Differences between Irish and British people

Alun

Paddy Cow wrote: »

British people don't know what a pass machine is.

I'm English and I've never heard anybody call it a 'pass machine' here either.

Anyway on the subject of banks, I remember a similarly convoluted conversation when I first moved here when I wanted to (as I would call it) pay a cheque into my account. Cue 10 minutes of utter confusion until the assistant said "Do you mean you want to lodge it?", followed by another 5 minutes of trying to ascertain what this meant, and finally discovering they were the same thing.

Legs.Eleven

TheJackAttack wrote: »

Most English people do not get our sense of humour. Or understand/claim to understand what we are saying. Always having to repeat myself !! grr

I think you have two kinds of English humour: the surreal, cutting witty, hilarious kind that spawned The Office, Brass Eye, Alan Partridge and the people who find Jim Davidson funny. Mixing with the latter kind of people was full of lead balloons for me.

Fratton Fred

Alun wrote: »

I'm English and I've never heard anybody call it a 'pass machine' here either.

Anyway on the subject of banks, I remember a similarly convoluted conversation when I first moved here when I wanted to (as I would call it) pay a cheque into my account. Cue 10 minutes of utter confusion until the assistant said "Do you mean you want to lodge it?", followed by another 5 minutes of trying to ascertain what this meant, and finally discovering they were the same thing.

But not on a Saturday, oh no, heaven forbid bank workers, estate agents, GPs and dentists work on a Saturday.

Legs.Eleven

Isn't Pass the name given to atms by BOI? Like how we now call vacuum cleaners "hoovers"?

Fratton Fred

mfergus wrote: »

I know an English lad and I absolutely hate him.
Every time I see him the conversation is like:
"I bought a Honda accord last week"
"You should have bought one in England, they are better"
"The weather is great today"
"You should see it in England"...etc

I also met a lad a few years back and got on great with him but it turned out he was Irish and had moved to England...

I know an Irish guy that's a complete ****. Similarly I know a Belgian, a Spaniard and an American that are complete *****.

I know a lot more people from those countries that are great people.

Pumpkinseeds

Jazlynn Rapid Warship wrote: »

Yeah the sense of humour one is the biggest one for me. I have a very dry sense of humour make a lot of facetious comments, which seems to be quite normal in Ireland, but over here they take me seriously. Also Irish negativity/pessimism/self-deprecation is something the English just don't get at all. I make a comment like 'sure it'll probably rain the minute we step outside' or 'ah I've two left feet but sure I'll give the salsa dancing a go' and get told 'oh my God, you're always so negative/such a moaner' I don't think anyone ever called me negative the entire time I lived in Ireland but here I get it every day. People don't seem to get that I'm not really being serious.

I have to agree on the sense of humour, I have the same kind as you Izzy, even though we've been together for 18 years from time to time my English husband still has to ask me if I'm being serious or joking about something, he says it's hard to know, but I think thats a good thing;)

MRnotlob606

there is probably no difference between Irish and british people we watch the same crap tv we love football and we speak the same lingo most of the time

mfergus

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I know an Irish guy that's a complete ****. Similarly I know a Belgian, a Spaniard and an American that are complete *****.

I know a lot more people from those countries that are great people.

You know a lot of people!

Fratton Fred

mfergus wrote: »

You know a lot of people!

Probably no more than you, I just don't base my opinion on millions of people based on one arsehole.

GenieOz

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Probably no more than you, I just don't base my opinion on millions of people based on one arsehole.

Neither did he though.

whisky_galore

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

I think you have two kinds of English humour: the surreal, cutting witty, hilarious kind that spawned The Office, Brass Eye, Alan Partridge and the people who find Jim Davidson funny. Mixing with the latter kind of people was full of lead balloons for me.

Different sorts of Irish humour as well....Fr Ted/Savage Eye vs Mrs Brown's boys/Brendan Graces mother in law jokes.

maguic24

Jazlynn Rapid Warship wrote: »

Yeah the sense of humour one is the biggest one for me. I have a very dry sense of humour make a lot of facetious comments, which seems to be quite normal in Ireland, but over here they take me seriously. Also Irish negativity/pessimism/self-deprecation is something the English just don't get at all. I make a comment like 'sure it'll probably rain the minute we step outside' or 'ah I've two left feet but sure I'll give the salsa dancing a go' and get told 'oh my God, you're always so negative/such a moaner' I don't think anyone ever called me negative the entire time I lived in Ireland but here I get it every day. People don't seem to get that I'm not really being serious.

I don't think any other country on the planet understands our sense of humour. I had one guy apologise to me before when I was on holidays, he didn't realise I was having the bants....

Maybe I need work on my sarcasm. Irish people have a dark dry sense of humour. I bet ya a lot of people from outside Ireland who watched 'The Guard' didn't appreciate how funny it was where I thought it was hilarious.....

