29% of Brits Make out they are ‘foodies‘ – noting fishy going on here then!
Millions of Britons claim to have visited a place they have never been to, enjoyed a book they’ve never read – or eaten food they secretly can’t stand, in a bid to appear more “cultured”, according to a new study. Research into cultural experiences revealed the exaggerations Britons tell to appear more ‘food-literate’, better-travelled and more worldly wise.
According to the survey, 29 percent make out that they are ‘foodies’ to their friends, family and colleagues – suggesting they regularly dine on oysters, quinoa and sushi – when in fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Whilst four in ten have claimed to have seen a film they’ve never seen, while around one in five (19 percent) have overplayed their interest in politics in a bid to impress their peers.
Meanwhile, 21 percent have fibbed about where they have been in the world – with New Zealand, New York, Australia and Rome emerging as popular places we’ve never been to.
A similar number (17 percent) have given the impression to their family and friends that they are more into ‘cool’ music than they actually are. There are also a handful of people who’ve gone as far as to be economical with the truth when the topic of plays, operas and arthouse films crop up.
Other popular pretends include joining in discussions about famous pieces of literature we’ve never actually read (17 percent).
A further 35 percent claim they would consider a cruise to a destination such as the Mediterranean or Caribbean in a bid to appear more cultured.
MSC Cruises UK commissioned the research among adults aged between 16 and 65, commented saying: “We know that guests seek to visit new countries in order to broaden their horizons beyond the everyday. Visiting somewhere such as the Mediterranean or Caribbean on a cruise is a great way to visit different countries without having to unpack a suitcase and discover differing cultures, cuisines and traditions in a short amount of time, giving guests plenty of new stories and experiences to share with family and friends.”
Despite the penchant for a bit of ‘spin’ from time to time to boost our social status the study by MSC Cruises UK found most Brits do get their fair share of culture.
According to the data the average Brit will enjoy a fine dining experience on nine occasions.
Top 20 foods Brits claim to like
- Sushi
- Dark chocolate
- Rare steak
- Quinoa
- Oysters
- Craft ales
- Smelly cheese
- Hot chillies
- Avocado
- Granola
- Raw Vegetables
- Sweetbreads
- Kale
- Korean food
- Kimchi
- Sashimi
- Courgetti
- Rye Bread
- Bowl food (Congee)
- Aged meat
Top 20 films Brits claim to have seen
- Pulp Fiction
- The Godfather
- Fight Club
- To Kill a Mocking Bird
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- The Graduate
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
- Donnie Darko
- Citizen Kane
- Taxi Driver
- Chocolat
- Goodfellas
- Lost in Translation
- Amelie
- Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind
- The Colour Purple
- Cinema Paradiso
- The Red Balloon
- All About Eve
- North by Northwest
Top 20 places Brits claim to have visited
- New Zealand
- New York
- Australia
- Rome
- Paris
- Iceland
- Cuba
- Brazil
- Venice
- Jamaica
- Moscow
- Dubai
- Milan
- Barcelona
- Morocco
- Berlin
- Miami
- Florence
- Ibiza
- Sri Lanka
Top 20 theatre productions Brits claim to have seen
- Romeo and Juliet
- Macbeth
- Hamlet
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- King Lear
- Carmen
- The Importance of Being Earnest
- Richard III
- Madame Butterfly
- The Cherry Orchard
- An Inspector Calls
- The Crucible
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
- As You Like It
- Waiting for Godot
- A Street Car Named Desire
- Tosca
- Othello
- The Glass Menagerie
- Uncle Vanya
Top 20 books Brits claim to have read
- War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
- Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
- Harry Potter and the Philosophers’ Stone
- To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
- Life of Pi – Yann Martel
- Lord of the Flies – William Golding
- Animal Farm – George Orwell
- The Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R Tolkien
- The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
- Ulysses – James Joyce
- Moby Dick – Herman Melville
- The Satanic Verses – Salman Rushdie
- The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
- Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
- Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
- Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
- Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
- The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Colour Purple – Alice Walker
- The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
