Do Most English People Prefer Being Called "British" or "English"?

[Good Night Owl]

Some people seem to be picky about it, others don't seem to care.

[chickabumpbump]

The English are fine with it, some of the Scots and Welsh and Irish ARENT lol

[Good Night Owl]

Ursprungligen skrivet av chickabumpbump:

The English are fine with it, some of the Scots and Welsh and Irish ARENT lol

I kind of understand when it comes to Scots and Irish. I can tell them apart with the accents, and I think the culture is different. Welsh, though? No idea. People say it's different though. If someone said "I'm from Wales", my first thought would be "Got it, so you're from Britain"

[Pocahawtness]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Good Night Owl:

Some people seem to be picky about it, others don't seem to care.

Considering that most British people are not English, then it would be best to start with British. Having said that, many people in the world prefer to be called by their nationality, so someone from Scotland you would call Scottish. They are also British, and most would not object to being called that, but some might. One thing they are definitely not is English and would probably bounce a bottle off your forehead if you called them that!

The best way to think of it is that most people consider their nationality as the most important thing, so address them as the country they come from. Being British is secondary so it's up to them whether that's an important "title" they want to use.

[kilésengati]

I'm pretty sure the Scots and Irish don't even like being called British.

The British Islands are inhabited by quite a few tribes. English, Welsh, Scots, Irish, Cornish, Manx.

[Pocahawtness]

Ursprungligen skrivet av kilésengati:

I'm pretty sure the Scots and Irish don't even like being called British.

The British Islands are inhabited by quite a few tribes. English, Welsh, Scots, Irish, Cornish, Manx.

Some do, some don't.

Oddly, being British does not mean you came from Britain. Britain is the island. British means you come from one of many islands or countries all over the world. The official term is...

"citizens of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies"

You note that even there it states "the United Kingdom", which again is not Britain. Britain is the island. The United Kingdom is Britain plus Northern Ireland plus a load of local islands.

Complicated, isn't it?

[Good Night Owl]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Pirate☠️Pocah:

Ursprungligen skrivet av kilésengati:

I'm pretty sure the Scots and Irish don't even like being called British.

The British Islands are inhabited by quite a few tribes. English, Welsh, Scots, Irish, Cornish, Manx.

Some do, some don't.

Oddly, being British does not mean you came from Britain. Britain is the island. British means you come from one of many islands or countries all over the world. The official term is...

"citizens of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies"

You note that even there it states "the United Kingdom", which again is not Britain. Britain is the island. The United Kingdom is Britain plus Northern Ireland plus a load of local islands.

Complicated, isn't it?

I've always seen it this way:

Britain is a place

UK is the agreement on paper

[Psychlapse]

Most of us couldn't care less tbh. The only ones I know of who get sniffy about it are older people who still think the royal family is relevant.

[sfnhltb]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Pirate☠️Pocah:

Considering that most British people are not English, then it would be best to start with British.

British population: 67.33 million (2021)
English population: 56.54 million (2021)

So 84% of British people are English, which means you are incorrect and most British people are English.

[ʙᴜɴ.ᴇ]

Either is fine, I don't have a preference.

[tmwfte]

Do most Americans prefer to be called "American" or "Californian"?

[Nekoborg]

Was Northumbria once it's own nation or was it considered southern Scotland ?

[Good Night Owl]

Ursprungligen skrivet av tmwfte:

Do most Americans prefer to be called "American" or "Californian"?

Not exactly a one-to-one comparison, but most Americans don't care. We get called mockery nicknames more often than not like 'MURICAN.

[Good Night Owl]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Nekoborg:

Was Northumbria once it's own nation or was it considered southern Scotland ?

I'm not really sure what you're getting at, but I believe it was it's own 'kingdom', if you could call it that. Just like Wessex, Anglia, Mercia.

[tmwfte]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Good Night Owl:

Not exactly a one-to-one comparison, but most Americans don't care. We get called mockery nicknames more often than not like 'MURICAN.

You think a Texan is going to cotton to being called a Californian?

[Good Night Owl]

Ursprungligen skrivet av tmwfte:

Ursprungligen skrivet av Good Night Owl:

Not exactly a one-to-one comparison, but most Americans don't care. We get called mockery nicknames more often than not like 'MURICAN.

You think a Texan is going to cotton to being called a Californian?

Again, still not comparable. I've come across people who are British, but prefer to called "English" and people who are British who refer to themselves as... British.

If you are English, you are by extension British. That doesn't translate to Californians and Texans.