Watching the English
Page 67
snow 44
Church of England 484, 485–7, 488, 491, 501
Churchill, Winston 256
class 18, 21–3
bikers and horse riders 177
body language 413–14
bogside reading 330
cars 258–61, 262–5, 272
children 504
Christmas presents 530–1
dress 403–17
drinks 377–8
food and table manners 429–48, 450
gardens 208–11, 215–16
homes 189–95, 200–1, 213
humour 99
introductions and greetings 50, 51, 54, 76
leisure activities 315–16
linguistic codes 101–16
money-talk 292
newspapers 332, 334, 413–14
pets 350–1
racing 151
rites of passage 539–44
sex 471–4, 483
shopping 342, 343–6
smoking 230
class-consciousness 30, 554–5, 560
adjacent classes problem 213
denial 112–15, 116
marrying-up 472–3, 483
self-deprecating insult 499–501
and trade prejudice 293–6
see also polite egalitarianism
Clegg, Nick 488
closet patriotism 84–8, 355–6
clothing see dress
clubbers 457–8
clubs and societies 365–9, 384, 460–1
coasters 190–1, 195
coded pub-talk 141–4, 150
Coke, Sir Edward 212
Collett, Peter 283
comedy 97–9
sit-coms 321–4
common 110
complaining 424–9, 449
compliments 68–70
compromise 30, 310
consonants 102
contact-avoidance 218–20
emerging rules 228–30
exceptions 220–6
smoker solidarity exception 230–2
Cooper, Jilly 105–6, 429, 434–5
Coronation Street 318–20
corporate hospitality 163–5
couch 108–9
see also sofas
counter culture 204–5, 215
counter-compliment rules 68–70, 73
courtesy 30, 90, 232–3, 271, 272, 556–7, 560
bumping experiments and reflex-apology rule 234–8
drivers 268–9
front gardens 215
goodbyes 73–5, 77
Ps and Qs 135–6, 149, 238–41
racing-talk 151, 155–9, 166–7, 168
and reserve 214
rites of passage 545–6
sex 482, 483
table manners 439
taxi drivers 241–2
weather-speak 48
see also negative politeness; polite egalitarianism
courtesy flirting 463
cows on the line 222
Crick, Sir Bernard 28
cricket 359, 361
vs the Shipping Forecast 47
cultural amplification 155, 165, 166
cultural capital 22, 107, 115
cultural remission 132
carnivals and festivals 523, 531
drunkenness 382
fancy-dress parties 402–3
festive queuing 252–3
Freshers’ Week 505–7
holidays 382
office parties 307–9
Olympics 355
pubs 130–2, 148, 306
racing 151, 155, 165–6
royal events 86
taxi drivers 241–2
culture 16–19
cyberspace see internet
Dad 111
Daily Mail 198, 332, 432
Daily Telegraph 331, 332
dating agencies 461–2
Daudy, Philippe 275
de Muralt, B. L. 455
de Tocqueville, Alexis 366
death see funerals
Debrett’s Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners 55, 407
christenings 496
mobile phones 121
table manners 441–2
weddings 512
Delbridge, Rick 56
dessert 109, 110
Diana, Princess of Wales 255–6, 433, 504, 517–18, 520
dinner 107–8, 434–5
disinhibition 328
alcohol 379, 380, 381, 382, 384, 474, 507, 525, 526
Big Brother 324–8
Diana’s death 255
drivers 265–6
internet 64, 336–7, 463
media 63
New Year’s Eve 531
office parties 307–9
racing 166
sex 477
DIY 187–9, 198–200, 314–16
doctors 242–5
dogs 263–4, 347–52
Dornan, Paul 321
Douglas, Mary 164–5
drawing room 109
dress 7–8, 385–8
affected indifference 390–1
christenings 492
and class 403–17
eccentricity 388–90
embarrassment 391–5
and Englishness 417–18
funerals 492
humour 400–3
mainstream rules and tribal uniforms 395–400
proms 510–11
weddings 492
Dress-down Friday 387–8
drink mats 190–1, 195
drinking see alcohol
drinking-places see pubs
driving see cars
drugs 383
Dunbar, Robin 57, 65
Durkheim, Émile 355
Dutch, Big Brother 324, 325
earnestness 2, 79–84, 99–100, 273, 550
bonding-talk 77
dress 390–1, 401–2
food 421
funerals 517
marrying up 473
‘Oh, come off it!’ rule 88–9
patriotism 84–8
political extremism 333
and rites of passage 546
sex 475–6, 482
squaddie-talk 170–1, 172–3
work 276, 279–81, 301, 306–7, 310–11, 312
EastEnders 318–20
Easter 522, 532–3
Easthope, Anthony 311
eccentricity 30
and class 213, 272
