# The British and queuing **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2011, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140 "2011-10-19T13:33:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/21 "2011-10-19T14:57:17Z")
I thought (German, contintental here) that the stereotype is that - as part of the larger stereotype about how all Brits/ English are Gentleman, well-behaved to the extreme and with stiff upper lip - that the Brits will queue by forming an \*\* orderly\*\* line, not a wild mob waiting **peacefully** until their turn comes, not pushing, shoving, line-jumping. It’s usually brought up to contrast the (considered shameful) behaviour of other (contintental?) countries where people shove and form ragged lines. Although in the last decades, british writers lament the loss of manners and the start of pushing and line-jumping there, too. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/22 "2011-10-19T14:57:36Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Looking at the first few results there, it seems to me that these people are lining up because there’s something at the other end of the line that they _want_. They’re not just queuing because they like queuing. Or are they? > > Again, they’re waiting in line because there’s something to wait _for_, right? Is this really a stereotype about patience rather than a stereotype about queuing? The stereotype is that British culture is so polite, gentlemanly and deferring that British people instinctively queue for everything. The stereotypical jokes usually involve things like British people seeing a queue and joining it even though they don’t know what it’s for; forming a queue that doesn’t go anywhere; or queuing in absurd situations, like the rioters queuing up to loot a shop in the picture I posted above. I think the word “queue” itself is part of the humor because as far as I can tell other English-speaking countries don’t seem to use that term. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/23 "2011-10-19T15:06:53Z")
It wasn’t many years ago that the law that stated that you must wait in an ordered queue at bus stops was abolished. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/24 "2011-10-19T15:25:07Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Again, they’re waiting in line because there’s something to wait _for_, right? Is this really a stereotype about patience rather than a stereotype about queuing? No, it’s really a queuing stereotype. The generally perceived image of Londoners waiting for the bus is a [nice orderly queue](http://bonnvoyage.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/bus-queue.jpg), while in North America it is more typical to mill or shuffle about [in the general area](http://www.hobotraveler.com/photos/c_united-states-of-america_2009-00096.php) of the bus stop until bus arrives, and then push on willy-nilly. Some people may feel obliged to hang back and let people who have been waiting longer get on first, but there’s no line for it. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/25 "2011-10-19T15:49:06Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > I would say, undoubtedly, yes. Those stereotypes exist - and didn’t spring from nothing. And, just to be clear, the British stereotypes that I listed were stereotypes I thought to exist - not necessarily ones that I myself assoicated with the Brits (especially the good manners one ;)) > > As another poster mentioned - it could be that we Yanks don’t associated Brits with standing in line because we’re just as fond of it as they 🙂 But, from my perspective, it’s less of a fondness for standing in line, than a baffledness by _not_ standing in line To be fair the bad teeth one is most likely rooted (no pun intended) in fact - up to around 20 years ago dentistry in the UK was funded by the public purse and standards were based on cost and not appearance. It was cheaper to pull all of the teeth than cosmetic surgery so this was the usual procedure in the event of damage, especially if the patient was over the age where it wouldn’t do psychologically harm. **Mangetout** mentions rationing during and after WWII; rationing of food even after the war (when supplies lines could open again) was kept going [cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationing_in_the_United_Kingdom) because farming in Europe had been bombed out and austerity kicked in hard - this could be a reason for the bad food stereotype. I’ve never heard of the British queuing without a reason, but have heard of the Soviets doing this. In times past British politics had close links with Communism so maybe this was why the connection was blurred? ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/26 "2011-10-19T15:54:24Z")
This is the first time I’m hearing about this stereotype. If you’da asked me a few minutes ago which country is known for its queues, I would’ve said [Venezuela](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/world/americas/20venezuela.html?_r=1). > [@NYT](#): > > “Lines for us are like a spouse from time immemorial whom we cannot stand, but without whom we cannot exist,” said Jorge Sayegh, a columnist for the newspaper El Universal who wrote this year about Venezuelans’ acceptance of, even fondness, for lines. “We’re attracted to lines like flies to honey; we actually love them.” > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Queueing is the only word in the English language with four straight vowels. That may or may not be true, but I’ve read that so much that it’s a stereotype. Five. There are five vowels. “Queue”, on the other hand, is the longest word still pronounced like its first letter. “Bee”, “pea/pee” and “tee/tea” are in a close tie second, while I and A get credit for showing up. “Sea” tried to sneak in on a technicality, but the judges wouldn’t allow it. ETA: The longest consonant string I can think of in a one-syllable word is “angsts”. Can anyone beat five? ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/27 "2011-10-19T16:13:35Z")
I’ve definitely heard the stereotype, although I think the queuing without purpose thing is more of a joke based one the stereotype. Really, it’s the idea of lining up patiently instead of all clustering around. As a point of reference, the same stereotype exists in Hong Kong - mainland China tends to be a lot more chaotic, but Hong Kong inherited the British bus queues. It’s actually a note of pride for Hong Kong residents, that they’re more ‘civilized’ than the mainlanders. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/28 "2011-10-19T16:20:09Z")
