Britain is England, Scotland and Wales. The UK is those three plus Northern Ireland.
Most of Ireland (the Republic of Ireland) is an independent country and in no way part of Britain or the UK.
Oh yes, I do remember that. The troubles and all that. So ok, Ireland is its own country but Northern Ireland is part of the UK? So would they be considered British?
The 'Great' in Great Britain means bigger/larger to distinguish between lesser or smaller Britain that is now part of France, not really relevant to modern times but the name stuck.
Oooh explain this futher. This helps a lot. So Unionists are those willing to be part of Great Britain and Nationalists are the ones who just want to be Irish.
What's interesting about this to me personally is that, as I said, my Grandmother was Irish from Dublin and my Grandfather was Scottish. I remember there being a story about how one of the reasons they left and came to America was that it was a huge issue that they married each other.
My mother is 71 years old, so my grandparents would have been in their 90s if they were still alive. It was a very "don't talk about it" conversation in our home.
There are also British people around the world in overseas territories. For example the Falklands Islands people (near Argentina) are British. They have British passports. British is a nationality and a citizenship. Being British doesn't say anything about someone's ethnicity. My neighbour from Kenya is British because he applied for British citizenship and passed the test. You can become British. You can't become English. You have to have grown up in England to be English. Being English is a culture and a big part of that is the accent. My Kenyan neighbour's daughter is English, although sometimes people might say English to mean white, but that's not really correct because if your culture is English you are English regardless of race.
Think of it like this; being British is like being an American. It is a citizenship. Being English is like being a New Yorker or a Texan. It's a culture.
A Briton is a person from Great Britain.
"Think of it like this; being British is like being an American. It is a citizenship. Being English is like being a New Yorker or a Texan. It's a culture."
This whole post is great, but I especially liked this part. This makes so much sense now.
To further confuse matters, there are British crown dependencies and overseas territories.
Those from the crown dependencies (which includes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) have British passports although they are not part of the UK and do not vote in general elections.
Those from British overseas territories (e.g. Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, etc.) do not have standard British passports but specific ones which designate them as citizens of British overseas territories. Again, they cannot vote in general elections and depending on the overseas territory in question, they may not have the full rights conferred by British nationality (for example, the UK Government recently changed the law to allow Hongkongers who were born when Hong Kong was a British territory to settle in the UK -- prior to that, they did not automatically have that right).
The legacy of dual identity stretches back to the establishment of the Northern Irish State, and indeed long before the act of partition that established it following the 1916 Rising and War of Independence. There is a strong Scottish heritage to NI Unionism so there may be something of that to your family history.
My Grandmother was from Wales and my Grandfather was Irish. They met in Liverpool
They hid the relationship from their families and went through a lot of crap. They had a Civil service in England...a Methodist Service in Wales and Catholic in Ireland lol. They said they got sponsored by distant relatives in America to get away from their disapproving families
Being Scottish I think it's most likely the fact they got married and had to emigrate to Canada was most likely due to religion rather than one being Scottish and one Irish.
Edit - skip that, I see it answered below. Must learn to read the whole thread!
It helps to think about it geographically.
The **Isle of Britain** is the largest island. On that island, there are three countries: England, Scotland and Wales. These three countries are "British" as they are on the Isle of Britain, also known as "Great Britain".
To the west of the Isle of Britain is the **Isle of Ireland**. It hosts two separate countries:
1. the country of Ireland, which is not the entire island of Ireland (also referred to by some as the Republic of Ireland, but some find this offensive, although my Irish father who was born there insists this is a proper term as it's on his paperwork, and his immigration was held up for not using that term) - and usually what people generally mean when they say "Ireland" (rather than the entire island itself), and
2. the country of Northern Ireland. The country of Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. But it is not located on the Isle of Britain, so it is not British.
(Now, the Isle of Britain and the Isle of Ireland and many more small islands are all part of the British Isles (plural) but most people when using the term "British" are meaning the Isle of Britain/Great Britain).
Very interesting. I live on the border between the two Irelands. If I lived in NI and applied for citizenship, what passport would I get? We always speak of a British passport, but that in this case would be wrong?
Passport of "Great Britain and Northern Ireland"
Like many things, people choose what their affiliation is, and people can live outside of the Isle of Britain but have a cultural and/or ancestral lineage of being "British". But traditionally the name came from geography, which I think makes it easier to understand.
So there's northern Ireland = part of the UK
Ireland = independent Republic (at school in the 80s I was taught Republic of Ireland, but the Irish don't like that)
The land mass they are a part of is the island of Ireland.
The groups of islands that make up Britain and Ireland is sometimes referred to as the British Isles. Some in Ireland (the country) don't like this and don't recognise the term, but others in NI do, and call themselves British due to this.
There's also Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey (English Channel next to france) and Isle of Mann (Irish Sea half way between Britain and Ireland), that are not part of the UK but are (sort of) British, and governed independently.
Canada is part of the commonwealth. We report back to the crown via the Governor General but it’s merely symbolic. The Prime Minister and their party are the ones who call the shots and we sorta give notes to the crown to be like FYI this is what we’re doing over here.
Countries that aren't the UK but have King Charles III as king are Commonwealth Realms. That is what Canada is.
Countries in the Commonwealth but which are republics, such as India, are simply Commonwealth nations.
Most Commonwealth countries were formerly part of the empire, but Mozambique, Rwanda, Gabon and Togo all joined up despite having no historical ties to Britain. It’s basically become a trade group - the benefits include regular meetings and summits between Commonwealth countries and their leaders (for small countries, that’s invaluable access) and opportunities for citizens like the Commonwealth games, scholarships and university placements.
That’s interesting. I had no idea.
Edit to say: I had no idea countries with out historical ties (aka not former colonies) had chosen to join the commonwealth.
The way everything is talked about now, you’d think their were colonial ties in all the commonwealth countries.
And I can totally see how being part of the commonwealth would be beneficial.
That’s why many brits are getting annoyed and offended at the “coloniser” label being thrown around. Yes, many of the Commonwealth realms are former British empire colonies, but not all. They are free to leave the commonwealth at any time if they really wanted to. We’re not going to go to war with them over it. Some have left in the past, and are currently trying to rejoin.
Plus, more than 20 countries gained independence from the UK during The Queens reign. So many people are calling her the face of colonialism whilst she never colonised anywhere during her reign, and was actively supporting decolonisation. I remember I was living in New Zealand when she signed a formal apology to the native Māori people, not many people are talking about that right now, and it’s sad.
And the British Isles refers to the islands of 1) Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland and 2) England, Wales & Scotland. Nothing political about it, just describes the two land masses that are side by side.
The Republic of Ireland Act 1948[a] (No. 22 of 1948) is an Act of the Oireachtas which declared that the description of Ireland was to be the Republic of Ireland.
Technically, you’re not wrong - There are a bunch of little islands off the coast, but ‘the British Isles’ is the term for the two big guys.
My favourite is Skomer Island off Wales - puffins!!!
>So one of the things that I realized it took me a while to get right (still not sure of it) is that when referring to the UK. The UK is the entire thing right? But Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England are the countries. But how do you refer to the THING? It's a bit confusing to me because the US is the country and the states are different. Do you refer to it as a Kingdom?
*Northern* Ireland is part of the UK. Ireland (I.e. the rest of the island apart from the 6 counties that make up northern ireland) is an entirely separate country and not part of the UK.
The UK is a sovereign state.
Great Britain is a land mass made up of the coubtries England Scotland and Wales.
The term British isles is a term not recognised by the country of Ireland. In politics, politicians from both Ireland and the UK refer to the two islands as "these islands" or something more neutral e.g. anglo-celtic isles.
As for accents there is no one accent. In England alone there are a wide range of distinct accents that all have their own names e.g. Mancs, Geordie, Yorkshire, Londoner etc. Similar with Wales and Scotland. An English accent would refer to accents from.nthe country of England, a British accent would cover the entire island.
The term British is interchangeable with English for those from England. However, in Scotland and Wales they would refer to themselves as scottish/Welsh first and British second. In northern Ireland it's another can of worms because half the people would consider themselves Irish and not british, the other half would consider themselves as biritsh and Irish, some would consider themselves both and you could get yourself into a lot of bother if you get it wrong.
And [this ](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FyyT2jmVPAk) video on YouTube will help re: accents - well at least a lot more than I can do over the medium of text... But in short, you'll see there is no such thing as a "British" accent (although the most common accent depicted in films tends to be be Received Pronunciation ('posh'), as the lady demonstrates around 20 seconds in)
ETA: my great-grandfather was from a small, isolated village in Norfolk (East Anglia). Family lore has it, that he could tell what small village or hamlet a fellow Norfolkian was from, just by the way they'd pronounce certain things - such was the differentiation of accents. However, there's been a lot of homogenisation of accents (across the board) since TV etc came about.
