entertained and see some of yourself in the descriptions provided by Adam Fletcher.
March 28, 2020
mildly amusing if you personally know any Brits - otherwise a lot of the content will probably be lost on the reader
February 2, 2022
I love British humor! Didn’t much care for his digs about America/Americans.
October 25, 2022
You can’t read novels, bios, sci-fi, etc., etc. all the time, right?
When it’s time for something different, this kind of book can be just the thing.
Of course the fact that I love all things Brit made it perfect for me.
It’s the kind you can pick up for ten minutes at a time while real life ticks on.
It’s silly, it’s fun and you do learn a lot, if you’re not actually from the UK.
Some examples:
For a British person, there’s nothing more terrifying than the prospect of exile in France; no one speaks a bloody word of English; there’s blood in the meat; they eat snails; everyone’s better looking than you; seven times as cultured; and yet you’re still so close to home you can gaze lovingly at the white cliffs of Dover…..
When you’re around us, don’t just say how it is, accurately, with the truth’s sharp edges facing out. Cloister. Wrap reality in poetry, ambiguity, subterfuge, misdirection, and a duvet of euphemism. Be a magician sawing meaning in half, pulling soft, cuddly rabbits of rhetoric out of each sentence’s hat…..
As a side note:
Then there’s Irn-Bru, the top-selling drink in Scotland.
It’s an orange color, fizzy and tastes like oranges and bananas, extremely sweet and toxic tasting.
I’ve tried it, so you’ll have to take my word on it…..
When it’s time for something different, this kind of book can be just the thing.
Of course the fact that I love all things Brit made it perfect for me.
It’s the kind you can pick up for ten minutes at a time while real life ticks on.
It’s silly, it’s fun and you do learn a lot, if you’re not actually from the UK.
Some examples:
For a British person, there’s nothing more terrifying than the prospect of exile in France; no one speaks a bloody word of English; there’s blood in the meat; they eat snails; everyone’s better looking than you; seven times as cultured; and yet you’re still so close to home you can gaze lovingly at the white cliffs of Dover…..
When you’re around us, don’t just say how it is, accurately, with the truth’s sharp edges facing out. Cloister. Wrap reality in poetry, ambiguity, subterfuge, misdirection, and a duvet of euphemism. Be a magician sawing meaning in half, pulling soft, cuddly rabbits of rhetoric out of each sentence’s hat…..
As a side note:
Then there’s Irn-Bru, the top-selling drink in Scotland.
It’s an orange color, fizzy and tastes like oranges and bananas, extremely sweet and toxic tasting.
I’ve tried it, so you’ll have to take my word on it…..
July 18, 2024
Hahaa - great book! Fancied a light, entertaining read and this fitted the bill perfectly.
The author, as an ex-pat with a German partner, I think is pretty well qualified to write this, off-setting his life abroad with the familiar peculiarities of us British folk when he returns to these fair isles.
Not much is spared: Wimbledon, cricket, drinking, Greggs, apologising... you name it, it gets a good old treatment here. Yes, I found myself giggling quite a few times as I read through - the "Right then..." chapter is brilliant! I found this book humorous, easy to pick up and actually really well written - so much so I think I'll have a look at some of the author's other titles.
Recommended for gits and shiggles! ;)
The author, as an ex-pat with a German partner, I think is pretty well qualified to write this, off-setting his life abroad with the familiar peculiarities of us British folk when he returns to these fair isles.
Not much is spared: Wimbledon, cricket, drinking, Greggs, apologising... you name it, it gets a good old treatment here. Yes, I found myself giggling quite a few times as I read through - the "Right then..." chapter is brilliant! I found this book humorous, easy to pick up and actually really well written - so much so I think I'll have a look at some of the author's other titles.
Recommended for gits and shiggles! ;)
June 23, 2021
Very Funny
I laughed out loud at at least half of this book, and the other half was amusing. I am a confirmed Anglophile even though I only scored second out of four in the “How British are you?” quiz at the back. He certainly exaggerates but not so much. Most interesting to me was the many similarities between American cultural norms and British norms. If you’re curious about the English or already love them, you’ll enjoy this book. I’ll be checking out some of his other books as soon as I finish this review. Happy reading!
I laughed out loud at at least half of this book, and the other half was amusing. I am a confirmed Anglophile even though I only scored second out of four in the “How British are you?” quiz at the back. He certainly exaggerates but not so much. Most interesting to me was the many similarities between American cultural norms and British norms. If you’re curious about the English or already love them, you’ll enjoy this book. I’ll be checking out some of his other books as soon as I finish this review. Happy reading!
