# 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:** 5
**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 20, 2007, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/81 "2007-11-20T23:20:35Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Alaska! Am I right? [/QUOTE] Pfft. Obviously she’s from Alcatraz. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/82 "2007-11-20T23:21:21Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Pfft. Obviously she’s from Alcatraz. [/QUOTE] I dunno - Alaska. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/83 "2007-11-20T23:23:55Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby] I will hereby cease and desist disparaging Brit cuisine, if you all will stop saying “bang, bang” or “Al Capone” when I tell you where I’m from when I visit London.‘’ Kay? [/QUOTE] You have a deal (I don’t think I’d ever have said any of those things anyway, under any circumstances). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/84 "2007-11-20T23:25:04Z")
[QUOTE=ForumBot] French fries? Boiled? That’s horrifying. [/QUOTE] It’s the only way we can eat them, on account of all having poor teeth. ---
**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 20, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/85 "2007-11-20T23:25:23Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] I dunno - Alaska. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but what did Della wear? ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/86 "2007-11-20T23:30:55Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] You have a deal (I don’t think I’d ever have said any of those things anyway, under any circumstances). [/QUOTE] _Alaska?_😕 You’re taking the mickey out of me, aren’t you. :dubious: Damned British–you never know if they’re joking or thick as two planks. 😃 I’m from just outside Chicago, dummies. The first time I went to London, people would ask me where I was from. As soon as I said Chicago. their hands formed into guns and they said “bang bang”. The first time it happened, it was cute. By day 3, I was a bit tired of it. By day 11, I was actively wracking my brain for a decent, subtle insult, but I never came up with one. So, I just smiled and kept going… I had some great food in London–it was Italian, but it was still great. ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/87 "2007-11-20T23:57:16Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] What do you think a deep fat fryer does? [/QUOTE] That’s different. You’re getting sweet, delicious saturated fat. Boiling french fries is just boho mashed potatoes without the fun of buttermilk or cream. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2007, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/88 "2007-11-21T00:04:28Z")
Come to Britain, where the humour flies over your head. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/89 "2007-11-21T00:50:35Z")
Not What It Was, Mustn’t Grumble ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/90 "2007-11-21T01:13:38Z")
[QUOTE=Tapioca Dextrin] Come to Britain, where the humour flies over your head. [/QUOTE] Britain: Isle of WHOOSH! ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/91 "2007-11-21T01:18:24Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] 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] Sorry for the hijack, but you might appreciate this, **jjimm** (and I’m led to believe it’s true - I hope it is): An English traveller found himself in a western New South Wales town in the 1950s. Hungry, he ordered a steak over the bar at the local pub. It came with chips. The English bloke said, “I say, could I possibly have some _vegetables_ with that?” The publican looked confused for a second or two, then called over his shoulder, “Hey Mavis! Chuck an egg on, will ya luv?” ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/92 "2007-11-21T09:04:38Z")
BRITAIN. My land ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/93 "2007-11-21T10:13:04Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] BRITAIN. My land [/QUOTE] I dunno how good “ **chowder** ’s land” would look as a motto. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/94 "2007-11-21T11:06:48Z")
Nah, that’s reserved for New England. Mmmm clam chowder 😃 luvverly stuff avec clam cakes. When I’m dictator of merrie England I’ll make certain that foodstuff is on every table cos we don’t have it over here ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/95 "2007-11-21T11:36:48Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby] _Alaska?_😕 You’re taking the mickey out of me, aren’t you. :dubious: Damned British–you never know if they’re joking or thick as two planks. 😃 I’m from just outside Chicago, dummies. The first time I went to London, people would ask me where I was from. As soon as I said Chicago. their hands formed into guns and they said “bang bang”. The first time it happened, it was cute. By day 3, I was a bit tired of it. By day 11, I was actively wracking my brain for a decent, subtle insult, but I never came up with one. So, I just smiled and kept going… I had some great food in London–it was Italian, but it was still great. [/QUOTE] So do you bootleg much whisky? You like Italian food so I’m assuming that you must be a member of the Mafia. ---
**Author:** ![IOMDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/91b2a8/32.png) [@IOMDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IOMDave)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/96 "2007-11-21T11:46:05Z")
Asking the British people to come up with a national slogan? Ouch. The only ones with the motivation to respond are probably too intelligent not to take the piss. They did this not so long ago on the Isle of Man. We are now the proud owners of the national slogan “Freedom to Flourish”. Woo! And apparantly, we’re getting a giant plastic seagull to underline the point. I don’t know about anyone else, but all the suggestions I heard for a national slogan were far better than what we got stuck with. My favourite: “The Isle of Man: no-one knows who the fuck we are.” ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/97 "2007-11-21T12:03:18Z")
Britain. Keeping Your Personal Information Secure Since: _Tuesday_. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/98 "2007-11-21T12:14:45Z")
[QUOTE=IOMDave] “The Isle of Man: no-one knows who the fuck we are.” [/QUOTE] “…so let’s trash the place!” ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/99 "2007-11-21T13:09:57Z")
“Britain: We’ve already apologised, now deal with it.” ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930/100 "2007-11-21T13:29:13Z")
Britain, that dinky little island that once ruled the world. Beat that [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britian-searching-for-new-national-motto/426930.md?page=6)