What’s Better in Britain
This September marks my fifth year of living in Britain, a milestone that comes with its own special reward: a test. Specifically, the “Life in the U.K. Test,” an examination that anyone seeking to obtain permanent residency rights in the country and ultimately British citizenship must take. The test covers all sorts of questions on Britain’s history—including such seeming trivia as the specific ways Henry VIII got rid of each of his six wives—its laws, its values, and its traditions.
“Comedy and satire, the ability to laugh at ourselves, are an important part of the U.K. character,” reads one passage from the official study handbook. In another, pubs are described as “an important part of U.K. social culture.”
Self-deprecating humor and pub culture are just some really doesn’t seem to be the hardest word for Brits (even if they aren’t always using it sincerely). Talking really is a perfectly acceptable conversation starter. “You all right?” really is a simple greeting rather than an expression of genuine concern.