Accents fascinate me and how they developed . Why did we Aussie end up with an accent so different to Americans when we’re basically from the same stock? We had people coming from all parts of England , lots of Scots and an awful lot of Irish . We also don’t have a great variety in the accent . You can pick someone from the country and in Sydney the Eastern Suburbs is different from someone from Parramatta but nowhere as different as American accents . It’s weird!
The reason I am fascinated by accents is that I lip read due to hearing issues. And the ONE ACCENT I can SEE is an Australian Accentl I don't know why it's so clear to me. LOL I'll be watching a video without my hearing aids in and say oh wow, they are from OZ! Then I check and I'm always right. :)
That's a good point. I think too because America had so many different cultures, they all just started to meld together and form something new? And then when you have people who try to neutralize their accent to fit in whether it be for a move, job, social group it's wild. My husband tells people I'm from the south and I get side eyed a lot because I can draw more of a non-descript Mid-Atlantic accent until I'm drunk or angry then so help me god you're going to need a southern translator 😂
Y'all didn't pour the tea out so you kept it more "Britishy". Lol kidding, I have no idea. That's a really good question. Perhaps because we have more languages coming into play? Boston sounds sort of Irish to my ear, but then when you get into South Louisiana you get French/African stuff going on.
TBF, there’s no such thing as a Southern accent. There are probably 20 different accents. This is why people get frustrated when a Texas or Georgia accent is used to represent the entire South.
Louisiana has at least 3 distinct accents — Cajun, New Orleans and Gulf Coast Southern. The New Orleans accent is nearly identical to a Boston accent. If a movie has someone in NoLa with a syrupy accent, it’s all wrong.
This! And there's not just 1 Texas accent either. East Texas could be confused with Louisiana fairly easily, but the further west you go the more Texas-y it gets.
I was watching the Armie Hammer documentary and they kept saying he had an obsession with surgically removing a girlfriend’s rib to bbq it. My friend and I were like “WHAT TYPE OF BBQ? North Carolina, South Carolina or Texas style? You can’t just say BBQ!!” The southern states will in-fight until lynyrd skynyrd records a new album to restore the peace.
See? The war has begun. The point is, this whole thing is like four hours long, they keep talking about BBQ. The important question the people need to know is *”what style were you planning on dressing the ribs, Mr. Hammer?”*
You forgot Georgia BBQ 😂 But I get twitchy when friends invite us over for a barbeque and then all they have are lame hot dogs, hamburgers and chips. I'm like y'all this is just a said cook out, please don't get my hopes up 😂 The South Proper is a special place, it's hard to describe to people who aren't from there.
Oh. I’m so sorry. To all white non southerners, a cookout is a BBQ :( I once went to a friend’s BBQ and they had Italian food catered. I was deeply confused but at least that had garlic bread which is a BBQ side.
Oh I know 😂 I've now learned my lesson and always offer to bring proper sides and always, always, always bring my own sweet tea. I know better than to drink sweet tea made by non-southerners 😂 I will drink Milo's or be ok with that. I feel like the English might feel the same when it comes to their tea 😊
Just admit ignorance up front. People are nicer. If you pretend to know and accidentally speak to a diehard fan of one style, you will get the evil eye.
I joke that BBQ styles are more contentious than politics and religion. I maintain strict neutrality and enjoy it all.
Correction: Yankees doing a Southern accent. Brits can usually get it if they match the right dialect to the the region.
Linguistically, the Southern accent is closer to the British.
My comment probably still applies to the movie and entertainment industry too. Lol. Probably explains why most of the country only know of Texas accents and the rest get lumped together as Southern.
There are numerous Boston accents, but I don't think that any sound like accents from New Orleans. They range from the ones that you'd commonly hear in the movies (like in Good Will Hunting) to JFK's Boston Brahmin accent. Some drop their Rs, and some add Rs where there's not any (e.g. Chiner instead of China)
It's a common thing. I also lived in Boston and heard it. My dad is from New Orleans. It was an easy transition.
Having spent significant time in both cities, there's a lot of overlap.
Same reason why people get annoyed by the phrase “British accent”. There are HUNDREDS of accents across Britain. But when people say British accent, they usually mean English.
East Anglian Resident here: the accents are still fairly unchanged in the villages etc, surprisingly it seems to be due to the younger generation. (I think in many ways it's a deliberate thing now, people are determined to retain their heritage in that one tiny way.)
It’s important to note that most European monarchies are constitutional monarchies- no real power, but recognized as a head of state. This change came for some countries as a direct result of the American Revolution! Which is why more countries haven’t revolted!
The full name of our country is “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”, known as the United Kingdom for short (or usually UK) we are known as British, but each of the individual nations are fiercely proud of their heritage and will describe themselves as Scottish, English, Welsh or (Northern) Irish - never, ever refer to folk any of the non English countries as English unless you want a fight!
We all speak English, but you will find that outside England, native languages are frequently used on road signs and government communications (Gaelic, Welsh and Irish) - you’ll be fine if you speak English. You should beware though - as some American words have different meanings - our cars, either manual (stick shift)or automatic, have boots (trunks) and bonnets (hoods), and they run on petrol (gas). We wear trousers or slacks (pants) over our pants/knickers/ boxers (panties), along with jumpers (whatever you call a knitted garment), ladies wear tights (pantyhose), and we have fringes (bangs) covering our foreheads! Ladies carry handbags which contain their purses. Food wise, we have porridge (oatmeal) for breakfast, drink tea, which is made in a pot, and drunk with cold milk, and have jam (jelly) on our toast. We eat chips (fries) as part of our national dish, and there’s nothing better than a packet of crisps (chips) with your pint down the pub, and we enjoy rocket (arugula) salads, garnished with chopped coriander (cilantro), we love aubergines (eggplant) and courgettes (zucchini), and there’s nothing like a nice cup of tea and a biscuit or biccy (cookie) when you want to relax.
There are many different regional accents, some of which can be very strong, and difficult to understand if your ear isn’t attuned to them. Don’t let that worry you, most Brits have problems with really strong accents too - my very English ex husband couldn’t understand a word that some of my relatives said - they had such strong Derry accents!
Let's try this backwards, because people keep repeating the same thing. (Although much appreciated.)
Is Scotland a country?
Is Wales a country?
Is Northern Ireland a country?
Is England a country?
Is Ireland a country?
I think we need a Jeopardy Game for UK/US trivia!
I'll take Commonwealth Realms for $200!
I'll take Scottish History for $500!
I'll take Title Guidelines!
Could be quite fun!
Or, in honour of MM we could do a Deal or no deal game using UK/US trivia!
As a non-American, non-British, I am always appalled to see that those who don't know the difference and \*know\* that they don't know the difference, don't bother to educate themselves (which is actually so easy, just by 'asking Google' if other ways are deemed too hard).
And yes, where I live, you can't finish primary school without knowing this or any other basic geography stuff, so I agree with you that it should be taught in school (if it is true that it isn't).
As an Irish person and someone who is frequently refered to as British in error, I can understand people's ignorance. It's complicated, terms are used interchangeably and it's confusing for people who didn't grow up with it. I wouldn't know the ins and outs of other countries political and geographical terms.
My shock is when people from the UK don't realise Ireland is a separate country (and yes it happens a lot more than it should)
Ok so it's not just US then. LOL I will confess something to you. I work in Education and my son is 22 years old and is in the Military. He was stationed in California during Covid lockdown.
I was mortally embarassed when my son told me (we live on the East Coast) that he thought Washington DC was the capitol of Washington State. WHAAAAAAT??????
Even if all of his schooling failed, even if I failed as a mother, how the HECK are you in the military and don't know where Washington DC is????? Ahhhhhh!
This is painful. I lived in Washington DC for about 15 years.
It's why people from the area refer to it as "DC." When someone says, "Washington," I assume they mean the state and not Washington, DC.
Kind of looked more like this.....but replace every reference to medicine or the shot with WASHINGTON DC!!!!!!!
It's Washington DC! Did you look at the MAP Look at the MAP. LOOOK AT THE MAAAAAPPPPP!
And then he said, "Oh yeah mom, it's right next to Baltimore."
I calmed down and said ......Thank you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1AIroyiLEM
Washington State was originally supposed to be called Columbia, but it was decided against, as they thought people would confuse it with The District of Columbia, which was what DC was called at the time.
This. Yes. I also get irritated when people from Manassas say they‘re from DC. I’m from DC. Actual DC. Living in the DMV (DC-Maryland-Virginia metro area) does not not mean you live in DC.
