# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/41 "2003-10-02T18:58:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glee \* > \*\*A Welsh male voice choir is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. > > As was the Welsh rugby team a few decades ago… Gareth Edwards, Barry John, John Edwards, Mervyn Hughes, … b\*m - I forgot the winger’s name! \*\* and… JPR Williams, Phil Bennett, Gerald Davies, Mervyn Davies etc. Unfortunately those days are long gone. Welsh rugby will never be the same again. Now I’m reminded of another stereotype, that we’re all called Evans, Williams, Jones, or Davies. (although I’m not forgetting Evan Evans and David Davies who were in my class at school!) V ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/42 "2003-10-03T00:14:59Z")
:eek: You’ve never heard, “Taffy was a Welshman”? Or heard of “Welshing”? Wow, how old are you? Have you heard of “Indian givers,” “Jew-rigged,” or any other offensive term? I’m kind of shocked! ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/43 "2003-10-03T00:39:06Z")
All I know about Wales I learned from the movie [Twin Town](http://imdb.com/title/tt0120394/). Oh yeah, and apparently they invented the long bow. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/44 "2003-10-03T01:03:14Z")
Basically, the stereotype I was once so succinctly told is: “A people who will only interrupt their angelic singing to beat the living bejeezers out of you. Then they will resume singing.” ---
**Author:** ![Dizzy\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dizzy\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dizzy_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/45 "2003-10-03T04:11:48Z")
P. J. O’Rourke once wrote that Welsh singing sounded like “men jumping off chairs into a bathtub full of frogs.” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/46 "2003-10-03T12:34:26Z")
Yeah, I’d heard the term “welshing”, but similarly to “gyp”, “dutch gift” and “indian giver”, I never considered it more than a linguistic throwback to former stereotypes that are no longer in effect (for the multiple versions of “indian giver”, even.) Thanks for all the responses! I wonder if I should be proud this is my most successful thread 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/47 "2003-10-03T13:01:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by plnnr \* > **IIRC, Richard Burton was Welsh.** So is Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones, to name a couple more. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/48 "2003-10-03T13:15:10Z")
One charming Welsh trait I and others have experienced, walk into a pub with facilities for children, and food and where everyone is enjoying themsleves and chatting away merrily in English. Walk up to the bar and you become suddenly invisible, and the chatter suddenly turns into Welsh. WTF is all that about ? Another is, if you are English, then don’t bother asking directions whilst in Wales. A wagon driving friend of mine was sent down a narrow lane and it turned out that not only was it the wrong way, there was a low bridge blocking his path, the nice people behind would not give him the room to turn around or reverse, so the road simply stayed blocked, and he just went to his cabin bunk for some shuteye. Eventually the police came and convinced everyone it would be in their interest to allow the truck to back up. The result of the bum steer was that a lot of Welsh car drivers were inconvenienced, my friend was being paid for his time, it didn’t bother him at all. I personally have done orienteering in the Brecon Beacons area, either the Welsh don’t have a clue about what lies further than 100 yards away from the spot they are standing upon, or they are just a mailicious bunch of twats who like to point people in the wrong direction. As for the Cardiff City fans, what a bunch of braindead jerks they are, I thought that Leeds fans were thugs, they don’t begin to compare. We’ve all heard stories about the stereotype French waiter who overtly looks down his nose at thsoe he attends, go to Wales and you may just find something similar, only this will extend to every place that customer service is provided. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/49 "2003-10-03T13:21:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vl\_mungo \* > \*\*All I know about Wales I learned from the movie [Twin Town](http://imdb.com/title/tt0120394/). \*\* [namedrop] I went to college with most of the cast of that movie (I once had to kick Dorien Thomas out of my house because he came for a party and was still there four days later!). [/namedrop] ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/50 "2003-10-03T14:24:59Z")
**dave** > [@](#): > > As for the Cardiff City fans, what a bunch of braindead jerks they are, I thought that Leeds fans were thugs, they don’t begin to compare. Now _that’s_ stereotyping! The Soul Crew are wankers, and there are at most 100 of them. ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/51 "2003-10-03T14:29:33Z")
[namedrop] Rhys Ifans (Twin Town, Notting Hill) went to Coleg Glan Taf, as did my girlfiend. She says he was a prick. [/namedrop] ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/52 "2003-10-03T14:30:47Z")
