--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are 3 basic differences between we…" description: "\"There are 3 basic differences between we British and you Americans. One, we speak English, and you don't. Two, when we have a \"World Championship\", we ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/john-cleese-1768_british_there-are-3-basic-differences-between-we_2879370.jpg" --- # There are 3 basic differences between we British and you… ![“There are 3 basic differences between we British and you Americans. One, we speak English, and you don't. Two, when we have a "World Championship", we invite teams from other nations. Three, when you meet the British head of State, you only have to get down on one knee.” quote by John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/john-cleese-1768_british_there-are-3-basic-differences-between-we_2879370.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/john-cleese-1768_british_there-are-3-basic-differences-between-we_2879370.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/john-cleese-1768_british_there-are-3-basic-differences-between-we_2879370.jpg) > “There are 3 basic differences between we British and you Americans. One, we speak English, and you don't. Two, when we have a "World Championship", we invite teams from other nations. Three, when you meet the British head of State, you only have to get down on one knee.” [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights cultural stereotypes and humorous misunderstandings between the UK and USA. **In simple terms:** British and American cultures differ in language, sports, and etiquette. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect cultural nuances. Themes culture humor stereotypes communication etiquette Mood lighthearted playful Type anecdotal observational When to use this quote - travel - international business - diplomacy - social gatherings Key Concepts national identity social norms linguistic differences Questions to Reflect On - How do these stereotypes affect real interactions? - What can we learn from each other’s customs? A Different Perspective Humor can reinforce stereotypes if not balanced with nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-speak-387379/) [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-americans-1451037/) [Championship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/championship/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Differences British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences-british-3698550/) [English](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english/) [Head of state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/head-of-state/) [Invites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invites/) [Knees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knees/) [Meet British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meet-british-3982733/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speak english](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak-english/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The most significant event of the 20th century will be the fact that the North Americans speak English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-most-significant-event-of-the-20th-century-will-be-the-fact-that/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Part of what makes a language 'alive' is its constant evolution. I would hate to think Britain would ever emulate France, where they actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/part-of-what-makes-a-language-alive-is-its-constant-evolution-i-would/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [We Americans only voted for George Bush to prove to the British that Americans understand irony. Unfortunately, it kinda backfired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-capurro/we-americans-only-voted-for-george-bush-to-prove-to-the-british-that/) [Scott Capurro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-capurro/) > [Our nation is built upon a history of immigration, dating back to our first pioneers, the Pilgrims. For more than three centuries, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ami-bera/our-nation-is-built-upon-a-history-of-immigration-dating-back-to-our/) [Ami Bera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ami-bera/) > [Some say my English is broken, but that implies there's something wrong with how I, and millions of other Americans, speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/some-say-my-english-is-broken-but-that-implies-there-s-something/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [One of the main things about Cockney is, you speak at twice the speed as Americans. Americans speak very slow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/one-of-the-main-things-about-cockney-is-you-speak-at-twice-the-speed/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [Thank God, I have sort of a pan-European accent rather than Russian, which doesn't sound very pleasantly to Americans. For them, we speak with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuliya-snigir/thank-god-i-have-sort-of-a-pan-european-accent-rather-than-russian/) [Yuliya Snigir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuliya-snigir/) > [Only if enough ordinary Americans speak up and demand better from both their employers and their government is the system going to get fixed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedrick-smith/only-if-enough-ordinary-americans-speak-up-and-demand-better-from/) [Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedrick-smith/) > [“This isolation has left Americans quite unaware of the world beyong their borders. Americans speak few languages, know little about foreign cultures, and remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/this-isolation-has-left-americans-quite-unaware-of-the-world-beyong/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [My husband is a Dutch television correspondent. He's not taking any job away from an American. Because I don't really think there are any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-c-pelosi/my-husband-is-a-dutch-television-correspondent-he-s-not-taking-any/) [Alexandra C. Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-c-pelosi/) > [For the most part, Americans speak of culture and politics as if they were two separate realms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-willis/for-the-most-part-americans-speak-of-culture-and-politics-as-if-they/) [Ellen Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-willis/) > [President Lincoln called upon Americans to speak with one voice and one heart. That's just what we have to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/president-lincoln-called-upon-americans-to-speak-with-one-voice-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The people and the warmakers are two distinct groups. We must never say 'we' when discussing the US government's foreign policy. For one thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/llewellyn-rockwell/the-people-and-the-warmakers-are-two-distinct-groups-we-must-never/) [Llewellyn Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/llewellyn-rockwell/) > [My ascension as interim president is based on Article 233 of the Venezuelan Constitution, according to which, if at the outset of a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-guaido/my-ascension-as-interim-president-is-based-on-article-233-of-the/) [Juan Guaido](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-guaido/) > [“As the tail on our back disappeared as we no longer had any use for it, nuclear weapons will also disappear once we realize,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/as-the-tail-on-our-back-disappeared-as-we-no-longer-had-any-use-for/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by John Cleese > [Too many people confuse being serious with being solemn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/too-many-people-confuse-being-serious-with-being-solemn/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Nerves are always a big problem for me, which is why I loved doing American sitcoms. Because you know when you do the take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/nerves-are-always-a-big-problem-for-me-which-is-why-i-loved-doing/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [years ago we would have been burned for this. Now what I am suggesting is that we've advanced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/years-ago-we-would-have-been-burned-for-this-now-what-i-am-suggesting/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I think that sometimes you do something that makes a small group of people laugh, which is all we were trying to do; we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-think-that-sometimes-you-do-something-that-makes-a-small-group-of/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [The very essence of playfulness is an openness to anything that may happen, the feeling that whatever happens, it's okay... you're either free to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/the-very-essence-of-playfulness-is-an-openness-to-anything-that-may/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Loving your neighbour as much as yourself is practically bloody impossible? You might as well have a commandment that states,'Thou shalt fly'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/loving-your-neighbour-as-much-as-yourself-is-practically-bloody/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Creativity is not the possession of some special talent. It’s about the willingness to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/creativity-is-not-the-possession-of-some-special-talent-it-s-about/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [England is a fairly envious little country and it's embodied in the press. They don't like anyone being more distinguished than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/england-is-a-fairly-envious-little-country-and-it-s-embodied-in-the/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I used to desire many, many things, but now I have just one desire, and that's to get rid of all my other desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-used-to-desire-many-many-things-but-now-i-have-just-one-desire-and/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I think the hard thing for young comedians is that the majority of the young people in the audience out there don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedians-is-that-the-majority-of/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I wish you wusses would stop whining about your unhappiness. I'm really fed up with it. Pour yourself a scotch and pull yourself together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-wish-you-wusses-would-stop-whining-about-your-unhappiness-i-m/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [On movies, I like to involve the cast in the writing of the script. I like to have a rehearsal period, after which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/on-movies-i-like-to-involve-the-cast-in-the-writing-of-the-script-i/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I had a very, very difficult relationship with my mother, who was supremely self-centred. She was hilariously self-centred. She did not really take interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-had-a-very-very-difficult-relationship-with-my-mother-who-was/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Nothing will stop you being creative more effectively as the fear of making a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/nothing-will-stop-you-being-creative-more-effectively-as-the-fear-of/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I was very sad to hear of the death of Ronnie Barker, who was such a warm, friendly and encouraging presence to have when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-was-very-sad-to-hear-of-the-death-of-ronnie-barker-who-was-such-a/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) [Explore all 209 John Cleese quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) ## More British quotes > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/) [Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. The old Soviet Union turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/while-we-like-to-think-queueing-is-unique-to-british-culture-the/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [The whole nuclear-arms-control and non-proliferation policy of the nuclear powers is a fraud: The Americans could not prevent the Soviets from replicating their weaponry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-black/the-whole-nuclear-arms-control-and-non-proliferation-policy-of-the/) [Conrad Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-black/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) [Browse all 3,149 British quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are 3 basic differences between we British and you Americans. 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