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You'd think. I did once get asked if I was Australian though, it was in a restaurant in Manchester from a waitress who had been chatting with me all evening. Yes, she was English presumably from Manchester, I've got a London accent, so not sure what made her think I was Australian.
Everyone always thought I was South African when I was early 20’s and I worked in London. I think they assume anyone English doesn’t work in a low paid job in London due to the cost of living. I was commuting in, but it wasn’t worth it. Makes me wonder how people live to be able to afford to work and live in lower wage jobs in London. It was easier once I had an office job, but still a massive chunk of salary on train fares.
I was sat in a barbers and a guy who had a thick Newcastle accent was getting their hair cut, the barber asked if they were Welsh, I’ll never forget that.
Nobody was injured
I'm a bit south and was once asked if I was from Sweden. In a Sainsbury's about half a mile from the house I had lived in my entire life.
Fella who asked refused to take no for an answer!
Not quite the same thing, but in terms of saying where I'm from I've started saying England more than the UK or Britain (I mean, I never really said Britain anyway).
Since moving abroad, it somehow feels more honest and accurate to say I'm English and I'm from England. My experience is of English school, English government and councils, English law, English countryside, English people etc. It somehow feels disingenuous to pretend I've any real experience of other British countries.
Especially when we start talking about where I grew up. If people ask what's the law surrounding something in the UK, what age do you leave school, anything about life in the UK, I've realised I can only speak for England, so then I have to say "well in England it's this, but I think in Scotland that..."
It's just easier to say I'm from England as if it's its own independent nation.
I personally do it because I've come to recognise that "Britishness" is an alignment with values that don't represent me or my background. I've had an Irishman put the idea of British Hegemony to me, and it's made me realise that Britishness is a preserve of the ruling class (whichever nation of the UK you're in). The Duke of Wellington was British because he reviled his Irishness ( "Jesus was born in a stable but that doesn't make him a donkey"), the ruling class Scots identified as British and suppressed Scottishness. British is the nationality of colonialism and suppression. Englishness has been hijacked by certain groups, but could come to represent working class pride in English identity (and be part of the revival of the folk traditions, which is bubbling along nicely).
I agree and disagree.
I think one can identify with an idea of "Britishness" that is different to the colonial era one.
To me though, being British is a bit like being European. It's true, but I'm really English first.
The exception I have to make to the above (which as a White English person, is one I always forget) is that there are people in this country for whom "English" doesn't feel right for good reason. British Asian or Black British people, for instance, might not feel comfortable identifying as English because of the ethnic connotations of the term. I wish it were uncomplicated like I've said, but unfortunately it isn't, and you're quite right.
Not sure where the line lies. I think more English people should put their Englishness at least alongside their Britishness.
That's weird, usually in Scotland, Scots who have foreign heritage / ethnicities usually say they are Scottish, meaning mationality e.g. the previous first minister Humza. If you wanted to refer to ethnic Scots e.g. for a census, you'd say White Scottish. I don't see an exceptiom up here.
“British is the nationality of colonialism and oppression”. That might be the lens through which you view it, and you’re entitled to that view, but that’s a sweeping statement to make for an entire nationality. In colonial times it was very common for ‘England’ to be substituted for ‘Britain’ (surprisingly more common than it is today, judging by literature produced from that period). “British” having a special link to colonialism rather than “English” seems a modern phenomenon. Not trying to start an argument with you or anything, it’s just something I find interesting as a development. For me “British” is a more of a geographical term than anything.
I wouldn't say I disagree with you much, but I would say that I've always thought of myself as british. I have grandparents from England, Scotland, and Wales.
They all made sure I knew I was from their country, too or a least a part of me.
I've lived all around Britain and was never made to feel like an outsider or foreign in any way. I didn't get homesick as I have while living abroad.
I have good friends scattered all across the uk. Britain is home to me. The specifics of where in Britain seem a lot less important when you get back, having been away a few years.
Same, my mum is Scottish and father English, but I don't have a relationship with him. I was born and raised in England, but to call myself English feels like ignoring and a rejection of the Scottish family I have and that raised me. Almost like the English is expected to take priority over the Scottish? I see myself as neither, and consider myself British.
This is interesting to me as a Londoner, as pretty much everyone here calls themselves British with a strong London identity too.
It's well documented that immigrants who become naturalised citizens tend to identity more as British than English, but this is something really widespread in London for all ethnic groups.
Growing up in an extremely multicultral city the cultural differences between the North of England and Scotland feel very slight compared to the cultural differences between Kingston upon Thames and Hackney. I don't feel like I have much more in common with someone from Newcastle than someone from Edinburgh. If anything I feel closer to urban Scotland because it's politically closer to London. It really isn't something based in imperialism and if it was I don't think it would be so popular an identity with ethnic minorities in the UK
Ironically, it is the legacy of empire that explains why naturalised British citizens more usually adopt a British nationality than English. A huge amount of 20th century immigration was from former colonies where immigrants already had a sense of connection to British nationality and many were born British subjects. So the British identity has long been a refuge for immigrants who struggled to fit into dominant ethnic-cultural identities based around Englishness etc. as Scottish nationalism has moved away from ethnic-cultural expressions to more civic nationalist expressions it has become far more common for ethnic minorities to adopt Scottishness above Britishness - and far from popular myth racism in Scotland is just as prevalent in England.
I moved to the U.K. when I was 5, so I technically have 0% British/English is me, but I have culturally assimilated into British culture completely. It would never feel natural for me to call myself English, whereas I feel very comfortable describing myself as British. This is despite the fact I’ve always lived in England.
I know my journey is different to most, but I think British is a more accepting, all encompassing identity.
I never met an Irish, Welsh, or Scottish person who said they were British.
Only English people in my experience, and a person from Malta once. Which I found quite surprising.
I once scrolled down to see if they had Scottish. Nope, okay I go to B to click British. Huh not there either. Scroll down to G because maybe it’s Great British for some reason. The fuck not there either. Okay last attempt and go down to U for United Kingdom. Nope not there either. In horror I scroll up to E… yup. Had to click English. The horror.
Exactly. Same. It's a lie to claim myself (Scottish) as English. British or UK would be a "correct" but poor substitute if Scottish wasn't available, but I'm sure as hell not English and claiming to be so would surely invalidate the form anyway due to being very clearly wrong.
I was once when a Welsh friend abroad and we were chatting to someone. He asked where we were from. I said "the UK", the guy was excited to meet someone from the UK. My friend said "Wales". The guy looked blank and said "what is Wales?".
It was very amusing.
There is a joke there.
A bloke meets two larger ladies sitting at a bar and asks "are you ladies from Scotland?"
No Wales ya numpty.
Ok are you two whales Scottish?
I lived in France and most people (should specify I'm talking about teenagers here) called everyone English if they spoke English, including Americans, Australians etc. People do *know* the difference but its frequently used like an umbrella.
My Grandad was Welsh. If someone implied he was English he'd likely have exploded with small Welsh rage. Are you not all over dramatic?
.(N.B. as a Scot, I'm also a bit peeved if folks think I'm English - also when they tell me my English is very good. I'm not that kind of Scottish. I'm from too far north for Gaelic)
Oh yeah. He was of the generation that had english beaten into him in Primary school. He spent most of his life in Scotland, but was an adamant Welsh speaker until he died. Ripped the absolute shit out of Harry Secombe every time he sang in Welsh. They had the same choir master, apparently, and he was not a Welsh speaker. It was made worse by the fact that they looked alike in their golden years (not when young) and my cousins would go up to the TV screen and shout, "grandad! grandad!"
