What makes the British British ?

Re queueing, it's the Yanks who do that maybe even more! Only they don't call it queueing - it's 'waiting in line'.

Definitely moaning about the weather, no matter what it's like. When I worked on the front line with the public, it was non-stop - too cold, too hot, too windy, too wet, too dry, too 'muggy', you name it.

I think it is also the sense of humour which has not much to do with the stand up comics of today. It is situation humour laughing about a mistake. Even laughing about yourself or being able to laugh at yourself in a serious situation.
Yes
And the Antiques Road Show situation - a friend was on there and had something valued (not tens of thousands but certainly worth a lot more than she thought) and she said 'Oh Really? How nice, worth a bit more than we thought'

Cheese rolling - they are mad as hatters

The British do queue politely which often means they strike up conversations with complete strangers and often exchange their life stories and find they have a lot in common with each other.

The WI

I have recently been listening to a Paul Temple series on Radio IPlayer. Paul Temple and his wife Steve have a man servant who calls them by their surname and cooks for them and drives them about and does anything that is required. I told DH I would have loved to have lived in those times, but I would have wanted to be Stevie not Charlie. ?

Inventing wonderful sport(s) and then more often than not getting beat!.

Only the British would excel at sports such as cheese rolling, bog snorkelling, space hopping, wife carrying, stiletto shoes running and boat tug of war. Those furriners wouldn't stand a chance against those champs!

Lots of good suggestions but here's Another: the French and British suffer from different complaints. My French teacher who is British but has lived in France for over 20years told me that while we are under the weather or have headaches and sore backs, the French suffer from heavy legs. They are also more likely to use homeopathy which we scorn as a nation.
My American friend has just told me that whereas in the States the buses say Out of Service, here they say; Sorry out of Service

Inventing wonderful sport(s) and then more often than not getting beat!.
?⚽⛳⚾?

To year after year get excited about the possibility of an actual sporting achievement.?

No travel not offensive at all. Just rather sweeping generalisations!
Possibly more accurate in the England of Miss Marple or To the Manner Born?
At least you didn't imply that the 4 countries of the UK are no more than counties!
And if ever you you find a few of these activities in Scotland, perhaps I owe you a decent bottle of malt!

Travalsafar, if your Post offenders anyone then all I can say is , to borrow a phrase from Dads Army - We are all Doomed- ?

It’s hard to describe what the essence of British Humour is, I personally think it’s the ability to be able to laugh at ourselves, ( although of course there are times when that becomes extremely difficult ?)

My post about being British reflects what i have known all my life.
I have always lived in the South of England so that is why i put what i did, just as someone who lives in the North may put something else which is a British tradition for them.
I didn't meant to insult anyone Scottish, Irish or Welsh or infer that only English people are British.
I hope I am not digging a hole for myself. Gulp !!!!!

Have any of you seen Henning Wehn the German comedian on Have I Got News for You ? He is so funny and has a perfect British humour.

I think we all know that the adjective "English" relates to that area of the UK known as England!
The tendencies that define Britishness (according to travel) in no way reflect anything that relates to Scotland and I wonder if they are in any way relevant to Wales.
And no it is not the same as referring to counties or districts.
Your post reinforces my point beautifully, bridgeit.

I thought the English were British littleflo

British just encompass the land of Great Britain,
English refers to the part of Great Britain which is England. We often say Ireland without stating if we are referring to Southern Or Northern. Same with Wales,just the same as referring to divide county /district

Dead pan humour
Slapstick humour

I think travel rather sums up the attitude of some posters who clearly see that British=English.

Parsley, I was still a child,& it was post war, neighbors helped each other, food was often purchased on a daily basis. Lots of home cooking (not much flavour!)
Washing was done on a Monday, a blue rinse was for whites not hair, talking of hair home perm was done neighbor to neighbor lots of woman wore scarves knotted at the front, shops closed Sat Pm & definitely on Sundays. ( everyone was attending Church ?! )Conservatives & Labour were poles apart, and everyone knew their place!!!& if they didn’t they were certainly reminded & then along came the Sixties, hey man & hippies but we didn’t know that the 1st referendum was just around the corner & the rest is history as they say.Peace & love to you all ???

ps another thing, which I was annoyed about, the french tend to credit the americans with their liberation in WW2, rather than our british forces.
But that's a different issue.

Parsley - "can any Gnetters with knowledge of life outwith the UK"
I've been thinking about that, having lived in France for 16 years. I had a few opinions in that time, I needed to speak french to get the replies.
I asked an old man whether he thought there was any racial hostility to the british. He said not really, it's Maghrebs we don't like.
My hairdresser used to help me speak french - she said the british were ... passed her hand over her face ... closed off.
I did argue that was probably the language problem.
Another thing I often heard was that the british were richer than the french - that was in a rural area. Probably true as well.

Deep suspicion of anything and anyone identifiably foreign.

Paying lip service to Christianity with Victorian Christian customs (and some pagan ones!), a surfeit of chocolate at Easter, non-virgin brides in white dresses and babies being named at a font while nonbelieving godparents promise to protect them from the devil.

Not in my town mrsmopp.

The influence of the British class system on national behaviour interests me as topic for research and I am off to Google it. Meanwhile, can any Gnetters with knowledge of life outwith the UK comment on this?

Nobody has mentioned the British Class system & the old school tie /old boys network which is possibly a British phenomenon as fewer other places have the public school system in the same way.. though I stand to be corrected!

On the continent hotels have Engländer Zimmer (rooms for the English) Because they never complain.

Apparently “The British feel they are superior to every other Nationality. The English know they are”.