dress 388–90, 400, 417
gardens 209, 210–11, 215–16
homes 194–5
weather-speak 48, 49
ecstasy 383
Eeyorishness 553–4, 560
Christmas 545–6
Church of England 486
exams and graduation 545
football violence 360
patriotism 85, 87, 267
primary school proms 503, 545
Ps and Qs 238–9
public transport 221
pubs 370
racing 159, 167, 168
squaddie-talk 181
‘Typical!’ rule 428–9, 449
weather-speak 43, 48
weddings 512–13
effervesence 355–6
egalitarianism 130, 136, 143–4, 306
see also polite egalitarianism
electronic cigarettes 227–8
Elizabeth, Queen
Diamond Jubilee 85
dress 389–90
Olympics opening ceremony 83
speech 103
Elizabeth, Queen Mother 520
embarrassment comedy 98
dress 391–5
funerals 519
goodbyes 73–5, 77
homes 213
introductions and greetings 54–5, 76
racing-talk 167
sit-coms 323–4
weddings 514
Emmerdale 320
emotions, three-emotions rule 68, 358
empiricism 311, 553, 560
chips 448–50
soaps 319
Englishn
ess 6–8, 14–16, 31, 32, 547–8, 564
and Britishness 28–9
culture 16–17, 18–19
defining characteristics 548–58
diagram 558–60
and dress 417
and food 449–50
and grooming-talk 76–7
and homes 211–16
and humour 99–100
linguistic class codes 115–16
and mobile phones 127–8
and play 383–4
and pub-talk 149–50
and racing-talk 165–8
and rider-talk 182
and rites of passage 544–6
and road rules 270–3
and sex 482–3
social dis-ease 560–4
and squaddie-talk 181
stereotypes 30–1
and weather-speak 48–9
and work 309–12
estate agents 201–2, 213, 215
ethnic minorities 23–7
Multicultural London English 104–5
ethnographic dazzle 7, 17, 176
exams 508–9
Facebook 64
facilitators see props and facilitators
fair play 30, 90, 272, 555–6, 560
driving 269–70
flirting 466
mobile phones 126, 127
queuing 132–3, 140, 149, 247–8, 250–2
round-buying 373–4
sex 483
sports and games 358–61
squaddie-talk 174–5, 181
table manners 440, 444, 447
underdogs 361–5
work 276, 299–301, 311
fancy-dress parties 402–3
festive inversion 86, 253, 355, 523, 531
festive queuing 252–4
finger bowls 446
Fireworks Night 522, 532
fish knives 446
flag 84, 85
flirting 453–8, 482
food 418–19
ambivalence 419–20
anti-earnestness and obscenity 421
chips 448–9
and class 429–48
and Englishness 449–50
moaning and complaining 424–9
novelty 423–4
TV chefs 421–3
football 359–61, 364
forks 442–3
Fox, Anne 169, 173–4, 176, 305
Fox, Ellie 26
Fox, Liz 12, 25, 514
Fox, Robin 7, 12–13, 15, 17–18, 93, 475, 514, 515
free-association 147–9, 150
French
cheek-kissing 51
food 420, 424
gossip 68
Olympics 82
Freshers’ Week 505–7, 545
Friends 321–2
front gardens 203–5, 213, 215
funerals 485, 492, 516, 545
and class 540
earnestness and tears 517–20
humour 516–17
‘public outpouring of grief’ 520–1
Fuseli, Henry 319
games see sports and games
gap year 503–5, 545
gardens 202–3, 207–8, 215–16
back gardens 205–7
and class 208–11
front gardens 203–5
leisure activities 314–16
gender see sex differences
Germans
football 360
gardening 207
humour 283
Ps and Qs 239
Gibson, William 336
girl-watching 469–71, 483
global warming 43
globalisation 20–1
Globe Theatre 252–3
glottal stop 102
gnomes 210–11, 216
Goffman, Erving 169
goodbyes 73–5, 77
Gorer, Geoffrey 562
gossip 55–6, 76, 119
distance rule 61
guessing-game rule 58–61
privacy rules 57–62
privacy rules exceptions 62–4
reciprocal-disclosure strategy 61–2
sex differences 65–8
Goths 396, 399, 400, 401–2, 404, 533
graduation 509
grassing 174–5
greetings see introductions and greetings
grooming-talk 50, 119
bonding 68–73
and Englishness 76–7
goodbyes 73–5
gossip 55–68
introductions and greetings 50–5
weather 36–49
grumpy stoicism 304, 312, 428
Guardian 331, 332–3
guessing-game rule 58–61, 76
Guy Fawkes Night 522, 532
hair 405–6
Hallowe’en 522, 532
handshakes 51–2
Harrison, George 520
Harry, Prince 103, 504, 517–18
health-correctness 431–3
Heath, Dwight 371
Hegel, G. W. F. 18
Heseltine, Michael 191
