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British Cultural Symbols

Can you name these official and unofficial British cultural symbols?
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Featured Quiz
Last updated: September 11, 2022
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First submittedMarch 4, 2013
Times taken56,729
Average score68.2%
Rating4.31
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Clue
Answer
Flag of the UK
Union Jack
Tower of London guardians
Beefeaters
Fictional super-spy
James Bond
Nickname of the London underground
The Tube
Warning on the above
Mind the Gap
TV show about a time-travelling alien
Doctor Who
Bell on the Palace of Westminster
Big Ben
Nickname of friendly London policemen
Bobbies
National anthem
God Save the King
Symbolizes fortitude
Stiff Upper Lip
British version of Uncle Sam
John Bull or
Lord Kitchener
Clue
Answer
Dog breed
Bulldog
The Fab Four
The Beatles
Fictional detective
Sherlock Holmes
National animal (England)
Lion
National animal (Scotland)
Unicorn
National animal (Wales)
Dragon
Iconic bus type
Double Decker
Boy wizard
Harry Potter
Patron saint (England)
St. George
Patron saint (Scotland)
St. Andrew
Patron saint (Wales)
St. David
Droplet
+3
Level 49
Mar 21, 2013
The time-traveler isn't called Dr. Who, he's The Doctor
Quizmaster
+5
Level ∞
Mar 21, 2013
I changed the clue to reference the show, not the character. Thanks.
MrJoeGGriffiths
+6
Level 25
Apr 14, 2013
Being pedantic here, but it should ideally be "Doctor", not "Dr.", because the name of the show is always written as "Doctor Who".
philsa2
+3
Level 56
Apr 14, 2013
Thanks for the quiz.

Some people take the 'Union Flag' v 'Union Jack' thing rather seriously. Might be 'safer' to call it the Union Flag on here.

Berney
+2
Level 79
Apr 14, 2013
I agree, the Union Flag is the flag of Great Britain. Although Union Jack is in more common use, officially it is only known by that name if flown on a naval vessel at sea.
TheWombat
+8
Level 74
Oct 7, 2013
The name 'union jack' was first used to describe the flag before the jackstaff was invented, so it can't come from that. It may even be that the jackstaff was named after the flag. The Admiralty has said that it can be called the union jack wherever it is flown. In any event, everyone calls it the union jack, so that's what it is.
TheWombat
+3
Level 74
Oct 22, 2015
Well you should, Erik :0) Parliament decides what the flag is called, and parliament has decided the flag is called the Union Jack. It doesn't really matter where the name originally came from (though it's a misconception born out of beer and pedantry that it came from the jackstaff), Parliament says it's called the Union Jack and so that's what it's called. And certainly for the purposes of this quiz, 'Union Jack' is the correct answer.
CaoMaru
+2
Level 50
May 29, 2018
Although it could fill in for either Union Flag or Union Jack.
luxint
+5
Level 65
Oct 22, 2015
for any americans reading the exchanges, please believe me, these ppl arent typical Brits
LarryLovage
+3
Level 56
Oct 22, 2015
They seem pretty typical to me, and I'm one of them!
IsleAuHaulte
+2
Level 88
Jul 31, 2019
United Kingdom of Divided Nitpickers.
Salz
+5
Level 56
Apr 14, 2013
Can you add "Routemaster" for the bus question? It is the most famous British bus type.
Quizmaster
+1
Level ∞
Aug 10, 2015
Routemaster will work now.
Somequiztaker
+4
Level 77
Apr 15, 2013
The dog breed could have been a mastiff (English Mastiff) and I thought Big Ben was the clock, not the bell.
tomwinkler95
+4
Level 69
Aug 9, 2019
There are so many British dog breeds.
HarrisFR
+2
Level 27
May 19, 2020
Could be a Weston or a Scottie dog too
mrputter
+2
Level 79
Jan 26, 2022
You (like many people) may have thought that Big Ben was the clock, but it's not. Canonically, it's the bell. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ben
bradleyswissman
+7
Level 10
Feb 7, 2014
I'm pretty sure John Bull went out in the 1700s, and Britannia is the patroness of Britain... It might just be me, though.
Malbaby
+3
Level 71
Jun 15, 2016
I don't think it's you, I think it's John Bull
Conservatopia
+1
Level 31
Mar 30, 2018
No its me. I am the personification of the nation.
JWatson24
+4
Level 71
Jul 28, 2021
Personally, I think the British should just go ahead and make Lord Buckethead their national personification.
Murphster45
+2
Level 82
Sep 30, 2022
Nay, Count Binface is the true buckethead, and we shall fervently support him to the end of our days
Arp2600
+3
Level 85
Apr 13, 2014
The answer to the second question should be Yeomen! At least, please accept it...
Cwej
+1
Level 66
May 14, 2014
Yeoman has far too general a meaning. Beefeaters are specifically Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary. There are lots of other sorts of yeomen, such as the Yeomen of the Guard, and in an historic sense yeoman were also members of society who cultivated their own land - somewhere just below landed gentry.
jlbrill
+2
Level 67
Mar 12, 2016
It should be; The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London - beefeaters is a nickname.
Sifhraven
+1
Level 65
Dec 14, 2018
only know i see it as beef-eaters, before i read it as bee-feathers... had never heard of it, but i think somewhere in the last few years i did hear beef-eaters. I atleast remember thinking, ow do the guards have a special name?!
Arp2600
+1
Level 85
May 21, 2014
I think you're being too specific. Beefeater is so informal, quite vulgar indeed. I'm a french speaker and I never heard that word before taking this quiz... we just call them yeomen. Finally, why not just refer to the wikipedia page and call them "Yeomen warders"?
fitheach
+4
Level 59
Oct 24, 2017
Vulgar? Hardly - that's how they are known in everyday usage. There is no vulgar association at all.
FlickerP
+2
Level 70
Jun 9, 2022
I think someone's got a dirty mind.
kiwiquizzer
+3
Level 68
Jan 9, 2017
First guess: beefeater.
QuizWol
+4
Level 59
Aug 18, 2019
I wrote raven and it put in beefeater.

