# Brits... I have a few questions about "The Office" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270 "2004-11-23T14:12:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/41 "2004-11-26T11:48:08Z")
> [@Francesca](#): > > I’d pity Slough. But it’s just such a shit-hole I can’t bring myself to. And I live in _Reading_. Oh come on - Wokingham is _much_ nicer than Reading. (I assume your “location” is correct.) I live just down the road too, although a mile or so over the border in Hampshire… which of course is nicer still 😉 Bracknell can give Slough a run for its money in the dreariness stakes, too. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/42 "2004-11-26T14:11:44Z")
Blimey **futile gesture** where do you work? It certainly bears no resemblance to ANYWHERE I’ve ever been. You’re in for a nasty shock if you get a new job! I would say that smutty presents were an absolute certainty anywhere more than three Brits are gathered together. I personally (in the very recent period) been given a blow up doll, a blow up sheep (and I’m ENGLISH for fuck’s sake) a bunch of not very funny post cards and books and so on. Whenever a girl gets married she is certain to recieve pretty much the whole Ann Summers range (have you been in there? Who do you think is buying that crap?). As it happens I think that such things are as funny as leprosy, but they are very very common (in both senses of the word) ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/43 "2004-11-26T15:31:26Z")
::: CRACK! ::: [Moderator cracks whip] Hey! **Arch Trout** , your comments are out of line, and you are hereby directed to read the Forum Rules: > [@](#): > > **On good manners and common courtesy** > Personal insults are not permitted in this forum. You can insult an artistic work, you can say what you’d like about an awful movie or poem or TV show or concert. Within reasonable limits, you can insult the artist/creator/writer. But you may not insult the posters. … This forum is about entertainment and arts, and there’s rarely a “correct” answer. Multiple viewpoints about entertainment and art are to be expected. > > Violations of good manners and common courtesy constitute jerkhood, and are a bannable offense. You may consider this an Official Warning. **Futile Gesture** , you’ve been around long enough to know better. When you find a personal insult in this forum, the correct response is to hit the REPORT THIS POST button – the little exclamation point [!] in the upper right of every post. You do NOT respond in kind. You bring the offense to the attention of the Moderators. Two wrongs do not make things right, they make things worse. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/44 "2004-11-26T15:32:09Z")
I’d like to chip in my experiences in English offices over 30 years, and so have many of my mates. I think there is a wide range of experiences. Working in the Civil Service 30 years ago meant you wore a suit, even on Saturdays (yes, we worked part of the weekend!). Bringing sex toys would have led to an official warning and management lecture at least. Working in the city, particularly in trading meant boozy lunches and practical jokes. One time, somebody bet they could get a Big Mac in their mouth without chewing. (They won the bet.) Then another broker looked at the removed food, oozing with saliva and offered money to anyone else who would eat it. :eek: (He lost.) One office would not allow alcohol, but we were free to go round the pub at lunchtimes. When one strapping young lady left, we all chipped in for a visit by Tarzan. Unfortunately he was unable to lift her onto his shoulder 😕 (he was vertically challenged). it depends on the size of the company, the location (cities are usually livelier than the country), the public image and even the individual manager. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/45 "2004-11-26T15:43:25Z")
It depends on the type of institution you work for, and even within the institution this can vary. I’ve worked in the UK media and the charity sector in the UK and within both large organisations there were departments where the culture was more relaxed and risque presents were acceptable, and others where this was definitely not the case. Age and cultural background were the main factors. ---
**Author:** ![Legolamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@Legolamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legolamb)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/46 "2004-11-26T15:44:21Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Oh come on - Wokingham is _much_ nicer than Reading. (I assume your “location” is correct.) Yes it is, although the multiplying mini-roundabouts need some serious work. There are other Wokingham Dopers here? And I thought I was all alone… ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/47 "2004-11-26T17:00:23Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Ah but sometimes it smells like chocolate, because Cadbury’s is there. > > ::Throws out dairy milk bars:: NOOOOOOO!!! Mars is the chocolate company in Slough !!! And every office in UK I have worked for has its own set of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour levels. Most expected drinking on Friday lunch time, and risque jokes between colleagues. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/48 "2004-11-26T17:35:34Z")
Just to clarify; **burundi** asks; > [@](#): > > 1. Would folks actually bring sex toys to the office? (Tim gets an inflatable penis for his birthday; one of the Swindon folks gets a vibrator; etc.) That seemed beyond the pale to me. > … > 2. You guys get to drink at mid-day work parties? **ianzin** replies; (I paraphrase for brevity, please correct me if I have misunderstood) Sure. We’re very liberated. It’s common place. And you can’t have a work event without drink 'cos no-one would go to it. And anyone who has a problem with that would be labelled as abnormal freaks. I say; I don’t think so. It’s not _that_ common, it’s unprofessional (which is kind of the whole point in _The Office_) and it is possible in the UK to have a work event that doesn’t involve booze. Anyone who had a problem with this, rather than being called freaks, would have a large part of UK employment law on their side. **Everyone else** ; Wow! What’s your problem? Hate to work where you work! And anecdotal evidence. I made no reference to any of my personal experiences, or opinions, or work, or say these things never, ever happen, or make any moral or religious judgements. As other’s have said; it depends on the workplace. It is not possible to make sweeping generalisations from personal experience. I was contrasting behaviour in _The Office_ with what is _supposed_ to be acceptable (and often legally defined as acceptable) office behaviour in the UK, which is the point of this thread. This is part of the humour of _The Office_, otherwise it would just be a dull re-enactment. Now can we get back to slagging off Slough? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/49 "2004-11-26T17:40:58Z")
