Imagine it’s 150 years ago. Your daughter just got married. You’re not in England. Is there a phrase like ‘lie back and think of England’ that you might use to warn her that her husband is going to be… ungentlemanly … and that it’s her duty to accept this
Edit. UK =/= England just in case anyone is reading this pre-morning tea š
Edit 2: so it’s not, perhaps, even real, but I’m still curious if there’s a ‘non-England’ equivalent š
19 comments
Wrong sub mate
r/lostredditors
Bend over and think of Wales
“Keep it Beautiful”
~ Ontario, Canada
I canāt imagine many countries have idioms for ārape is just part of marriageā
>husband is going to be… ungentlemanly … and that it’s her duty to accept this
That’s a problematic statement.
Lie back and think of the Scottish rugby team?
Iām not sure how many creative ways you can tell a woman ājust tolerate a lifetime of rapeā.
I’ve used this phrase so many times in different contexts, completely oblivious that it was about rape acceptance š¬
*Shut my eyes and think of England
Itās Sunday, why are you not at Church?
You say the UK doesnāt equal England, which is correct.
But 150 years ago āEnglandā WAS an accepted catch-all term for the UK and even the wider British empire. Thereās every chance your average Scot or Welshman would use the same words, there wasnāt as much individual countryās nationalism back then.
Worth pointing out that it’s nearly always used ironically, and was popularised in the fifties by a french satire on the British upper class, rather than being a motto actually taught in school or wherever.
I’d heard it was originated by Queen Victoria but apparently it wasn’t.
I always thought this phrase meant how to get through consensual but unsatisfying sex. Today I learned itās about marital rape. Now Iām worrying where I may have used this phrase out of context in the past
It used to be a case of “lie back and think of Danny Cipriani” with one boyfriend, where romantic attraction was higher than physical. The relationship didn’t work out, but I still think fondly of Danny.
I know you’re asking about the other 3 nations, but it’s “close your eyes and think of England” in Germany as well. It’s meant more in a general sense of getting through something unpleasant though.
To be fair if someone was planning on being āungentlemanlyā towards my daughter then he may end up six foot under!
I donāt know, but Iām so glad itās not 150 years ago for a multitude of reasons, having to be married to a man being pretty high on the list!.
I live in the UK, but Iām from America (sorry) and can confirm that we also say lie back and think of England, although itās not super common now and more just something that pops up when watching old tv and movies.
Living the American Dream