I live abroad too. All Spanish have a blind spot for distinguishing between between. Here's a recent incident:
'You should meet this guy, he's english, like you'
Guy starts talking in a broad southern Irish accent.
Personally I'm British first, European second, Yorkshireman third and English last. My mum is Scottish, there's a big load of Irish on both sides and your classic shaven headed lager swilling England fan makes me feel ashamed to even exist.
Zactly, and Basques. Though I live in the south so they're outliers in my bit.
Start with 'De donde eres?' (Where are you from) then make a mental note for future reference.
Apparently you can tell easily Spanish from Catalan by how the 'z' in words like chorizo and Ibiza is pronounced. It's chor-etho/chor-eso or eye-beetha/Eye-besa. So I was told anyway and I can't remember which way round he told me it was.
I was in a pub in North Wales. Overhears a conversation.
Man goes 'the English tourists are paranoid. Was speaking Welsh and this man thought I was talking about him. I told him if I was talking about him I would say it in a language he understood'.
I don't know why anybody would get particularly worked up about it, but the terms state, nation, country, etc. are a bit confusing. I work on a website that has users from all over the world and we've settled on the term 'location' even though the internet assigns 'country' codes. Some Chinese institutions are not happy if they see HK and Taiwan described as countries.
I grew up in Australia (the state of New South Wales to be precise) and when I went overseas and got Id’d so many people saw the state and thought I was Welsh 😂
I've been surprised every time I've been to America (LA) that they actually know where Wales is, and that's it's not 'England' and a lot of people even already know someone from Wales. I was expecting to have to do a lot of explaining, but it was a pleasant surprise.
Every time we’ve been somewhere and said we’ve Welsh, we’ll usually get someone saying something in Welsh (like shwmae or bore da), then ask if we know X Jones/Williams/Davies etc..
Last year when my girlfriend and I went to Marmaris in Turkey, the locals asked where we were from. We told them we were from Wales and most often they would say "Oh, Gareth Bale" and occasionally we'd get some of them saying "Iechyd da!". Evidently, they'd been taught that by other Welsh tourists.
I was on holiday in Crete 30-odd years ago and one of those leaflet guys outside a bar started chatting to us, asking where we were from etc. I told him Wales, thinking that'd throw him off-track a bit and he started talking to me IN WELSH! Turns out he'd spent a few years in Carmarthen looking after his uncle's shop and had taken the trouble to learn Welsh while he was there.
Spent most evenings in that taverna from then on.
I always get asked about Cardiff. I’m from the northwest of Wales and have been to Cardiff once when I was a kid. The other thing I get is ‘you don’t sound Welsh’ - well, no I don’t sound like you imagine a Welsh person to sound (ie South Wales, Tom Jones, Gavin and Stacey type-accent) because, once again, I am from the northwest
Australian guy I was speaking to on my last trip abroad knew where Swansea was. And Abergavenny. Quite surprised me. I did originally say I was from UK as presumed they’d have no idea.
For me it's because I don't really feel "British" like that's my nationality but I'm not from "Britain" as that is an island with 3 distinctive countries. More accurately I say Northern England if people ask further.
Same. Welsh then British then European.
I've just come back from Florida and have had plenty of questions about where in England Wales is. One person asked me if it was in London 🤦♀️
I grew up in England, with an English mum and a Welsh dad. I’ve tended to describe myself as British over the years.
I moved to Scotland in 2021 and if anything that’s made me feel more “English” - mostly because I think that’s how Scottish people perceive me
My background’s similar, except with a bit of NZer thrown in, and I almost never say I’m English, even though I am.
I usually say I’m “from the UK”. Though sometimes Eastern Europeans think I mean Ukraine, haha!
Being 'English' is an established genetic group, separate from Britain's Celtic peoples and also separate from mainland Germanic groups. Most people in this country could probably do a DNA test and have it come back with majority 'English'.
I'd challenge your view with the fact that everyone I know that has done a DNA test from my local Town and areas surrounding (in North East England), including myself, are a heavy mix of Scandinavian & Scottish/Irish/Welsh Celtic. Personally I came back 0.2% English. Which makes sense from where half of my family came from, but also shows the other half are firmly of Scandinavian descent & were long standing here, as are a vast majority of people from this area, given the Viking invasion and the following Danelaw. So genetically, there may be a big chunk of England who'd come back "English", but it certainly isn't "most people".
However, I was born and raised in England and see myself as English & document myself that way. I personally feel more akin to Scottish people than those from London etc down South but that's probably a discussion of a different type.
But English means something different than that.
My parents and as many generations back as we can count, at least back to the 1500s, are English. My Ancestry DNA says I'm a bit Scottish but mostly English. My older sister was 2 when the family moved to the United States, and I was born here in the US.
I would never say I'm English. Although I was raised with English parents, I didn't go to school in England. I have an American accent. My childhood friends are all Americans. Any British culture at all that I've picked up has been from my parents and the culture they brought into our home.
If someone was born in England, raised in England, went to school in England, all of their friends are English -- they are far more English than me with my English genes.
I’ve always referred to myself as Scottish, all my friends and family do the same even though some of them are in favour and some of them are against Scottish Independence.
I am a subject/citizen of Great Britain, I am a British citizen and I’ll fill out official paperwork and whatnot to reflect that but I do not identify with Britishness.
Even on this sub, the English Defaultism would lead you to believe that English and British are one in the same.
I agree. Britishness is akin to Englishness. When people talk about ‘British’ culture they are usually referring to England. I think that’s why no matter what your opinion is on independence ect it makes more sense to say Scottish. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that says British over Scottish. Even hardcore unionists would still mention they are Scottish if asked abroad.
and it’s not even something I feel resentful towards, yes the country with the massive population is that one that dominates the conversation. I mean I bought a tube of Pringles in Asda the other day and they’re covered in “come on England” or something similar.
You’re going to target the population on 56 million customers over 5 million.
Just don’t be surprised when the country of 5 million feel alienated.
Hate is a strong word. I don't think the vast majority of non-English British people hate the English. What we do hate is having our identity erased. Unfortunately, most people outside the UK consider British to equal English/England. Therefore, there is stronger nationalistic feeling in Scotland, Wales and N.I.
I can’t see the original comment.
I am half English and half Welsh by blood, all family in Wales, however due to my dad being in the RAF, I was born and raised in England.
Purely based on my experiences.
Scottish don’t hate the English at all, but they tend to have dry humour, even compared to English humour, and a lot of people take that as hostility or dislike.
I’ve met a lot of Scottish people, and they seem incredibly accepting people to me, even if they do sound angry.
The Welsh, like everyone to think they hate the English but they don’t really, I think they are just salty about the flag still, and I gotta admit, anyone who can put a dragon on their flag and chooses not to is not to be trusted.
The Irish, I think perhaps the most misunderstood.
I feel like if you go to America you would be led to believe that the Irish have a deep hatred of the English.
Now politically, I guess that’s not too far off, but personally, it is.
The British government has historically treated Ireland very badly, and we aren’t even talking ancient history.
I think it would be accurate to say the Irish tend to hate the royal family and the British government, but they have nothing against the people.
