Reading THIS letter to the editor of the Daily Telegraph today, prompted me to consider how I use British and English interchangeably. Here’s the content of the letter,
“SIR – In my local supermarket recently I noticed that the raspberries were grown in Fife and were labelled “Scottish raspberries”, while the blackberries were grown in Kent and were labelled “British blackberries”.
Why is Kent considered to be British rather than English? I am fed up with being called British, as I consider myself to be English. Can you imagine a rugby game at Murrayfield with Union Flags waved by Scottish supporters?”
A useful caution about using British, when it might be more appropriate to use English.
These days, british is used by the immigrant ethnics, whereas English is used by the indigenous peoples.
By: john in cheshire on September 30, 2010
at 10:40 pm
Supermarket chains have acknowledged that produce with the English flag or made in England on them do not sell in Scotland and Wales,therefore pandering to anti English bigotry in those countries.
By: tally on October 1, 2010
at 10:53 am
It is worse on TV,when anything is on about England the word “Britian” keeps popping into the script.
It is about time they got it right.
They make sure if the programe is about Scotland or Wales that it does not happen.
By: I Albion on October 1, 2010
at 2:18 pm
I am sick of supermarkets calling English produce ‘British’ and sticking the British Union flag on them while we have wall to wall Welsh dragons on lamb – English lamb nowhere to be seen and the Scottish flag on Scottish produce. I have queried this state of affairs with supermarkets ad nauseam. The only logical response is that produce with the English flag on would be unacceptable in the rest of the UK. What does that say about their perception of the Scots and the Welsh?
By: wendreda on October 1, 2010
at 5:00 pm