Hmm

burntfrost
+2
Level 48
Apr 28, 2014
This American got unicorn thanks to Doctor Who.
tschutzer
+8
Level 90
May 1, 2014
Seriously, at what point are the British going to come around to the concept that a national animal should: a) be native to the country and b) actually exist... in reality?
sillie
+1
Level 78
May 8, 2014
Yes! Unicorns and Dragons are not animals. They are mythical figures. So that's very wrong to call them "national animals". "Lion" is also on the line...
AlexThirkell
+2
Level 74
Dec 11, 2020
Other countries constrain themselves with "native" and "real" animals and end up with silly little creatures like beavers or chickens as their national animal!

Why not go all out and have a fire-breathing monster instead? It's not like it actually means anything...

Bobcat108
+4
Level 71
Aug 17, 2015
Hmm. tschutzer must not be aware of the jackalope, the state animal of South Dakota, which is just as imaginary as dragons & unicorns. In all seriousness, who cares if dragons & unicorns never existed? That's what Wales & Scotland have had as their national animals for centuries. I'm American & think both dragons & unicorns are pretty cool, as are Wales & Scotland (& have ancestors from both places).
McLerristarr
+2
Level 61
Mar 12, 2016
England was probably one of the first countries to have a national animal, a long time before America was founded.
Malbaby
+3
Level 71
Jun 15, 2016
Britain was once stalked by huge lions, researchers at Oxford University have discovered.

The wild animals were 25 per cent bigger than lions seen today in Africa and hunted in vast prides during the Ice Age.

It was previously thought that only jaguars and tigers roamed the British Isles during this time.

Scientists compared the DNA of super-size lion fossils found in Siberia and Germany with the decomposed remains of prehistoric wild beasts found in Yorkshire, Devon and London.

