January 2008 Archives

As The New York Times reports, Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently solicited input from the British public on what it means to be British.

This request soon morphed into a rumor that the British Government was seeking an official national motto. And that inspired the Times of London to have a contest; readers suggested potential national mottoes, and then voted on their favorites.

As the New York Times explains:

The readers' suggestions included "Dipso, Fatso, Bingo, Asbo, Tesco" (Asbo stands for "anti-social behavior order," a law-enforcement tool, while Tesco is a ubiquitous supermarket chain); "Once Mighty Empire, Slightly Used"; "At Least We're Not French"; and "We Apologize for the Inconvenience." The winner, favored by 20.9 percent of the readers, was "No Motto Please, We're British."