massive overgeneralizations and stereotypes
i realized in the shower today that -- based on a lifetime of literature, a little tv and a decade of minor interactions with a foreign office -- my parents were quintessentially british.
stiff upper lip, check. discomfort when confronted with strong emotion and/or emotional events, check. fast speech, check. somewhat negative teeth situation, check.
too bad they weren't actually british. it would have explained a lot of my childhood.