The DNA matched, proving the larger lions could have been prevalent in Britain as recently as 13,000 years ago.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1165851/How-giant-lions-stalked-Britain.html#ixzz4BcLe495T

Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

IsleAuHaulte
+1
Level 88
Jul 31, 2019
....So, something that has nothing to do with the kingdom of England?
coro
+1
Level 58
Jan 6, 2017
Unicorns, dragons and lion have heraldic significance.
stone222
+4
Level 48
Oct 13, 2018
i wanted to put Nessie as the animal for Scotland, until i recalled a rhyme from my distant past...

.The lion and the unicorn

Were fighting for the crown

The lion beat the unicorn

All around the town.

referring to the battles between England and Scotland prior to 1603 when they were unified under James I/VI

IsleAuHaulte
+1
Level 88
Jul 31, 2019
That was my big impression of this quiz.
Tyacke
+2
Level 61
Oct 10, 2020
The Lion, Unicorn and Dragon are NOT national animals. They are heraldic symbols.
Morpioniste
+1
Level 65
May 17, 2021
Agree
letzi
+1
Level 74
Jun 2, 2014
What about detective Poirot instead of Sherlock Holmes? Sure he's not British, but was created by a British writer.
grantdon
+4
Level 74
Jul 28, 2014
Where do you stop - Morse, Barnaby, Frost, Dalgleish, Marple, Rebus...
Susie222
+3
Level 59
Oct 22, 2015
Mrs Marple was my first thought, too. Maybe the clue could be a little more specific.
ander217
+2
Level 75
Oct 23, 2015
That would make a great quiz all on its own. I love Morse and Barnaby. (Both Barnabys.)
Sifhraven
+4
Level 65
Dec 14, 2018
@ander217 O yes, I would enjoy a quiz like that, english dectective series.

I really like them. Everything seem so simple and peacefull, well besides the brutal murders ofcourse :P But I mean a stark contrast to all those horrible reality shows, where everything is about sensation and drama and being rude.

Sifhraven
+1
Level 65
Dec 14, 2018
was actually watching midsummer murders before this quiz, then being the addict that i have become in the last few days... I went to take some quizes. The tv has moved on and father brown came by and now death in paradise.

One more quiz, really just one, I promise... And then I m gonna watch a few more episodes.. (I can re watch programs for a week, so do multiple in a row..)

IsleAuHaulte
+2
Level 88
Jul 31, 2019
Poirot, the French Belgian?
AfroDinosaur
+1
Level 45
Aug 4, 2014
100% with 1:23 left .Easy!
Tastymeatpie
+2
Level 81
Sep 21, 2014
Full marks with 2:25 to spare. Suppose it helps that I'm British. Had to guess at Unicorn but it does help that it's on the passport!
dasubergeek
+2
Level 72
Oct 2, 2014
I just nipped in under the wire... kept trying to put "leek" for the national animal of Wales.

Would you accept Yeoman Warders (the technical name for the Beefeaters)?

Tinu
+2
Level 41
Feb 12, 2015
May I suggest you re-phrase the dog bread clue? There are many god breeds typical for the UK (I typed at least four before I thought of the bulldog). I agree that bulldog is often used as a metaphor for the British people, but to say "dog breed" is probably too vague...
brandybuck96
+3
Level 82
Nov 28, 2015
How many breeds of God are there???
kiwiquizzer
+1
Level 68
Jan 9, 2017
First guess: bulldog. Absolutely British.
TheRealXboxNerd
+1
Level 65
Mar 1, 2015
The flag of the UK is the Union Flag - it's only called the Union Jack when it's flown at sea, but a lot of us still call it the Union Jack regardless! :D
AlexThirkell
+2
Level 74
Dec 11, 2020
Look it up...
skiesboy
+2
Level 65
May 3, 2015
For me the British version of Uncle Sam is Britania, as it is she that symbolises the country
Malbaby
+1
Level 71
Mar 23, 2017
If that is so for you, at least spell it correctly 'Britannia'
brandybuck96
+3
Level 82
Jun 18, 2015
Shouldn't ravens count as guardians of the Tower? After all, it won't crumble if the Beefeaters all leave, or whatever it's supposed to do if all the ravens cop it.
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Aug 10, 2015
Yes, I suppose it should. :) Yeomen will work now too.
stone222
+1
Level 48
Oct 13, 2018
i put ravens first for that reason, and thanks to you it worked...btw i knew the "other" answer
skunkthepunk
+2
Level 49
Sep 10, 2015
The term bobbies relating to policemen is actually a Scottish term, and has no specific reference to London.
worm
+4
Level 61
Oct 22, 2015
My understanding was that is supposed to have come about as a reference to Robert Peel who formed the Metropolitan Police (ie. London).