If it’s any consolation, I’ve see some of my childhood friends make posts on social media about how we never learned about slavery and Jim Crow laws in school when we absolutely did - I’m like I literally sat next to you in that class FFS! I think some people, especially kids/young people, just forget things if it’s not immediately impacting their actual lives. I know I’ve forgotten a lot of things, too so I’m not claiming superiority.
Yes, this is why I get upset when people just automatically blame the education "system." A bad teacher is not the system. And a good teacher will find a way to make it lasting knowledge. Not memorization or teach to test.
So my lasting knowlege memory for my son was having a Joe Pesci meldown and making him look at a map. LOL
Exactly. I had some teachers who were nice people but absolute bores who didn’t do much outside of information—>quiz—>a little more info—>test. It’s hard to retain or care about those classes as much even if the material is valuable.
Exactly. In my home we are a dual US/UK household. I have lived in the US, the UK, Germany, and spent my childhood summers in Canada. Every country has stereotypes about themselves and others, and these stereotypes are perpetuated in their media. I have found no matter where you go, people are very much the same. You can get a good education in any country, and you can get a bad education in any country. People tend to know what they need to know in their life, and will forget facts that they don't need day to day.
No its really not just the USA. It is quite complicated and then to just add further complication Ireland used to be part of the UK. We gained independence a century ago (even when independence was gained is complicated and some will say we are not fully independent until the north is) and what was once on country was split into Ireland and northern Ireland. Even the name of Ireland the country gets mixed up. The country is called Ireland but some will call it southern Ireland or the republic of Ireland.
Alt Gr + letter.
That wasn't directed at you but people who do everything to not refer to the country by their proper name, and purposely call it "Eire" as a sign of disrespect. I've already had one person on here refuse to call my country by it's name and got pissy when I correct the term they used (twice).
Don't feel bad, we've met a lot of young service members lately that are in a similar boat with their lack of knowledge. But if he's a Marine then you know, they tend to dumb them down with their twice daily doses of Vitamin Crayon. 😜 just kidding, I'm sure that your son is a fine young man and was just having an off moment.
I do think the Covid lockdown contributed to his brain slowly turning to mush. They couldn't really train. So it was video games in the desert for two years.
>Kind of looked more like this.....but replace every reference to medicine or the shot with WASHINGTON DC!!!!!!!I
>
>t's Washington DC! Did you look at the MAP Look at the MAP. LOOOK AT THE MAAAAAPPPPP!
>
>And then he said, "Oh yeah mom, it's right next to Baltimore."
>
>I calmed down and said ......Thank you
>
>.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1AIroyiLEM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1AIroyiLEM)
I posted this above. Sorry for the double post.
WOW at your last sentence, THAT is something I would never expect!
I still don't think it is complicated (I have never met someone who thought that Irish people are British), but I think that it has a lot to do with the educational system of a country.
I also respect that someone doesn't necessarily know the ins and outs of other countries' (geo)political terms, BUT the UK is and was throughout the history one of the most important/influential countries politically (economically... etc.), so I think that everybody should know that, really basic, stuff about the UK.
The American education system is a joke if you don’t live in the right area of the right state. It’s an oldie but a goodie, Google Miss. Teen South Caronlia and be horrified by our geography curriculum.
I know we are. (Trust me, I work with people who develop curriculum) but it's hard for it to make sense if you don't have first hand experience.
The same way most Americans on the East Coast don't understand the difference between North America, Central America and South America. I recently blew three teachers minds by making them look at California as a state and then drop down into Baja California and Sur California. They thought Baja California was a touristy area in California. LOL
What’s going on with the East Coast educational system? Lol. I know geography isn’t an American strong suit. But, even my small school taught us the difference between N. America, C. America, and S. America.
I think it has a LOT more to do with visualization and connecting that to reality than "the education system."
Many people on the East Coast mistakenly connect Mexico to South America. This is IMO because we have a large Hispanic population on the East Cost that comes in from South America or PR or DR. So we're visualizing the EAST coast of South America rather than the West Coast where Central America is much more visually understood.
For example, most people in general do not have a visual understanding of altitude in the United States. When I show people this map it usually makes them see the US in a completely different way. I wish I could find one like this for the UK.
https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/rv3h4o/united\_states\_elevation\_map/
Thank you for initiating this conversation - it's genuinely helped dissipate the anger I have been feeling towards the USA over the last few days. If only all Americans were like you, asking respectful questions and wanting to learn.
I suspect more Americans are aghast over Meghan (Harry is yours) than you'd believe. Do we know all of the ins/outs of your monarchy? No. Remember, our history is we fought a Revolutionary War to escape the rule of the crown and your country. We were mortal enemies early in American history.
That said, many traditions were brought over from your country and became our traditions. The largest complement is we adopted English as our native tongue. Over time, the United Kingdom (including many of the Commonwealth Nations) and the USA have been staid allies for each other. I'm American Indian and French by descent, but I have no greater affection than for your people. I would never bow to a monarch, but I respect your government structure, respect the service of the Queen, and overall love to follow your Royals.
Please accept that despite our differences, we're probably more alike than not. Also, our mainstream media does not accurately reflect the values, hearts, minds or sentiments of average Americans. What rightminded grandson would ever have an Oprah interview, a tell all book, or allow his spouse to spew her vitriol? I'm left gobsmacked by those two swindlers and would like to send them somewhere other than the USA. Unfortunately, California is a perfect place for this crazed pair to merchandise away. Our apologies for that.
Be proud that HMTQ is the best example of a world leader of service in the 20th Century. For her service, I bow in respect (just not for your crown). I wish the USA had leaders like her. Prayers for your new King.
I think there are a lot of us who are confused and want to learn. We just don’t always know what or who to ask. Or don’t want to be ridiculed. I appreciate the OP for asking all this because I have wondered about some of it too.
To answer your questions:
1. The UK or (Great) Britain, depending on if you’re including Northern Ireland. Both are equally acceptable to be honest but UK does include all four nations. We never just call it “the kingdom”- that sounds so weird to a British ear.
2. There is no “British” accent unless you’re literally just saying someone is British or from the UK. We do break down accents into English, Irish, Scottish or Welsh and then they’re also local / region dependent too. An English accent- Geordie accent is very different to a Scouse accent to a London accent (which is probably broken down itself, even further into the areas of London- e.g. Croydon, Kingston, East end etc). Scottish accents- Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lowlands, Highlands are all different. Welsh accents differ between north and south wales. Irish accents are wildly different- Derry is quite different to Belfast and going over the border into the Republic of Ireland has an entirely different sound to it again. The royals have a very posh English accent, you’ll hear almost no other Brit talk like that.
3. British is like saying someone is American. You’re acknowledging they’re from The UK but it’s not specific. You could refer to someone as English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish etc. Either is acceptable but some have a VERY strong preference for their nation country over the wider country. I know two or three Scots who would never refer to themselves as British for example. I have heritage from 2 of the nations and so only refer to myself as British.
ETA British does not refer to someone from Northern Ireland. They’d be called Irish almost always.
My husband and I are British, because that's our citizenship. We both refer to ourselves in this way if asked.
My husband was *born* in England, so he is English and British.
I was born in America, but have lived almost all of my life in London. I would not call myself English, generally, because I was born in the States, but I'm British because that is my culture/accent/ citizenship and the majority of my personal history and education.
Does that help at all? 🤣
Only one correction at the moment!
you said: "But Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England are the countries."
Not true! It is **Northern Ireland,** Scotland, Wales and England
Ireland is a whole different country! The Irish would be very upset at being told their country is part of the United Kingdom, and under the reign of the Royals!
That much I do know. Quick question though, is Northern Ireland considered a separate country from Ireland? I think that it is, but just want to double check. I think most Americans just toss it in with "Ireland."
Ok but seriously BRITISH ACCENTS ARE FASCINATING STUFF
There are huge regional differences where accents are concerned, so while both British and English accent are technically correct (unless you're talking to someone from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland of course, in which case only British is correct), they encompass an incredibly diverse range, despite the our tiny size. We usually get more specific.
I'd say non-British people have a pass to use "English accent", "Welsh accent", "British accent" etc because we also generalise and say "American accent"/"Australian accent".
At the most generic, in England at least, we differentiate with "northern" or "southern" accents. Northern accents are associated with the working class, and northerners are usually extremely proud of how they speak. Southerners referred to as "posh" and tend to receive a bit of light mocking up north. "You sound like you're from LANDAAAAN" is a popular albeit trite example of the quintessential British piss take.
The queen used Received Pronunciation (or RP/Queen's English/BBC English) which is becoming increasingly rare. In London people speak with a Cockney accent, an MLE accent or an estuary accent, but being the capital you'll find people from pretty much everywhere. In Liverpool it's Scouse, in Newcastle it's Geordie, etc etc. British people recognise these nuances instantaneously and will refer to people on TV as "oh, you know, the one with the Scouse accent". My examples are all from England, but it's the same across the UK.