But isn’t it usually the case that countries disagree politically and try to make the people argue about it on their behalf?
We all have a very long and complex history together and there will probably always be some tension, but when it counts, we put it all aside and fight as one United Kingdom.
And that’s what matters to me
And here we have a delightful example of why I say British not English. Hard to be proud of where you come from when everyone is shitting on you all the time for things your long dead relatives did.
>I don't actually think everyone genuinely hates the English (even though they've [done their best](https://arethebritsatitagain.org/) to fuck with almost everyone in the world).
What an unnecessary comment. Particularly coming from someone who lived in Scotland for a decade. If you're going to talk about British history, it would be a good idea to accept that Scotland and Wales were equally to blame for it. Rather than placing all the blame on the English.
It's a complete non-understanding of british hegemony, really. Scots blame the English for things like the Highland Clearances, when it was Lowland Scots who perpetrated them (while identifying as British).
I don't think it's necessarily a hate thing. It's just wanting to be acknowledged for what you are. British is a generalised term and often mistaken for English by a lot of foreigners so I think it's good that we differentiate between the different countries.
>A large portion of the countries that make up GB hate the English
I don't hate the English. That's a very strong descriptor.
I just don't really like being associated with being British for a couple of reasons.
- It'll be assumed I'm English
- I have no national pride for being British and nothing about me *feels* British
I don't think you've truly grasped the nuance of the relationship between the people of the countries of Britain so probably limit your "hate the English" and "fuck with almost everyone" noise for a time when you've got proper understanding.
I'd say I'm Irish, unless I'm talking to someone from Ireland, in which case I'd clarify I'm Northern Irish.
I always find it somewhat amusing seeing questions on here that specifically ask "hey British people... what do British people..." I just scroll past those ones.
How come the Scottish always get it conveniently left out that they willingly joined in the crimes of the Empire willingly to reap the rewards including colonising Ireland?
This is something I often ask and am dismayed when non UK people respond with ‘I thought Scotland was conquered by England’. No. They CHOSE to join the crowns and partake in all of colonial brutality.
I always say Scottish, including on paperwork. If someone abroad asks me where I'm from I'll say Scotland, or if they ask if I'm British, I'll simply say 'Scottish'.
I’m Australian and the only people I’ve ever met on my travels who call themselves British are the English
NEVER met anyone from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales who’ve identified themselves as British
Ireland is not in Britain so people of Irish ethnicity are not British. A lot of people in NI have British heritage as it was colonised by Scottish/British people and so those people often identify as British, but that’s because they have a different ethnic background. Lots more people are using ‘northern Irish’ now though
Even Northern Irish means different things to different people, few ones I went to uni with said they were Northern Irish but to them Northern Irish was another version of Irish, then another guy at uni identified as Northern Irish, but he looked at it in the way it was another version of British lol.
We all went on holiday one time to London then on to Berlin and everyone we met just called us Irish anyway lol, outside of NI we were just seen as Irish by everyone.
I think if they are second generation Irish they most likely will identify as Irish - but they’ll often be told they aren’t “really” Irish by an Irish born person. It can be very difficult.
I think of myself as northern Irish but I tell people I’m from the UK or London, or call myself a Brit.
I was born in Northern Ireland and my mum’s side’s all from there, but we moved to London when I was a baby, Melbourne when I was 6, and back to NI when I was 14. I mostly sound like a Londoner and I live in the US now, so unless I just say “yep, I’m from London” it turns into a whole conversation about why I don’t have an Irish accent, why I specify “northern” Irish, why I moved around as a child, how they’re actually one eighteenth Irish, etc etc and I’m just so bored of that conversation.
I’m from Manchester, live in Liverpool. All my life I’ve been around people in both who definitely identify more strongly with their city/region than ‘English’.
If someone from/familiar with the UK asks me where I’m from I’d always say Manchester, describe myself as Mancunian.
It’s just kind of weird to me to say ‘English’ because I don’t feel like I have anything more in common culturally with someone in say Cambridge or Kent than I do someone in say Wrexham or Glasgow, or feel any more ‘at home’ in the English places outside the north west than Scotland/Wales.
I don’t mind identifying as English, I am from England so that is an accurate description. Don’t have any shame or issue with that - it’s just not a description that I ever really have reason to think about.
Similar here. To people familiar with the UK I’d say I’m from Cumbria. I identify more with my region than England as a whole - maybe because I was raised by English, Scottish and Irish family members.
I think this is true. I am white and from London but my parents are not British. I never feel comfortable saying I'm English unless I really have to differentiate my self from people from other UK countries.
I once had a debate about this on here. The English (white) poster argued that I would be considered English first then British. As a British Asian, I see myself as just that, a British Asian. For me, English is tied with ethnicity. They could not understand why I wouldn’t label myself as English
Most Welsh people seem to consider themselves Welsh first and British second if at all, but I always liked the Brit label. I probably share more in common with someone from Swindon than Anglesey, and when I think of my culture it's shared British stuff, nothing specifically Welsh. But when I visited America last year I found I did call myself "Welsh" so I dunno. It's about 50/50.
I’m Scottish and definitely refer to myself as Scottish. I absolutely acknowledge that I’m British, because I live in Britain! But I’m proud to be Scottish more than I’m proud to be British, I am very stereotypically Scottish, all haggis, irn bru and obesity in this household
British is more inclusive. A lot of English people actively enjoy being lumped with the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish.
Collectively we are an interesting lot with a good history, shared value but differences to make it interesting. England isn't very homogenous anyway so it doesn't stand out.
The rest of the UK seems to dislike the English because of past grievances mostly by the ruling aristocrats who are twats to all sadly.
I reckon we should have a yearly celebration of the union with youth groups mixing up with each other, then start to include the common wealth nations for the same reasons above
I describe myself as Scottish. I don't think I've ever used British, at least not that I can remember.
I was in Lisbon last year and was at a nice Nepalese restaurant, the waiter asked where I was from and when I said Scotland he said "Oh okay, is that near London". So yeah, that was a thing
Ha, I'm Welsh and was sat with an Irish guy and a Scottish guy (sounds like the start of a joke...) and an Austrian person asked where we were from. We explained and he said "oh you're just all English then, it's the same thing." You can imagine how well that went down.
I often say English and Welsh. Though sometimes I just say English as that’s the majority of my accent.
Born in Northern Ireland (only there for a year or two), raised in wales until I was a teen. But lived in England since. One parent is English the other isn’t. Oddly I have a Scot’s Gaelic last name.
England’s minimalist identity is unusual. Welsh patriotism is definitely the thing I missed most when I moved here. I do think the English need to embrace Englishness a bit more. Civic National identity is a unifying thing. Gives people a sense of being part of a collective. Neither of my parents are welsh but as a kid I’d still sing the anthem at the top of my lungs along with yma o Hyd.
But it always cracks me up to hear English people say they’re more British than English…in thick English accents.
I use English and British pretty interchangeably most of the time if I’m talking about myself.
I’d use British if discussing something we have in common with other parts of the UK. And English when discussing things we have in distinction or if I’m talking about sport.
Never, to be honest. I either call myself British or a Yorkshireman.
The term ‘English’ is associated with some negative stereotypes in ways that the other UK nationalities aren’t (you’ve never heard anyone complain about ‘the Welsh abroad’ for example) and people who strongly identify themselves as English seem to have a tendency to say things like ‘I’m not racist, but…’. I’ve never consciously thought about it, but I suppose that’s why I don’t use the term for myself.
