Is it true that the British are very polite?
No, definitely not. Sure, there are polite people here—there are polite people everywhere—but the idea that Brits are all unfailingly kind and well-mannered is a complete myth. In fact, I’d argue that Britain has some of the rudest people in the world. You’re far more likely to get a half-annoyed, semi-condescending look from a stranger than a genuine smile, and I have no idea why that is. Maybe it’s the weather.
I don’t think there’s anywhere in Britain that fits the polite stereotype. If you’re from a rough area, you’re probably branded a chav and assumed to be violent. If you’re an ordinary, working person, you’re just tired—tired of work, tired of bills, tired of everything. And if you’re upper-class, you’re frustrated with all the people below you.
The only time we actually seem polite is when we’re being sarcastic. We say “Oh, brilliant!” when something goes wrong and “That’s just great!” when we’re furious. We say “Sorry” when someone steps on our foot, and we pretend everything’s fine when it absolutely isn’t. Maybe that’s where the stereotype comes from—not from kindness, but from our strange, awkward way of dealing with life.
Adapted from an article written by James Butler, 2022
Recorded by Connar H., a native speaker of British English, 2025