What is the Scottish connection?

hirsutebodkin
+2
Level 58
Dec 11, 2018
1-0 to the worm
dougal19
+2
Level 27
Apr 23, 2020
Incorrect, the term bobbies comes from Sir Robert Peel who founded the police. He was from Bury, Lancashire. Other names they could be referred to is Peelers. This nickname is not specific to london police. (Worm is spot on)
beccimoo
+2
Level 57
Oct 22, 2015
British born and raised, but John Bull is certainly not as familiar to me as Uncle Sam!
kalbahamut
+1
Level 83
Oct 22, 2015
I like how 2/3 national animals are not even animals.
ander217
+2
Level 75
Oct 27, 2016
So you're saying unicorns and dragons are veggies? Mythical beasts are still beasts.
hirsutebodkin
+1
Level 58
Dec 11, 2018
Animal - a living organism which feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli.

Dragon - a mythical monster like a giant reptile. In European tradition the dragon is typically fire-breathing and tends to symbolize chaos or evil, whereas in East Asia it is usually a beneficent symbol of fertility, associated with water and the heavens.

Unicorn - a mythical animal typically represented as a horse with a single straight horn projecting from its forehead.

Conservatopia
+2
Level 31
Mar 30, 2018
And the only one that is real is not native to the country.
ruftytufty
+2
Level 79
Apr 6, 2021
The use of the dragon to represent Wales is very old - dates back at least to the 9th century and probably before.
Sulps
+1
Level 56
Oct 22, 2015
So Doctor Who is an alien. The more you know!
fitheach
+1
Level 59
Oct 24, 2017
?
IsleAuHaulte
+1
Level 88
Jul 31, 2019
I always thought the aliens were the people with cardboard props. I guess I learned something too. I'll orphan the information by tomorrow.
LarryLovage
+1
Level 56
Oct 22, 2015
Thanks for accepting Kitchener. And I had trouble remembering him!
skunkthepunk
+1
Level 49
Dec 3, 2015
A London policeman is not called a bobby. This quiz was clearly not written by a Brit, Bobby is actually a Scots terminology.
McLerristarr
+2
Level 61
Mar 12, 2016
Not sure about London, but it's definitely used in England. My uncle from Yorkshire used to describe himself as "the local bobby".
coro
+2
Level 58
Jan 6, 2017
Wrong. London bobbies have been famous since I was a wee child.
fitheach
+1
Level 59
Oct 24, 2017
Coro, are you really saying that McLerristarr's uncles wasn't the local bobby then? How could you possibly know? I have to agree with McLerristarr, the term bobby is used throughout England - it's a common enough term.
Malbaby
+1
Level 71
Mar 23, 2017
When ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise!
nanook
+1
Level 51
Dec 25, 2017
No, definitely English too. Also known as Peelers or Rozzers.
stone222
+1
Level 48
Oct 13, 2018
bobby is English, .. Robert Peel started his force in London, England
hirsutebodkin
+1
Level 58
Dec 11, 2018
The concept of modern policing has its roots in pre-Victorian England, when the British home minister, Sir Robert Peel (1778-1850), oversaw the creation of London’s first organized police force. In London, the policemen were so identified with the politician who created them that they were referred to as “Peelers” or—more memorably—“Bobbies,” after the popular nickname for Robert.
Punewolf
+1
Level 69
Jan 14, 2016
Dragon and unicorn didn't make it to the ark because all three are fictional
kiwiquizzer
+1
Level 68
Jan 9, 2017
Like Vrikodara.
Sifhraven
+2
Level 65
Dec 14, 2018
the ark didnt make it to earth, because it is fictional
