# Are there any Welsh stereotypes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 1, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976 "2003-10-01T20:34:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/1 "2003-10-01T20:34:57Z")
So, are there? I’ve heard stereotypes about almost all regions and races (Burkina Faso possibly excepted.) But curiously, none about the Welsh. For some reason, the only one I can possible think of is “they’re all woodsmen with big bushy beards: think in-shape Unix gurus.” I have no idea where that came from or even if it’s widespread. So, in the spirit of greater international intolerance 😉 feel free to clue me in! ---
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/2 "2003-10-01T21:00:54Z")
I’ve heard that Welsh men REALLY like sex, and that they’re good at it, too. Or at least very enthusastic about it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/3 "2003-10-01T21:06:48Z")
Hell yeah: small dark haired people who play all rugby, sing in choirs, herd sheep or mine coal and speak a strange language. They are all labour voting methodists. If you read Kimgsley Amis’ memoirs there are other stereotypes such as cheating people while smiling at them. Actually I think a lot of what people (not Amis) say about Welsh people, especially on TV, comes pretty close to racism. Scots and Irish people are used to offensive jokes, but those told about Wales, and the apparent acceptability thereof, are of a different order (sorry I haven’t any examples just now). ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/4 "2003-10-01T21:13:33Z")
The _offensive_ Welsh stereotypes generally involve an affinity for sheep, incomprehensibly saliva-soaked placenames and a chip on the shoulder about the English. Of course, these stereotypes are generally heard in jokes told by the English, so you can make of that what you will. **G Odoreida** has explained the less offensive version to a tee. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/5 "2003-10-01T21:21:48Z")
The only Welsh stereotype I’ve ever heard is that they’re very bland eaters. For example, my wife (who happens to be Welsh, in the same sense that I’m Irish…) is a very picky eater, and the first time we had Thanksgiving together, she just had a couple slices of breast meat, some mashed potatoes, and stuffing. One of my uncles commented that “That’s a Welsh plate if I ever saw it,” not knowing she was Welsh. Other than that, I don’t think I’ve ever heard one, either. Can we make some up if the thread goes nowhere? ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/6 "2003-10-01T21:24:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ouisey \* > **I’ve heard that Welsh men REALLY like sex, and that they’re good at it, too.** Why, yes, that stereotype’s entirely true. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/7 "2003-10-01T21:25:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by G. Odoreida \* > \*\*If you read Kimgsley Amis’ memoirs there are other stereotypes such as cheating people while smiling at them. > \*\* In the vein of “Taffy was a Welshman/Taffy was a thief/Taffy came to my house/And stole a leg of beef”? ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/8 "2003-10-01T21:31:33Z")
Don’t forget the leeks and names with “yll” in them. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/9 "2003-10-01T21:32:46Z")
I have a “personal stereotype” about Welsh people. I have no idea if this is a general stereotype, but it’s definitely the first thing that I think of when it comes to to the Welsh: They _reeeeally_ don’t like being mistaken for English. I had several classes with exchange students from Wales. They made sure to let you know that they were Welsh, not English, and if someone mistakenly referred to them as English, they got really indignant. They barely tolerated being called “British.” They would, if pressed, admit that they were from the United Kingdom, but not Great Britain. And if someone complimented them on their “English accents,” they got chewed out–in a Welsh accent, of course. I have no idea whether this is a common trait among the Welsh, but I’ve since been extremely careful to never call someone “English” unless I confirmed that they actually were from England itself. ---
**Author:** ![radar\_ralf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@radar\_ralf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/radar_ralf)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/10 "2003-10-01T21:46:12Z")
I’ve always been told that people from Wales (especially the men) are inveterate whiners (or, in the colloquial: they whinge a lot). Of course, this is said by my Scottish co-workers about my Welsh co-workers, so… ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/11 "2003-10-01T21:57:55Z")