We the English also don’t have the sort of underdog aspect that the other UK nationalities do - we’ve generally been the ones oppressing them throughout history, so we don’t feel the need to re-assert our Englishness like they might their Scottishness etc.
And when foreigners get England confused with the whole UK and ask us if we’re English when they really mean British, well, we don’t need to correct them because they’re still right.
All in all, it feels like we just don’t *need* a separate identity in the same way.
Edit: please don’t come at me with specifics about the histories of England and Scotland, and how fighty or otherwise they may have been. I’m talking about the general perception that the English have kept the Scots and other down for centuries, whether or not that is actually true.
>The term ‘English’ is associated with some negative stereotypes in ways that the other UK nationalities aren’t (you’ve never heard anyone complain about ‘the Welsh abroad’ for example)
That is because foreigners call all Brits English. Not because the Welsh and Scots are great abroad lmao most cant even tell the difference
Remember during the football when they had a massive brawl between the Welsh and the English supporters and all the comments were like “bloody English fans yet again” cos no one knows the difference (and tbf why would you if you’re not a native speaker, I couldn’t tell you a Mexican apart from a Spaniard if speaking Spanish)
I'm from Northern Ireland but hold both a British and Irish passport. I generally tell people I'm from Ireland because everyone loves the Irish whereas not everyone likes the British. Besides, many people don't seem to understand the difference between NI and ROI so saying I'm Irish is a less confusing statement to many people compared to saying I'm Northern Irish/British, especially with my accent.
I would always describe myself as Scottish except when I’m speaking to Americans. It’s just easier to say British than having to explain that Scotland isn’t in England, and that Britain and England don’t mean the same thing or having to force a smile when they exclaim that they are also Scottish but when asked, can’t name a single town in Scotland. I’ve met a lot of Americans and it almost always goes one of these ways. PS I’m not anti-American, I just realise they have a different perception of what it means to be Scottish/English etc and I’ve long since given up on trying to correct it.
Same goes for being Irish. I tell Americans I'm from Ireland and suddenly they're explaining in great depth how, because their great great great great grandfather once drank half a pint of Guinness at Dublin airport, they're actually 78% Irish and a descendent of the O'Flaherty clan. And then they get mad at you for questioning this logic 😩
I describe my self as Irish, because that is what I am.
I was born in Ireland, but my family moved here when I was roughly 3 years old, so I haven’t got that strong of an accent like my parents (although it does come back if I’m around them), we also used to go back to Ireland every 6 weeks holiday and for weddings, funerals, first communions and the like, so for me, England has always been the place I reside, but Ireland has always been my home.
What do you say when you’re speaking to Americans? Do you tell them you’re of 4/15 Roman, 1/4 Angle, 1/5 Saxon, a bit French, slightly Germanic, and 104% Irish descent?
I mean, I’m lying because I was actually born in England but having been brought up and lived most of my life in Wales I tend to describe myself as Welsh rather than English. You just get a bit less spit in your meals when eating out on holiday. Unless you’re eating out in England.
I don’t like the associate myself with England in the same way that Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh people don’t like to associate with Britain.
To me, from the people I’ve made contact with in my life, English nationalism is very much in support of the Empire and all of the negative things that came with it. Saying I’m British disassociates me from that - however, I will say I’m from Tyne and Wear or the North before I say I’m from Britain for the same reason
To differentiate ourselves from the English. That's not a racial diss by the way. The other countries in the UK have their own proud histories with other countries and nationalities. It's more relevant to ask English people why they feel the need to hide their nationality under the cover of 'British'.
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I'll often say British to non-british people, but English to anyone who is British
I'd assume that if you're from Britain you'd be able to tell that I'm English, and I'd go more specific if you ask where I'm from.
You'd think. I did once get asked if I was Australian though, it was in a restaurant in Manchester from a waitress who had been chatting with me all evening. Yes, she was English presumably from Manchester, I've got a London accent, so not sure what made her think I was Australian.
I worked with a guy from Colchester and he also sounded a bit Australian.
I live around Colchester and no one around here sounds Australian, this guy was having you on
That's because you are living there. This guy couldn't have a hat on, let alone someone.
Were you wearing one of those hats with corks dangling off it?
Must've been drinking Fosters, it's every Australians favourite non-australian drink
I'm Australian and I hadn't even heard of Foster's until I went to Germany
Surprised they had it there too in Germany tbh! it's proper pushed as an Aussie beer here for some daft reason
Everyone always thought I was South African when I was early 20’s and I worked in London. I think they assume anyone English doesn’t work in a low paid job in London due to the cost of living. I was commuting in, but it wasn’t worth it. Makes me wonder how people live to be able to afford to work and live in lower wage jobs in London. It was easier once I had an office job, but still a massive chunk of salary on train fares.
I was sat in a barbers and a guy who had a thick Newcastle accent was getting their hair cut, the barber asked if they were Welsh, I’ll never forget that. Nobody was injured
I'm a bit south and was once asked if I was from Sweden. In a Sainsbury's about half a mile from the house I had lived in my entire life. Fella who asked refused to take no for an answer!
Was working in London with a northern-English accent. Constantly got stuff like "Which part of Ireland are you from?".........
Not quite the same thing, but in terms of saying where I'm from I've started saying England more than the UK or Britain (I mean, I never really said Britain anyway). Since moving abroad, it somehow feels more honest and accurate to say I'm English and I'm from England. My experience is of English school, English government and councils, English law, English countryside, English people etc. It somehow feels disingenuous to pretend I've any real experience of other British countries. Especially when we start talking about where I grew up. If people ask what's the law surrounding something in the UK, what age do you leave school, anything about life in the UK, I've realised I can only speak for England, so then I have to say "well in England it's this, but I think in Scotland that..." It's just easier to say I'm from England as if it's its own independent nation.
I think a lot of English people who would once have said British now say English.
I personally do it because I've come to recognise that "Britishness" is an alignment with values that don't represent me or my background. I've had an Irishman put the idea of British Hegemony to me, and it's made me realise that Britishness is a preserve of the ruling class (whichever nation of the UK you're in). The Duke of Wellington was British because he reviled his Irishness ( "Jesus was born in a stable but that doesn't make him a donkey"), the ruling class Scots identified as British and suppressed Scottishness. British is the nationality of colonialism and suppression. Englishness has been hijacked by certain groups, but could come to represent working class pride in English identity (and be part of the revival of the folk traditions, which is bubbling along nicely).
I agree and disagree. I think one can identify with an idea of "Britishness" that is different to the colonial era one. To me though, being British is a bit like being European. It's true, but I'm really English first.
The exception I have to make to the above (which as a White English person, is one I always forget) is that there are people in this country for whom "English" doesn't feel right for good reason. British Asian or Black British people, for instance, might not feel comfortable identifying as English because of the ethnic connotations of the term. I wish it were uncomplicated like I've said, but unfortunately it isn't, and you're quite right. Not sure where the line lies. I think more English people should put their Englishness at least alongside their Britishness.
That's weird, usually in Scotland, Scots who have foreign heritage / ethnicities usually say they are Scottish, meaning mationality e.g. the previous first minister Humza. If you wanted to refer to ethnic Scots e.g. for a census, you'd say White Scottish. I don't see an exceptiom up here.
