History Main / LieBackAndThinkOfEngland

While this can happen to someone of any gender, it's far more common to occur with female characters. The phrase "Lie back and think of England" refers to the societal expectation that women [[MaritalRapeLicense should endure or submit to sexual activity with their husbands]], even if they are not particularly enthusiastic about it. Although the phrase originated in Britain, this stigma extends globally as it reflects a traditional and repressive view of sexuality and gender norms, where women are expected to prioritize their role as wives and mothers over their own desires. This is often associated with the belief that AllWomenArePrudes who are simply incapable of enjoying sex, feigning headaches, stomachaches, and menses to get away from their "marital duties." Today, such beliefs are frequently recognized as sexist and oppressive, undermining female agency and suppressing their sexual autonomy, but many still do believe that it's better for a woman to endure if it will bring her male partner happiness.

-->''Women'' have always been expected to lie back and think of England.\\
I'm not sure thinking of England has the same effect on a man.\\
I don't care what he thinks about, as long as he lies back! I'll do the rest.

[[folder:Comic books]]

!!Examples

* In ''Series/WillAndGrace,'' when Jack is dating Beverly Leslie (Karen was forcing him to be with Beverly because she was broke and he was rich) he mentions that he doesn't really want to stay with him and doesn't want to "do it." Karen simply replies, "Oh, you'll do it. You'll do it the same way any self-respecting woman does. Get on your back, point your heels to Jesus and think of handbags."

* Discussed and invoked on ''Series/That70sShow''. Jackie knows that the trope isn't true, but pretends it is anyway. If the guys find out that girls enjoy it too, Jackie will lose one of [[LysistrataGambit her "buy me stuff" bargaining tools]].

* ''Series/TrueBlood'': Pam says "Lie back and think of Estonia" to Eric's new Estonian dancer, while giving her oral sex (it is unknown if any blood-sucking was involved). The girl was clearly enjoying Pam's "services."
* ''Series/VeronicaMars'':
** V suggests this as a way for Mac to get through prom with her goober of a date.
** Mac is excited/nervous about getting a hotel room after prom; Veronica says this jokingly to calm her down.

-->'''Alan:''' Now, Piers, just bite the pillow and think of England!
-->'''Piers:''' ''Ohhh'' no! I had enough of ''that'' in boarding school!
* Played with in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''; generally, any time they pull out the "[[LysistrataGambit women have power over men because they can go longer without sex]]" joke plays it straight. One episode, less so: Carla's hoop for Turk is to prove to her that he truly knows her, which he does by giving her a gift that is relevant to who she is as a person rather than the generic flowers or chocolate (in this case, a pen, because she loves to write everything down). So when he learns, and subsequently puts off sex to tell her, that it turns out the lost-and-found box where he got it is actually an " ass-and-found box", she almost tells him he doesn't get any... until she realizes he pretty much just did exactly what she told him better than any gift ever could. What's weird with ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' is that they had one episode where Carla freaks out because she wasn't able to have an orgasm and apparently that had never happened to her before. Clearly, she does enjoy sex.
* An episode of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' had a {{Flashback}} to Barney's youth, wherein his brother James, who at this point in time didn't yet realize that he is gay, reveals that he always thinks [[MrFanservice of his favorite sports team]] while having sex with women - in order to finish quicker.
* Used jokingly by Franklin in the ''Series/BabylonFive'' episode "[[Recap/BabylonFiveS02E12ActsOfSacrifice Acts of Sacrifice]]". When Ivanova learns that an alien diplomat will only seal a potential alliance through sex with her, he suggests, "You could put a bag over his head and do it for Babylon 5!"
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** Daenerys has to go through this during the early days of her marriage. Drogo would simply flip her over and go to town on a whim, with no real thought to her enjoyment. After Dany learns some secrets of lovemaking, however, her marriage improves greatly both in and out of the bedroom.
** The High Sparrow seems to see this as the normal state of affairs for women. Sex is only for producing heirs, and pleasure is irrelevant.
--->'''Margaery:''' I no longer have such desires.
--->'''High Sparrow:''' Congress does not require desire on the woman's part. Only patience.
** A very dark version of this trope is presented when Jaime advises Brienne to think of Renly when her would-be rapists have their way with her, knowing she will be killed if she resists.
* ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': Queen Alicent clearly takes no pleasure in having sex with King Viserys, as seen with her ThousandYardStare as he humps away on top of her. But she still knows it's her duty to endure it and doesn't show her displeasure to him, giving him a fake smile when he looks at her.
* Gender-inverted in ''[[Creator/TomSharpe Blott on the Landscape]]''. Lady Maud wants children and is griping that her husband isn't interested in having sex with her (because she's a BigBeautifulWoman, while he's more interested in kinky sex with his young mistress).
-->"''Women'' have always been expected to lie back and think of England."
-->"I'm not sure thinking of England has the same effect on a man."
-->"I don't care what he thinks about, as long as he lies back! I'll do the rest."
* In the MiniSeries ''Children Of The Dust'', a woman is advised by her overbearing mother-in-law that she must "relax and think lovely thoughts'' because it's her duty to give her husband a son.
* In ''Series/IntoTheBadlands'', Lydia tries to counsel Veil with her inevitable ForcedMarriage to Quinn, telling her that she has to go through with it for her and her infant son's sake. [[spoiler: Luckily, the marriage is not consummated.]]
* In ''Series/TheEndOfTheFuckingWorld'' (season 1, episode 2), the phrase is used by Phil.
-->'''Phil:''' It's easier for women, they get to lie back and think of England. [[AManIsAlwaysEager Men... we have to BE England]].
* ''{{Series/Kaamelott}}'':
** Zigzagged: Men and women alike see sex as necessary for pumping out kids, but very few seem to be that interested in it. The main exceptions are Arthur (who spent his formative years in Rome and has several mistresses but doesn't seem to view sex as a particularly worthwhile goal) and one of his mistresses, who thinks being good in bed is a good if not the most important trait in a queen.
** Ever on the lookout for new ways to antagonize his son-in-law Arthur, Leodegrance gets him to participate in a clan tradition after pacifying rebels: the victorious leader must rape the defeated chief's eldest daughter (Arthur is understandably disgusted but Leodegrance threatens to secede if the king refuses to honor his allies' traditions). So Arthur enters and explains to the girl that he's willing to act as though he'd raped her, but it turns out the girl is the chief's second-eldest daughter who was very much looking forward to it (Arthur being known as one of the few men in Britain who bathes and has romantic ideals), to the point that she'd persuaded her sister to switch places. As Arthur continues to refuse to do the deed after they come to an agreement (he'll make her one of his official mistresses and she'll live at Kaamelott), she ends up threatening to rape ''him'' at swordpoint.
--->'''Arthur:''' Touch me and I'll scream.