Queuing Queueing The second one “looks” right, but according to the online dictionaries the first one is correct. So only four straight vowels, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/29 "2011-10-19T16:44:54Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Five. There are five vowels. D’oh. :smack: > [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Queuing > Queueing > > The second one “looks” right, but according to the online dictionaries the first one is correct. So only four straight vowels, I guess. [Not all](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/queue). > [@](#): > > —vb (often foll by up) , queues, queuing, queueing, queued > > Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition > 2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Queueing gives almost 4 million hits on Google, while queuing gives 10.5 million. Both are used frequently and both are correct. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/30 "2011-10-19T16:47:50Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > To be fair the bad teeth one is most likely rooted (no pun intended) in fact - up to around 20 years ago dentistry in the UK was funded by the public purse and standards were based on cost and not appearance. True, but (at the risk of being rapidly refuted) I think the stereotype is just one Americans have about the british. It’s not a stereotype I’ve ever heard non-americans reference. Ditto the effeminate stereotype. Although in this case it’s not just a stereotype Americans have of the _British_, it seems to be one they have of men in pretty much every other developed nation… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/31 "2011-10-19T16:55:14Z")
There’s also a bit in _The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ where they have to wait in a queue to deal with some Vogon paperwork, and Arthur eagerly contributes his talents: “I’m British, I can deal with this”. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/32 "2011-10-19T17:04:38Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > It wasn’t many years ago that the law that stated that you must wait in an ordered queue at bus stops was abolished. This was a law? ---
**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:** [October 19, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/33 "2011-10-19T17:08:58Z")
> [@runcible\_spoon](#): > > I’ve definitely heard the stereotype, although I think the queuing without purpose thing is more of a joke based one the stereotype. I’d say that’s a fair assessment of the thing. In fact, the stereotype itself is more like an in-joke. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/34 "2011-10-19T17:10:00Z")
> [@runcible\_spoon](#): > > I’ve definitely heard the stereotype, although I think the queuing without purpose thing is more of a joke based one the stereotype. I’ve basically seen it happen before. A couple of people are standing by, say, a door or an ATM, other people assume they’re queuing, and before anyone realizes you’ve suddenly got 5 or 6 people queuing for no reason. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/35 "2011-10-19T17:21:04Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Queueing is standing in line, right? What’s the stereotype? I find myself standing in line on a daily basis, but I don’t consider it part of a stereotype; it’s just something you have to do. Unless you live in the NYC area. Then it’s standing on line. And we also “wait on” people instead of waiting for them. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/36 "2011-10-19T17:45:37Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > To be fair the bad teeth one is most likely rooted (no pun intended) in fact - up to around 20 years ago dentistry in the UK was funded by the public purse and standards were based on cost and not appearance. It was cheaper to pull all of the teeth than cosmetic surgery so this was the usual procedure in the event of damage, especially if the patient was over the age where it wouldn’t do psychologically harm. We’ve had this before and cracked has an article about it. The real reason is that Americans have a very different standard of beauty for teeth compared to the Brits: the Brits like teeth that look natural, which is off-white (cream) and uneven (in length, not crooked! Brits do have braces); Americans like teeth that have been whitened and evened to a line (although that is majorly bad for tooth health!) to look like a Hollywood star. This kind of smile that flashes like 500 Watt lamp and looks like a piece of plastic was put over the teeth looks rather frighteningly artificial to Brits and also to Europeans - uncanny valley stuff. > [@](#): > > **Mangetout** mentions rationing during and after WWII; rationing of food even after the war (when supplies lines could open again) was kept going [cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationing_in_the_United_Kingdom) because farming in Europe had been bombed out and austerity kicked in hard - this could be a reason for the bad food stereotype. The bad food stereotype goes way back beyond WWII. The stereotype is not so much that the food is bad, but bland. Think of the stereotype grounded in reality of how American cooking was like in the 50s: bland, veggies cooked to mush, no spices, no herbs, no experiments, just meat, potatoes and veggies without taste to fill the belly. I don’t know how much that is historical enmity with the French and therefore doing it differently from their “fancy stuff” or general xenophobic reactions to anything foreign, or whether there are other reasons. > [@](#): > > I’ve never heard of the British queuing without a reason, but have heard of the Soviets doing this. In times past British politics had close links with Communism so maybe this was why the connection was blurred? Huh? What links did Britain have with communism? Dude, lay off whatever you’re smoking. Just because Brits (like many other Europeans) have social parties or parties with “socalist” in the name, or because a few intellectuals praised communism when it was an idea has nothing to do with ties to the Soviet communism. And the stereotype of Brits queuing orderly because they are well-behaved and polite comes from a different reason than people in Soviet Russia or Eastern bloc countries queuing for everything because supplies were limited. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/37 "2011-10-19T17:47:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There’s also a bit in _The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ where they have to wait in a queue to deal with some Vogon paperwork, and Arthur eagerly contributes his talents: “I’m British, I can deal with this”. Wasn’t it “I’m British, I know how to do this” ? And yes, that moment was very funny. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/38 "2011-10-19T17:53:02Z")
For some reason I remember a few sentences for a book I read as a child about customs in different parts of the world “Mind your P’s and Queue’s my friend In London you line up at the end” This would’ve been in the 1960’s ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/39 "2011-10-19T17:54:53Z")
I thought it was the Russians that had that stereotype. At least in Soviet times. ---
**Author:** ![Astral\_Rejection](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@Astral\_Rejection](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astral_Rejection)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140/40 "2011-10-19T17:55:49Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Unless you live in the NYC area. Then it’s standing on line. And we also “wait on” people instead of waiting for them. Here in the Midwest we use “wait on” and “wait for” somewhat interchangeably. “Wait on” has a negative connotation, implying the person you’re waiting on is taking too long. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-british-and-queuing/600140.md?page=3)