UK Guide

A Look at British Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette

Welcome to our guide to the UK. This is useful for anyone researching British culture, customs,
manners, etiquette, values and wanting to understand the people better. You may be going to
Britain on business, for a visit or even hosting British colleagues or clients in your own
country. Remember this is only a very basic level introduction and is not meant to stereotype
all Brits you may meet!
Facts and Statistics
Location: Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland
between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
Capital: London
Climate: temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic
Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Population: 63,742,970 (2014 est.)
Ethnic Make-up: white (of which English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9%, Northern Irish
2.9%) 92.1%, black 2%, Indian 1.8%, Pakistani 1.3%, mixed 1.2%, other 1.6% (2001 census)
Religions: Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 71.6%, Muslim
2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or none 23.1% (2001 census)
Government: constitutional monarchy
Language in the UK
The United Kingdom does not have a constitutionally defined official language. English is the
main language (being spoken monolingually by more than 70% of the UK population) and is
thus the de facto official language.
Other native languages to the Isles include Welsh, Irish, Ulster Scots, Cornish, Gaelic and
British Sign Language.
Immigrants have naturally brought many foreign languages from across the globe.
British Society, People and Culture
The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is comprised of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern
Ireland. It is important not only to be aware of these geographical distinctions, but also the
strong sense of identity and nationalism felt by the populations of these four nations.

