Which of these is the most quintessentially English? (FAO @neilmonnery)

[miss_s_b]

Having a discussion on twitter with Neil Monnery about whether Doctor Who or cricket is more quintessentially English. My view on this is strictly rationalist:

Doctor Who can contain cricket http://fwd4.me/r21 Cricket cannot contain Doctor Who. Therefore Who more English QED

But there are other things which are quintessentially English. So which of them would you pick?

Poll #5255 Quintessentially English

Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 26

Which of these is Quintessentially English?

Cricket
22 (84.6%)

Doctor Who
22 (84.6%)

Gin
13 (50.0%)

The Last Night of the Proms
20 (76.9%)

Radio Four
19 (73.1%)

Rugger
8 (30.8%)

Tea
17 (65.4%)

Brian Blessed
16 (61.5%)

The Beatles
15 (57.7%)

Queen
14 (53.8%)

The Queen
16 (61.5%)

Hammer Horror
9 (34.6%)

Pimms
17 (65.4%)

Ticky Boxes
8 (30.8%)

Something Else
3 (11.5%)

Which of these is THE MOST Quintessentially English?

Cricket
5 (19.2%)

Doctor Who
3 (11.5%)

Gin
0 (0.0%)

The Last Night of the Proms
3 (11.5%)

Radio Four
6 (23.1%)

Rugger
0 (0.0%)

Tea
4 (15.4%)

Brian Blessed
1 (3.8%)

The Beatles
0 (0.0%)

Queen
2 (7.7%)

The Queen
1 (3.8%)

Hammer Horror
0 (0.0%)

Pimms
0 (0.0%)

Ticky Boxes
1 (3.8%)

Something Else
0 (0.0%)

---

Comments

[miss_s_b]

I voted Queen, by the way. Adorably eccentric; quietly embracing alternative sexuality and immigrants in their frontman without making a fuss about it; full of pretentious pomp and yet down to earth at the same time...

[lizw]

Yes, on reflection I went for that as well - I don't think anything other than a decaying British Empire could have produced Freddie Mercury.

Claiming Doctor Who as English, on the other hand, is a bit rich considering the entirely disproportionate contribution in recent years of Cardiff and Paisley ;-)

[andrewhickey.info]

Doctor Who was created by a Canadian, its first episode written by an Australian and directed by a gay Indian (and produced by someone who was both the youngest producer and only female producer working for the BBC). It's as English as Sid James! Or Oscar Wilde!

[miss_s_b]

Chicken tikka masala is Glaswegian.

[burkesworks]

Cricket *can* contain Doctor Who, so much so that we had a Time Lord's grandson turning out for England not too long ago. And let's not forget that Mike Gatting is almost as famous for being a Whovian as he is for eating pies.

[el_staplador]

I would just like to say at this point that no amount of floating cucumber and orange chunks can disguise the fact that Pimms actually tastes of sod all. Suggest Marmite and Monty Python as replacements.

[pseudomonas]

yes, Monty Python would likely get my dithery vote.

[andrewhickey.info]

Python of course being another not-really-English-but-English-anyway thing, being 1/6 USian and 1/6 Welsh...

[yoyoangel]

I voted Radio 4, because it incorporates almost all the rest.

[bagpuss]

I voted for the Last Night of the Proms for this very reason having missed Radio 4 in the list!

[ggreig.livejournal.com]

Radio 4 is failing in its purpose (as a British national radio station) if it's quintessentially English.

[yoyoangel]

Argh; I did the thing that I get cross with people for doing. You're right.

[ggreig.livejournal.com]

Ach, it's easy done. And it's not like a bit of quintessential Englishness can't be highly enjoyable even if it's not entirely appropriate :-)

[telegramsam]

LOL, are teh feriners allowed to vote?

I'd pick Queen I think. And ticky boxes. =D

[etoile]

TICKY BOXES!!!

[ggreig.livejournal.com]

Many of these things are British rather than English.

[shinydan]

Did the English invent rugby? Yes. Did the Welsh take it to their collective bosom like an unwanted step-child? Oh my word yes. Rugby is quintessentially Welsh.

[yoyoangel]

*nods*
My thinking on rugby was that it started off English and is now Welsh and New Zealander and Australian and South African at least as much as it's English.

[http://www.nickbarlow.com/blog/]

I feel I had to vote for Brian Blessed on the grounds that he's effectively a trump card in any competition and should thus automatically win.

Quintessentially English, of course, would be a gin-soaked Brian Blessed at the Last Night Of The Proms while attempting to lead the crowd in a rendition of either the Doctor Who theme tune or Bohemian Rhapsody.