# I glory in the name of Briton **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 29, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924 "2007-06-29T14:45:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/21 "2007-06-29T16:49:03Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Well, for a real-life example, look at \*\*Giles’\*\*s post above. It can be fiendishly complex, which is why I have the impression that there are a lot of judgment calls made – particularly in the not-so-rare case where people might have a legitimate claim, but are missing documents. [/QUOTE] Yes. I’m actually pretty straightforward, though my situation is affected by UK citizenship law being gender-biased when I was born. (If my mother had been my father, I would be a UK citizen). But there are plenty of cases, especially in the aftermath of war or oppression, of people being born without any citizenship, e.g., if their parents are refugees in country which doesn’t give citizenship simply because you were born there, and they don’t inherit their parents’ citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/22 "2007-06-29T16:51:56Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] Do you have to attend one of those citizenship ceremonies to be official, or do they just post you a passport? [/QUOTE] If he’s very lucky, they’ll include a lovely big jar of Marmite! ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/23 "2007-06-29T16:56:40Z")
I’m jealous. I have to go faaarr back to find British ancestry–back to 1600 something. Irony is I’m all British–Scots, English, (protestant) Irish, heck there may be some Welsh as well. We just came early to this country and stayed. I look English. I like the climate there (truly!). I like the towns and the people (except that one guy at the Chunnel crossing-never mind, he was a jerk). But American I am and will stay–I’ll just visit a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/24 "2007-06-29T16:56:54Z")
[QUOTE=ScareyFaerie] If he’s very lucky, they’ll include a lovely big jar of Marmite! [/QUOTE] Over here, the only place I’ve seen that is in the cleaning-supplies section of the Dominion grocery store near Ryerson University. I don’t think they knew what it was. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/25 "2007-06-29T18:34:09Z")
I have a follow-up question. Does taking an oath to be loyal to HM The Queen (God bless 'er and all who sail in 'er) affect your American citizenship? ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/26 "2007-06-29T18:41:41Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Yesterday I learned that my application for citizenship in the UK had been accepted. Without having left the cozy confines of New-and-Improved-England, I now find myself a citizen of Merry Olde England as well. So how did this transubstantiation occur, you ask? Well, it happens that my mother, though she’s been a citizen of the U.S. for nearly half a century, never actually lost the British citizenship of her birth. Through her, I was able to apply. And now I’m a thousand dollars lighter, but richer by one additional nationality. So there it is… I’m a newbie Brit. I’m just hoping at this point to avoid a full-scale identity crisis. [/QUOTE] Congrats my good fellow, just one thing. It’s “Merrie” not merry 😛 Oh and you have to learn to positively love the following culinary delights. 1. Curry 2. Mushy peas 3. Tripe and Onions 4. Liver and Onions 5. Cowheel. There are others of course but I guess you’ll discover those for yourself. An addiction to “real” football is mandatory I believe ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/27 "2007-06-29T18:44:59Z")
And you have to learn to like cricket. And having a great-grandfather who was a well-known player doesn’t seem to help, unfortunately. I was hoping there was some sort of genetic predisposition or something, but no such luck. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/28 "2007-06-29T18:45:33Z")
Congratulations and welcome to the old country. 🆒 I am a touch concerned about calling yourself a ‘Briton’, though. The correct nomenclature is ‘English’ if England win something and ‘British’ if another part of the Union does well. :smack: Here is your essential guide to fitting in. You will need to be able to recognise and converse about the following: - Marmite - the weather - cricket - Manchester United - Roman Abramovich - Jose Mourinho - Sherlock Holmes - Bertie Wooster and Jeeves - James Bond - Discworld - Monty Python - Fawlty Towers - Blackadder (especially the closing scene) - George and Ben Cohen - chicken tikka marsala - Trafalgar Square - Waterloo (especially the sunset) - the relief of Mafeking - battle of Stamford Bridge - Bletchley Park - Ladybower reservoir ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/29 "2007-06-29T18:48:50Z")
I forgot Sherwood Forest and Alan Rickman. :o You should also master these theme tunes: - The Pink Panther - Mission Impossible - The Magnificent Seven - The Great Escape - Stranger on the shore ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/30 "2007-06-29T18:54:31Z")