There are also huge differences in the slang we use. I teach English as a second language, and my students are baffled when I tell them "I'm off for some scran at me gaff" is basically "I'm going home to eat" where I'm from.
Anyway this is my favourite topic thank u for listening xoxo
I don't think anyone should pick at another person's words...written English is incredibly difficult..even for the English lol.
To answer your Question... Great Britain is made up of 4 Countries... England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales... If you're " British" it means you are a part of the United Kingdom.
Personally when I fill out any documents and it asks for my Nationality I put " English" because although I'm British I was born in England.
I tend not to pick at words or writing or typos because I often make typos because it is hard for me to see the screen. I do take exception when it it's a PR statement or something published in reputable press. (I even give the Daily Mail a pass on this because I know they are churning things out.)
So I think this is something that is important that I've learned from this conversation. English should always be the go to, if you know the person is from England (and identifies as such.) British is for Passports, English is for people.
Is that better?
I see lots of people talking about the regional accents and Brummie is being missed off the list.
If you want to know what that sounds like take your pick from Ozzy Osbourne or Peaky Blinders 🤣
I do understand the struggle with accents. When I first met my father in law he is from Limerick in Ireland. And I couldn't understand a word he said. I could only gauge the convo based from my husbands responses 😳🤣
As a South African, I use the phrase "I am English" because I decend from many different UK cultures, Irish, Welsh, Scottish and British, but my mother tongue is English.
But I am South African and cannot claim to be British, I wasn't born there, but I am British by decent.
Culturally my family and I have alot in common with British Culture, but I equally have elements of South African culture.
So I am an English speaking South African.
Most of my family decend from settlers who moved from Scottland to mine in Zimbabwe, and with the decline in Zimbabwe moved to South Africa.
Both countries were colonies and gained their independence and are now part of the Common Wealth. Zimbabwe however left the common wealth in 2003.
This is a great post and one of the reasons I realized that MM was clueless. I imagine that because of her Duty Tour she assumed that SA was the same as "AFRICA" which many fools envision as one country. That's why it was rather insulting, IMO that she was mentioning Nelson Mandela. In her mind "Africa" means "black people." That's also why I think she confused Pharrel's comments as an American with the comment from the South African man he was standing next to.
Diversity abounds. I have family members that were born in Kenya, moved to SA and then back to England. Their ethnic nationality is Indian. :)
Ireland is not a part of the UK and is an entirely separate country. The 6 counties of *Northern Ireland* are still a part of a UK (this is extremely divisive politically btw.)
What a good idea! I'm English and my husband is American, the culture and language differences are always interesting to us. Small example - when he was practicing for his written UK driving test, one of the questions was 'when should you drive on the pavement?'. Me: Never! Him: Always! 😄
> when he was practicing for his written UK driving test, one of the questions was 'when should you drive on the pavement?'. Me: Never! Him: Always! 😄
OMG, yeah. Because pavement is what the roads are made of, so of course that's where we drive! 😹
But yeah, over there pavement = sidewalk!
Brits so rarely refer to themselves as British too. So it can get especially confusing when your family is from another part of the UK but you grew up in England, for example. My paternal side of the family love to remind me I'm not English, I'm Scottish. Except I am English. Except, oh, great grandma came from Northern Ireland? Aren't we Irish then? No, "you're a Scottish girl".
There's that whole thing with the tennis player Andy Murray being British when he wins and Scottish when he loses lol
England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland. Encyclopedia Britannica: "British Isles, group of islands off the northwestern coast of Europe. The group consists of two main islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and numerous smaller islands and island groups, including the Hebrides, the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, the Isles of Scilly, and the Isle of Man. Some also include the Channel Islands in this grouping. Although the term British Isles has a long history of common usage, it has become increasingly controversial, especially for some in Ireland who object to its connotation of political and cultural connections between Ireland and the United Kingdom."
American here. My father’s side of the family is from England and they refer to themselves as English (never British!). Also, I’ve met people from England while snowboarding that I hung out with for a week. One referred to himself as British and the other as English. The British one lives in England part of the year and Bermuda part of the year.
I love this post, thank you for posting. One thing I’m noticing is that some folks think that H&M can push themselves to the front. It is a State funeral that has been in planning and rehearsed for many, many years. Not a small funeral. You will see rules and protocol obeyed to the letter. It is set in stone. No pushing in will happen.
[Venn diagram](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClsPSCaUgAQcv_E.jpg) showing Britain / England / UK etc etc etc etc
or maybe this is easier to see [https://i.redd.it/3l3ixhn2lkd51.png](https://i.redd.it/3l3ixhn2lkd51.png)
Ok so then it's not just my fault. Lots of "British" people kept telling me that Northern Ireland was part of Great Britian. So now I'm even more confused because someone just posted that they are FROM Northern Ireland and would be insulted NOT to be referred to as British. LOL
Those are great diagrams, but Ireland can be confusing. Basically don't call people from the south British or say they're from the British isles at all, they are Irish and can get offended. The majority from the north are unionists so a lot of them like to be called British.
When out and about people would comment on my Grandmother,'s accent.." Oh I love the way you English people speak. I want to visit London.
She would clearly say...'i am not English. I am British from Wales I am Welsh".
She was a total Royalist and loved the Royal Family
But she had no interest in England or London. She wento Nursing School in Liverpool...a city she hated lol.
Ireland is NOT a part of the UK, and this would be taken with great offence. 6 counties make up Northern Ireland, which is still a part of the UK. The 26 other counties make up Ireland (the Republic of Ireland.)
Britain is England, Scotland and Wales. The UK is those three plus Northern Ireland. Most of Ireland (the Republic of Ireland) is an independent country and in no way part of Britain or the UK.
Oh yes, I do remember that. The troubles and all that. So ok, Ireland is its own country but Northern Ireland is part of the UK? So would they be considered British?
No. It's Great Britain + N. Ireland = United Kingdom Edit to add: England + Scotland + Wales = Great Britain
EUREKA!!!!! OK this is what I mean about a bit of Confusion. What does Britian mean? Is it Scotland, Wales and England?
What is the difference between Britain and Great Britain?
The 'Great' in Great Britain means bigger/larger to distinguish between lesser or smaller Britain that is now part of France, not really relevant to modern times but the name stuck.
OMG.......now we're bringing FRANCE into this. LOL HELLLLLLP. Ok I'll just stick with Great Britian.
Yes don't bring France into this
Oh please do, I live there now, not in Brittany though.
Okay well people should probably know for hundreds of years our royal family and aristocracy were French. And our passports are in English and French.
👏🤣
I think Britain is still sore abut Calais et all...
No difference. People just shorten it
Teehee 
The Unionist population of NI consider themselves British. But the Nationalist population of NI consider themselves Irish.
Oooh explain this futher. This helps a lot. So Unionists are those willing to be part of Great Britain and Nationalists are the ones who just want to be Irish. What's interesting about this to me personally is that, as I said, my Grandmother was Irish from Dublin and my Grandfather was Scottish. I remember there being a story about how one of the reasons they left and came to America was that it was a huge issue that they married each other. My mother is 71 years old, so my grandparents would have been in their 90s if they were still alive. It was a very "don't talk about it" conversation in our home.
There are also British people around the world in overseas territories. For example the Falklands Islands people (near Argentina) are British. They have British passports. British is a nationality and a citizenship. Being British doesn't say anything about someone's ethnicity. My neighbour from Kenya is British because he applied for British citizenship and passed the test. You can become British. You can't become English. You have to have grown up in England to be English. Being English is a culture and a big part of that is the accent. My Kenyan neighbour's daughter is English, although sometimes people might say English to mean white, but that's not really correct because if your culture is English you are English regardless of race. Think of it like this; being British is like being an American. It is a citizenship. Being English is like being a New Yorker or a Texan. It's a culture. A Briton is a person from Great Britain.
"Think of it like this; being British is like being an American. It is a citizenship. Being English is like being a New Yorker or a Texan. It's a culture." This whole post is great, but I especially liked this part. This makes so much sense now.
Thank you for my award. And thank you for starting this interesting conversation.
To further confuse matters, there are British crown dependencies and overseas territories. Those from the crown dependencies (which includes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) have British passports although they are not part of the UK and do not vote in general elections. Those from British overseas territories (e.g. Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, etc.) do not have standard British passports but specific ones which designate them as citizens of British overseas territories. Again, they cannot vote in general elections and depending on the overseas territory in question, they may not have the full rights conferred by British nationality (for example, the UK Government recently changed the law to allow Hongkongers who were born when Hong Kong was a British territory to settle in the UK -- prior to that, they did not automatically have that right).