While I have never seen (and never hope to see) actual sex toys, I must say that the rules in many American offices vary too. Firefighters, for example, are notorious for their ribald talk and pranks on probies (new probationary rookies); however, with black and female firefighters there is occasional friction. It gets really really tricky. Jokes about tits around a woman=usually acceptable; pinups on the walls=not. Drinking is something that has changed in my lifetime. We had wine (just wine) at parties until I was around 30, then there must have been lawsuits or something since it was banned all at once. Don’t remember much grumbling, though, we just moved the big parties to bars with catering. 😃 The idea that the workplace had the right to restrict how we behaved in it, however, was accepted by all implicitly. And yes, call me inhibited, but I would consider a gift of a bacon sandwich to somebody known to be an Orthodox Jew to be in pretty poor form. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/50 "2004-11-26T17:43:32Z")
> [@burundi](#): > > 1. You guys get to drink at mid-day work parties? Sweet. I’ve never been to an office party in the with wine and beer. We just get nasty, storebought cake and cheap coffee. (Or maybe I’ve just worked in the wrong offices.) Whenever our group goes out to lunch, it’s almost a given there will be drinking involved (except by me, because I don’t drink very much). But at work parties, especially, I’ve never been to an office party where alcohol wasn’t involved. I always figured that was because no one would actually go to the thing if there weren’t free booze being offered. ---
**Author:** ![Halfling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@Halfling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Halfling)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/51 "2004-11-26T18:03:55Z")
> [@Legolamb](#): > > Yes it is, although the multiplying mini-roundabouts need some serious work. > > There are other Wokingham Dopers here? And I thought I was all alone… Well I’m in Binfield; does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Avenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Avenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avenger)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/52 "2004-11-26T21:45:39Z")
Just on the risque presents thing, our departmental secret santa last Christmas included 3 that had come from Anne Summers, this year is expected to be much the same… ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/53 "2004-11-27T12:01:13Z")
On the Anne Summers thing: Is there an American Equivalent? For non-Brits, ann summers is a shop that sells sex toys, novelties and scratchy underwear that my wife would divorce me for if I were ever to buy it for her, as well as naughty nurse costumes, blow up cocks etc. It’s entire trade seems to be made up of office parties and hen nights. they have a website but it’s a bit rude in parts to link to directly. In the end it’s all seaside postcard humour innit? ---
**Author:** ![Hugh\_Jass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Hugh\_Jass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hugh_Jass)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/54 "2004-11-27T19:29:26Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > On the Anne Summers thing: > > Is there an American Equivalent? > > For non-Brits, ann summers is a shop that sells sex toys, novelties and scratchy underwear that my wife would divorce me for if I were ever to buy it for her, as well as naughty nurse costumes, blow up cocks etc. It’s entire trade seems to be made up of office parties and hen nights. > > they have a website but it’s a bit rude in parts to link to directly. > > In the end it’s all seaside postcard humour innit? Ann Summers sounds like Spencer’s Gifts. I tried to find a link, but they seem to be redoing their website. They are based exclusively in malls, I think. They seem to sell similar stuff to Ann Summers, but not quite as saucy. They sell things that 13-year-old boys find tremendously funny, though. I haven’t been in one in ages (24 years since I was 13 years old), but I remember they sold “party games” that would involve taking your clothes off, or drinking a shot if you’ve ever sucked somebody’s toes, etc. I remember birthday cards about wrinkled birthday suits too. I seem to remember lots of black velvet posters, lava lamps, and Led Zeppelin t-shirts too, in addition to the edible undies, and the “massagers” The last time I walked by a Spencer’s they had South Park plushies all over the place. ---
**Author:** ![Avenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Avenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avenger)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/55 "2004-11-27T19:44:08Z")
Hmm, nah, I’ve seen a couple of branches of Spencer Gifts in the UK, not really comparable to Anne Summers. Anne Summers sell actual sex toys, lingerie etc, the ‘novelty items’ like edible undies are not really the main lines. Spencer Gifts only sell novelty items, like you say very much aimed at the ‘13 year old boy’ demographic. Anne Summers is for grown ups, 13 year old boys may hang around the door snickering, but they’re too scared to go in (probably secretly scared that they’ll go in with their mates and find their mum in there!) ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/56 "2004-11-27T19:47:14Z")
> [@Avenger](#): > > Hmm, nah, I’ve seen a couple of branches of Spencer Gifts in the UK, not really comparable to Anne Summers. > > Anne Summers sell actual sex toys, lingerie etc, the ‘novelty items’ like edible undies are not really the main lines. Spencer Gifts only sell novelty items, like you say very much aimed at the ‘13 year old boy’ demographic. Anne Summers is for grown ups, 13 year old boys may hang around the door snickering, but they’re too scared to go in (probably secretly scared that they’ll go in with their mates and find their mum in there!) I was thinking of the Xandria collection - the company always advertised in the back of magazines, and promising “discreet delivery” in plain brown paper packaging. ---
**Author:** ![Avenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Avenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avenger)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/57 "2004-11-27T19:59:04Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > I was thinking of the Xandria collection - the company always advertised in the back of magazines, and promising “discreet delivery” in plain brown paper packaging. Oh ok, I must’ve missed that bit! ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270/58 "2004-11-27T21:34:40Z")
> [@Avenger](#): > > Oh ok, I must’ve missed that bit! Nope, I wasn’t saying that I had already said that… Just that that’s what I’m thinking the equivalent is 😉 A badly worded post on my part. (Carry on…) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-i-have-a-few-questions-about-the-office/276270.md?page=2)