12 People and faces 66 British and Irish people: how to make them out British and Irish people have a diverse range of character traits and physical appearances. However, there are some generalisations that can be made. Humour : The British are renowned worldwide for their humour, for its puns , wit , and sarcasm, but they also love playing on understatement , satire, and banter . Food and drink : British people are obsessed with tea, especially tea with milk. Irish people, instead, have a thing about potatoes (because they are such versatile vegetables!) and love discovering new ways to incorporate them into their meals. Politeness : British people are very polite and have good manners. They say <sorry=, <please=, and <thank you= a lot, they are punctual, and they respect the private sphere and personal space a lot: overfamiliarity is a big no-no. Eye and hair colour : They can vary greatly, reflecting the diverse genetic makeup of the population, so there9s no easily recognisable common ground here. Even though Ireland has the largest per capita ratio of people with red hair, in fact only 10% of the population has this colour. Love of tradition : British and Irish cultures value tradition and history even in daily life. Many people go to the pub together every Friday after work (but not only&). It9s not all about drinking, though: a trip to the pub can involve playing darts, watching sports on TV, or eating some <pub grub= . The Irish all agree that Ireland is the most beautiful place on the planet, and they will talk about it until you agree. Skin : Many British people have fair skin due to their climate: they wish they had more sunny days to get the chance of tanning , but& they do have really green grass to compensate! Freckles are common among the Irish, a genetic trait which dates back to the Celts. Queuing : British and Irish will usually queue in a line and wait for their turn, wherever. Unbelievable, isn9t it? glossary banter: battuta pub grub: cibo da pub pun: gioco di parole tanning: abbronzatura understatement: eufemismo wit: umorismo 1 2 READING SPEAKING Say which statement refers to British (Br), Irish people (I), or both (Bo). Br I Bo 1 They have fair skin. 2 They love potatoes. 3 They like telling jokes. 4 They think their country is the best place in the world. READING SPEAKING Read the following joke and explain it in your own words. An Englishman and an Irishman wander into a little old pub in Kildare. They each ask the barman for a pint of Guinness. After the pints are placed onto the bar, two flies drop into each man9s freshly poured pint. The Englishman pushes his pint away in disgust and orders up another. The Irishman reaches in, picks the fly out, holds it up close to his face and shouts, <Spit it out, you little thief!= 3 82 SPEAKING Think about the most common stereotypes about Italians and make comparisons with the British and the Irish.