Dipso, Fatso, Asbo, Bingo, Tesco

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."