An important article at the BBC lets us know that drinking in Britain remains friendly and sociable as long as you keep up and get your round in. A survey of 7,500 people across 15 European countries has found that in Britain – as well as Sweden – 82% of respondents are happy to buy a round of beer. The BBC reports:
It’s rather like being told donkeys still eat strawberries or that bears continue to regard the woods as a toilet, but a survey has suggested that Britons like buying drinks in rounds.
It’s a cornerstone of British culture, the idea that friends or colleagues sitting in the pub should not march up to the bar and buy their drinks separately. They should not even get one set of drinks and then sit down and work out who owes what. For many people the only socially acceptable way to do things is to get a round in.
Supposedly the tradition comes from the Vikings – which might explain how social drinking turns into such a violent mess in so many market towns up and down England on a Saturday night.
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I’m fairly certain the current Brit expression, “He’s a good lad, always gets his round in” was popularized by Al Murray.
US readers who are unfortunately unaware of the genius of Al Murray may want to check this out:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RtXl_TyM6aI
January 24th, 2008 at 4:03 pm