# Britian searching for new national motto **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 18, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930 "2007-11-18T17:38:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/1 "2007-11-18T17:38:37Z")
[Times Online Article](http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2007/11/i-want-comment-.html) > [@](#): > > Members of the public will be asked to come up with five or six-word slogans, perhaps based around ideas of fair play or national pride. Sources described the plan as a “once in a lifetime chance” to capture Britishness in a few words. Mine: _ **Our last invasion: with guitars.** _ except for the Faulklands, I mean ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/2 "2007-11-18T17:53:44Z")
How about “Our island is spelled ‘Britain’!” OK, my take: **We’re crap, but it’s funny.** ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/3 "2007-11-18T17:56:33Z")
Come to Britain. It’s great. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/4 "2007-11-18T17:59:03Z")
> [@](#): > > How about “Our island is spelled ‘Britain’!” :smack: I spelled “Falklands” wrong, too. 😕 I hate it when the edit window expires…especially when it’s because the board times out 2 or 3 tries in a row! ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/5 "2007-11-18T17:59:42Z")
**At least it’s not France** (or is it just the English that hate the french?) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/6 "2007-11-18T18:06:05Z")
Let’s go and get shit-faced ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/7 "2007-11-18T18:09:20Z")
[QUOTE=blondebear] :smack: I spelled “Falklands” wrong, too. 😕 I hate it when the edit window expires…especially when it’s because the board times out 2 or 3 tries in a row! [/QUOTE] It’s OK, I messed up the spelling in my correction too. Luckily I noticed immediately. 🙂 **The UK - we’re… oh never mind. Anyone fancy a pint?** ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/8 "2007-11-18T18:32:30Z")
How about: **We’re sorry about Slough. Please visit anyhow!**. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/9 "2007-11-18T19:25:11Z")
Does Britannia no longer rule the waves? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/10 "2007-11-18T19:37:49Z")
deleted ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/11 "2007-11-18T19:38:00Z")
What was wrong with “Fancy some beans & toast?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/12 "2007-11-18T19:44:30Z")
“Britain: without us, the world would not be exactly as it is.” “Britain: come for the women, stay for the cuisine.” “Britain: we’ve got Jaffa cakes, and you don’t. That alone makes us better than you.” ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/13 "2007-11-18T19:53:40Z")
“Britain: We’re sorry about the marmite.” ---
**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:** [November 18, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/14 "2007-11-18T20:26:55Z")
“Enduring yet more ‘citizenship’ bollocks.” ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/15 "2007-11-18T20:34:21Z")
“Now with fewer overcooked vegetables!” ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/16 "2007-11-18T20:43:33Z")
[QUOTE=Enter the Flagon] “Britain: without us, the world would not be exactly as it is.” [/quote] That’s the winner IMO. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/17 "2007-11-18T21:04:58Z")
They’ve published a [shortlist](http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2007/11/vote-for-your-f.html) of ten contenders (requires Flash). I’m partial to “Mathematically, we could still qualify” (words that resonate deeply to any British football fan). Optimistic, yet fatalistic. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/18 "2007-11-18T21:07:46Z")
**A Nation Of Shoplifters** **Et in Arcadia asbo** ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/19 "2007-11-18T21:15:44Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] Let’s go and get shit-faced [/QUOTE] I think “Let’s get pissed!” has a better ring to it. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/20 "2007-11-18T21:16:40Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] They’ve published a [shortlist](http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2007/11/vote-for-your-f.html) of ten contenders (requires Flash). I’m partial to “Mathematically, we could still qualify” (words that resonate deeply to any British football fan). Optimistic, yet fatalistic. [/QUOTE] I agree with you. But it’s a shame the first of the ten is plagiarised from Douglas Adams. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930.md?page=2)