lucd13
+1
Level 69
Mar 12, 2016
More than enough time - 1:20 remaining - but, I did have to spend an age on the dog breed. There are just too many for this clue to be so generic - I went through the Corgis, then the Terriers before I eventually guessed correctly. Definitely needs a more specific clue. Or omission.
Morpioniste
+1
Level 65
May 17, 2021
The quiz is about cultural symbols, so it really can only be bulldog - British Bulldog, Bulldog Spirit etc.
Rhubarb
+3
Level 28
Aug 22, 2016
I'm British and I hadn't heard of John Bull. We don't really use that anymore. Should be Kitchener or Britannia.
AbiA
+1
Level 79
Oct 21, 2021
I remember being given a John Bull printing set as a kid.
FatDad
+1
Level 80
Feb 3, 2017
Big Ben is the bell!
manchesterutd10
+1
Level 52
Mar 23, 2017
for an american only missing 2 is decent in my eyes
Malbaby
+1
Level 71
Mar 23, 2017
Yes, pretty good, I don't do as well with the USA quizzes, although I'm learning all the time.
Gassu
+1
Level 70
Jul 21, 2017
What? British Culture and no Mr. Bean?!
fitheach
+2
Level 59
Oct 24, 2017
One would like to think that there's rather a lot more to the UK than some pathetic so-called comic character.
yorksguy1865
+1
Level 36
May 11, 2018
Mr. Bean is considered an absolute joke by us Brits.
ruftytufty
+2
Level 79
Aug 19, 2018
I think that may be the point
CharlieFarlie
+2
Level 20
Jul 24, 2017
Will you accept 'Lochness Monster' for the Scottish national animal?
Conservatopia
+1
Level 31
Mar 30, 2018
I guess its more likely to be real than the unicorn is...
stone222
+1
Level 48
Oct 13, 2018
agreed
Sifhraven
+2
Level 65
Dec 14, 2018
I think national animal is an official thing. Not what a country is known for
hirsutebodkin
+1
Level 58
Dec 11, 2018
Loch Ness. Two words
panicattheoilrig
+1
Level 29
Oct 24, 2017
who the hell is John Bull and how is the dog breed bulldog and not corgi or terrier?
Sifhraven
+1
Level 65
Dec 14, 2018
cause you have English bulldog, and if im not mistaken (I might be but never heard it) there is no english corgi or english terrier
overtired
+2
Level 83
May 22, 2019
English Bull Terrier, Scottish Terrier (Scottie), Welsh Terrier all exist. But yeah, the obvious answer is British Bulldog (used more commonly than English Bulldog).
QuizWol
+1
Level 59
Aug 18, 2019
British Bulldog is a game that Scouts play, at least up until fairly recently. It involves lots of barging around in a hall or field.
Berney
+1
Level 79
Sep 4, 2018
If anyone would like to test their knowledge of Britain a bit further then I've created a series of "Britain by picture" quizzes which you might be interested in trying.
Manxman
+1
Level 34
Sep 6, 2018
Like the quiz, one small thing. It's only called a Union Jack when it's flying from the Jack mast of Royal Navy ship. Any other time it's the Union Flag
overtired
+4
Level 83
May 22, 2019
"The claim that the term Union Jack properly refers only to naval usage has been disputed, following historical investigations by the Flag Institute in 2013."

"Graham Bartram, a British vexillologist who is, as of 2013, the secretary-general for congresses of the Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques and the chief vexillologist of the Flag Institute, when interviewed on the BBC Broadcasting House programme on 13 October 2013, stated that either name was perfectly valid whatever the purpose. He stated that the theory that the flag should only be referred to as "Union Jack" when flown at sea was wrong."

