English?

[Incongruous]

I suppose this is an extension of the whole "what is to be English?" thing, but with a personal spin to it.

I am by blood part-Margyar, German, Lorrainer (I do not know what they are now), French and Scots.
I spent the first twelve years of my life in England, attending very English private and religious schools.
But me and my next brother are the only two in the family who can claim to be English by citizenship (or subjectship).
I have never paid taxes in England, but I do here in NZ. I am in effect an second generationer of an ethnic minority who doesn't even live in the U.K anymore. Can I call myself English?
I have been told quite a few times that "yeah you're from 'ere but you aint proper English mate".
Not just from the usual loutish lads from the pub, but people I would consider freinds.
So, am I actually English? Can I claim a connection with people like Churchill, Nelson, Henry V, Newton?
Also, what do you real English people consider it is to be really English?

[Strike For The South]

You are what you make yourself.

[seireikhaan]

You are what you make yourself.

Agreed. Maybe its just because I'm a typical American mutt, but I frankly view bloodlines as almost entirely pointless to track.

[Fragony]

Makes you a part-Margyar, German, Lorrainer who lived 12 years in England No I wouldn't call you english.

[Adrian II]

Your pointless worring about what it means to be English makes you very English, so don't worry, keep worrying.

[Incongruous]

Your pointless worring about what it means to be English makes you very English, so don't worry, keep worrying.

Oh dear, you mean its a permamnent feature?
Can I just send myself into Microsoft to get it fixed?

[Quid]

Oh dear, you mean its a permamnent feature?
Can I just send myself into Microsoft to get it fixed?

Sure, just don't exepct to be returned this century - or, indeed, 'fixed'!

Quid

[HoreTore]

You live here and want to stay here in the future? Great, you're now my countryman.

[rory_20_uk]

If when asked the question "what Nationality are you? you respond "English" (and truly mean it), you're English. IMO we're not defined by religion, ethnicity or where your ancestors came from.

[Incongruous]

You live here and want to stay here in the future? Great, you're now my countryman.

Indeed, I also consider myself an Orgah!

[InsaneApache]

Why on Earth would you wish to be English? A man without a country, parliament, decent footy team and just about the only 'race' left on the planet that it's generally accepted to be racist to.

Anyway, I found out my great-great grandad was a Scot. Hoots mon!

[Incongruous]

Why on Earth would you wish to be English? A man without a country, parliament, decent footy team and just about the only 'race' left on the planet that it's generally accepted to be racist to.

Anyway, I found out my great-great grandad was a Scot. Hoots mon!

Oh it just sounds sooo fun!

But being honest and very wet here (oh dear, please none of yee ol fullas puns or anything of the sort), I always get a tingly feeling when someone talks about England, oh how wet and grey it is, how depressing and oh so very rude people are. Its that great feeling of being the true bad asses of the planet, y'know, terrorists can go bugger off, we did the real bad mutha things, like Coronation street.

[macsen rufus]

Speaking as an Englishman (TM) (I NEVER call myself "British"...) I hold the view that if you're born here and live here and know how to spell "colour", then you're English. I don't distinguish on your ethnicity - you can be English if your parents were Indian, Jamaican, French, whatever. Anyone claiming to be "indigenous" here always gets laughed at by me... would that be indigenous Saxon, indigenous Norman, indigenous Celt, etc etc. To be English is to be a mongrel, pure and simple

[Incongruous]

Speaking as an Englishman (TM) (I NEVER call myself "British"...) I hold the view that if you're born here and live here and know how to spell "colour", then you're English. I don't distinguish on your ethnicity - you can be English if your parents were Indian, Jamaican, French, whatever. Anyone claiming to be "indigenous" here always gets laughed at by me... would that be indigenous Saxon, indigenous Norman, indigenous Celt, etc etc. To be English is to be a mongrel, pure and simple

I truly thank you for that one!

[Louis VI the Fat]

To be English is to have won the lottery of life. The English gentleman is the pinnacle of evolution.