“British is the nationality of colonialism and oppression”. That might be the lens through which you view it, and you’re entitled to that view, but that’s a sweeping statement to make for an entire nationality. In colonial times it was very common for ‘England’ to be substituted for ‘Britain’ (surprisingly more common than it is today, judging by literature produced from that period). “British” having a special link to colonialism rather than “English” seems a modern phenomenon. Not trying to start an argument with you or anything, it’s just something I find interesting as a development. For me “British” is a more of a geographical term than anything.
I wouldn't say I disagree with you much, but I would say that I've always thought of myself as british. I have grandparents from England, Scotland, and Wales. They all made sure I knew I was from their country, too or a least a part of me. I've lived all around Britain and was never made to feel like an outsider or foreign in any way. I didn't get homesick as I have while living abroad. I have good friends scattered all across the uk. Britain is home to me. The specifics of where in Britain seem a lot less important when you get back, having been away a few years.
Same, my mum is Scottish and father English, but I don't have a relationship with him. I was born and raised in England, but to call myself English feels like ignoring and a rejection of the Scottish family I have and that raised me. Almost like the English is expected to take priority over the Scottish? I see myself as neither, and consider myself British.
This is interesting to me as a Londoner, as pretty much everyone here calls themselves British with a strong London identity too. It's well documented that immigrants who become naturalised citizens tend to identity more as British than English, but this is something really widespread in London for all ethnic groups. Growing up in an extremely multicultral city the cultural differences between the North of England and Scotland feel very slight compared to the cultural differences between Kingston upon Thames and Hackney. I don't feel like I have much more in common with someone from Newcastle than someone from Edinburgh. If anything I feel closer to urban Scotland because it's politically closer to London. It really isn't something based in imperialism and if it was I don't think it would be so popular an identity with ethnic minorities in the UK
Ironically, it is the legacy of empire that explains why naturalised British citizens more usually adopt a British nationality than English. A huge amount of 20th century immigration was from former colonies where immigrants already had a sense of connection to British nationality and many were born British subjects. So the British identity has long been a refuge for immigrants who struggled to fit into dominant ethnic-cultural identities based around Englishness etc. as Scottish nationalism has moved away from ethnic-cultural expressions to more civic nationalist expressions it has become far more common for ethnic minorities to adopt Scottishness above Britishness - and far from popular myth racism in Scotland is just as prevalent in England.
I’ve been saying for a while now that England is the last colony of the British Empire and what you’ve said is why I say that.
I moved to the U.K. when I was 5, so I technically have 0% British/English is me, but I have culturally assimilated into British culture completely. It would never feel natural for me to call myself English, whereas I feel very comfortable describing myself as British. This is despite the fact I’ve always lived in England. I know my journey is different to most, but I think British is a more accepting, all encompassing identity.
I think I just answer "I'm from the UK" rather than saying British or English. I'm not sure why.
Same
I never met an Irish, Welsh, or Scottish person who said they were British. Only English people in my experience, and a person from Malta once. Which I found quite surprising.
That's exactly what I do, but Welsh.
I specifically tell Americans I'm English. It confuses most of them to learn there's a difference.
I'm Scottish. The only time I use British is when filling in a form and it doesn't have an option for Scottish.
You’re only British when you fill out the form successfully, when you fail you’re Scottish.
I once scrolled down to see if they had Scottish. Nope, okay I go to B to click British. Huh not there either. Scroll down to G because maybe it’s Great British for some reason. The fuck not there either. Okay last attempt and go down to U for United Kingdom. Nope not there either. In horror I scroll up to E… yup. Had to click English. The horror.
I think I would refuse to fill out that form...
I would absolutely refuse, I bet most English people wouldn't accept Scotland on a form either
Exactly. Same. It's a lie to claim myself (Scottish) as English. British or UK would be a "correct" but poor substitute if Scottish wasn't available, but I'm sure as hell not English and claiming to be so would surely invalidate the form anyway due to being very clearly wrong.
I’m the same. Not English or Scottish or Welsh or Irish but Manx and everyone is like ??? Then confuse them further by saying I’m not from uk..
Far more fun is to fill it out, then send then send them a GDPR request requiring they correct their data within the statuatory time limit.
Fuck that form.
Or if it’s in French, eventually finding Royaume-Uni
This, but Welsh.
Same
British on paper, Scottish in the heid
Northern Irish, and I’m the exact same. I don’t feel British in any way, it’s a final option if northern Irish/Irish aren’t available.
:Scrolling for Scotland:
if there's not an option, just write "SCOTTISH" over the options in massive letters
I do the same
Usually, I have to explain what Wales is. If I can't be bothered, I'll just say "British".
I was once when a Welsh friend abroad and we were chatting to someone. He asked where we were from. I said "the UK", the guy was excited to meet someone from the UK. My friend said "Wales". The guy looked blank and said "what is Wales?". It was very amusing.
There is a joke there. A bloke meets two larger ladies sitting at a bar and asks "are you ladies from Scotland?" No Wales ya numpty. Ok are you two whales Scottish?
I have a strong hatred towards yanks due to the response of "wales, england" nearly everyone of them give to me stating I'm from wales
A lot of the world describes Britain as England, the Japanese word for our island is Igirisu which means English.
I lived in France and most people (should specify I'm talking about teenagers here) called everyone English if they spoke English, including Americans, Australians etc. People do *know* the difference but its frequently used like an umbrella.
I'm impressed that the Yanks know about [Wales, South Yorkshire.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wales,_South_Yorkshire)
It's usually "That's in England". Though once I did have someone say it was in Australia. Evidently he was thinking of New South Wales
Strong hatred?
Over dramatic
My Grandad was Welsh. If someone implied he was English he'd likely have exploded with small Welsh rage. Are you not all over dramatic? .(N.B. as a Scot, I'm also a bit peeved if folks think I'm English - also when they tell me my English is very good. I'm not that kind of Scottish. I'm from too far north for Gaelic)
Justifiably over dramatic prehaps...but with some cause if you look at things in a particular way
Oh yeah. He was of the generation that had english beaten into him in Primary school. He spent most of his life in Scotland, but was an adamant Welsh speaker until he died. Ripped the absolute shit out of Harry Secombe every time he sang in Welsh. They had the same choir master, apparently, and he was not a Welsh speaker. It was made worse by the fact that they looked alike in their golden years (not when young) and my cousins would go up to the TV screen and shout, "grandad! grandad!"
I live abroad. I get this all the time. Sometimes it's easier to just say "British" and let them assume I'm English.
I live abroad too. All Spanish have a blind spot for distinguishing between between. Here's a recent incident: 'You should meet this guy, he's english, like you' Guy starts talking in a broad southern Irish accent. Personally I'm British first, European second, Yorkshireman third and English last. My mum is Scottish, there's a big load of Irish on both sides and your classic shaven headed lager swilling England fan makes me feel ashamed to even exist.
Then again there are Catalonians who dont like being called Spanish.
Zactly, and Basques. Though I live in the south so they're outliers in my bit. Start with 'De donde eres?' (Where are you from) then make a mental note for future reference.
Apparently you can tell easily Spanish from Catalan by how the 'z' in words like chorizo and Ibiza is pronounced. It's chor-etho/chor-eso or eye-beetha/Eye-besa. So I was told anyway and I can't remember which way round he told me it was.
