British Cultural Symbols

Can you name these official and unofficial British cultural symbols?

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Last updated: September 11, 2022

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First submitted	March 4, 2013
Times taken	59,401
Average score	68.2%
Rating	4.31

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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

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110 Recent Comments

Level 91

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?

Level 77

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...

Level 75

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...

Level 70

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).

Level 62

Mar 12, 2016

England was probably one of the first countries to have a national animal, a long time before America was founded.

Level 70

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

Level 89

Jul 31, 2019

....So, something that has nothing to do with the kingdom of England?

Level 58

Jan 6, 2017

Unicorns, dragons and lion have heraldic significance.

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

Level 89

Jul 31, 2019

That was my big impression of this quiz.

Level 60

Oct 10, 2020

The Lion, Unicorn and Dragon are NOT national animals. They are heraldic symbols.

Level 67

May 17, 2021

Agree

Level 76

Jun 2, 2014

What about detective Poirot instead of Sherlock Holmes? Sure he's not British, but was created by a British writer.

Level 73

Jul 28, 2014

Where do you stop - Morse, Barnaby, Frost, Dalgleish, Marple, Rebus...

Level 59

Oct 22, 2015

Mrs Marple was my first thought, too. Maybe the clue could be a little more specific.

Level 75

Oct 23, 2015

That would make a great quiz all on its own. I love Morse and Barnaby. (Both Barnabys.)

Level 72

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.

Level 72

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..)

Level 89

Jul 31, 2019

Poirot, the French Belgian?

Level 45

Aug 4, 2014

100% with 1:23 left .Easy!

Level 84

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!

Level 74

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)?

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...

Level 83

Nov 28, 2015

How many breeds of God are there???

Level 68

Jan 9, 2017

First guess: bulldog. Absolutely British.

Level 67

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

Level 75

Dec 11, 2020

Look it up...

Level 65

May 3, 2015

For me the British version of Uncle Sam is Britania, as it is she that symbolises the country

Level 70

Mar 23, 2017

If that is so for you, at least spell it correctly 'Britannia'

Level 83

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.

Level ∞

Aug 10, 2015

Yes, I suppose it should. :) Yeomen will work now too.

Level 48

Oct 13, 2018

i put ravens first for that reason, and thanks to you it worked...btw i knew the "other" answer

Level 54

Sep 10, 2015

The term bobbies relating to policemen is actually a Scottish term, and has no specific reference to London.

Level 62

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?

Level 58

Dec 11, 2018

1-0 to the worm

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)

Level 56

Oct 22, 2015

British born and raised, but John Bull is certainly not as familiar to me as Uncle Sam!

Level 81

Oct 22, 2015

I like how 2/3 national animals are not even animals.

Level 75

Oct 27, 2016

So you're saying unicorns and dragons are veggies? Mythical beasts are still beasts.

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.

Level 73

Apr 21, 2024

Can you explain to me how dragons and unicorns do not fit the definition of animal that you've given?

Level 73

Apr 21, 2024

Or are you arguing in favour of dragons and unicorns being animals? I suppose the fact that you've used "animal" in your definition of unicorn supports that.

Level 31

Mar 30, 2018

And the only one that is real is not native to the country.

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.

Level 56

Oct 22, 2015

So Doctor Who is an alien. The more you know!

Level 58

Oct 24, 2017

Level 89

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.

Level 55

Oct 22, 2015

Thanks for accepting Kitchener. And I had trouble remembering him!

Level 54

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.

Level 62

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".

Level 58

Jan 6, 2017

Wrong. London bobbies have been famous since I was a wee child.

Level 58

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.

Level 70

Mar 23, 2017

When ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise!

Level 51

Dec 25, 2017

No, definitely English too. Also known as Peelers or Rozzers.

Level 48

Oct 13, 2018

bobby is English, .. Robert Peel started his force in London, England

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.

Level 68

Jan 14, 2016

Dragon and unicorn didn't make it to the ark because all three are fictional

Level 68

Jan 9, 2017

Like Vrikodara.

Level 72

Dec 14, 2018

the ark didnt make it to earth, because it is fictional

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.

Level 67

May 17, 2021

The quiz is about cultural symbols, so it really can only be bulldog - British Bulldog, Bulldog Spirit etc.

Level 30

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.

Level 85

Oct 21, 2021

I remember being given a John Bull printing set as a kid.

Level 82

Feb 3, 2017

Big Ben is the bell!

Level 57

Mar 23, 2017

for an american only missing 2 is decent in my eyes

Level 70

Mar 23, 2017

Yes, pretty good, I don't do as well with the USA quizzes, although I'm learning all the time.

Level 70

Jul 21, 2017

What? British Culture and no Mr. Bean?!

Level 58

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.

Level 35

May 11, 2018

Mr. Bean is considered an absolute joke by us Brits.

Level 79

Aug 19, 2018

I think that may be the point

Level 20

Jul 24, 2017

Will you accept 'Lochness Monster' for the Scottish national animal?

Level 31

Mar 30, 2018

I guess its more likely to be real than the unicorn is...

Level 48

Oct 13, 2018

agreed

Level 72

Dec 14, 2018

I think national animal is an official thing. Not what a country is known for

Level 58

Dec 11, 2018

Loch Ness. Two words

Level 30

Oct 24, 2017

who the hell is John Bull and how is the dog breed bulldog and not corgi or terrier?

Level 72

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

Level 85

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).

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.

Level 81

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.

Level 35

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

Level 85

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."

Level 47

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!).

Level 56

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.

Level 72

Dec 14, 2018

surprised at how many got beefeathers (never heard of it) and the saints. But I feel so bad for the unicorn...

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.

Level 85

May 22, 2019

Still waiting to see a lion, unicorn or dragon out in the British countryside...

Level 59

Aug 18, 2019

Go to Longleet one day.

Level 56

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

Level 81

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'.

Level 77

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.

Level 81

Jun 24, 2020

Agreed.

Level 71

Jul 7, 2022

Britain does not have a written constitution.

Level 65

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.

Level 81

Jun 24, 2020

Here we go. Northern Ireland isn't in Britain. It's in the United kingdom.

Level 78

Apr 15, 2024

It is still part of the British Isles, though.

Level 57

Feb 2, 2021

The idea that John Bull is "the British version" of Uncle Sam despite being about 100 years older..!

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.

Level 63

Oct 21, 2021

But then anyone typing bulldog would get that answer automatically

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."

Level 52

Jun 7, 2022

common misconception

Level 69

Sep 10, 2022

The national anthem is now god save the king.

Level ∞

Sep 11, 2022

Updated

Level 60

Mar 28, 2023

Spoiler: some of the animals are pretend.

Level 41

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.

Level 67

May 6, 2024

I said Britannia

Level 50

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?

Level 61

Jul 6, 2023

I got 20/22, but I'm from UK.

Level 72

Sep 5, 2023

Special shout out to England for having a real animal as their national animal.

Level 67

May 6, 2024

The flag of the UK is only called the Union Jack when it is flown on a ship .. otherwise it is called the Union Flag

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