In Scouting for Boys, published in 1908, Robert Baden-Powell set out the promise that every Scout makes. It began “On my honour I promise that” and listed three commitments: to do his duty to God and the King, to help others “whatever it costs me,” and to obey the Scout Law.
The promise is still made today, in versions for different faiths and for those of no faith.
In England and Wales, an accepted offer on a house is not binding until contracts are exchanged. Until then, the seller may accept a higher offer from someone else. This is called gazumping, and it is not illegal.
Estate agents must pass every offer to the seller, even after one has been accepted. Buyers can ask for the property to be marked “under offer” or “sold subject to contract.”
On 8 September 2020, the Northern Ireland Secretary, Brandon Lewis, told the House of Commons that the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill would break international law. His words were: “yes, this does break international law in a very specific and limited way.” The clauses in question would have overridden part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
The clauses caused considerable controversy in the United Kingdom and abroad. Several resignations followed, including that of Jonathan Jones, head of the Government Legal Department. After an agreement in principle with the European Union on 8 December 2020, the government withdrew the provisions in question.
In 1937, High Trees House leased a block of flats in Battersea from Central London Property Trust at £2,500 a year. The war emptied many flats, and in January 1940 the landlord agreed in writing to accept £1,250. Nothing was given in return, and no end date was set.
In 1945, with the flats full again, the landlord sought the full rent. In 1946, Mr. Justice Denning held that full rent was due from mid-1945. He added that the landlord could not have claimed the full rent for the war years: “I am satisfied that a promise such as that to which I have referred is binding.”
Some farmers in Northern Ireland still follow the custom of the luck penny. The seller gives the buyer a small sum after a sale to “seal the deal and show their goodwill.”
A 2026 report found the custom alive in parts of Antrim and Londonderry, sometimes with a £20 note in place of the penny. “Historically, the lucky penny was literally just a penny.”
In July 2023, in an Ashes Test at Lord’s, the England batter Jonny Bairstow ducked under the last ball of an over. Thinking the ball was dead, he left his crease. The Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey had already underarmed the ball at the stumps, and Bairstow was given out stumped. The crowd jeered the Australians.
In the Long Room, members of the MCC confronted the Australian players. The club suspended three members and later said their conduct “fell well below the behaviour expected from our members.” The Laws of Cricket open with a preamble on the Spirit of Cricket. It states: “The major responsibility for ensuring fair play rests with the captains.”
Much of the British constitution is not written down. It depends on what is known as the “good chap theory of government.” As Prospect magazine put it: “We have long assumed that those who rise to high office will be ‘good chaps,’ who understand the rules and choose to observe them.”
British English praises reliability more warmly than brilliance.
A safe pair of hands: Someone who can be trusted with an important task and will not make mistakes.
Sound: Reliable and sensible. “He’s sound” is high praise.
A good egg: A decent, dependable person.
A loose cannon: Someone unpredictable, who may cause damage.
Flaky: Unreliable, likely to cancel or forget.
In 1923 the London Stock Exchange received its own coat of arms. Its motto is Dictum Meum Pactum, “My word is my bond.”