One thing not mentioned so far is the commonly held assumption that we all think we can sing. I don’t happen to believe it myself, -I can’t for one - but there have been occasions at a rugby international where the singing can be special.Unfortunately Welsh rugby has been in decline for some years so there is little to sing about these days. The other common stereotype has already been mentioned, we are all supposed to have a particular fondness for sheep. I don’t mean eating them either. It’s in the same vein that Gene Wilder explored in “Everything you wanted to know about sex etc. etc.” As for bland eaters, our curry houses are just as full after the pubs close as anywhere else 🙂 V ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/12 "2003-10-01T21:59:37Z")
I read a whole article about the offensive stereotypes used to portray the Welsh in television and movies. Just as an example, Hugh Grant’s roommate in that Julia Roberts movie. (Can’t remember the name of that piece of drek at the moment.) Also, the kicker in _The Replacements_. Interestingly, it was the same actor in both roles, so it may just be his take on the Welsh. The article had several more examples, some also from television, but I read it years ago and can’t remember any more of them. The sterotype is that they are crass, dirty, slovenly, uncouth, and just all-around unpleasant. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/13 "2003-10-01T22:48:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Judith Prietht \* > \*\*In the vein of “Taffy was a Welshman/Taffy was a thief/Taffy came to my house/And stole a leg of beef”? \*\* Also, the phrase “to welsh on”, in the sense of “to fail to pay up after losing a bet”, or otherwise evade an obligation. However, the origin of this expression is [disputed](http://www.robertfulford.com/LanguageCensorship.html). [Here](http://hot.ee/copernicus/stereo.html) is a page listing the typical views held by various ethnic groups (including the Welsh) about each other. _Weakest Link_ host Anne Robinson has caught flak for resorting to stereotyped comments about the Welsh on [several episodes](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1497047.stm) of her quiz program. Googling on “Welsh stereotypes” will yield plenty of additional links. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/14 "2003-10-01T23:00:39Z")
One might also mention [Welsh Rabbit](http://www.bartleby.com/68/69/6469.html) as a slur on the proverbial poverty of the Welsh: > [@](#): > > Welsh rabbit and Welsh rarebit are both Standard English names for a dish of melted cheese and beer served on toast or crackers, presumably so-called as an insult to the impoverished or uncivilized Welsh, who were said to eat it instead of the rabbit meat they lacked; hence Welsh rabbit is almost certainly an ethnic slur. Welsh rarebit is a folk etymology apparently either contrived to avoid offending the Welsh or caused by a misunderstanding of the intended noun, since perhaps some couldn’t see a connection between cheese and rabbits. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by Ellis Dee_ > **The sterotype is that they are crass, dirty, slovenly, uncouth, and just all-around unpleasant.** In other words, the same stereotype as for any ethnic group that is not one’s own.😃 ---
**Author:** ![cajela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cajela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cajela)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/15 "2003-10-02T01:35:48Z")
**green bean** , that’s true. But of course the Welsh _aren’t_ English, any more than the Scots or Irish are English. It’s a bit like Canadians being annoyed at being mistaken for Americans, or Southerners at being called Yankees. It’s not just incorrect, there’s history behind it. Singing does seem to be in decline, a great shame. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/16 "2003-10-02T06:01:04Z")
Maybe I wasn’t clear: These girls treated being mistaken for English as some sort of grave insult. They got really offended. I can see being “annoyed,” but they were far beyond annoyed. They were pissed. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/17 "2003-10-02T06:19:11Z")
Green Bean… how would you feel if somebody told you they found your Mexican accent sexy? The only universal stereotype for the Welsh is of a nation of “sheep shaggers”… In England it is also generally accepted that any Welsh place name will be pretty much unpronounceable (and it’s true). ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/18 "2003-10-02T06:58:22Z")
The only one I’ve ever heard is the unpronounceable name one. Although this > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by ouisey_ > **I’ve heard that Welsh men REALLY like sex, and that they’re good at it, too. Or at least very enthusastic about it.** intrigues me. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/19 "2003-10-02T08:50:46Z")
Look at the music the country produces. Manic Street Preachers Catatonia Stereophonics Super Furry Animals Being stuck up a mountain without tv or radio reception, you have to make your own entertainment. I think we should all spend more time on remote mountains with bad radio reception. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/20 "2003-10-02T10:15:26Z")
Don’t forget about the Master, Tom Jones. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976.md?page=2)