> [@](#): > > girlfiend. I didn’t mean it, love! Honest! No! _Noooooo…_ ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/53 "2003-10-03T15:48:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glee \* > **Gareth Edwards** You rang? 😃 I was named after the welsh wonder by my dad and grandad (both welsh and proud before they moved to london.) its kind of ironic since i hate rugby and am, apparently, _very_ English. [sub] my mum wanted to call me Luke Skywalker Edwards but she was overruled[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/54 "2003-10-03T15:53:45Z")
My late father used to tell us a story of when he was in the army on a traning course in Wales during WW2 . One very hot day they were on a route march . Feeling thirsty they knocked on a cottage door to ask for a drink of water. The householder wanted to charge them a penny a glass. He did not like the wWelsh after that. ---
**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 3, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/55 "2003-10-03T16:40:49Z")
My father’s from Wales–Porthcawl–and objects to being called English. He also suggested the stereotype that the Welsh are silvertongued, endowed with the gift of the gab. I refuse to ask him his opinion on the Welshman’s performance in bed. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/56 "2003-10-03T17:19:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by casdave \* > \*\*One charming Welsh trait I and others have experienced, walk into a pub with facilities for children, and food and where everyone is enjoying themsleves and chatting away merrily in English. > > Walk up to the bar and you become suddenly invisible, and the chatter suddenly turns into Welsh. > > WTF is all that about ? \*\* I never had that experience, in 3 years spent in west Wales. In fact, even the staff in a shop - ok not a pub - that specialised in Welsh language books _etc_ quickly spoke English on realising that I was a bit slow with Welsh. Heheh - Of course, I might have being buying something with a giveaway title like “Welsh for Dummies” and they simply wanted to be sure of getting home some time in the next week – I am not sure! 🙂 > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by casdave \* > \*\* > Another is, if you are English, then don’t bother asking directions whilst in Wales. > … \*\* Again, I (Scottish) and several friends (English) have not had this problem. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by casdave \* > \*\* > We’ve all heard stories about the stereotype French waiter who overtly looks down his nose at thsoe he attends, go to Wales and you may just find something similar, only this will extend to every place that customer service is provided. \*\* Sorry - I seem to be having a disagree-with-Casdave day, but… well, a pub where, although we were a bit late, really, for lunch, they offer to detain the chef so we _can_ have lunch. A cafe where, on seeing us arrive very very wet and needing to phone the car breakdown people, the staff were very pleasant, and in fact kindly drove us several miles along the road to where our dead car was. That sort of service is fine by me. And, re. pubs, I often used a pub that was - to quote a Welsh co-worker - “the Welshest pub in the town”, and at no time was made to feel unwelcome. Obviously **Casdave** has had less luck, but I can only report on my own experience. I have NO idea about the football fans though! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jorgejones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@jorgejones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jorgejones)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/57 "2010-10-17T11:53:42Z")
> [@cajela](#): > > **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. Except the Welsh for the most part are more culturally English than the Scots and Irish. I mean, they were a part of England for a long long time. This is also evident at an institutional level. They are not a different legal jurisdiction, for example. Their education system is very similar to the English one… ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/58 "2010-10-17T13:22:02Z")
_… and they lurrrve eating braiiiins_ ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/59 "2010-10-17T14:10:50Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > You speak of Welsh music without mentioning Charlotte Church? > > You speak of Welsh stereotypes without mentioning Charlotte Church? Charlotte Church sounds like a fun place. Is there a pub there? Granted, my map is a little old, but would you say its closer to [St Davids or Cardigan](http://www.thechestnut.com/board-games/avalon-hill/kingmaker-map-04.jpg)? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976/60 "2010-10-17T15:04:19Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > 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. Clearly, you’ve never seen Brit call a native of Louisiana “Yankee”. Whooo, boy, is that a good time. “But you _are_ a Yankee!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-welsh-stereotypes/204976.md?page=4)