[QUOTE=glee] - Blackadder (especially the closing scene) [/QUOTE] _sniff_ Brings a tear to the eye. Greatest series finale, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/31 "2007-06-29T19:23:57Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] I have a follow-up question. Does taking an oath to be loyal to HM The Queen (God bless 'er and all who sail in 'er) affect your American citizenship? [/QUOTE] Apparently not. It’s considered a “routine” oath, and the default assumption is that by taking this kind of oath, you are not renouncing your original citizenship. Now, if I were to enlist in the Gurkhas, maybe it’d be a different story. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/32 "2007-06-29T19:28:16Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Congratulations and welcome to the old country. 🆒 I am a touch concerned about calling yourself a ‘Briton’, though. The correct nomenclature is ‘English’ if England win something and ‘British’ if another part of the Union does well. :smack: Here is your essential guide to fitting in. You will need to be able to recognise and converse about the following: - Marmite - the weather - cricket - Manchester United - Roman Abramovich - Jose Mourinho - Sherlock Holmes - Bertie Wooster and Jeeves - James Bond - Discworld - Monty Python - Fawlty Towers - Blackadder (especially the closing scene) - George and Ben Cohen - chicken tikka marsala - Trafalgar Square - Waterloo (especially the sunset) - the relief of Mafeking - battle of Stamford Bridge - Bletchley Park - Ladybower reservoir [/QUOTE] Thanks, **glee**. I’m at least semi-familiar with most of the things on the list (as a matter of fact, I was watching _Fawlty Towers_ just the other day). Ladybower Reservoir is a new one on me, though. I’m also figuring I’ll need an accent, a subculture, and a football team. Maybe I can get some recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/33 "2007-06-29T19:30:41Z")
Didn’t you have to learn how to spell the name of the country before they gave you citizenship? ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/34 "2007-06-29T19:43:59Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] Didn’t you have to learn how to spell the name of the country before they gave you citizenship? [/QUOTE] I was under the impression he was declaring himself to be “a Briton”, rather than saying he was “from Britain”. None of this much affects me, mind you. My closest european ancestry is via Germany in the late 1800’s. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/35 "2007-06-29T19:46:32Z")
Good old George III: last in war, last in peace, and last in the hearts of his countrymen. ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/36 "2007-06-29T19:51:57Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] … I am entitled to a Right of Abode as a result of that, and one of my children is now living in the US on an Ancestry Visa as a result of that too. [/QUOTE] What benefits (or obligations) come with a _Right of Abode_ and/or an _Ancestry Visa_? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/37 "2007-06-29T20:00:07Z")
[QUOTE=Ponder Stibbons] I was under the impression he was declaring himself to be “a Briton”, rather than saying he was “from Britain”. None of this much affects me, mind you. My closest european ancestry is via Germany in the late 1800’s. [/QUOTE] My most recent is from about 1800 (I think). My Dutch ancestry, reflected in my surname, is from 1640 or so. I was told at one point that immigration was impossible, and presumably it still is; absent marriage or membership in some preferred group. Not that I could now anyway; I can barely speak Dutch, but at the time I investigated it my Dutch was better. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/38 "2007-06-29T20:01:15Z")
[QUOTE=Encinitas] What benefits (or obligations) come with a _Right of Abode_ and/or an _Ancestry Visa_? [/QUOTE] I think that Right of Abode lets you live and work there indefinitely, and a UK Ancestry Visa lets you live and work there for five years. But I could be wrong. Every time I look at the rules, they seem to be squirming around and changing like drawings on the monitor after you’ve been looking at them all day. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/39 "2007-06-29T20:19:51Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] I’m also figuring I’ll need an accent [/quote] There’s a few to choose from, you should have a listen [here](http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/) and pick one that you like. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2007, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924/40 "2007-06-30T06:05:59Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] I do, here at the consulate. The passport is an extra $300. [/QUOTE] So do you get a certificate, or something? [QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] I’m also figuring I’ll need an accent, a subculture, and a football team. Maybe I can get some recommendations. [/QUOTE] I’m afraid you don’t get to choose the latter. The rules about who you support are as strict as those for citizenship itself. Where was your mum from? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-glory-in-the-name-of-briton/409924.md?page=3)