# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/41 "2007-11-19T03:16:36Z")
“Up to 30 sunny days a year!” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/42 "2007-11-19T03:18:00Z")
“We invented whiskey. Show your gratitude.” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/43 "2007-11-19T03:19:25Z")
“Nos pervasor vestri terra.” ---
**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 19, 2007, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/44 "2007-11-19T03:21:34Z")
_Fish/chips or chicken tikka?_ ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/45 "2007-11-19T03:31:52Z")
We Always Muddle Through ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/46 "2007-11-19T03:41:28Z")
Britain: the land of superfluous "u"s! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/47 "2007-11-19T04:00:01Z")
[QUOTE=Omniscient] Britain: the land of superfluous "u"s! [/QUOTE] Slight change: make it "Britain: the laund ouf superfluous “u"s!” ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/48 "2007-11-19T06:23:56Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] They randomize the order of display. But I assume you’re talking about “We apologize for the inconvenience.” [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=BrainGlutton] “We invented whiskey. Show your gratitude.” [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Omniscient] Britain: the land of superfluous "u"s! [/QUOTE] Britain: we can spell ‘randomise’, ‘apologise’ and ‘whisky’, too 😃 (And to **Indistinguishable** : yes.) ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/49 "2007-11-19T06:39:21Z")
Not all the women look like Camilla. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/50 "2007-11-19T10:49:10Z")
[QUOTE=ForumBot] “Yes, we do boil everything.” [/QUOTE] But no, we don’t. How about: **Rumours about our food being shit have been somewhat exaggerated.** ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/51 "2007-11-19T12:40:44Z")
Cup of tea, love? Or the less pithy: A nation mixed for centuries, more xenophobic than ever… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/52 "2007-11-19T13:25:15Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] But no, we don’t. How about: **Rumours about our food being shit have been somewhat exaggerated.** [/QUOTE] I know this thread is mostly humor, but wasn’t Brit food mostly shit until about 20 years ago? I remember even 15 years ago the drastic difference in quality and amount between Scotland and Northern England was noticeable and pronounced. Scotland being far better in both. (Besides their Ales & Beers were served cooler too.) My understanding was things only changed about 20 years ago and took at least 10 years to spread across England. Is this wrong? Was the Lake Country notoriously bad for food? Sorry for the hijack, if this is involved I’ll start a thread in Café, but it might have a simple answer. Jim ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/53 "2007-11-19T13:56:55Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I know this thread is mostly humor, but wasn’t Brit food mostly shit until about 20 years ago? [/quote] Thirty, but yes, largely bad. But not so any more. Largely due to the massive popularity of ethnic food, but this has pulled British food up with it. Modern British cooking is really rather good, and even pub grub is on the up too. Sadly Scotland now has a reputation for being crap, and deep-frying everything too. > [@](#): > > My understanding was things only changed about 20 years ago and took at least 10 years to spread across England. Is this wrong? Was the Lake Country notoriously bad for food? Funny you should mention the Lake District. My dad was on vacation there in the 1960s, and was being served a plate of egg and chips, the height of haute cuisine at the time. The waitress had a cigarette in her mouth with a long trail of ash dangling from it. The ash fell from the cigarette into the chips. She put the plate on the table anyway. Dad said “excuse me, you’ve dropped ash into my food”. The waitress said “oh, sorry love,” picked the plate up, blew on the chips, and returned it to the table. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/54 "2007-11-19T14:02:46Z")
BTW, haute cuisine was only if the egg and chips were accompanied with beans and/or mushy peas ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/55 "2007-11-19T14:04:39Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Thirty, but yes, largely bad. But not so any more. Largely due to the massive popularity of ethnic food, but this has pulled British food up with it. Modern British cooking is really rather good, and even pub grub is on the up too. Sadly Scotland now has a reputation for being crap, and deep-frying everything too. Funny you should mention the Lake District. My dad was on vacation there in the 1960s, and was being served a plate of egg and chips, the height of haute cuisine at the time. The waitress had a cigarette in her mouth with a long trail of ash dangling from it. The ash fell from the cigarette into the chips. She put the plate on the table anyway. Dad said “excuse me, you’ve dropped ash into my food”. The waitress said “oh, sorry love,” picked the plate up, blew on the chips, and returned it to the table. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the quick answer. [QUOTE=chowder] Jebus, your dad was a bit of a fussy bugger **jjimm** Lots of places would have charged extra for the ash [/QUOTE] Thanks for the great laugh. That broke me up. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/56 "2007-11-19T14:09:19Z")
The best motto was already used in [The End of the World](http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/end): 'Bout that time, eh chaps? Righto. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/57 "2007-11-19T14:34:21Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Sadly Scotland now has a reputation for being crap, and deep-frying everything too. [/QUOTE] Sigh. You deep fry _one_ Mars bar… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/58 "2007-11-19T15:50:56Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I know this thread is mostly humor, but wasn’t Brit food mostly shit until about 20 years ago? [/QUOTE] [Judge for yourself.](http://www.orwell.ru/library/articles/cooking/english/e_dec) (N.B.: “Bramble jelly” = blackberry jelly. “Marrow jam” = zucchini jam.) ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/59 "2007-11-19T19:16:27Z")
I love the Brits so this is all meant in the friendliest manner. Dentistry, cuisine, weather: 0 out of 3 ain’t bad. If it wasn’t for the UK, there wouldn’t be a US. Elton and Elizabeth: It’s hard to beat a pair of queens. Hey ladies. Wanna see Big Ben? The Empire Struck Out. We gave you cricket, Simon Cowell and Boy George. Sorry. You all drive on the wrong side, not us. Great Britain: England, Scotland, Wales, [del]America[/del], [del]Australia[/del], [del]Ireland[/del], [del]India[/del], [del]Canada[/del], [del]New Zealand[/del], [del]Hong Kong[/del]…oh, bollocks. ---
**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 19, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/60 "2007-11-19T19:17:31Z")
Want that one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930.md?page=4)