It's a kind of greatness that we, everybody else, can only marvel at in jealous despair.

~~~~~

Let's use this thread to make an 'Are you English?' quiz! Together, we could come up with some great questions to test Englishness with.

1) Did you strip your estate of all natural vegetation and elevation, only to then plant vegetation and artificial hills that aim to make your garden look natural?
a) Don't be silly.
b) Of course. The English Garden makes perfect common sense.

2) Fags
a) yikes!
b) I puff them all the time.

2) What's yellow, smooth, and deadly? Shark-infested custard!
a) Huh?
b)

[Incongruous]

Fosters or beer?

[PBI]

4) Queue jumping. Is it:
a) Mildly annoying.
b) Worth shedding blood over.

[CountArach]

Fosters or beer?

Ouch... took us pseudo-Brits down a notch...

Here's another one to add to your pommy quiz list:
Q. Do you suck at cricket?
a) Yes
b) Yes

[InsaneApache]

No, no, no....you're all wrong.

Which do you prefer.

(a) Tea.

(b) Tea.

or

(c) Tea.

[Fragony]

Tea with
(a) milk
(b) lemon
(c) depends


(yes guilty)

[LittleGrizzly]

A simple test is to acquire a set of regulation sized goalposts, a blob of white paint, a football and a friend of a different nationality, preferably german. Set up the goals then 12 yards from the middle of the goal paint a white dot, place the football down and try to score past the keeper, if you fail miserably then you are a true englishman!

Similar tests include sports such as tennis....

[Conradus]

A simple test is to acquire a set of regulation sized goalposts, a blob of white paint, a football and a friend of a different nationality, preferably german. Set up the goals then 12 yards from the middle of the goal paint a white dot, place the football down and try to score past the keeper, if you fail miserably then you are a true englishman!

Similar tests include sports such as tennis....

Actually, you're Dutch if you fail that test. We had a little show on our television at the last World Championships, called 'de Hollandse penalty'. Trying to fail to score a goal in several ways the dutch team did.

[Devastatin Dave]

You are what you make yourself.

Hmmm, lets test this...

I'm the greatest texan to have ever lived...

[Crazed Rabbit]

Last I heard actions spoke louder than words, DD

And sorry Bopa, but being English and being a bad ass doesn't become intertwined in my mind.

I'd agree that it's more about what you do than whether your parent's parents lived there.

CR

[Devastatin Dave]

Last I heard actions spoke louder than words, DD

It doesn't involve sheep does it? I don't want to test my texas heritage too much.

[Tribesman]

Bopa , perhaps you are as English as Queen Victoria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntdmf82nVfQ

[Louis VI the Fat]

Let's see if I have a good grasp of the mental perspective of an Englishman.


Wags
A) What a dog does with his tail
b) Wives and girlfriends

Reds
A) Commies
B) Scots

Tikka Masala
A) Indian
B) English

Frogs
A) yummie!
B) Bastards

Wilfred, Clive, Michael
A) first names
B) Owen

[LittleGrizzly]

Actually, you're Dutch if you fail that test. We had a little show on our television at the last World Championships, called 'de Hollandse penalty'. Trying to fail to score a goal in several ways the dutch team did.

Maybe our teams should get together and have a penalty shootout sometime, Im sure England would still lose though.... its in our blood...

[Incongruous]

Last I heard actions spoke louder than words, DD

And sorry Bopa, but being English and being a bad ass doesn't become intertwined in my mind.

I'd agree that it's more about what you do than whether your parent's parents lived there.

CR

Oh come on, the English have done loads of bad stuff, didn't you pay attention during Mel Gibson's series of historical documentaries?

@Tribes, I have yet to aquire a German husband...
Any suggestions?

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I hold the view that if you're born here and live here and know how to spell "colour", then you're English.

I spell properly, but I wasn't born there and I don't live there. What does that make me? Canadian?