and if a double-decker bus crashes into us
March 15, 2006 1:39 PM   Subscribe

 
Rain.
posted by Drexen at 1:43 PM on March 15, 2006


The Royal family
Big Ben
Sherlock Holmes
Aston-Martin
The Beatles
Jaguar
Manchester United
The Rolling Stones
The Tower of London
etc.
posted by doctor_negative at 1:46 PM on March 15, 2006


Chicken Tikka Masala
posted by A189Nut at 1:47 PM on March 15, 2006


And bad teeth!
posted by Mijo Bijo at 1:47 PM on March 15, 2006


Look kids,
Big Ben,
Parliament,
Big Ben,
Parliament,
I can't get left!
Big Ben,
Parliament...
posted by Shfishp at 1:48 PM on March 15, 2006


You forgot chavs.
posted by bardic at 1:53 PM on March 15, 2006


James Bond.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:55 PM on March 15, 2006


lovely lovely ale
posted by prolific at 1:56 PM on March 15, 2006


Pitt the Elder
posted by Shfishp at 1:57 PM on March 15, 2006


Zany humour--Goon Show, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, etc.
And the BBC, of course.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 1:58 PM on March 15, 2006


James Bond
Monty Python
King Arthur
Union Jack
posted by hipnerd at 1:59 PM on March 15, 2006


Zany humour--Goon Show, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, etc.
And the BBC, of course.


...and more recently, Little Britain, League of Gentlemen, The Office....all brilliant.
posted by Shfishp at 2:00 PM on March 15, 2006


Arsenal FC
The Clash, "London Calling" in particular
Madame Tussaud's
Two-Tone Movement (or would that be Manchester?)
posted by bardic at 2:01 PM on March 15, 2006


er, cricket? Self-loathing?

Parliamentary democracy
posted by logicpunk at 2:03 PM on March 15, 2006


Mods and Rockers and Spivs, oh my!
posted by Gungho at 2:03 PM on March 15, 2006


And would it not be inappropriate to mention the English language?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:08 PM on March 15, 2006


Tabloid journalism.
Page 3 girls.
Lucas electrics.
The Spice Girls.
Ozzy Osbourne.
Double-decker buses.
Red phone boxes.
#1 Christmas songs.
English breakfast.
Village idiots.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 2:14 PM on March 15, 2006


Union Jack

That's the flag of the United Kingdom, not England, which has the George cross.

Two-Tone Movement (or would that be Manchester?)

Two-tone was West Midlands, which is a bit south of Manchester (and Manchester is in England).

I'd nominate something myself, but England is an identity-free void for me.
posted by cillit bang at 3:04 PM on March 15, 2006


Bad teeth
posted by blue_beetle at 3:11 PM on March 15, 2006


Bobbies
Solicitors
Loos
posted by sonofsamiam at 3:12 PM on March 15, 2006


Oh, wait a serious one:


posted by sonofsamiam at 3:14 PM on March 15, 2006


Billy Bragg
Flavorless food
Dry humor
Wierd meat
Pallid flesh
Shakespeare
Henry the Eighth
Boy George
posted by tkchrist at 3:15 PM on March 15, 2006


That's the flag of the United Kingdom, not England, which has the George cross.

Indeed. And to add to that it should correctly be called the Union Flag rather than (increasingly used) Union Jack. The wikipedia discussion of this makes no sense to me. And further, a little research reveals that I (and broadsheets and the BBC) might well be talking out of our collective arses. So, English icons:

Marmite
Arses
Lips, stiff upper
posted by NailsTheCat at 3:23 PM on March 15, 2006


Mind the gap.
posted by generichuman at 3:27 PM on March 15, 2006


Though Toronto uses that, too. So perhaps not.
posted by generichuman at 3:28 PM on March 15, 2006




chimney sweepery
public schoolery
poncery
posted by jivadravya at 3:37 PM on March 15, 2006


English Dentistry
posted by tula at 3:50 PM on March 15, 2006


The Rolling Stones
Double Decker Buses
Benny Hill!!!
Absolutely Fabulous
Are You Being Served? (Yeah, so my grandparents loved this one and it rubbed off on me)
Monty Python
And, of course, the Beatles
posted by annieb at 4:07 PM on March 15, 2006


Two-Tone Movement (or would that be Manchester?)
Um, I don't understand this bardic. Two-Tone happens to originate [mostly] in Coventry, Warwickshire, England. It, and Manchester, a metropolitan district, are English - so qualify as icons in the terms used here.
What exactly were you trying to say? Sorry to be seen as correcting you, but I am confused.
posted by dash_slot- at 4:07 PM on March 15, 2006