The terms 'English' and 'British' do not mean the same thing. 'British' denotes someone who is
from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. 'English' refers to people from England.
People from Scotland are 'Scots', from Wales Welsh and from Northern Ireland Irish. Be sure
not to call someone Welsh, Scots, or Northern Irish English.
The Class System
Although in the past few decades, people from varied backgrounds have had greater access
to higher education, wealth distribution is changing and more upward/downward mobility is
occurring, the British class system is still very much intact although in a more subconscious
way. The playing field is levelling but the British still seem to pigeon-hole people according to
class.
Class is no longer simply about wealth or where one lives; the British are able to suss out
someones class through a number of complex variables including demeanour, accent,
manners and comportment.
A Multicultural Society
Formerly a very homogenous society, since World War II, Britain has become increasingly
diverse as it has accommodated large immigrant populations, particularly from its former
colonies such as India, Pakistan and the West Indies. The mixture of ethnic groups and
cultures make it difficult to define Britishness nowadays and a debate rages within the
nation as to what now really constitutes being a Briton.
The Stiff Upper Lip
The British have been historically known for their stiff upper lip and blitz spirit as
demonstrated during the German bombings of World War II. This grin and bear attitude in
the face of adversity or embarrassment lives on today.
As a nation, the Brits tend not to use superlatives and may not appear terribly animated when
they speak. This does not mean that they do not have strong emotions; merely that they do
not choose to put them on public display. They are generally not very openly demonstrative,
and, unless you know someone well, may not appreciate it if you put your arm around their
shoulder. Kissing is most often reserved for family members in the privacy of home, rather
than in public. You'll see that the British prefer to maintain a few feet of distance between
themselves and the person to whom they are speaking. If you have insulted someone, their
facial expression may not change.
The British are very reserved and private people. Privacy is extremely important. The British
will not necessarily give you a tour of their home and, in fact, may keep most doors closed.
They expect others to respect their privacy. This extends to not asking personal questions.
The question, Where are you from? may be viewed as an attempt to place the person on
the social or class scale. Even close friends do not ask pointedly personal questions,
particularly pertaining to ones financial situation or relationships.
There is a proper way to act in most situations and the British are sticklers for adherence to
protocol. The British are a bit more contained in their body language and hand gestures while
speaking. They are generally more distant and reserved than North and South Americans and
Southern Europeans, and may not initially appear to be as open or friendly. Friendships take
longer to build; however, once established they tend to be deep and may last over time and
distance.
British Etiquette and Customs
Meeting and Greeting
The handshake is the common form of greeting.
The British might seem a little stiff and formal at first.
Avoid prolonged eye contact as it makes people feel uncomfortable.
There is still some protocol to follow when introducing people in a business or more
formal social situation. This is often a class distinction, with the 'upper class' holding on
to the long-standing traditions:
Introduce a younger person to an older person.
Introduce a person of lower status to a person of higher status.
When two people are of similar age and rank, introduce the one you know better to the
other person.
Gift Giving Etiquette
The British exchange gifts between family members and close friends for birthdays and
Christmas.
The gift need not be expensive, but it should usually demonstrate an attempt to find
something that related to the recipients interests.
If invited to someone's home, it is normal to take along a box of good chocolates, a
good bottle of wine or flowers.
 Gifts are opened when received.
Dining Etiquette
Unlike many European cultures, the British enjoy entertaining people in their homes.
Although the British value punctuality, you may arrive 10-15 minutes later than invited
to dinner. However, if going to a restaurant be on time.
Table manners are Continental, i.e. the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the
right while eating.
The fork is held tines down so food is scooped on to the back of the fork. This is a skill
that takes time to master.
Remain standing until invited to sit down. You may be shown to a particular seat.
Do not rest your elbows on the table.
If you have not finished eating, cross your knife and fork on your plate with the fork
over the knife.
Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel across the right
side of your plate.
Toasts are given at formal meals.
When in a pub, it is common practice to pay for a round of drinks for everyone in your
group.
If invited to a meal at a restaurant, the person extending the invitation usually pays. Do
not argue about the check; simply reciprocate at a later time.
Business Etiquette and Protocol
Greetings
A firm handshake is the norm; there are no issues over gender in the UK.
People shake upon meeting and leaving.
Maintain eye contact during the greeting but avoid anything prolonged.
Most people use the courtesy titles or Mr, Mrs or Miss and their surname.
Wait until invited before moving to a first-name basis. People under the age of 35 may
make this move more rapidly than older British.
Business cards are exchanged at the initial introduction without formal ritual.
The business card may be put away with only a cursory glance so dont be offended if
not much attention is paid to it.
The British Communication Style
The British have an interesting mix of communication styles encompassing both
understatement and direct communication. Many older businesspeople or those from the
'upper class' rely heavily upon formal use of established protocol. Most British are masters of
understatement and do not use effusive language. If anything, they have a marked tendency
to use qualifiers such as 'perhaps', possibly or 'it could be'.
When communicating with people they see as equal to themselves in rank or class, the British
are direct, but modest. If communicating with someone they know well, their style may be
more informal, although they will still be reserved.
Written communication follows strict rules of protocol. How a letter is closed varies depending
upon how well the writer knows the recipient. Written communication is always addressed
using the person's title and their surname. First names are not generally used in written
communication, unless you know the person well.
E-mail is now much more widespread, however the communication style remains more formal,
at least initially, than in many other countries. Most British will not use slang or abbreviations
and will think negatively if your communication appears overly familiar.
Building Relationships
The British can be quite formal and sometimes prefer to work with people and companies they
know or who are known to their associates. The younger generation however is very different;
they do not need long-standing personal relationships before they do business with people
and do not require an intermediary to make business introductions. Nonetheless, networking
and relationship building are often key to long-term business success.
Most British look for long-term relationships with people they do business with and will be
cautious if you appear to be going after a quick deal.
Business Meetings
If you plan to use an agenda, be sure to forward it to your British colleagues in sufficient time
for them to review it and recommend any changes.
Punctuality is important in business situations. In most cases, the people you are meeting will
be on time. Scots are extremely punctual. Call if you will be even 5 minutes later than agreed.
Having said that, punctuality is often a matter of personal style and emergencies do arise. If
you are kept waiting a few minutes, do not make an issue of it. Likewise, if you know that you
will be late it is a good idea to telephone and offer your apologies.
How meetings are conducted is often determined by the composition of people attending:
If everyone is at the same level, there is generally a free flow of ideas and opinions.
If there is a senior ranking person in the room, that person will do most of the speaking.
In general, meetings will be rather formal:
Meetings always have a clearly defined purpose, which may include an agenda.
There will be a brief amount of small talk before getting down to the business at hand.
If you make a presentation, avoid making exaggerated claims.
Make certain your presentation and any materials provided appear professional and
well thought out.
Be prepared to back up your claims with facts and figures. The British rely on facts,
rather than emotions, to make decisions.
Maintain eye contact and a few feet of personal space.
After a meeting, send a letter summarizing what was decided and the next steps to be
taken.

The United Kingdom is a land of contrasts, largely due to its rich and complex history, and the individual cultures of its four
constituent 'home nations' of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and even then customs tend to differ depending
which part of the four home nations you are in. It is important to realise that the UK is a proud country and its people are proud to
be proud. However, 'Brits' are very tolerant and not usually offended easily.

