British Manners

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The British are said to be reserved in manners, dress and speech. They are famous for their politeness, self-discipline and especially for their sense of humour. Basic politeness (please, thank you, excuse me) is expected.

How to greet someone: British people are quite reserved when greeting one another. A greeting can be a bright 'Hello' 'Hi' or 'Good morning', when you arrive at work or at school.

Do stand in line: in England people like to form orderly queues (standing in line) and wait patiently for their turn e.g. boarding a bus. It is usual to queue when required, and expected that you will take your correct turn and not push in front. 'Queue jumping' is frowned upon.

Do take your hat off when you go indoors (men only): it is impolite for men to wear hats indoors especially in churches. Nowadays, it is becoming more common to see men wearing hats indoors. However, this is still seen as being impolite, especially to the older generations.

Do say "Excuse Me": if someone is blocking your way and you would like them to move, say excuse me and they will move out of your way.

Do say "Please" and "Thank you": it is very good manners to say "please" and "thank you". It is considered rude if you don't. You will notice in England that they say 'thank you” a lot.

Do cover your mouth: when yawning or coughing always cover your mouth with your hand.

Do shake hands: when you are first introduced to someone, shake their right hand with your own right hand.

Do say sorry: if you accidentally bump into someone, say 'sorry'. They probably will too, even if it was your fault! This is a habit and can be seen as very amusing by an 'outsider'.

Do Smile: a smiling face is a welcoming face.

Do open doors for other people: Men and women both hold open the door for each other. It depends on who goes through the door first.

Do not greet people with a kiss: they only kiss people who are close friends and relatives.

Avoid talking loudly in public: it is impolite to stare at anyone in public.