In descending order of speed (more or less):

The Harrier Jump Jet
The Spitfire
The Jaguar e-Type
The Rolls Royce
The Black Taxi
The MG Midget
The Routemaster
posted by three blind mice at 4:10 PM on March 15, 2006


Oh, and...
The BBC
The Guardian & the Telegraph
Full English Breakfast (2 sausage, 2 eggs, fried tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread, bacon and beans)
Pints
Marmite
Taking the piss
Kebabs
Queues
Waiting.....
posted by dash_slot- at 4:13 PM on March 15, 2006


Cornish pasties
Cuppas
posted by luneray at 4:21 PM on March 15, 2006


Doctor Who
The Avengers
TVR Tuscan (Polled first among 6 year old boys)
Lotus
Mini Coopers
Spotted Dick
Jerry Cornelius
posted by gamera at 4:26 PM on March 15, 2006


The John Peel sessions.
The Hitchhiker's Guide.

And most importantly, incredibly cute brunette girls with bangs and sometimes freckles and impossibly sexy accents who look all innocent, but shag like a minx. (This one's for you, Kelly Marie. I hope it finds you well after all these years.)
posted by loquacious at 4:33 PM on March 15, 2006




British Monarchy and spending a penny.
posted by tellurian at 5:24 PM on March 15, 2006


Sorry fixedgear, but the first name that springs to mind when I think of English cyclery is Sturmey-Archer.
posted by oats at 5:34 PM on March 15, 2006


logicpunk writes: Parliamentary democracy

Add to that the Prime Ministers Question Time.

A recent addition (1961); when I see this on CNN here in the US, where even voting is now done in dark secrecy, it makes me seethe with envy.
posted by washburn at 5:44 PM on March 15, 2006


Her Majesty, the Queen.
posted by darkstar at 5:55 PM on March 15, 2006


Robyn Hitchcock.
posted by Man-Thing at 5:57 PM on March 15, 2006


Julian Barnes wrote a novel called England, England about a theme park based on England. In his satire they conducted a survey as to what made up England in people's minds. Can't remember many of the items on the list, but from what you are missing above, Robin Hood and homosexuals.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 6:01 PM on March 15, 2006


I'd just like to say that all the stupid wankers who still think they're funny for knocking the food in England are only showing how embarrassingly out of touch they are.

Icons of England? Me, if there were any justice.
posted by Decani at 6:32 PM on March 15, 2006


Eggy in a basket.
posted by homunculus at 7:16 PM on March 15, 2006


Oscar bait
posted by ozomatli at 7:22 PM on March 15, 2006


Bangers and Mash
Bollocks
Eddie the Eagle
Madonna
posted by horsewithnoname at 7:51 PM on March 15, 2006


I'd just like to say that all the stupid wankers who still think they're funny for knocking the food in England are only showing how embarrassingly out of touch they are.

Here here! The cheeses, the beer, the cream teas, the roast lamb and yorkshire puddings, balti curries... mmm.
posted by Zinger at 7:53 PM on March 15, 2006


Imagine a boot stamping on a human face — for ever.

That's yer england right there - innit
posted by lalochezia at 10:25 PM on March 15, 2006


The bad teeth thing comes from when people would darken their teeth to make it look as if they'd fallen out from eating too much sugar. It was a fashion/class thing from a couple of hundred years ago. I would guess that those critical of British dentistry have not seen members of the underclass of their own nation's teeth in comparison.

My additions to the list -

Extreme and unwarranted drink related violence.
Inventing sports but then being crap at them.
Being the funniest bunch of bastards on the planet.
Alan Moore, Garth Ennis, Grant Morrison etc.
Inventing stuff and then having the ideas nicked and marketed by other people.
Swearing.
Slang (Polari, Cockernee etc.)
Our beautiful, seasonal weather (Snow, rain, light rain, heavy rain).
The availability of cillit bang cleaning products.
Decani ;)
posted by longbaugh at 1:06 AM on March 16, 2006


Did we invent Cillit Bang? I am incandescent with pride right now.
posted by Summer at 1:24 AM on March 16, 2006



posted by Grangousier at 1:28 AM on March 16, 2006


Summer - based in Slough it's part British, part Dutch and all cleansing power.
posted by longbaugh at 1:33 AM on March 16, 2006


Sorry fixedgear, but the first name that springs to mind when I think of English cyclery is Sturmey-Archer.

