# Britishers: is this a deadly insult? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 2, 2026, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542 "2026-10-02T17:08:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/41 "2026-10-04T08:29:23Z")
Can I just point out, if we’re talking about causing offence, that we generally don’t take well to being called “Britishers”. Don’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/42 "2026-10-04T12:04:32Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the phrase “Britishers” before … It doesn’t bother me. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/43 "2026-10-04T12:09:39Z")
Sorry. Would’ve said “Brits”, but it sounded too informal. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/44 "2026-10-04T12:13:30Z")
I agree. It’s uncommon enough that I haven’t heard it very much, but I can’t see how it could be objectionable. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/45 "2026-10-04T12:52:24Z")
I’ve only ever heard it in Noel Coward’s “Mad Dogs and Englishmen”: > In the Philippines they have lovely screens > To protect you from the glare > In the Malay States there are hats like plates > Which the Britishers won’t wear ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/46 "2026-10-04T12:58:06Z")
The consensus seems to be that there is no consensus. I know: wild, huh? [**Do people of Britain don’t like to be called britishers . is it an insulting term ? if yes than can anyone explain why ? - Reddit**](https://www.reddit.com/r/TooAfraidToAsk/comments/u5inyi/do_people_of_britain_dont_like_to_be_called/) [No sense parsing the Reddit thread title. They don’t _have_ our wonderful mods to pull their grammatical bacon out of the proverbial fire] ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/47 "2026-10-04T15:50:00Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > To misspell four times looks like carelessness. To be fair to the teachers, it wasn’t one teacher making the mistake four times. It was four teachers, each making the mistake once. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/48 "2026-10-04T16:48:56Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > the circumstances remain a mystery. Agreed. j ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/49 "2026-10-04T16:57:15Z")
You’re ruining the joke !! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/50 "2026-10-04T18:24:21Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Food was average. Waitress was lovely. Guy with specs said “There We Are Then” when you pay. Because of that, we won’t be spending any more money in here for the rest of our week. I would rather drive miles than to give my cash to someone that insults you. > > Whoever at this pub responds to reviews isn’t shy about thanking customers for good reviews and blasting them for bad ones, but in this case they didn’t comment, so the circumstances remain a mystery. You know, there are multiple ways to taking that phrase, and not all of them are insulting. The reaction seems over the top. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/51 "2026-10-05T20:26:12Z")
@iamatractorboy, as a Wilde fan, I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/52 "2026-10-05T20:36:35Z")
I can’t recall hearing the word Britisher outside of the Noel Coward song. I can’t see anything offensive or inaccurate about it, and I don’t object to it. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/53 "2026-10-06T08:19:02Z")
_Englishers_ I know from bad TV Nazi accents, so maybe _Britishers_ is from Nazis who don’t want to inadvertently offend someone who might be Welsh, Scots etc? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/54 "2026-10-06T08:38:13Z")
A local friend is from Wales. You can call him Welsh, or you can call him British, but don’t you dare call him English. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/55 "2026-10-06T10:28:56Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I can’t recall hearing the word Britisher outside of the Noel Coward song. Same. It mostly just sounds weird, not offensive. At best it’s mildly derogatory. I’m not even sure any British people would be offended by being called a “Limey” anymore, as it’s so old-fashioned. Might just as well call someone a “sockdologizing old man-trap”. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/56 "2026-10-06T16:25:55Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > A local friend is from Wales. You can call him Welsh, or you can call him British, but don’t you dare call him English. Well, of course! Just like a Canadian likely doesn’t want to be called an American. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/57 "2026-10-06T16:37:55Z")
By the way, when I read the title **Britishers: is this a deadly insult?** I thought you would be asking British people if a particular word was an insult. It didn’t even occur to me from the title alone that _Britishers_ was the word you were asking about. That should indicate how non-insulting I find 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 6, 2026, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/58 "2026-10-06T18:51:39Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > By the way, when I read the title **Britishers: is this a deadly insult?** I thought you would be asking British people if a particular word was an insult. It didn’t even occur to me from the title alone that _Britishers_ was the word you were asking about. That wasn’t what the OP was asking about though, you need to read the whole thread. I don’t mind “Britisher”, speaking as 1) someone whose passport is commonly referred to as “British” (although that’s something I’d vote to change) and 2) someone from the island of Britain (something that won’t change - British culture will always be a thing in the same way as “Scandinavian” culture transcends nationality). However, do not ever refer to me as a “Brit” - that’s got far too much baggage. ---
**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 6, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/59 "2026-10-06T18:54:17Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I’m not even sure any British people would be offended by being called a “Limey” anymore, as it’s so old-fashioned. Indeed - lots of British people would actually laugh if an American tried to use the word to offend them. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542/60 "2026-10-06T19:02:02Z")
I have Aussie friends who regularly refer to me as a ‘whinging pom’; as with other insults, it really does depend on who’s saying it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishers-is-this-a-deadly-insult/1033542.md?page=4)