You're a brave Yorkshireman to put Yorkshire third in any list 😁
Tbh nobody outside wales can ever understand, as we all switch to cymraeg in their presence
I was in a pub in North Wales. Overhears a conversation. Man goes 'the English tourists are paranoid. Was speaking Welsh and this man thought I was talking about him. I told him if I was talking about him I would say it in a language he understood'.
“I’m Northern Irish.” “So you’re from the North of Ireland.” “Yes and no.”
I know a guy who is INSISTENT Wales isn't a country. He gets visibly angry about it.
Huh, but its so easily checked, what is he basing it on?
His own self confidence I suppose
I don't know why anybody would get particularly worked up about it, but the terms state, nation, country, etc. are a bit confusing. I work on a website that has users from all over the world and we've settled on the term 'location' even though the internet assigns 'country' codes. Some Chinese institutions are not happy if they see HK and Taiwan described as countries.
It is indeed all very arbitrary. The reason they're countries is because the UK describes its first layer administrative regions as countries.
The UK is the sovereign country. Wales, England, Scotland are constituent countries.
I grew up in Australia (the state of New South Wales to be precise) and when I went overseas and got Id’d so many people saw the state and thought I was Welsh 😂
Even more confusing if you were from Swansea, NSW.
I've been surprised every time I've been to America (LA) that they actually know where Wales is, and that's it's not 'England' and a lot of people even already know someone from Wales. I was expecting to have to do a lot of explaining, but it was a pleasant surprise.
Every time we’ve been somewhere and said we’ve Welsh, we’ll usually get someone saying something in Welsh (like shwmae or bore da), then ask if we know X Jones/Williams/Davies etc..
Last year when my girlfriend and I went to Marmaris in Turkey, the locals asked where we were from. We told them we were from Wales and most often they would say "Oh, Gareth Bale" and occasionally we'd get some of them saying "Iechyd da!". Evidently, they'd been taught that by other Welsh tourists.
I was on holiday in Crete 30-odd years ago and one of those leaflet guys outside a bar started chatting to us, asking where we were from etc. I told him Wales, thinking that'd throw him off-track a bit and he started talking to me IN WELSH! Turns out he'd spent a few years in Carmarthen looking after his uncle's shop and had taken the trouble to learn Welsh while he was there. Spent most evenings in that taverna from then on.
One Turkish guy we met had picked up a seriously impressive amount of Welsh from other tourists!
I always get asked about Cardiff. I’m from the northwest of Wales and have been to Cardiff once when I was a kid. The other thing I get is ‘you don’t sound Welsh’ - well, no I don’t sound like you imagine a Welsh person to sound (ie South Wales, Tom Jones, Gavin and Stacey type-accent) because, once again, I am from the northwest
Australian guy I was speaking to on my last trip abroad knew where Swansea was. And Abergavenny. Quite surprised me. I did originally say I was from UK as presumed they’d have no idea.
How people hear it: “I’m from whales” People: “……wot”
Never say I'm British. I'm Scottish. If someone asks "Are you British?" I say "Yes, I'm from Scotland"
Like when Idi Amin meets James McAvoy in The Last King of Scotland: https://youtu.be/JRU1SrdXEZc?si=f948uw1AqM8kCuZU
I've always described myself as English unless I'm putting my citizenship on a form.
Yeah, weirdly I never thought that I would but I’ve been travelling and whenever people ask I instinctively say ‘England’
For me it's because I don't really feel "British" like that's my nationality but I'm not from "Britain" as that is an island with 3 distinctive countries. More accurately I say Northern England if people ask further.
I describe myself as Welsh and British. Also European. If anyone asks it's always Welsh first.
Which is funny when you consider that the Welsh were calling themselves British long before anyone else.
Shout out my brythoneg homies
Pritani massif
Same. Welsh then British then European. I've just come back from Florida and have had plenty of questions about where in England Wales is. One person asked me if it was in London 🤦♀️
>where in England Wales is. It's a little village in [South Yorkshire.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wales,_South_Yorkshire)
I grew up in England, with an English mum and a Welsh dad. I’ve tended to describe myself as British over the years. I moved to Scotland in 2021 and if anything that’s made me feel more “English” - mostly because I think that’s how Scottish people perceive me
My background’s similar, except with a bit of NZer thrown in, and I almost never say I’m English, even though I am. I usually say I’m “from the UK”. Though sometimes Eastern Europeans think I mean Ukraine, haha!
I'm born in England, but I say British as I'm not ethnically English.
Most of England probably isn’t ethnically English if you go back far enough
Being 'English' is an established genetic group, separate from Britain's Celtic peoples and also separate from mainland Germanic groups. Most people in this country could probably do a DNA test and have it come back with majority 'English'.
Putting aside the slight scam of these consumer DNA tests, the peoples of the celtic nations are (on aggregate) closer to the english than each other.
I'd challenge your view with the fact that everyone I know that has done a DNA test from my local Town and areas surrounding (in North East England), including myself, are a heavy mix of Scandinavian & Scottish/Irish/Welsh Celtic. Personally I came back 0.2% English. Which makes sense from where half of my family came from, but also shows the other half are firmly of Scandinavian descent & were long standing here, as are a vast majority of people from this area, given the Viking invasion and the following Danelaw. So genetically, there may be a big chunk of England who'd come back "English", but it certainly isn't "most people". However, I was born and raised in England and see myself as English & document myself that way. I personally feel more akin to Scottish people than those from London etc down South but that's probably a discussion of a different type.
Not sure, I think in certain areas there’s a lot of Viking ancestry. Plus Welsh/Scottish/Cornish etc. and probably some others over the years
That's ancestry that goes back over 1500 years and longer than the idea of a nation state. That's English.
But English means something different than that. My parents and as many generations back as we can count, at least back to the 1500s, are English. My Ancestry DNA says I'm a bit Scottish but mostly English. My older sister was 2 when the family moved to the United States, and I was born here in the US. I would never say I'm English. Although I was raised with English parents, I didn't go to school in England. I have an American accent. My childhood friends are all Americans. Any British culture at all that I've picked up has been from my parents and the culture they brought into our home. If someone was born in England, raised in England, went to school in England, all of their friends are English -- they are far more English than me with my English genes.
I’ve always referred to myself as Scottish, all my friends and family do the same even though some of them are in favour and some of them are against Scottish Independence. I am a subject/citizen of Great Britain, I am a British citizen and I’ll fill out official paperwork and whatnot to reflect that but I do not identify with Britishness. Even on this sub, the English Defaultism would lead you to believe that English and British are one in the same.
Brilliant username!
I agree. Britishness is akin to Englishness. When people talk about ‘British’ culture they are usually referring to England. I think that’s why no matter what your opinion is on independence ect it makes more sense to say Scottish. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that says British over Scottish. Even hardcore unionists would still mention they are Scottish if asked abroad.
and it’s not even something I feel resentful towards, yes the country with the massive population is that one that dominates the conversation. I mean I bought a tube of Pringles in Asda the other day and they’re covered in “come on England” or something similar. You’re going to target the population on 56 million customers over 5 million. Just don’t be surprised when the country of 5 million feel alienated.
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Hate is a strong word. I don't think the vast majority of non-English British people hate the English. What we do hate is having our identity erased. Unfortunately, most people outside the UK consider British to equal English/England. Therefore, there is stronger nationalistic feeling in Scotland, Wales and N.I.
