Humour is a vital element in British communication. As a general rule, it tends to be understated, subtle, and clever. Irony and self-deprecation are common. Humour can be used to create a sense of cohesiveness, to cut through bureaucracy or formality, to put things into perspective, to defuse a tense situation, or to criticize another person.

The level of formality in communicating is rapidly diminishing among those under the age of 40. The use of first names is becoming more prevalent, even in business. Nonetheless, it is best to wait until invited before moving to a first name basis.

Many avoid using absolute statements and may couch their words with conditional phrases such as “perhaps” or “maybe”. This allows for different opinions without hurting anyone’s feelings.

The following tips will assist you in communicating with the British:

• The British prefer to keep at least an arm’s length distance between themselves and the person to whom they are speaking. 
• Direct eye contact is used to develop rapport. 
• Non-verbal communication such as winking, raising an eyebrow, or offering a wry smile adds meaning to the spoken words. 
• As masters of understatement, the British are fond of evasive responses. 
• Conversations are laced with the phrases “excuse me” and “I’m sorry”. 
• In their drive to appear polite and courteous, Britons may hint at what they want rather than risk appearing forward by asking directly. 
• For the most part, the British speak in low, moderate, measured tones. 
• The British tend to speak in complete sentences. 
• Their speech pattern can be somewhat verbose and pedantic. 
• They do not interrupt others who are speaking as doing so would be a breach of good manners.