Legs.Eleven

whisky_galore wrote: »

Different sorts of Irish humour as well....Fr Ted/Savage Eye vs Mrs Brown's boys/Brendan Graces mother in law jokes.

Agreed. I would've said more Dylan Moran or Dara O'Brien V Mrs Brown's Boys. Father Ted was a bit hit and miss imo (only my opinion! Don't shoot me!) as well as Savage Eye.

maguic24 wrote: »

I don't think any other country on the planet understands our sense of humour. I had one guy apologise to me before when I was on holidays, he didn't realise I was having the bants....

Maybe I need work on my sarcasm. Irish people have a dark dry sense of humour. I bet ya a lot of people from outside Ireland who watched 'The Guard' didn't appreciate how funny it was where I thought it was hilarious.....

We don't have one sense of humour in Ireland though either; there's a kind of humour in Ireland that leaves me completely cold and I see it a fair bit on Boards and I'm sitting there reading it like this: See above.

Pinch Flat

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Isn't Pass the name given to atms by BOI? Like how we now call vacuum cleaners "hoovers"?

These be the ones: http://colnect.com/en/bank_cards/bank_card/3565-Pass-Bank_of_Ireland-Ireland

Lapin

British people wash their cars every Sunday.





Irish people wash their cars when they want to sell them.

Robert2012

They don't know what a Gee is....

Lapin

lufties wrote: »

I suppose us Irish would be similar to people from the north england.

NNNNNNNOOOOOO :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Irish people are literate, civilised and cultured.

The only good reason to go north of St Albans is to get to Anfield, York Racecourse and Murrayfield. Everywhere else up there is covered in coal dust.

dxhound2005

Lapin wrote: »

NNNNNNNOOOOOO :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Irish people are literate, civilised and cultured.

The only good reason to go north of St Albans is to get to Anfield, York Racecourse and Murrayfield. Everywhere else up there is covered in coal dust.

What about Harrogate Ladies College?

mathepac

WikiHow wrote: »

That is one word i hate :mad:

Yer, me too, wiv a passion, innit? Used (overused) on boards.ie. Why refer to me as 'mate' when my username is clear to see?

I forgot these. If a word starts with 'th' use 'f' instead, if a word ends in 'th' use a 'v' instead

English people tend to support their local football teams while not minding the Irish.


Irish people tend to support English teams while hating the English.

Legs.Eleven

Omackeral wrote: »

English people tend to support their local football teams while not minding the Irish.


Irish people tend to support English teams while hating the English.

Hate the English? I don't think so.

Alun

Lapin wrote: »

British people wash their cars every Sunday.

No I don't.

Beefy78

Irish people talk funny.

Legs.Eleven

Alun wrote: »

No I don't.

Don't lie.

stefan idiot jones

British drivers know what that little stick does that is one inch away from your left hand when you are driving.

Useful when leaving a rounda.....ah, forget it.

Pinch Flat

In summary, to paraphrase Father Ted, 'The British - a great bunch of lads'. My main experience was with one component of the British - the English, although worked with a few Welsh, Northern Irish (some of who would have claimed to be British) and Scottish people in my time there.

On the surface we are very similar - we've inherited a lot of their culture here and it translates vice versa - but other life events are treated differently. I generally like and get along with British people who I come into contact with personally and professionally, and like to think we can sometimes learn a something from each other.

I lived there (England) for over 5 years and, on the whole enjoyed it. I worked in Shropshire and London, so got the whole 'north / south' divide thing there. Both areas are chalk and cheese culturally and economically. The 'North/ South' thing manifests itself in the 'culchie / jackeen' debate that rages here, but probably more to the fore there than it is here. I would like to think I experienced a bit if the culture there. I loved my time in London (5 years there), love going back but would never live there again. It suits when you're young but I couldn't imagine raising a family there - I found the attitude to young children in particular peculiar there. Generally seen as an annoyance and inconvenience.

I did however worked there during different times politically - the Canary Wharf bombing happened when I was there so a tense time for an Irish person - perhaps different than today.

One thing that is different is the approach to life events, birth, death & marriage - not uncommon for English funerals to have a few people at them, not like everyone from miles around here. I remember working in London with a guy who's dad died - funeral one day (cremation), back in work the next. I asked him how he was doing, had his dad been sick for long etc. and generally offered my condolences. He said that of all the people we worked with, I was the only one that even mentioned it. I though that was sad.

Weddings - English weddings finish at 11pm and home. Spending £5 on a present or contributing £1 to a work colleagues present not a big deal. Weddings much more low key (and cheaper). People will get themselves in years of debt here for a 'Day Out'. Not there. DIY invites, CD music in the church / registry office (more common), lunch in pub with a few people. Much more low key.

