Which small British habit says the most about who we really are as a nation?

A deeply ingrained instinct that turns every minor collision into a mutual apology contest. Nothing is more British than taking the blame for someone else's clumsiness.

Jump a British queue and you'll face a silent fury more terrifying than any shouting match. The orderly queue is arguably our greatest civic achievement.

A universal conversational lubricant that works in lifts, bus stops and awkward family gatherings. It's less about meteorology and more about keeping the peace.

A greeting disguised as genuine concern that would baffle any visiting tourist. Reply with actual feelings at your own social peril.

Bereavement, burst pipes, national emergency — the answer is always to put the kettle on. It solves nothing and somehow everything at once.