A cup of tea (with saucer) in a lecture!? Just British Uni Things...
So today our lecturer just said 'oh, it's time for a tea break!', to which we responded in a confused manner...
We went outside the lecture room and there was a range of teas and coffee available. Saucers too!
What's the most British thing that's happened to you?
We went outside the lecture room and there was a range of teas and coffee available. Saucers too!
What's the most British thing that's happened to you?
(edited 8 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
Oh my god… certainly nothing as British as that. 
Original post by Roving Fish
So today our lecturer just said 'oh, it's time for a tea break!', to which we responded in a confused manner...
We went outside the lecture room and there was a range of teas and coffee available. Saucers too!
What's the most British thing that's happened to you?
We went outside the lecture room and there was a range of teas and coffee available. Saucers too!
What's the most British thing that's happened to you?
No biscuits????!!!!!
(Nice storyboard!)
Original post by jneill
No biscuits????!!!!!
(Nice storyboard!)
(Nice storyboard!)Original post by swirly
I like the post it note that says needs more explaining.
Like you're bemused by the whole situation, and reminding yourself to give it a think later.
Like you're bemused by the whole situation, and reminding yourself to give it a think later.
I have to admit that I set dressed a little. The post it note is about a competition entry by someone who knows sweet F A about what I've been doing.
In the middle of my two hour workshop with one of my lecturers, we have a 5 min break and he teaches us some boxing moves... Not very British, but pretty good fun 
It didn't happen to me, but Douglas Adams had the absolute best example of a 'Britishism'. It's a bit of a wall of text but it's definitely worth a read:
I had gone to catch a train. This was April 1976, in Cambridge, U.K. I was a bit early for the train. I’d gotten the time of the train wrong. I went to get myself a newspaper to do the crossword, and a cup of coffee and a packet of biscuits I went and sat at a table. I want you to picture the scene. It’s very important that you get this very clear in your mind. Here’s the table, newspaper, cup of coffee and packet of biscuits. There’s a guy sitting opposite me, perfectly ordinary-looking guy wearing a business suit, carrying a briefcase.
It didn’t look like he was going to do anything weird. What he did was this: he suddenly leaned across, picked up the packet of biscuits, tore it open, took one out, and ate it.Now this, I have to say, is the sort of thing the British are very bad at dealing with. There’s nothing in our background, upbringing, or education that teaches you how to deal with someone who in broad daylight has just stolen your biscuits. You know what would happen if this had been South Central Los Angeles. There would have very quickly been gunfire, helicopters coming in, CNN, you know . . .But in the end, I did what any red-blooded Englishman would do: I ignored it. And I stared at the newspaper, took a sip of coffee, tried to do a clue in the newspaper, couldn’t do anything, and thought, what am I going to do?
In the end I thought, nothing for it, I’ll just have to go for it, and I tried very hard not to notice the fact that the packet was already mysteriously opened. I took out a biscuit for myself. I thought, that settled him.But it hadn’t because a moment or two later he did it again. He took another biscuit. Having not mentioned it the first time, it was somehow even harder to raise the subject the second time around. “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice . . .” I mean, it doesn’t really work. We went through the whole packet like this. When I say the whole packet, I mean there were only about eight biscuits, but it felt like a lifetime. He took one, I took one, he took one, I took one. Finally, when we got to the end, he stood up and walked away. Well, we exchanged meaningful looks, then he walked away, and I breathed a sigh of relief and sat back.
A moment or two later the train was coming in, so I tossed back the rest of my coffee, stood up, picked up the newspaper, and underneath the newspaper were my biscuits.
The thing I like particularly about this story is the sensation that somewhere in England there has been wandering around for the last quarter-century a perfectly ordinary guy who’s had the same exact story, only he doesn't have the punch line.
Douglas Adams
I had gone to catch a train. This was April 1976, in Cambridge, U.K. I was a bit early for the train. I’d gotten the time of the train wrong. I went to get myself a newspaper to do the crossword, and a cup of coffee and a packet of biscuits I went and sat at a table. I want you to picture the scene. It’s very important that you get this very clear in your mind. Here’s the table, newspaper, cup of coffee and packet of biscuits. There’s a guy sitting opposite me, perfectly ordinary-looking guy wearing a business suit, carrying a briefcase.