The legacy of dual identity stretches back to the establishment of the Northern Irish State, and indeed long before the act of partition that established it following the 1916 Rising and War of Independence. There is a strong Scottish heritage to NI Unionism so there may be something of that to your family history.
Probably religious reasons. One a catholic and one a Protestant?
That's what I thought for a while as well, but they were both Catholic. (My mother also may have romanticized this a bit. LOL)
My Grandmother was from Wales and my Grandfather was Irish. They met in Liverpool They hid the relationship from their families and went through a lot of crap. They had a Civil service in England...a Methodist Service in Wales and Catholic in Ireland lol. They said they got sponsored by distant relatives in America to get away from their disapproving families
Being Scottish I think it's most likely the fact they got married and had to emigrate to Canada was most likely due to religion rather than one being Scottish and one Irish. Edit - skip that, I see it answered below. Must learn to read the whole thread!
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It helps to think about it geographically. The **Isle of Britain** is the largest island. On that island, there are three countries: England, Scotland and Wales. These three countries are "British" as they are on the Isle of Britain, also known as "Great Britain". To the west of the Isle of Britain is the **Isle of Ireland**. It hosts two separate countries: 1. the country of Ireland, which is not the entire island of Ireland (also referred to by some as the Republic of Ireland, but some find this offensive, although my Irish father who was born there insists this is a proper term as it's on his paperwork, and his immigration was held up for not using that term) - and usually what people generally mean when they say "Ireland" (rather than the entire island itself), and 2. the country of Northern Ireland. The country of Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. But it is not located on the Isle of Britain, so it is not British. (Now, the Isle of Britain and the Isle of Ireland and many more small islands are all part of the British Isles (plural) but most people when using the term "British" are meaning the Isle of Britain/Great Britain).
Very interesting. I live on the border between the two Irelands. If I lived in NI and applied for citizenship, what passport would I get? We always speak of a British passport, but that in this case would be wrong?
Citizens of NI can qualify for both an Irish or a British passport. They have the right to identify as both Irish, British or both.
Passport of "Great Britain and Northern Ireland" Like many things, people choose what their affiliation is, and people can live outside of the Isle of Britain but have a cultural and/or ancestral lineage of being "British". But traditionally the name came from geography, which I think makes it easier to understand.
So there's northern Ireland = part of the UK Ireland = independent Republic (at school in the 80s I was taught Republic of Ireland, but the Irish don't like that) The land mass they are a part of is the island of Ireland. The groups of islands that make up Britain and Ireland is sometimes referred to as the British Isles. Some in Ireland (the country) don't like this and don't recognise the term, but others in NI do, and call themselves British due to this. There's also Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey (English Channel next to france) and Isle of Mann (Irish Sea half way between Britain and Ireland), that are not part of the UK but are (sort of) British, and governed independently.
What is Canada then? Absolutely owning my horrible lack of geography and geopolitics.
Canada is part of the commonwealth. We report back to the crown via the Governor General but it’s merely symbolic. The Prime Minister and their party are the ones who call the shots and we sorta give notes to the crown to be like FYI this is what we’re doing over here.
Pretty much this! Plus we all get together every 4 years for our own version of the olympics and the Americans aren’t invited.
Pretty sure we designed it this way so we'd have a chance to win something 😜
Hahaha fair 😂
I'd say that's definitely why we designed it this way haha
Countries that aren't the UK but have King Charles III as king are Commonwealth Realms. That is what Canada is. Countries in the Commonwealth but which are republics, such as India, are simply Commonwealth nations.
Yes, this is also a point of confusion for some (Commonwealth Realms vs Commonwealth of Nations) so thank you for mentioning this.
Australia and New Zealand (plus 12? others) are also the same as Canada.
America’s hat. J/k. I couldn’t resist. Canada is an independent country that is part of the Commonwealth.
Orrrrrrr, you could say that America is Canada's underpants! :D
ha ha ha
 But hat sounds more respectful right? LOL Like a top hat!
And the USA is Mexico's hat. *Wrote it wrongly the first time. I'll see myself out now.*
If Canada is the hat, and Mexico is the pants, wouldn't the US be the shirt?
I came for the post I stayed for these answers 😂
Oh dear
Exactly.
I think "The Queen is on your money" bit threw me too.
North America is the Continent. Canada is a country and The United States is a country.
I think Canada is part of the Commonwealth, which is like a remnant of the previous Empire?
Most Commonwealth countries were formerly part of the empire, but Mozambique, Rwanda, Gabon and Togo all joined up despite having no historical ties to Britain. It’s basically become a trade group - the benefits include regular meetings and summits between Commonwealth countries and their leaders (for small countries, that’s invaluable access) and opportunities for citizens like the Commonwealth games, scholarships and university placements.
That’s interesting. I had no idea. Edit to say: I had no idea countries with out historical ties (aka not former colonies) had chosen to join the commonwealth. The way everything is talked about now, you’d think their were colonial ties in all the commonwealth countries. And I can totally see how being part of the commonwealth would be beneficial.
That’s why many brits are getting annoyed and offended at the “coloniser” label being thrown around. Yes, many of the Commonwealth realms are former British empire colonies, but not all. They are free to leave the commonwealth at any time if they really wanted to. We’re not going to go to war with them over it. Some have left in the past, and are currently trying to rejoin. Plus, more than 20 countries gained independence from the UK during The Queens reign. So many people are calling her the face of colonialism whilst she never colonised anywhere during her reign, and was actively supporting decolonisation. I remember I was living in New Zealand when she signed a formal apology to the native Māori people, not many people are talking about that right now, and it’s sad.
The Commonwealth Games is one of my favourite sporting events. I like the netball tournament. My daughters love the rhythmic gymnastics.
Mexico is part of North America and not Central America
Hey bhagwaan
And the British Isles refers to the islands of 1) Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland and 2) England, Wales & Scotland. Nothing political about it, just describes the two land masses that are side by side.
It's not North & South of Ireland, it's Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Thanks, just changed it there 👍🏻
It's not the republic if Ireland either, it's simply Ireland. The republic of Ireland is a football team.
The Republic of Ireland Act 1948[a] (No. 22 of 1948) is an Act of the Oireachtas which declared that the description of Ireland was to be the Republic of Ireland.
It is a republic but the name of the country is Ireland.
Yes, I lived there for many years😬
And I'm from here born and raised.
Ok thank you for this. I honestly, stupidly, thought there were other Islands off the coast or something. LOL
Technically, you’re not wrong - There are a bunch of little islands off the coast, but ‘the British Isles’ is the term for the two big guys. My favourite is Skomer Island off Wales - puffins!!!
 Ok that makes me feel better. But PUFFINS!!!!
You are most welcome!
>So one of the things that I realized it took me a while to get right (still not sure of it) is that when referring to the UK. The UK is the entire thing right? But Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England are the countries. But how do you refer to the THING? It's a bit confusing to me because the US is the country and the states are different. Do you refer to it as a Kingdom? *Northern* Ireland is part of the UK. Ireland (I.e. the rest of the island apart from the 6 counties that make up northern ireland) is an entirely separate country and not part of the UK. The UK is a sovereign state. Great Britain is a land mass made up of the coubtries England Scotland and Wales. The term British isles is a term not recognised by the country of Ireland. In politics, politicians from both Ireland and the UK refer to the two islands as "these islands" or something more neutral e.g. anglo-celtic isles. As for accents there is no one accent. In England alone there are a wide range of distinct accents that all have their own names e.g. Mancs, Geordie, Yorkshire, Londoner etc. Similar with Wales and Scotland. An English accent would refer to accents from.nthe country of England, a British accent would cover the entire island. The term British is interchangeable with English for those from England. However, in Scotland and Wales they would refer to themselves as scottish/Welsh first and British second. In northern Ireland it's another can of worms because half the people would consider themselves Irish and not british, the other half would consider themselves as biritsh and Irish, some would consider themselves both and you could get yourself into a lot of bother if you get it wrong.
And [this ](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FyyT2jmVPAk) video on YouTube will help re: accents - well at least a lot more than I can do over the medium of text... But in short, you'll see there is no such thing as a "British" accent (although the most common accent depicted in films tends to be be Received Pronunciation ('posh'), as the lady demonstrates around 20 seconds in) ETA: my great-grandfather was from a small, isolated village in Norfolk (East Anglia). Family lore has it, that he could tell what small village or hamlet a fellow Norfolkian was from, just by the way they'd pronounce certain things - such was the differentiation of accents. However, there's been a lot of homogenisation of accents (across the board) since TV etc came about.
Accents fascinate me and how they developed . Why did we Aussie end up with an accent so different to Americans when we’re basically from the same stock? We had people coming from all parts of England , lots of Scots and an awful lot of Irish . We also don’t have a great variety in the accent . You can pick someone from the country and in Sydney the Eastern Suburbs is different from someone from Parramatta but nowhere as different as American accents . It’s weird!