tbd123
+3
Level 48
Nov 29, 2018
Policeman are called 'Bobbies' everywhere in the UK, not just London. I've also though the term 'copper' sounds more London based (best said in a bad Cockney accent!).
gursh
+2
Level 55
Dec 14, 2019
copper is UK wide as well. I think the best London specific term is probably 'old bill.' Try saying that in a scouse or scottish or mancunian accent and it doesn't really work.
Sifhraven
+1
Level 65
Dec 14, 2018
surprised at how many got beefeathers (never heard of it) and the saints. But I feel so bad for the unicorn...
QuizWol
+2
Level 59
Aug 18, 2019
Read it again. BeefEATERS, not feathers. Something to do with their wages I think. Or the colour of their uniforms.
overtired
+2
Level 83
May 22, 2019
Still waiting to see a lion, unicorn or dragon out in the British countryside...
QuizWol
+1
Level 59
Aug 18, 2019
Go to Longleet one day.
gursh
+1
Level 55
Dec 14, 2019
British policeman are just as often referred to as 'Old Bill.' Feel like both should be acceptable although they aren't quite similar (old bill usually applies to the police force as a whole). They do tend to be interchangable though. Eg if you see a policeman, 'it's the Old Bill' tends to be a common, if not more usual, response than bobbies
EcceHomo
+1
Level 77
Jun 24, 2020
The quiz asks for 'Nickname of friendly London policemen'.

Bobby is quite correct. Old fashioned, but it is a friendly term for a policeman anywhere in the UK, including London.

There are plenty of other nicknames, but none that I can think of that implies a 'friendly policeman'.

stylus
+3
Level 74
Feb 20, 2020
Accept God Save The King? Just because there happens to be a queen at the moment the song's probably called God Save The King and if it's written into a constitution anywhere that that's the national anthem then that's what it would be called.
EcceHomo
+1
Level 77
Jun 24, 2020
Agreed.
FadKrashmor
+2
Level 69
Jul 7, 2022
Britain does not have a written constitution.
Peteylovesgolf
+1
Level 66
May 29, 2020
Was a fun quiz, but more English than British, nothing really at all to identify the other countries and Northern Ireland completely left out.
EcceHomo
+2
Level 77
Jun 24, 2020
Here we go. Northern Ireland isn't in Britain. It's in the United kingdom.
JonOfKent
+1
Level 55
Feb 2, 2021
The idea that John Bull is "the British version" of Uncle Sam despite being about 100 years older..!
JWatson24
+1
Level 71
Mar 4, 2021
Can you accept just "Bull" for John Bull? I've heard of him before, just couldn't remember his first name.
Coldyham
+2
Level 61
Oct 21, 2021
But then anyone typing bulldog would get that answer automatically
Superguy
+1
Level 24
Jan 26, 2022
The Union Jack is what the answer to question 1 is shown as, but it's only a Union Jack when it's on a ship, therefore it should be "Union Flag."
LotusBiscotti
+2
Level 50
Jun 7, 2022
common misconception
mathemusician
+2
Level 67
Sep 10, 2022
The national anthem is now god save the king.
Quizmaster
+2
Level ∞
Sep 11, 2022
Updated
ANNES
+1
Level 56
Mar 28, 2023
Spoiler: some of the animals are pretend.
GenMo
+1
Level 35
Apr 18, 2023
I’m British and have never heard of government being referred to as either Lord Kitchener (although I know of him as an historical figure) or John Bull. I have, however, heard of Uncle Sam.
Alexquiz17
+1
Level 82
Aug 27, 2023
With Kitchener they are referring to the famous military recruitment posters from WW1 (“your country needs you” etc) which resembled the Uncle Sam ones. John Bull was more of a national archetype from the 18th century, although the image was also used on recruiting posters up until that war
AdamH1996
+2
Level 43
May 16, 2023
As a Londoner, we have many nicknames for coppers here... Bobbies is not one of them. Also, I don't think the British government has been referred to as "John Bull or

Lord Kitchener" since the world wars, so not quite like Uncle Sam?

RJG
+1
Level 55
Jul 6, 2023
I got 20/22, but I'm from UK.
Alexquiz17
+1
Level 82
Aug 27, 2023
Also, I’m a merchant naval officer, and can re-assure everyone concerned that while it’s not a big deal, referring to the union flag as a jack when not flown from naval vessels is still considered a faux pas
guiztar73
+1
Level 71
Sep 5, 2023
Special shout out to England for having a real animal as their national animal.
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