What Have the British Given to Society?

Music
Humour

The Goon Show.

Poppycock and Balderdash

I can't really answer this question except to say that if it wasn't for the Brits, I wouldn't be answering this question! :P

Hugh Laurie.

ThomasQuinn wrote: YourValentine wrote: The soap box, Glenfiddich, Nick Hornby, sarcasm, the good feeling that even our food is better than theirs, After Eight, fatty, Shakespeare, Stephen Fry and most of all football
====

Half of those are Scottish (if they count, they've given us Islay whisky. What more could one ask for?). While they would technically be British, no one has yet been brave enough to tell the Scots that.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

while we're talkign scottish.....television and telephone

brENsKi wrote:

while we're talkign scottish.....television and telephone
If you were talking Scottish you'd be saying things like "where can I buy some skag" ...

This is the latest in my series "Let's insult the Scottish", now available as a podcast.

Holly2003 wrote: brENsKi wrote:

while we're talkign scottish.....television and telephone
If you were talking Scottish you'd be saying things like "where can I buy some skag" ...

This is the latest in my series "Let's insult the Scottish", now available as a podcast.

I used to like you as well, Holly you c**t lol

If it wasn't for us Scots, you'd be in the shit.....literally.  You see, I heard that it was an Irishman that invented the toilet.  We put the hole in it.

brENsKi wrote:

while we're talkign scottish.....television and telephone
=============================

Alexander Graham Bell might have been like, what do you call that...born or whatever...in Scotland, but he totally needed to come to Canada to think straight.  Wikipedia, which is never wrong, lists him among Canadian inventors.  And don't bother looking up Scottish inventors, because in that case Wiki is wrong, and it will only confuse you.

brENsKi wrote:

while we're talking scottish.....television and telephone
 ______________________________________________

Holly2003 wrote:
If you were talking Scottish you'd be saying things like "where can I buy some skag" ...

This is the latest in my series "Let's insult the Scottish", now available as a podcast.
_________________________________________________
Holly....fill yer boots, i don't mind...I'm Irish.....so you can insult the Scottish as much as you like (except for the Irish half)

Alexander Graham Bell didn't invent the telephone. It was an Italian immigrant called Antonio Menucci who was so poor that he couldn't afford to patent his invention. Bell stole his idea, made millions and spent most of it on smack....
I, on the other hand, find that difficult to believe as the thought of a Scotsman spending his own money on smack is ridiculous to say the least.

fatty.

Regarding the original question, I think that from my point of view, the British have given the following to society (this is not in any particular order):

The Beatles

Mary Poppins

The Royal Family

Queen

The 1960's and beyond - fashion, hair and makeup, pop music, great singers and do-it-all type talent

Attitude and standards (moral authority, the bravery of the average person, charity, and stiff upper lip) 

Traditions that stay as traditions

Jolly Good, Pip Pip Cheerio, Spot of Tea, Tea Time, Tea and Crumpets, Ta Ta

Politeness

Mick Jagger / Rolling Stones

Fox Hunting (oh, wait .. not that)

Eastenders, Doc Martin, As Time Goes By, and other really good and creative and original TV shows

Great actors

Great costume drama / period films

James Bond to Sherlock Holmes (great characters)

Jane Austen and other great writers

Gardening ideas

Wit

Some funny Queenzoners, too

Tayto cheese and onion crisps.

Speaking of British junk food, I've recently made the most thrilling discovery.  One of the holy grail's of my lost childhood was a chocolate bar called a WigWag.  We'd have one every weekend after public skating at the arena, and to my 10 year old sensibilities they were perfect.  It was the end of a personal era when they disappeared in the late 1970's.  It's hard to describe just how much nostalgia is wrapped up in that one memory, and I've so often pined to have one just once more, but with them having been gone for 30 years it seemed an impossible desire. I was feeling contemplative the other day, and thinking about my kidhood, and felt like looking at a WigWag chocolate bar for the first time in decades, so I google imaged it.  Long story short, I learned that the WigWag is alive and thriving in the UK as something called a CurlyWurly.  Honestly, I'm a bit embarrassed to say this, but it made me cry.  Somehow, when the time is right, I intend to acquire a CurlyWurly.   If it's in the winter I might even take it skating.

GratefulFan wrote:

I was feeling contemplative the other day, and thinking about my kidhood, and felt like looking at a WigWag chocolate bar for the first time in decades, so I google imaged it.  Long story short, I learned that the WigWag is alive and thriving in the UK as something called a CurlyWurly.  Honestly, I'm a bit embarrassed to say this, but it made me cry.  Somehow, when the time is right, I intend to acquire a CurlyWurly.   If it's in the winter I might even take it skating.

=============================================================================================

If you want, I can send you some of these!  They're great, but I prefer a Milky Bar....