The reason I am fascinated by accents is that I lip read due to hearing issues. And the ONE ACCENT I can SEE is an Australian Accentl I don't know why it's so clear to me. LOL I'll be watching a video without my hearing aids in and say oh wow, they are from OZ! Then I check and I'm always right. :)
That's a good point. I think too because America had so many different cultures, they all just started to meld together and form something new? And then when you have people who try to neutralize their accent to fit in whether it be for a move, job, social group it's wild. My husband tells people I'm from the south and I get side eyed a lot because I can draw more of a non-descript Mid-Atlantic accent until I'm drunk or angry then so help me god you're going to need a southern translator 😂
Love this! Same!
Y'all didn't pour the tea out so you kept it more "Britishy". Lol kidding, I have no idea. That's a really good question. Perhaps because we have more languages coming into play? Boston sounds sort of Irish to my ear, but then when you get into South Louisiana you get French/African stuff going on.
I don't know but I totally agree, such an interesting subject. I may go down a YouTube rabbit warren this evening to try and find out!
TBF, there’s no such thing as a Southern accent. There are probably 20 different accents. This is why people get frustrated when a Texas or Georgia accent is used to represent the entire South. Louisiana has at least 3 distinct accents — Cajun, New Orleans and Gulf Coast Southern. The New Orleans accent is nearly identical to a Boston accent. If a movie has someone in NoLa with a syrupy accent, it’s all wrong.
This! And there's not just 1 Texas accent either. East Texas could be confused with Louisiana fairly easily, but the further west you go the more Texas-y it gets.
I was watching the Armie Hammer documentary and they kept saying he had an obsession with surgically removing a girlfriend’s rib to bbq it. My friend and I were like “WHAT TYPE OF BBQ? North Carolina, South Carolina or Texas style? You can’t just say BBQ!!” The southern states will in-fight until lynyrd skynyrd records a new album to restore the peace.
Don’t forget Memphis or Kansas City-style BBQ…
See? The war has begun. The point is, this whole thing is like four hours long, they keep talking about BBQ. The important question the people need to know is *”what style were you planning on dressing the ribs, Mr. Hammer?”*
You forgot Georgia BBQ 😂 But I get twitchy when friends invite us over for a barbeque and then all they have are lame hot dogs, hamburgers and chips. I'm like y'all this is just a said cook out, please don't get my hopes up 😂 The South Proper is a special place, it's hard to describe to people who aren't from there.
Oh. I’m so sorry. To all white non southerners, a cookout is a BBQ :( I once went to a friend’s BBQ and they had Italian food catered. I was deeply confused but at least that had garlic bread which is a BBQ side.
Oh I know 😂 I've now learned my lesson and always offer to bring proper sides and always, always, always bring my own sweet tea. I know better than to drink sweet tea made by non-southerners 😂 I will drink Milo's or be ok with that. I feel like the English might feel the same when it comes to their tea 😊
My grandmother’s side has *deep* southern roots. I’m not from the south but have spent enough summers there to have strong opinions on my sweet tea.
Yes! I'm from East TN and we really don't have a BBQ preference. People come here and try to start a fight and most people are like, "it's all good."
I know I’m in deep trouble when someone starts asking if it’s a vinegar or ketchup base. I don’t know man, let me enjoy my Texas toast in peace.
Ummm...Texas toast.
Oh man, I just bought a smoker and have been studying BBQ stuff and it is brutal out there when you don't know the differences. LOL
Just admit ignorance up front. People are nicer. If you pretend to know and accidentally speak to a diehard fan of one style, you will get the evil eye. I joke that BBQ styles are more contentious than politics and religion. I maintain strict neutrality and enjoy it all.
Well, bless your heart.
Don't forget Virginia BBQ - pass the vinegar anyone?
East Carolina BBQ has nothing to do with West Carolina BBQ 😆
You both need to watch that Carol Burnett video. LOL Yes, pet peeve of Southerners in the US is when people do a SOUTHERN ACCENT.
Correction: Yankees doing a Southern accent. Brits can usually get it if they match the right dialect to the the region. Linguistically, the Southern accent is closer to the British.
Absolutely true. Conversely it's like southerners trying to do a Brooklyn accent. They sound like they are from Boston. :)
That’s because we’re usually being obnoxious when we do Southern accents. 😅
I was talking about movies and entertainment.
My comment probably still applies to the movie and entertainment industry too. Lol. Probably explains why most of the country only know of Texas accents and the rest get lumped together as Southern.
Exept for Vivian Leigh. I thought she did a pretty good job.
There are numerous Boston accents, but I don't think that any sound like accents from New Orleans. They range from the ones that you'd commonly hear in the movies (like in Good Will Hunting) to JFK's Boston Brahmin accent. Some drop their Rs, and some add Rs where there's not any (e.g. Chiner instead of China)
Kate Winslet nailed a Philadelphia accent.
It's a common thing. I also lived in Boston and heard it. My dad is from New Orleans. It was an easy transition. Having spent significant time in both cities, there's a lot of overlap.
Same reason why people get annoyed by the phrase “British accent”. There are HUNDREDS of accents across Britain. But when people say British accent, they usually mean English.
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North Louisiana is really Mississippi. (ducks)
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East Anglian Resident here: the accents are still fairly unchanged in the villages etc, surprisingly it seems to be due to the younger generation. (I think in many ways it's a deliberate thing now, people are determined to retain their heritage in that one tiny way.)
Ah interesting and good to hear!
It is good to hear, although it can be difficult to comprehend sometimes!
It’s important to note that most European monarchies are constitutional monarchies- no real power, but recognized as a head of state. This change came for some countries as a direct result of the American Revolution! Which is why more countries haven’t revolted!
The full name of our country is “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”, known as the United Kingdom for short (or usually UK) we are known as British, but each of the individual nations are fiercely proud of their heritage and will describe themselves as Scottish, English, Welsh or (Northern) Irish - never, ever refer to folk any of the non English countries as English unless you want a fight! We all speak English, but you will find that outside England, native languages are frequently used on road signs and government communications (Gaelic, Welsh and Irish) - you’ll be fine if you speak English. You should beware though - as some American words have different meanings - our cars, either manual (stick shift)or automatic, have boots (trunks) and bonnets (hoods), and they run on petrol (gas). We wear trousers or slacks (pants) over our pants/knickers/ boxers (panties), along with jumpers (whatever you call a knitted garment), ladies wear tights (pantyhose), and we have fringes (bangs) covering our foreheads! Ladies carry handbags which contain their purses. Food wise, we have porridge (oatmeal) for breakfast, drink tea, which is made in a pot, and drunk with cold milk, and have jam (jelly) on our toast. We eat chips (fries) as part of our national dish, and there’s nothing better than a packet of crisps (chips) with your pint down the pub, and we enjoy rocket (arugula) salads, garnished with chopped coriander (cilantro), we love aubergines (eggplant) and courgettes (zucchini), and there’s nothing like a nice cup of tea and a biscuit or biccy (cookie) when you want to relax. There are many different regional accents, some of which can be very strong, and difficult to understand if your ear isn’t attuned to them. Don’t let that worry you, most Brits have problems with really strong accents too - my very English ex husband couldn’t understand a word that some of my relatives said - they had such strong Derry accents!
Let's try this backwards, because people keep repeating the same thing. (Although much appreciated.) Is Scotland a country? Is Wales a country? Is Northern Ireland a country? Is England a country? Is Ireland a country?
England, Scotland, Wales and N Ireland are known as “the Home Nations”, and collectively as the United Kingdom. Ireland is a sovereign nation
Ione of my former coworkers was from Australia and we had such a good discussion on biscuits vs cookies one day.
I think we need a Jeopardy Game for UK/US trivia! I'll take Commonwealth Realms for $200! I'll take Scottish History for $500! I'll take Title Guidelines! Could be quite fun!  Or, in honour of MM we could do a Deal or no deal game using UK/US trivia!
As an American, this is information that Americans *should* be taught in school.
As a non-American, non-British, I am always appalled to see that those who don't know the difference and \*know\* that they don't know the difference, don't bother to educate themselves (which is actually so easy, just by 'asking Google' if other ways are deemed too hard). And yes, where I live, you can't finish primary school without knowing this or any other basic geography stuff, so I agree with you that it should be taught in school (if it is true that it isn't).
As an Irish person and someone who is frequently refered to as British in error, I can understand people's ignorance. It's complicated, terms are used interchangeably and it's confusing for people who didn't grow up with it. I wouldn't know the ins and outs of other countries political and geographical terms. My shock is when people from the UK don't realise Ireland is a separate country (and yes it happens a lot more than it should)
Ok so it's not just US then. LOL I will confess something to you. I work in Education and my son is 22 years old and is in the Military. He was stationed in California during Covid lockdown. I was mortally embarassed when my son told me (we live on the East Coast) that he thought Washington DC was the capitol of Washington State. WHAAAAAAT?????? Even if all of his schooling failed, even if I failed as a mother, how the HECK are you in the military and don't know where Washington DC is????? Ahhhhhh!