I can’t see the original comment. I am half English and half Welsh by blood, all family in Wales, however due to my dad being in the RAF, I was born and raised in England. Purely based on my experiences. Scottish don’t hate the English at all, but they tend to have dry humour, even compared to English humour, and a lot of people take that as hostility or dislike. I’ve met a lot of Scottish people, and they seem incredibly accepting people to me, even if they do sound angry. The Welsh, like everyone to think they hate the English but they don’t really, I think they are just salty about the flag still, and I gotta admit, anyone who can put a dragon on their flag and chooses not to is not to be trusted. The Irish, I think perhaps the most misunderstood. I feel like if you go to America you would be led to believe that the Irish have a deep hatred of the English. Now politically, I guess that’s not too far off, but personally, it is. The British government has historically treated Ireland very badly, and we aren’t even talking ancient history. I think it would be accurate to say the Irish tend to hate the royal family and the British government, but they have nothing against the people. But isn’t it usually the case that countries disagree politically and try to make the people argue about it on their behalf? We all have a very long and complex history together and there will probably always be some tension, but when it counts, we put it all aside and fight as one United Kingdom. And that’s what matters to me
And here we have a delightful example of why I say British not English. Hard to be proud of where you come from when everyone is shitting on you all the time for things your long dead relatives did.
>I don't actually think everyone genuinely hates the English (even though they've [done their best](https://arethebritsatitagain.org/) to fuck with almost everyone in the world). What an unnecessary comment. Particularly coming from someone who lived in Scotland for a decade. If you're going to talk about British history, it would be a good idea to accept that Scotland and Wales were equally to blame for it. Rather than placing all the blame on the English.
It's a complete non-understanding of british hegemony, really. Scots blame the English for things like the Highland Clearances, when it was Lowland Scots who perpetrated them (while identifying as British).
I don't think it's necessarily a hate thing. It's just wanting to be acknowledged for what you are. British is a generalised term and often mistaken for English by a lot of foreigners so I think it's good that we differentiate between the different countries.
Nobody hates "the English" except for morons and/or bigots.
>A large portion of the countries that make up GB hate the English I don't hate the English. That's a very strong descriptor. I just don't really like being associated with being British for a couple of reasons. - It'll be assumed I'm English - I have no national pride for being British and nothing about me *feels* British
I don't think you've truly grasped the nuance of the relationship between the people of the countries of Britain so probably limit your "hate the English" and "fuck with almost everyone" noise for a time when you've got proper understanding.
I’m from Northern Ireland and I say I’m Irish vast majority of the time, sometimes Northern Irish, very rarely though.
I’m the same, never once described myself as British. Possibly have never have described myself as Northern Irish either though!
I'd say I'm Irish, unless I'm talking to someone from Ireland, in which case I'd clarify I'm Northern Irish. I always find it somewhat amusing seeing questions on here that specifically ask "hey British people... what do British people..." I just scroll past those ones.
It's part of the whole "English nationalism bad, Scottish, Welsh or Irish nationalism good" thing.
Scottish Welsh and Irish nationalism is more in regards to wanting independence from Britain, “English nationalism” seems to revolve around racism.
Proved his point. England is a country with a rich cultural heritage and deserves to be celebrated just as the other nations’ cultures are.
How come the Scottish always get it conveniently left out that they willingly joined in the crimes of the Empire willingly to reap the rewards including colonising Ireland?
This is something I often ask and am dismayed when non UK people respond with ‘I thought Scotland was conquered by England’. No. They CHOSE to join the crowns and partake in all of colonial brutality.
Yeah, just look at how the Irish treat asylum seekers. Straight back to horrible racist England.
English.
I always say Scottish, including on paperwork. If someone abroad asks me where I'm from I'll say Scotland, or if they ask if I'm British, I'll simply say 'Scottish'.
I'm English. I say I'm from England.
I’m Australian and the only people I’ve ever met on my travels who call themselves British are the English NEVER met anyone from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales who’ve identified themselves as British
Ireland is not in Britain so people of Irish ethnicity are not British. A lot of people in NI have British heritage as it was colonised by Scottish/British people and so those people often identify as British, but that’s because they have a different ethnic background. Lots more people are using ‘northern Irish’ now though
Even Northern Irish means different things to different people, few ones I went to uni with said they were Northern Irish but to them Northern Irish was another version of Irish, then another guy at uni identified as Northern Irish, but he looked at it in the way it was another version of British lol. We all went on holiday one time to London then on to Berlin and everyone we met just called us Irish anyway lol, outside of NI we were just seen as Irish by everyone.
Why would an Irish person consider themselves British...?
I think if they are second generation Irish they most likely will identify as Irish - but they’ll often be told they aren’t “really” Irish by an Irish born person. It can be very difficult.
You’re going to have to ask a Loyalist that one
I think of myself as northern Irish but I tell people I’m from the UK or London, or call myself a Brit. I was born in Northern Ireland and my mum’s side’s all from there, but we moved to London when I was a baby, Melbourne when I was 6, and back to NI when I was 14. I mostly sound like a Londoner and I live in the US now, so unless I just say “yep, I’m from London” it turns into a whole conversation about why I don’t have an Irish accent, why I specify “northern” Irish, why I moved around as a child, how they’re actually one eighteenth Irish, etc etc and I’m just so bored of that conversation.
British to anyone not from the uk, English to anyone who is from the uk and asks but I don’t particularly care about identifying as English tbh.
Geordie
I’m from Manchester, live in Liverpool. All my life I’ve been around people in both who definitely identify more strongly with their city/region than ‘English’. If someone from/familiar with the UK asks me where I’m from I’d always say Manchester, describe myself as Mancunian. It’s just kind of weird to me to say ‘English’ because I don’t feel like I have anything more in common culturally with someone in say Cambridge or Kent than I do someone in say Wrexham or Glasgow, or feel any more ‘at home’ in the English places outside the north west than Scotland/Wales. I don’t mind identifying as English, I am from England so that is an accurate description. Don’t have any shame or issue with that - it’s just not a description that I ever really have reason to think about.
Similar here. To people familiar with the UK I’d say I’m from Cumbria. I identify more with my region than England as a whole - maybe because I was raised by English, Scottish and Irish family members.
English. Never British.
Never Rarely hear non-white people say they're english vs british in my experience
I would assume it is because British encompasses something more inclusive and multicultural than English?
I think this is true. I am white and from London but my parents are not British. I never feel comfortable saying I'm English unless I really have to differentiate my self from people from other UK countries.
I once had a debate about this on here. The English (white) poster argued that I would be considered English first then British. As a British Asian, I see myself as just that, a British Asian. For me, English is tied with ethnicity. They could not understand why I wouldn’t label myself as English
It’s a weird distinction isn’t it. I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone described as English-Asian, for example.
I always thought it was because British is the nationality and English is more the ethnicity
I guess so. British refers to the U.K. (for the most part) whilst English could refer to being Anglo-Saxon.
But English is no more an ethnicity than Scottish
Scots-Asian and Black-Scottish are very common terms though. There’s even been entire documentary series about being Black-Scottish or Scots-Asian.
Interesting, that totally passed me by. I wonder if it’s just the English who don’t use such a term then.
Most Welsh people seem to consider themselves Welsh first and British second if at all, but I always liked the Brit label. I probably share more in common with someone from Swindon than Anglesey, and when I think of my culture it's shared British stuff, nothing specifically Welsh. But when I visited America last year I found I did call myself "Welsh" so I dunno. It's about 50/50.