April 28, 2019
What’s not to like?
Adam gives a tongue-in-cheek tour de force of everything British, from an ex-pat point of view. Maybe it’s his adopted German home that gives him the perspective that allows him to see things in a humorous way (though in my experience most Brits are self-deprecating). The social rituals are a special hoot. Having seen them close up, I can vouch that they are “spot on”.
Adam gives a tongue-in-cheek tour de force of everything British, from an ex-pat point of view. Maybe it’s his adopted German home that gives him the perspective that allows him to see things in a humorous way (though in my experience most Brits are self-deprecating). The social rituals are a special hoot. Having seen them close up, I can vouch that they are “spot on”.
January 11, 2020
“The British are not who you think they are... in fact, they’re not even who they think they are.”
So begins the book description. I didn’t have to read very far into the book to realize that the book certainly wasn’t what I thought it would be, and if I kept reading, I would have no doubt that it wouldn’t be what Adam Fletcher thought it would be either. Mercifully, I left it unfinished.
So begins the book description. I didn’t have to read very far into the book to realize that the book certainly wasn’t what I thought it would be, and if I kept reading, I would have no doubt that it wouldn’t be what Adam Fletcher thought it would be either. Mercifully, I left it unfinished.
July 31, 2023
This is a really fun book. There were bunch of times when I laughed out loud while reading it. The book talks about the importance of being nice and the mask of civility. It covers the incredible importance of understating things.
There's a lot of other stuff covered and the book even includes a quiz at the end (which is also fun.)
There's a lot of other stuff covered and the book even includes a quiz at the end (which is also fun.)
November 14, 2024
I didn't dislike this book and the content in each of the chapters certainly resonated but I would probably have enjoyed it more if each chapter had been a weekly article in a newspaper or magazine than as a book. I often smiled when reading it, but I just wasn't at any point gripped and it was all too 'samey' for me.
May 10, 2019
Excellent little book
A very readable analysis of the Brits and their peculiar problems as they wallow in their self-imposed social ineptitude, warts and all. Great book. Adam is very talented.
A very readable analysis of the Brits and their peculiar problems as they wallow in their self-imposed social ineptitude, warts and all. Great book. Adam is very talented.
June 17, 2019
Hysterically funny
Being British, being born on a British dependant territory as in Bermuda, this book reaffirmed all I had been brought up to embrace. Thanks for the memories. A must read for everyone
Being British, being born on a British dependant territory as in Bermuda, this book reaffirmed all I had been brought up to embrace. Thanks for the memories. A must read for everyone
July 19, 2019
I'm nearly British. Who knew?
A humorous overview of what makes the British, well, British. From pathological politeness, tea drinking, and an explanation of cricket, this book should be required reading for anyone seeking cross cultural competency.
A humorous overview of what makes the British, well, British. From pathological politeness, tea drinking, and an explanation of cricket, this book should be required reading for anyone seeking cross cultural competency.
October 11, 2019
Very funny and very true!
There were so many moments when I laughed out loud that my neighbours must be thinking I've lost the plot. I really enjoyed this book. I'm not just being "nice" - I really did!
There were so many moments when I laughed out loud that my neighbours must be thinking I've lost the plot. I really enjoyed this book. I'm not just being "nice" - I really did!
April 28, 2020
fun facts!
As usual from Adam Fletcher, this book is hysterical. I love reading his nonsense so much, binging everything he's written during Covid lockdown. Thank you, Adam. Please write more
As usual from Adam Fletcher, this book is hysterical. I love reading his nonsense so much, binging everything he's written during Covid lockdown. Thank you, Adam. Please write more
July 25, 2020
Light and fun read
Not British but I can relate to the conbaktation so much. Sorry about the weather but as the author mentioned, there's always tea and going for a drink for any negativity.
Not British but I can relate to the conbaktation so much. Sorry about the weather but as the author mentioned, there's always tea and going for a drink for any negativity.
December 21, 2020
Very Clever!
I know little to nothing about the British people. I have a lot of English blood in me according to my DNA report and now I see where our over politeness comes from. Our family joke was to introduce ourselves and say I'm sorry.
I know little to nothing about the British people. I have a lot of English blood in me according to my DNA report and now I see where our over politeness comes from. Our family joke was to introduce ourselves and say I'm sorry.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews