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THE BRITISH
In general, the British are very polite most of the time. ‘Please’ and ‘thank you’ are among the most commonly used words in Britain. People also have a tendency to apologize —some would say too much— and so, you will also hear ‘sorry’ and ‘excuse me’ a lot. The popular stereotype of the average British person is more often than not true —they will say sorry to you, even when it is in fact you who has accidentally stepped on their toes or bumped into them!
It will not surprise you to know then that queuing, or waiting in line so that someone who arrived first is served first, is another British near-obsession. It is sacrosanct. Seriously! Be it in the pub, at the supermarket or at a bus stop, people in Britain queue for everything. Pushing in or cutting into a queue is considered very impolite and you will be heavily frowned upon for doing it. It is one of the few occasions when the famously reserved British can get visibly annoyed in public, so do bear it in mind.
In most cases, queues are easy to spot. They tend to be tidy lines of people waiting. In public places, including shops and restaurants, there will also usually be a sign —such as ‘Please Wait Here to Be Served’ or ‘Please Queue Here’. Where it can be a bit tricky is in pubs, where the lines are neither tidy nor so easy to spot at the bar. The best thing to do is to take note of who was there before you and wait your tum to be served after them. Bar staff are usually very good about keeping track of who should be served next.
Finally, punctuality is important in Britain. As a rule, you should arrive on time for lectures, tutorials and any other appointments. Similarly, if you’ve arranged to meet someone at a pub, cafe or elsewhere and find yourself running late or unable to make it, and then let the person you are meeting know.
1. What words are commonly used in Britain?
2. What stereotype of the average British person is popular?
3. What is considered to be impolite in Britain?
4. What signs can you see in Britain?
5. Is punctuality important?
1. The streets of London at night in 1700 were protected by a group of men called «Charlies,» who were established to maintain order and prevent crime.
2. 300 years ago, London was a bustling and growing city, but it faced challenges such as overcrowding, poor sanitation, and a high crime rate. The city was a mix of wealth and poverty, with distinct social classes and a lack of organized law enforcement.
3. Londoners stayed in their homes as much as possible due to the high crime rates and the lack of effective law enforcement. With no organized police force, people felt unsafe venturing out at night, leading to a culture of staying indoors after dark.
4. Henry Fielding began to pay a group of people in 1750 to act as a precursor to a formal police force, as a means of addressing the rampant crime and disorder in London.
5. In 1829, the Metropolitan Police Force was established with 3,200 officers under the leadership of Sir Robert Peel.
6. Policemen who worked with horses were paid better than those who worked on foot due to the specialized skills and responsibilities required for handling and maintaining horses, such as patrolling on horseback and managing the care and use of the animals.