Talking

If you are travelling on the London Underground, it isn't usually customary to talk loudly or hold large conversations. It will not cause
offence, but it will make you stand out from the locals. On other public transportation, quiet conversation usually takes place and if
you want to, you can try to strike up a chat with people you're sitting near, to get recommendations on things to do, places to eat
and the like, though a newspaper being read or an MP3 player being listened to are signs that someone doesn't want to be talked
to (these are British anti-socialising defence mechanisms).
 If you are in some cities talking is much more common. In Glasgow, whilst sitting on a bus, you might have a local ask you
something or at least comment on the weather - and it would be rude to ignore them.

If you are asked by a tour guide to be quiet when entering a building, it is best to observe this. Whether it be a church, an official
building or a castle, it is best to observe these customs as you may be asked to leave if you don't.

Language

The UK is very multi-cultural so you will hear very many different languages, especially in the cities. In London, you can probably
find every language in the world spoken at some point.

Given its relatively small size, accents vary a lot across the UK, with different accents spoken by the locals in different areas. Each
city has its own accent. To the untrained ear these can sometimes be difficult to understand (even people within the UK can
struggle with accents from some areas). If you haven't understood what somebody has said, just ask them to repeat it, but more
slowly. In Wales there is a strong movement for use of the Welsh language, to the extent that place names, road signs, etc have
both the English and Welsh versions under each other. Whilst Welsh people may use the language amongst themselves,
communication with others will always be in English.

In some places, you may hear bad language in the streets or in pubs. Depending on the situation, you can go have a quiet word
with one of the party concerned and gently ask if they could tone down their language. Mostly, this will not cause offence, but judge
the situation carefully, either let it wash over you, or move on. If you're in a pub and don't feel confident, speak with a member of the
bar staff who will usually go over and get the offending persons to calm down. If you're with children, make sure you point this out,
the language will usually subside and you may get an apology.

Racist and phobic language, in general, is not appreciated and will receive a stern rebuke. Harrassment and hate crime, including
verbal abuse, is taken seriously by police.

Culture

The culture is quite varied across the UK. All major cities have theatres, music halls and museums to visit. Most other areas will
have something on offer too; whether it's a rural show, well-dressing (yes, they actually dress wells) or a community hall dance.

To get a real flavour of the people, visiting a pub is essential, as it is the social heart of most communities in the UK, though judge
carefully!

Some establishments in suburban areas can be a bit 'locals only' and have very rudimentary facilities, but, in general, you should
be fine in the centre (downtown) of main cities, around popular venues, tourist locations and in most rural pubs. If you are in doubt,
ask around for recommendations.

Some "taboos"

Whilst not strictly taboo, it is best to avoid certain topics of conversation amongst any new acquaintances, as they can evoke strong
and occasionally unpleasant reactions:

Politics and religion, especially whilst in Northern Ireland

Fox hunting, in rural and nonrural areas
Generally, people do not talk about their income and are probably not interested in yours.

The English are far more modest than some cultures (eg Americans) and tend not to talk about their achievements, and if they do it
is often said quietly.

Tipping

This is entirely voluntary in the UK and people DO NOT expect tips, but like everywhere they are grateful if given one. As a rough
guide: Taxi driver - 10% or round up the fare (If it 9.40 give 10); Hotel porter - 1 pound a bag; hotel chambermaid - less
common, but some people leave 1.00 a day; Restaurants - if you are happy with the service no more than 10% . If paying cash
then it is common to leave any change on the table but no one will bat an eye lid if you chose not to tip. It has become common in
many restaurants for them to automatically add 10% or 12.5% to the bill - this is optional and you do not have to pay it. It is
therefore worth checking the bill first (you may also want to ask your waiter/ress whether they get the money). It is sometimes
better to leave cash rather than use your Credit Card for a tip as that way you can be sure your server gets the money. All staff
should be on the statutory minimum wage and tips should be paid on top of this.

But what is the country called? Another pointer is that although the UK is internationally recognised as a single country, the
inhabitants of each of the four 'home nations' tend to be very conscious of their individual nationalities. Scots and Welsh people
generally get irritated when foreigners (even the English themselves!) refer to the entire UK as 'England'. This is held to be a
particular sin of some Americans and doing so will immediately mark you out as an ignorant tourist of the worst kind.

The relationship between terms like '[Great] Britain' and 'The UK' and so on can be bewildering, especially for visitors but even for
locals, and these two terms are generally used interchangeably, even though they're not technically the same thing. For a full
explanation of the terminology, check out this Wikipedia article (though it may just confuse you even more!) Very briefly - the large
island on which England, Scotland and Wales sit are called 'Great Britain', which is why the political entity which flies the 'Union
Jack' (Union Flag) is 'The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' (Northern Ireland is on the island of
Ireland, not the island of Great Britain).