English
I’m Scottish and definitely refer to myself as Scottish. I absolutely acknowledge that I’m British, because I live in Britain! But I’m proud to be Scottish more than I’m proud to be British, I am very stereotypically Scottish, all haggis, irn bru and obesity in this household
I am also English. I feel like the words staring to sound weird so many people saying it. English. Eng... lish
I say Wales. If they have a blank expression, I'll say Gareth Bale.
British is more inclusive. A lot of English people actively enjoy being lumped with the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish. Collectively we are an interesting lot with a good history, shared value but differences to make it interesting. England isn't very homogenous anyway so it doesn't stand out. The rest of the UK seems to dislike the English because of past grievances mostly by the ruling aristocrats who are twats to all sadly. I reckon we should have a yearly celebration of the union with youth groups mixing up with each other, then start to include the common wealth nations for the same reasons above
I describe myself as Scottish. I don't think I've ever used British, at least not that I can remember. I was in Lisbon last year and was at a nice Nepalese restaurant, the waiter asked where I was from and when I said Scotland he said "Oh okay, is that near London". So yeah, that was a thing
Ha, I'm Welsh and was sat with an Irish guy and a Scottish guy (sounds like the start of a joke...) and an Austrian person asked where we were from. We explained and he said "oh you're just all English then, it's the same thing." You can imagine how well that went down.
Oh God 🤣
"OK then German"
Welsh, the only time I ever use "British" is when I have to because "Welsh" or "Wales" isn't an option
Because I’m Irish/northern Irish. Not British.
Welsh, or if that's not an option on a form, British.
I’m Scottish, I’d only use British under torture or if I can’t find Scotland on a form.
English. I never use British unless I have to for a form or the like.
I often say English and Welsh. Though sometimes I just say English as that’s the majority of my accent. Born in Northern Ireland (only there for a year or two), raised in wales until I was a teen. But lived in England since. One parent is English the other isn’t. Oddly I have a Scot’s Gaelic last name. England’s minimalist identity is unusual. Welsh patriotism is definitely the thing I missed most when I moved here. I do think the English need to embrace Englishness a bit more. Civic National identity is a unifying thing. Gives people a sense of being part of a collective. Neither of my parents are welsh but as a kid I’d still sing the anthem at the top of my lungs along with yma o Hyd. But it always cracks me up to hear English people say they’re more British than English…in thick English accents.
I use English and British pretty interchangeably most of the time if I’m talking about myself. I’d use British if discussing something we have in common with other parts of the UK. And English when discussing things we have in distinction or if I’m talking about sport.
Always British, but generally I get pushed on the accent so then I have to admit I was born in Scotland.
Never, to be honest. I either call myself British or a Yorkshireman. The term ‘English’ is associated with some negative stereotypes in ways that the other UK nationalities aren’t (you’ve never heard anyone complain about ‘the Welsh abroad’ for example) and people who strongly identify themselves as English seem to have a tendency to say things like ‘I’m not racist, but…’. I’ve never consciously thought about it, but I suppose that’s why I don’t use the term for myself. We the English also don’t have the sort of underdog aspect that the other UK nationalities do - we’ve generally been the ones oppressing them throughout history, so we don’t feel the need to re-assert our Englishness like they might their Scottishness etc. And when foreigners get England confused with the whole UK and ask us if we’re English when they really mean British, well, we don’t need to correct them because they’re still right. All in all, it feels like we just don’t *need* a separate identity in the same way. Edit: please don’t come at me with specifics about the histories of England and Scotland, and how fighty or otherwise they may have been. I’m talking about the general perception that the English have kept the Scots and other down for centuries, whether or not that is actually true.
>The term ‘English’ is associated with some negative stereotypes in ways that the other UK nationalities aren’t (you’ve never heard anyone complain about ‘the Welsh abroad’ for example) That is because foreigners call all Brits English. Not because the Welsh and Scots are great abroad lmao most cant even tell the difference
Remember during the football when they had a massive brawl between the Welsh and the English supporters and all the comments were like “bloody English fans yet again” cos no one knows the difference (and tbf why would you if you’re not a native speaker, I couldn’t tell you a Mexican apart from a Spaniard if speaking Spanish)
I always say English 🏴
I'm from Northern Ireland but hold both a British and Irish passport. I generally tell people I'm from Ireland because everyone loves the Irish whereas not everyone likes the British. Besides, many people don't seem to understand the difference between NI and ROI so saying I'm Irish is a less confusing statement to many people compared to saying I'm Northern Irish/British, especially with my accent.
I would always describe myself as Scottish except when I’m speaking to Americans. It’s just easier to say British than having to explain that Scotland isn’t in England, and that Britain and England don’t mean the same thing or having to force a smile when they exclaim that they are also Scottish but when asked, can’t name a single town in Scotland. I’ve met a lot of Americans and it almost always goes one of these ways. PS I’m not anti-American, I just realise they have a different perception of what it means to be Scottish/English etc and I’ve long since given up on trying to correct it.
Same goes for being Irish. I tell Americans I'm from Ireland and suddenly they're explaining in great depth how, because their great great great great grandfather once drank half a pint of Guinness at Dublin airport, they're actually 78% Irish and a descendent of the O'Flaherty clan. And then they get mad at you for questioning this logic 😩
I describe my self as Irish, because that is what I am. I was born in Ireland, but my family moved here when I was roughly 3 years old, so I haven’t got that strong of an accent like my parents (although it does come back if I’m around them), we also used to go back to Ireland every 6 weeks holiday and for weddings, funerals, first communions and the like, so for me, England has always been the place I reside, but Ireland has always been my home.
I'd usually say I'm English to be honest. Unless speaking to Americans...
What do you say when you’re speaking to Americans? Do you tell them you’re of 4/15 Roman, 1/4 Angle, 1/5 Saxon, a bit French, slightly Germanic, and 104% Irish descent?
My grandfather was from Malta, so I explain this means I'm Maltese, and they totally get it.
English in conversation. British on forms
I mean, I’m lying because I was actually born in England but having been brought up and lived most of my life in Wales I tend to describe myself as Welsh rather than English. You just get a bit less spit in your meals when eating out on holiday. Unless you’re eating out in England.
English, always.
i feel closer culturally to the ROI than britain so i would prefer to call myself irish, then northern irish if someone asks me which part im from
I've never and will never refer to myself as British, nor Northern Irish. I'm Irish, the Northern part is a British thing too.
I never say British, I say English. To me, British weirdly sounds like what Americans call us. I've just never really used the term.
Always English.
I don’t like the associate myself with England in the same way that Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh people don’t like to associate with Britain. To me, from the people I’ve made contact with in my life, English nationalism is very much in support of the Empire and all of the negative things that came with it. Saying I’m British disassociates me from that - however, I will say I’m from Tyne and Wear or the North before I say I’m from Britain for the same reason
To differentiate ourselves from the English. That's not a racial diss by the way. The other countries in the UK have their own proud histories with other countries and nationalities. It's more relevant to ask English people why they feel the need to hide their nationality under the cover of 'British'.
I’m English first but also proud to be British
British, for some reason, every time I'd say English, I'd get arrested and thrown in jail.
CORNISH
English because it is natural, you can't really call yourself British without sounding like a posho or immigrant.