Hewitt, Lleyton 362–4
Hill, Benny 322–3
Hislop, Ian 486
Hockey, John 172
Hodkinson, Paul 400
holidays 382, 522, 534–6
Hollyoaks 320–1
homes 185, 211–16
and class 189–95
DIY 187–9
and Englishness 211–16
gardens 202–11
leisure activities 314–16
numbers and names 185–7
terminology 106–7, 108–9
see also house-talk
hooliganism 30, 360–1
horse riders 175–80, 182, 194, 351, 533
horseracing see racing-talk
house-talk 195
awful estate-agent rule 201–2
class variations 200–1
improvement-talk rules 198–200
money-talk rules 196–8
nightmare rule 195–6, 214
‘How are you?’ 53, 58
‘How do you do?’ 37, 50, 58
humility 154–5, 166
humour 30, 78–9, 550–1, 560
bonding-talk 69, 71, 73, 77
brag wall 193, 214
and class 99
and comedy 97–9
death and funerals 516–17, 520–1
DIY 198–9, 214
dress 400–3, 417
empiricism 311, 553
and Englishness 99–100
estate agents 201–2, 215
Importance of Not Being Earnest 79–89
irony 89–97
moaning 303, 312
and modesty 558
pub-talk 141–7, 150
racing-talk 154, 168
self-deprecation 94–7
and sex 451–3, 479–80, 481, 482, 483
squaddie-talk 170–4, 181
tabloid headlines 335
understatement 91–4
weather-speak 49
weddings 515
work 278–84, 310
hypocrisy 30, 552, 560
bonding-talk 73, 77
and class 116
house-talk 214
money-talk taboo 296
racing-talk 157, 161–2, 167, 168
and rites of passage 544–6
and sex 482
see also polite egalitarianism
identity shift 114–15
immigration 23–7
Multicultural London English 104–5
Tebbit test 361–2
Importance of Not Being Earnest rule 2, 79–84, 99–100, 273
closet patriotism 84–8
dress 390, 401–2
food 421
marrying up 473
‘Oh, come off it!’ rule 88–9
political extremism 333
sex 475–6
squaddie-talk 170–2, 173
work 279–81, 301
improvement-talk rules 198–200, 214
income-talk taboo 291–2
Independe
nt 332
Indians
irony 283
negative politeness 233
indifference
dress 390–1
religion 487–91
internet 317, 335–8
flirting 462–3
mobile phones 122–3, 124
and privacy 64, 76
introductions and greetings 50, 76
awkwardness 50–2
bikers and horse riders 175–80, 182
embarrassment 54–5
names 52–3
‘Pleased to meet you’ 53–4
pub-talk 140–1
racing-talk 152–3, 165
invisible-queue rule 132–3, 149
Irish 562
humour 283
patriotism 84
racing 162–3, 365
ironic-gnome rule 210–11, 216
irony 78, 89–91, 100
self-deprecation 94–7
squaddie-talk 172–3
understatement 91–4
work 281–3
Italians 424
Jaguars 261
jam 438
Japanese 150, 563
bumping experiments 235
gardens 207
modesty and self-deprecation 214
negative politeness 233
newspapers 331
Ps and Qs 239
work 287
Jeremy Kyle Show, The 63–4
Johnson, Dr 35
Jonson, Ben 101
Keeping Up Appearances 500
kissing 51
knives 441–2, 446
Kron, R. 379
Kumar, Krishnan 28
lavatory 106
see also toilets
legitimised deviance 86, 130, 132, 309, 355
leisure see play
Lévi-Strauss, Claude 17, 39
Levinson, Stephen 139, 233
liminality
festive queuing 253
internet 336–7, 462–3
pubs 130, 144, 150, 306
rites of passage 492, 503, 505–6, 507, 523–4
summer holidays 534–5
linguistic class codes 101
and Englishness 115
pronunciation 101–5
terminology 105–15
living room 109
London
bombings 80–3, 304, 437
Multicultural London English 104–5
Olympics 82, 83–4, 355–6
riots 251–2
London Review of Books 96, 97
London Underground 229, 232–3
loud obnoxiousness 213, 272, 378–83, 426
lounge 109
lumpenproletariat 111
lunch 434–5
Lyly, John 484
McDonald-Walker, Suzanne 178, 179–80
Madagascar 233
Major, John 202
Manchester 105
Marks & Spencer (M&S) 345–6, 411–12
marmalade 438
Marmite 285–6
marrying-up 472–3
Marsh, Henry 13–14
Marsh, Peter 10–11, 188, 274, 277, 360–1
Marx, Karl 111
May Day 531–2
Mead, Margaret 8
meetings 302–3
men
bonding 70–3, 76–7, 468–71
cars 257, 263
cheek-kissing 51
Christmas shopping 528–9
cross-dressing 402–3
DIY 187, 315
dress 390–1, 412–17
drinks 378
flirting 454–6, 464–5, 467–8
food 420
funerals 517, 518