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[markowe]

Following on from a recent discussion on this forum about British idionsyncracies, Iain Aitch has published a stocking-filler called "We're British, Innit: An Irreverent A-Z of All Things British" in which he (according to the Amazon review) "explores all things British in a highly amusing and evocative way. Whether it's our love of fish and chips, our high regard for James Bond, the innate Britishness of red telephone boxes or the mystery surrounding white dog poo, everything you've ever regarded as being uniquely British is contained within these pages".

I read a couple of reviews and some excerpts from "We're British, Innit", and I have to say I came away with the feeling that it was neither "highly amusing" or "evocative", sounding more like a rehash of banal, much-worn pub conversation-starters from an annoying friend, or perhaps from a thread on this forum! The title alone is irksome - yes, we know people are using "innit" as an irregular question tag in UK English and it's annoying, it's been "observed" to death.

As for the content, take the entry for "baked beans", taken from Iain Aitch's own site:

"An essential part of the fried breakfast, baked beans are very much a national favourite, so much so that supermarkets are often willing to sell them at a loss just to get customers in to their stores. They know that we cannot resist a can of beans for 7p, even if we know they are the ones scraped from the remains of truckers’ breakfasts at transport cafés on the M6"

It's just not funny, the observations are not well-observed and I just doesn't leave you wanting to nod furiously, and say, "Yes! He's hit the nail on the head".

Still, maybe I am just too demanding these days, maybe some British expat will appreciate "We're British, Innit" (click to see Amazon page for the book) but for wry, ironic observations about British life, I think I'll stick with Karl Pilkington for the time being.

P.S. In case you have been on another planet (or maybe Eastern Europe) for the last 20 years, check out Bill Bryson's classic - Notes from a Small Island - now THAT IS an amusing, evocative and hilariously well-observed look at the British. You might also like to check out the slighty dated but classic How to be an Alien by Mikes (Hungarian Mikes Gyorgy), originally published in 1947.
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