The British Tag #BriFri
Welcome to British Isles Friday! British Isles Friday is a weekly event for sharing all things British — reviews, photos, opinions, trip reports, guides, links, resources, personal stories, interviews, and research posts. Join us each Friday to link your British-themed content and to see what others have to share. The link list is at the bottom of this post. Lift a pint and join our link party!
Last week’s British Isles Friday posts included fun bits of the history and present in Great Britain and beyond. I loved the photos of book benches in London that Abigail of The Story Factory Reading Zone posted. These benches are a summer public art installation around the city — what a great theme!
Last week, Katrina of Chased By My Imagination challenged me to complete The British Tag, a series of questions that seem to get at how British you are and how you express that. As an American, this is a test I’m bound to fail, but how I do it should be amusing.
1) How many cups of tea do you drink in the day? And how many sugars?
Two. Occasionally, three. No sugars, but I like milk in it. I went to Ireland just a few months after giving up soda for good. Tea proved to be an excellent alternative.
I have questions about tea for you Brits, though. Do you really drink tea for Afternoon Tea? And, if so, how do you sleep at night? I drink my last cup of tea before noon. If I want to experience Afternoon Tea, will herbal tea be offered as an option?
2) Favourite part of your roast?
Without reading Katrina’s answer or seeing restaurant offerings for Sunday roasts, I wouldn’t have understood this question. I’ve never had a roast in the British sense of the traditional foods eaten for Sunday’s big meal, but I loved Yorkshire Pudding the few times I’ve tried it, so I’m guessing that will be my favorite part.
3) Favourite dunking biscuit?
Sometime in the mid-80s, I went to New Zealand and discovered chocolate digestives. So, I’ll go with those. I have no idea what most of the things are in Katrina’s answer to this question, so clearly, I have lots of experimenting to do!
4) Favourite quintessentially British past-time?
Listening to The Archers, the world’s longest running soap-opera, still broadcast six days a week as a 15-minute show on BBC Radio 4. For the past few months, I’ve been downloading the podcasts and listening when I walk or at bed time. It’s making me feel very connected to the issues of the day, at least in rural England.
5) Favourite word?
I’m going to go for ‘bum.’ I use it because it sounds more polite in the US than the other words for that part of the body.
6) What would your pub be called?
The Purple Giraffe.
7) Cockney rhyming slang?
Don’t know a word of it. But I found this fun website that aims to keep it alive.
8) Number one British Person?
Ada Lovelace, because I love that the world’s first computer programmer was a woman.
9) Favourite shop/restaurant?
I’m trying to make our first trip to England about something other than shopping, but three made it to the itinerary, anyway:
- Topping and Company Booksellers in Bath
- Twinings tea shop in London
- Waterstones book store in London
As for restaurants, I’ll let you know when we get back from our trip!
10) One British Pop Song that pops into your head?
“Rolling in the Deep” by Adele
11) Marmite?
I have no idea. And, I’m a little afraid to try it….
I challenge every one who has participated in British Isles Friday to make a stab at The British Tag. And, any one who has considered participating — this would make a great first post for the meme.
Oh how fun
I would fail myself. I’d go with the Pink Flamingo. I want a restaurant named that one day lol
I think the only one I’d get right is tea. I drink it all the time and all during the day in the winter. It’s way too hot here right now for it though. I can’t wait for winter when all my teas can come back out
Hey Joy,
Just to let you know I haven’t been ignoring you, I read your tag and your posts on my ‘Rivers Of London’ review, but I’ve been ill so avoiding computer bits and bobs! Thanks for answering my tag (these are great answers!) and I’ve linked my review
Katrina
Hi Joy, I’m back from holiday and re-engaging with my blog friends again. Hope all is well with you. Cheers
I read Katrina’s post as well … from which I used context clues for many of the question — including the roast one.
So odd how we share a common history, heritage, and language — to a degree (especially those of us that are heavily British in an ancestral sense [read: me.]) but some things are still so foreign. I might give this ‘meme’ a try. Seems perfect for a girl who thinks that London is the best city in the world.
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