It didn’t look like he was going to do anything weird. What he did was this: he suddenly leaned across, picked up the packet of biscuits, tore it open, took one out, and ate it.Now this, I have to say, is the sort of thing the British are very bad at dealing with. There’s nothing in our background, upbringing, or education that teaches you how to deal with someone who in broad daylight has just stolen your biscuits. You know what would happen if this had been South Central Los Angeles. There would have very quickly been gunfire, helicopters coming in, CNN, you know . . .But in the end, I did what any red-blooded Englishman would do: I ignored it. And I stared at the newspaper, took a sip of coffee, tried to do a clue in the newspaper, couldn’t do anything, and thought, what am I going to do?
In the end I thought, nothing for it, I’ll just have to go for it, and I tried very hard not to notice the fact that the packet was already mysteriously opened. I took out a biscuit for myself. I thought, that settled him.But it hadn’t because a moment or two later he did it again. He took another biscuit. Having not mentioned it the first time, it was somehow even harder to raise the subject the second time around. “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice . . .” I mean, it doesn’t really work. We went through the whole packet like this. When I say the whole packet, I mean there were only about eight biscuits, but it felt like a lifetime. He took one, I took one, he took one, I took one. Finally, when we got to the end, he stood up and walked away. Well, we exchanged meaningful looks, then he walked away, and I breathed a sigh of relief and sat back.
A moment or two later the train was coming in, so I tossed back the rest of my coffee, stood up, picked up the newspaper, and underneath the newspaper were my biscuits.
The thing I like particularly about this story is the sensation that somewhere in England there has been wandering around for the last quarter-century a perfectly ordinary guy who’s had the same exact story, only he doesn't have the punch line.
Original post by Manitude
The most british thing that happened to me?
I dunked a digestive into my tea, left it too long and the biscuit broke and fell into my tea. I did what any other British person would do and tutted softly to myself.
I dunked a digestive into my tea, left it too long and the biscuit broke and fell into my tea. I did what any other British person would do and tutted softly to myself.
"I can't believe you've done this"
Original post by JBLondon
It didn't happen to me, but Douglas Adams had the absolute best example of a 'Britishism'. It's a bit of a wall of text but it's definitely worth a read:
I miss DNA
http://h2g2.com/oldblobs/white/996668.swf
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
"I can't believe you've done this"
That guy so reserved about being punched in the face he's got people in restaurants putting little signs on him.
Original post by Manitude
The most british thing that happened to me?
I dunked a digestive into my tea, left it too long and the biscuit broke and fell into my tea. I did what any other British person would do and tutted softly to myself.
I dunked a digestive into my tea, left it too long and the biscuit broke and fell into my tea. I did what any other British person would do and tutted softly to myself.
I would've made myself a new cup
.Original post by PQ
Socially correct way to put milk in after? Never
You need milk in first not only to protect the milk molecules, but so that you're not putting boiling water straight in the cup, which risks cracking your very expensive china tea set.
If you want British (I'm not in uni), I think I can trump that. Going to a private school everything is typically British. Most of our year wear trench coats, waistcoats and have cufflinks. I also teach CCF whilst having te, of course. I guess the cars here are typically British (my cheap car not so), Bentleys, Range Rovers, Aston Martins, jaguars are all very very common.<--- That is beause a good proportion of parents work at JLR (Jaguar land rover) or aston martin (A lot of parents go high up so they all have company cars inc. the CEO). I want to wear a suit to uni, as that's all I have worn since I was really young, is that considered weird? XD
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
Socially correct way to put milk in after? Never
You need milk in first not only to protect the milk molecules, but so that you're not putting boiling water straight in the cup, which risks cracking your very expensive china tea set.
You need milk in first not only to protect the milk molecules, but so that you're not putting boiling water straight in the cup, which risks cracking your very expensive china tea set.
Don't argue with genius. http://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A61345
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
Socially correct way to put milk in after? Never
I ve always done it that way
Original post by balanced
. I want to wear a suit to uni, as that's all I have worn since I was really young, is that considered weird? XD
Very weird for a student.
Original post by Manitude
The most british thing that happened to me?
I dunked a digestive into my tea, left it too long and the biscuit broke and fell into my tea. I did what any other British person would do and tutted softly to myself.
I dunked a digestive into my tea, left it too long and the biscuit broke and fell into my tea. I did what any other British person would do and tutted softly to myself.
id have tried to dig it out with my fingers but maybe thats because im rather common
) who rocked up to lectures wearing stuff like This (in answer to the thread title)
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