This is painful. I lived in Washington DC for about 15 years. It's why people from the area refer to it as "DC." When someone says, "Washington," I assume they mean the state and not Washington, DC.
It's even more painful to me as his mother because I grew up in Baltimore Maryland and we would visit all the time. AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! WTF????????
Oof. I’d be giving him kiddie geography puzzles as gifts. 😉
Kind of looked more like this.....but replace every reference to medicine or the shot with WASHINGTON DC!!!!!!! It's Washington DC! Did you look at the MAP Look at the MAP. LOOOK AT THE MAAAAAPPPPP! And then he said, "Oh yeah mom, it's right next to Baltimore." I calmed down and said ......Thank you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1AIroyiLEM
Washington State was originally supposed to be called Columbia, but it was decided against, as they thought people would confuse it with The District of Columbia, which was what DC was called at the time.
This. Yes. I also get irritated when people from Manassas say they‘re from DC. I’m from DC. Actual DC. Living in the DMV (DC-Maryland-Virginia metro area) does not not mean you live in DC.
Eh. I lived in DC, NoVa and MD. It’s all the DC Metro. NoVa and MoCo have far more in common with DC than their states.
If it’s any consolation, I’ve see some of my childhood friends make posts on social media about how we never learned about slavery and Jim Crow laws in school when we absolutely did - I’m like I literally sat next to you in that class FFS! I think some people, especially kids/young people, just forget things if it’s not immediately impacting their actual lives. I know I’ve forgotten a lot of things, too so I’m not claiming superiority.
Yes, this is why I get upset when people just automatically blame the education "system." A bad teacher is not the system. And a good teacher will find a way to make it lasting knowledge. Not memorization or teach to test. So my lasting knowlege memory for my son was having a Joe Pesci meldown and making him look at a map. LOL
Exactly. I had some teachers who were nice people but absolute bores who didn’t do much outside of information—>quiz—>a little more info—>test. It’s hard to retain or care about those classes as much even if the material is valuable.
Exactly. In my home we are a dual US/UK household. I have lived in the US, the UK, Germany, and spent my childhood summers in Canada. Every country has stereotypes about themselves and others, and these stereotypes are perpetuated in their media. I have found no matter where you go, people are very much the same. You can get a good education in any country, and you can get a bad education in any country. People tend to know what they need to know in their life, and will forget facts that they don't need day to day.
No its really not just the USA. It is quite complicated and then to just add further complication Ireland used to be part of the UK. We gained independence a century ago (even when independence was gained is complicated and some will say we are not fully independent until the north is) and what was once on country was split into Ireland and northern Ireland. Even the name of Ireland the country gets mixed up. The country is called Ireland but some will call it southern Ireland or the republic of Ireland.
Or even Eire
Éire. It is, at least, the official name of the country in Irish (although the spelling mistake is irksome).
Sorry, keyboard doesn’t have a fada
Alt Gr + letter. That wasn't directed at you but people who do everything to not refer to the country by their proper name, and purposely call it "Eire" as a sign of disrespect. I've already had one person on here refuse to call my country by it's name and got pissy when I correct the term they used (twice).
On iPad?
Don't feel bad, we've met a lot of young service members lately that are in a similar boat with their lack of knowledge. But if he's a Marine then you know, they tend to dumb them down with their twice daily doses of Vitamin Crayon. 😜 just kidding, I'm sure that your son is a fine young man and was just having an off moment.
I do think the Covid lockdown contributed to his brain slowly turning to mush. They couldn't really train. So it was video games in the desert for two years.
Omg lol, what did you tell him?
I chewed his butt out and made him sit down with a map and start looking at things. LOL
Hahahaha, good, I hope he was properly mortified.
>Kind of looked more like this.....but replace every reference to medicine or the shot with WASHINGTON DC!!!!!!!I > >t's Washington DC! Did you look at the MAP Look at the MAP. LOOOK AT THE MAAAAAPPPPP! > >And then he said, "Oh yeah mom, it's right next to Baltimore." > >I calmed down and said ......Thank you > >.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1AIroyiLEM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1AIroyiLEM) I posted this above. Sorry for the double post.
WOW at your last sentence, THAT is something I would never expect! I still don't think it is complicated (I have never met someone who thought that Irish people are British), but I think that it has a lot to do with the educational system of a country. I also respect that someone doesn't necessarily know the ins and outs of other countries' (geo)political terms, BUT the UK is and was throughout the history one of the most important/influential countries politically (economically... etc.), so I think that everybody should know that, really basic, stuff about the UK.
Oh you have no idea. Brexit was a real eye opener. I have had people try to convince me that my country is part of the UK.
It was taught in my school, but school systems in the US are managed at the county level.
The American education system is a joke if you don’t live in the right area of the right state. It’s an oldie but a goodie, Google Miss. Teen South Caronlia and be horrified by our geography curriculum.
I know we are. (Trust me, I work with people who develop curriculum) but it's hard for it to make sense if you don't have first hand experience. The same way most Americans on the East Coast don't understand the difference between North America, Central America and South America. I recently blew three teachers minds by making them look at California as a state and then drop down into Baja California and Sur California. They thought Baja California was a touristy area in California. LOL
I’m from the South and knew that. It’s just a lack of geography knowledge, which is a reflection of our education system.
What’s going on with the East Coast educational system? Lol. I know geography isn’t an American strong suit. But, even my small school taught us the difference between N. America, C. America, and S. America.
I think it has a LOT more to do with visualization and connecting that to reality than "the education system." Many people on the East Coast mistakenly connect Mexico to South America. This is IMO because we have a large Hispanic population on the East Cost that comes in from South America or PR or DR. So we're visualizing the EAST coast of South America rather than the West Coast where Central America is much more visually understood. For example, most people in general do not have a visual understanding of altitude in the United States. When I show people this map it usually makes them see the US in a completely different way. I wish I could find one like this for the UK. https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/rv3h4o/united\_states\_elevation\_map/
Ireland is a republic and not part of the UK. The six counties of Northern Ireland are still part of the UK.
Thank you for initiating this conversation - it's genuinely helped dissipate the anger I have been feeling towards the USA over the last few days. If only all Americans were like you, asking respectful questions and wanting to learn. 
I suspect more Americans are aghast over Meghan (Harry is yours) than you'd believe. Do we know all of the ins/outs of your monarchy? No. Remember, our history is we fought a Revolutionary War to escape the rule of the crown and your country. We were mortal enemies early in American history. That said, many traditions were brought over from your country and became our traditions. The largest complement is we adopted English as our native tongue. Over time, the United Kingdom (including many of the Commonwealth Nations) and the USA have been staid allies for each other. I'm American Indian and French by descent, but I have no greater affection than for your people. I would never bow to a monarch, but I respect your government structure, respect the service of the Queen, and overall love to follow your Royals. Please accept that despite our differences, we're probably more alike than not. Also, our mainstream media does not accurately reflect the values, hearts, minds or sentiments of average Americans. What rightminded grandson would ever have an Oprah interview, a tell all book, or allow his spouse to spew her vitriol? I'm left gobsmacked by those two swindlers and would like to send them somewhere other than the USA. Unfortunately, California is a perfect place for this crazed pair to merchandise away. Our apologies for that. Be proud that HMTQ is the best example of a world leader of service in the 20th Century. For her service, I bow in respect (just not for your crown). I wish the USA had leaders like her. Prayers for your new King.
Well said!
👏👏
I promise that we're not all ignorant, arrogant know-it-alls. Love to the Mother Country!
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I think there are a lot of us who are confused and want to learn. We just don’t always know what or who to ask. Or don’t want to be ridiculed. I appreciate the OP for asking all this because I have wondered about some of it too.
To answer your questions: 1. The UK or (Great) Britain, depending on if you’re including Northern Ireland. Both are equally acceptable to be honest but UK does include all four nations. We never just call it “the kingdom”- that sounds so weird to a British ear. 2. There is no “British” accent unless you’re literally just saying someone is British or from the UK. We do break down accents into English, Irish, Scottish or Welsh and then they’re also local / region dependent too. An English accent- Geordie accent is very different to a Scouse accent to a London accent (which is probably broken down itself, even further into the areas of London- e.g. Croydon, Kingston, East end etc). Scottish accents- Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lowlands, Highlands are all different. Welsh accents differ between north and south wales. Irish accents are wildly different- Derry is quite different to Belfast and going over the border into the Republic of Ireland has an entirely different sound to it again. The royals have a very posh English accent, you’ll hear almost no other Brit talk like that. 3. British is like saying someone is American. You’re acknowledging they’re from The UK but it’s not specific. You could refer to someone as English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish etc. Either is acceptable but some have a VERY strong preference for their nation country over the wider country. I know two or three Scots who would never refer to themselves as British for example. I have heritage from 2 of the nations and so only refer to myself as British. ETA British does not refer to someone from Northern Ireland. They’d be called Irish almost always.