Family unit is perhaps stronger here - not unusual to work with people who didn't know their aunts / uncles, grandparents or had half-siblings (who they'd never met). Male role models, in particular, in the family unit are stronger here than there.

English people perhaps more resourceful but also tighter with money - eating out in particular can be tricky. Don't get the whole 'flathúlach' thing as you do here. More of a 'make and do' attitude. Particularly when it came to buying and doing up houses. An Irish person will buy a new house, rip out a perfectly good kitchen in the good ole days and spend €20,000 putting in a new one. Worked with one guy in London who took his wooden floor with him when he moved house.

Washing cars, mowing the lawn - people do it regularly there - perhaps more pride in personal property than here. What we consider acceptable here would not be tolerated in England. people generally abide by the rules.

Got over the whole 'press','pass machine', 'tirty tree and a turd' and other "Irishisms" pretty quickly - you have to adapt to another environment and culture if you're to communicate effectively. People will generally speak their mind and will actively ask you to speak clearer and slower, particularly when dealing with officious personnel (banks, tax office etc.). Work colleagues generally a bit more formal than here - pecking order to the fore as well. We have a more subtle class system, but there it's more to the fore. Anyone there with a double barrelled surname probably has a title and a country estate in Berkshire, not living in a semi-d in Lucan.

Londoners will generally look down on anyone not from London and can be a bit self-centred, probably more so than here. Generally no interest on what you've being doing outside work. Knowledge of world events, history and geography and general knowledge were worse I would say than here - getting 'A' levels or a degree a big thing there, we take it for granted here. I would say on the whole our young population is more educated and 'wordly' - more travelled. Speaking a second language (I have conversational French and German) was almost unheard of.

Conversations about money and making more of it as the sole aim in life were had quite frequently. Again, probably came to the fore in recent years here with the whole 'Celtic Tiger' (I hate that phrase) thing, but at the time (early / mid-90's) didn't really feature on the Irish radar.

Being a big city, a huge melting pot, Londoners like think of themselves as being urban, sophisticated and can sometimes appear aloof. People imagined my house in 'Southern Ireland' as being some sort of shack with pigs in the parlour. No, it's a semi-d on the outskirts of Waterford with running water and electricity. Amazing.

I found the sense of humour similar - perhaps a bit crueller in England. I had a few 'Paddy' incidences with work colleagues which were not pleasant - on hindsight, some warranted a full complaint to HR. One guy in particular referring to his family coming from Kingstown - I reminded his that he meant 'Dun Laoghaire', and that my name wasn't 'Paddy' - but he was having none of it. Never even visited Ireland. Another guy I worked with had been in the British Army, and insisted in bringing me in graphic photos of IRA guys they'd shot in the 1970's. Bizarre.

I remember being introduced to one of my particularly unpleasant company directors - when hearing my surname exclaimed 'oh, like that IRA chap' (who was being tried at the down the road at the Old Bailey at the time). Work colleagues would genuinely be terrified to visit 'Southern Ireland' for fear of being attacked, petrol bombed or knee capped.. Those that did came back and were amazed not to see a tank or an armoured car when visiting the Burren.

'Europe' and the whole WW2 thing there is till an obsession. The obsession with the Germans (I lived there during Euro 96 when the Mirror had the lads on the back pages in England strips and Tommy hats on) is still a big thing. Funny at the time, but we had a German sub-contractor on a project who didn't find it one bit amusing. Obsession also applies the French. I was going to a French friends house and was asked by one of my works colleagues if I liked horse and also reminded that the French can smell as they don't wash regularly. Not big fans of Europeans on the whole, the whole anti-Europe (as opposed to anti-Europeans) thing there is prevalent.

English culture is perhaps suffering - I worked with guys who were trying to promote George's Day as something similar to Patrick's day here - they associate a lot of their heritage with "recent" events like WW2 / Empire / Falklands War, so it is (in my opinion anyway) difficult for them to separate British / Englishness in particular without becoming associated with these.

Anyway, my tuppence worth...

MonstaMash

Differences between Irish and British people

Geography & culture.

valerossi

mad muffin wrote: »

The difference? In a nutshell?

The Irish get conquered.

The British conquer.

Only temporally doe.

see irish republic for reference

Augmerson

My experience of England is admittedly very brief. Went over to Birmingham twice, once to pick up a sister (we drove over on the ferry and straight back) when she was in college and another to see a gig in the city centre.

Had no problems, was alright. The woman in the chippers gave us a ****ing mountain of chips and you could still get Canada Dry cans there. I almost overdosed on chips.

Legs.Eleven

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Hate the English? I don't think so.

Maybe not hate but you will find a large percentage that revel in the down fall of any sporting English teams. You'll find people with anti-British/English sentiment up and down the country while decked out in Arsenal/Man U/Liverpool jerseys and seeing no irony in it. They'll cheer Wayne Rooney on a Saturday and call him a scumbag on a Wednesday