Err, of course and I am ashamed at my oversight. With that in mind:

In descending order of speed (more or less):

The Harrier Jump Jet
The Spitfire
The Jaguar e-Type
The Rolls Royce
The Black Taxi
The MG Midget
The Routemaster


Th Robin Hood
The Raleigh
The Rudge
posted by fixedgear at 1:57 AM on March 16, 2006


You know, reading this thread recalls a question I asked on the green. You Americans really do have some pretty odd ideas about the British.
posted by salmacis at 2:30 AM on March 16, 2006


That's the flag of the United Kingdom, not England, which has the George cross.

Actually smartarse that's St George's Cross, the George Cross is a medal awarded to civilians for gallantry.
posted by biffa at 2:37 AM on March 16, 2006


Yeah fuck you.

Did we invent Cillit Bang?

Sadly I'm Welsh.
posted by cillit bang at 2:56 AM on March 16, 2006


The Shipping Forecast
Roundabouts
Gatsos
Weather
Driving on the Left
War Memorials
North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Dogger, Cromarty, Tyne ..
posted by grahamwell at 3:34 AM on March 16, 2006


Cillit Bang & Hardcore Techno [embedded video]
posted by Drexen at 4:41 AM on March 16, 2006


Duke of Wellington (my heart throb!)
Flashman!
Redcoats of all stripes (har!)

More domestically . . .

Typhoo
Garden roses
Boudicaa
Sherlock Holmes
Oak trees
Ironed newspapers
Anthony Hopkins
Patrick Stewart
Mary Poppins
King Arthur
posted by jfwlucy at 5:20 AM on March 16, 2006


Oh, and Queen Elizabeth!
posted by jfwlucy at 5:21 AM on March 16, 2006


The first.
posted by jfwlucy at 5:22 AM on March 16, 2006


"You Americans really do have some pretty odd ideas about the British"

Do we, really? Doesn't "iconic" simply mean "this is what you think of when someone says 'x'", in this case "x" being England? If these things are, indeed, what Americans think of when someone says "England", then they are, in fact, iconic, whether you agree with them or not.

For example, when you're asked what's iconic about this comment, you might say that it's, well, chock-full of commas, and you'd be right.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:18 AM on March 16, 2006


Anthony Hopkins
Is of course Welsh. But tradition holds if we love 'em they're British and, if we don't, they Scottish / Welsh / Northern Irish.

Do/did people really iron newspapers?
posted by NailsTheCat at 6:34 AM on March 16, 2006


What about bulldogs?
posted by exlotuseater at 8:03 AM on March 16, 2006


Eastenders
black cabs
red phone booths
brown sauce
mushy peas
posted by clon7 at 8:18 AM on March 16, 2006


Johnny Fartpants
Fat Slags
Roger Mellie
posted by reidfleming at 8:27 AM on March 16, 2006


Knowing what a 'fanny' really is. And trying not to piss ourselves laughing when Americans talk about their fanny packs.
posted by essexjan at 10:23 AM on March 16, 2006


Being able to smoke a fag without going dahhn for life.
posted by inpHilltr8r at 1:54 PM on March 16, 2006


My wife's family is from England.This was her response:
You might reply that while all the above are certainly "iconic" they are the
obvious and city-based symbols - London especially. What I think is iconic
about England is the country - beautiful fields, green and yellow, country
pubs, village life, walking, footpaths and stiles, ruins, castles,
incredible clouds, white cliffs, black hills, stone walls, hedgerows,
daffodils... R Browning - "Oh to be in England, now that April's there."
But that's just me, and mostly memories of my childhood. But, amazingly,
much of this is still there, 21st century notwithstanding.
posted by madstop1 at 7:19 PM on March 16, 2006


madstop1, that's an awesome insight. I realize that, while I've been to England many times, I've spent very little time in the middle of the large cities. Most of the time has been in the countryside, in the Cotswolds, or near Oxford, or in the Lakes District and so forth.

So when someone asks the iconic question of "what are England's icons", I am tempted to think of the Queen, Big Ben, the double decker bus, the red phone booth, bobbies, Stonehenge and so forth. But all of my own, gentle memories of what England means to me are the things your wife mentioned.

England's beautiful, beautiful countryside, the charming and welcoming friends I have there and the tradition that goes back centuries, in which I can detect the roots of my own (US) cultural heritage. Please tell your wife "thank you" for noting the essence of what makes England great, in my opinion.
posted by darkstar at 4:56 AM on March 17, 2006


The roast cream of old England.
posted by Decani at 7:14 PM on March 18, 2006


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