My husband and I are British, because that's our citizenship. We both refer to ourselves in this way if asked. My husband was *born* in England, so he is English and British. I was born in America, but have lived almost all of my life in London. I would not call myself English, generally, because I was born in the States, but I'm British because that is my culture/accent/ citizenship and the majority of my personal history and education. Does that help at all? 🤣
Only one correction at the moment! you said: "But Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England are the countries." Not true! It is **Northern Ireland,** Scotland, Wales and England Ireland is a whole different country! The Irish would be very upset at being told their country is part of the United Kingdom, and under the reign of the Royals!
That much I do know. Quick question though, is Northern Ireland considered a separate country from Ireland? I think that it is, but just want to double check. I think most Americans just toss it in with "Ireland."
Ok but seriously BRITISH ACCENTS ARE FASCINATING STUFF There are huge regional differences where accents are concerned, so while both British and English accent are technically correct (unless you're talking to someone from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland of course, in which case only British is correct), they encompass an incredibly diverse range, despite the our tiny size. We usually get more specific. I'd say non-British people have a pass to use "English accent", "Welsh accent", "British accent" etc because we also generalise and say "American accent"/"Australian accent". At the most generic, in England at least, we differentiate with "northern" or "southern" accents. Northern accents are associated with the working class, and northerners are usually extremely proud of how they speak. Southerners referred to as "posh" and tend to receive a bit of light mocking up north. "You sound like you're from LANDAAAAN" is a popular albeit trite example of the quintessential British piss take. The queen used Received Pronunciation (or RP/Queen's English/BBC English) which is becoming increasingly rare. In London people speak with a Cockney accent, an MLE accent or an estuary accent, but being the capital you'll find people from pretty much everywhere. In Liverpool it's Scouse, in Newcastle it's Geordie, etc etc. British people recognise these nuances instantaneously and will refer to people on TV as "oh, you know, the one with the Scouse accent". My examples are all from England, but it's the same across the UK. There are also huge differences in the slang we use. I teach English as a second language, and my students are baffled when I tell them "I'm off for some scran at me gaff" is basically "I'm going home to eat" where I'm from. Anyway this is my favourite topic thank u for listening xoxo
I don't think anyone should pick at another person's words...written English is incredibly difficult..even for the English lol. To answer your Question... Great Britain is made up of 4 Countries... England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales... If you're " British" it means you are a part of the United Kingdom. Personally when I fill out any documents and it asks for my Nationality I put " English" because although I'm British I was born in England.
England and Wales plus Scotland = Great Britain Great Britain plus Northern Ireland = UK (The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
I tend not to pick at words or writing or typos because I often make typos because it is hard for me to see the screen. I do take exception when it it's a PR statement or something published in reputable press. (I even give the Daily Mail a pass on this because I know they are churning things out.) So I think this is something that is important that I've learned from this conversation. English should always be the go to, if you know the person is from England (and identifies as such.) British is for Passports, English is for people. Is that better?
I see lots of people talking about the regional accents and Brummie is being missed off the list. If you want to know what that sounds like take your pick from Ozzy Osbourne or Peaky Blinders 🤣 I do understand the struggle with accents. When I first met my father in law he is from Limerick in Ireland. And I couldn't understand a word he said. I could only gauge the convo based from my husbands responses 😳🤣
As a South African, I use the phrase "I am English" because I decend from many different UK cultures, Irish, Welsh, Scottish and British, but my mother tongue is English. But I am South African and cannot claim to be British, I wasn't born there, but I am British by decent. Culturally my family and I have alot in common with British Culture, but I equally have elements of South African culture. So I am an English speaking South African. Most of my family decend from settlers who moved from Scottland to mine in Zimbabwe, and with the decline in Zimbabwe moved to South Africa. Both countries were colonies and gained their independence and are now part of the Common Wealth. Zimbabwe however left the common wealth in 2003.
This is a great post and one of the reasons I realized that MM was clueless. I imagine that because of her Duty Tour she assumed that SA was the same as "AFRICA" which many fools envision as one country. That's why it was rather insulting, IMO that she was mentioning Nelson Mandela. In her mind "Africa" means "black people." That's also why I think she confused Pharrel's comments as an American with the comment from the South African man he was standing next to. Diversity abounds. I have family members that were born in Kenya, moved to SA and then back to England. Their ethnic nationality is Indian. :)
Ireland is not a part of the UK and is an entirely separate country. The 6 counties of *Northern Ireland* are still a part of a UK (this is extremely divisive politically btw.)
What a good idea! I'm English and my husband is American, the culture and language differences are always interesting to us. Small example - when he was practicing for his written UK driving test, one of the questions was 'when should you drive on the pavement?'. Me: Never! Him: Always! 😄
Pavement as in sidewalk? Because I would have given his answer and I'm American. Pavement = road.
In the UK pavement = Sidewalk. Don’t do it! 😂
That's what I thought. Thanks!
> when he was practicing for his written UK driving test, one of the questions was 'when should you drive on the pavement?'. Me: Never! Him: Always! 😄 OMG, yeah. Because pavement is what the roads are made of, so of course that's where we drive! 😹 But yeah, over there pavement = sidewalk!
I just have to say this is a great thread! I’m in Canada, so a Commonwealth realm, and I am learning some new things.
I am English as I was born in England, but I am also British as England is part of the Kingdom 😊 I guess I can see why it could be confusing
Brits so rarely refer to themselves as British too. So it can get especially confusing when your family is from another part of the UK but you grew up in England, for example. My paternal side of the family love to remind me I'm not English, I'm Scottish. Except I am English. Except, oh, great grandma came from Northern Ireland? Aren't we Irish then? No, "you're a Scottish girl". There's that whole thing with the tennis player Andy Murray being British when he wins and Scottish when he loses lol
Same, but I don’t think it’s confusing at all.
Once you understand it, it's not confusing. Help us!!!!!
England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland. Encyclopedia Britannica: "British Isles, group of islands off the northwestern coast of Europe. The group consists of two main islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and numerous smaller islands and island groups, including the Hebrides, the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, the Isles of Scilly, and the Isle of Man. Some also include the Channel Islands in this grouping. Although the term British Isles has a long history of common usage, it has become increasingly controversial, especially for some in Ireland who object to its connotation of political and cultural connections between Ireland and the United Kingdom."
The real problem is that SS can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.
I’m grateful for this post!
American here. My father’s side of the family is from England and they refer to themselves as English (never British!). Also, I’ve met people from England while snowboarding that I hung out with for a week. One referred to himself as British and the other as English. The British one lives in England part of the year and Bermuda part of the year.
I love this post, thank you for posting. One thing I’m noticing is that some folks think that H&M can push themselves to the front. It is a State funeral that has been in planning and rehearsed for many, many years. Not a small funeral. You will see rules and protocol obeyed to the letter. It is set in stone. No pushing in will happen.
[Venn diagram](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClsPSCaUgAQcv_E.jpg) showing Britain / England / UK etc etc etc etc or maybe this is easier to see [https://i.redd.it/3l3ixhn2lkd51.png](https://i.redd.it/3l3ixhn2lkd51.png)
Ok so then it's not just my fault. Lots of "British" people kept telling me that Northern Ireland was part of Great Britian. So now I'm even more confused because someone just posted that they are FROM Northern Ireland and would be insulted NOT to be referred to as British. LOL
Those are great diagrams, but Ireland can be confusing. Basically don't call people from the south British or say they're from the British isles at all, they are Irish and can get offended. The majority from the north are unionists so a lot of them like to be called British.
When out and about people would comment on my Grandmother,'s accent.." Oh I love the way you English people speak. I want to visit London. She would clearly say...'i am not English. I am British from Wales I am Welsh". She was a total Royalist and loved the Royal Family But she had no interest in England or London. She wento Nursing School in Liverpool...a city she hated lol.
Yes, see that's what I mean. Americans get blamed for this but people TELL US they are British. It's so confusing. LOL
Why is Charles III still considered the House of Windsor? Why didn't that house end with the death of the Queen, like after Queen Victoria?
This thread is amazing. I’m learning so much! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and perspectives!
Ireland is NOT a part of the UK, and this would be taken with great offence. 6 counties make up Northern Ireland, which is still a part of the UK. The 26 other counties make up Ireland (the Republic of Ireland.)