In contemporary society, sex is commonly regarded as a recreational experience but it's not always so. Often times people have had to endure having sexual intercourse, mentally detaching themselves from the physical act and simply going through the motions and passively allowing the unwanted or unsatisfactory sexual encounter to finish.

While this can happen to someone of any gender, it's far more common to occur with female characters. The phrase "Lie back and think of England" refers to the societal expectation that women [[MaritalRapeLicense should endure or submit to sexual activity with their husbands]], even if they are not particularly enthusiastic about it. Although the phrase originated in Britain, this stigma extends globally as it reflects a traditional and repressive view of sexuality and gender norms, where women are expected to prioritize their role as wives and mothers over their own desires. This is often associated with the belief that AllWomenArePrudes who are simply incapable of enjoying sex, feigning headaches, stomachaches, and menses to get away from their "marital duties". Today, such beliefs are frequently recognized as sexist and oppressive, undermining female agency and suppressing their sexual autonomy, but many still do believe that it's better for a woman to endure if it will bring her male partner happiness.

This trope is frequently visualized via a RevealingHug, with the partner on the top "doing all the work", while the other looks to the ceiling with a blank or vacant expression, sometimes with DullEyesOfUnhappiness, EmptyEyes or a ThousandYardStare.

* ''[[http://ficwad.com/story/111073 Snorkacks: Redux]]'':
-->'''Luna:''' A woman is supposed to be subservient to her husband in all things. That’s how the pureblood laws are written. For instance, did you know that a pureblood witch is still expected to enter her wedding bed a virgin, undress her husband and then herself, lie on her back, and then allow her husband to do exactly as he pleases, without protest of any kind, whether she wants what he does, or not.

* Invoked word for word in the {{Podcast/Rifftrax}} of ''Film/TheRoom''. Michelle is trying to convince Lisa that it's wrong to cheat on Johnny. As Michelle leaves, she reminds Lisa to "think about what I said." Kevin says, "Just lie back and think of England." In this case, though, it isn't so much that anyone thinks Lisa shouldn't enjoy sex, but because Johnny looks like "[[{{Gonk}} a catfish in a suit]]."

* ''[[http://depts.washington.edu/psy210/1894.html Instruction and Advice for the Young Bride]]'' [[LongTitle (etc.)]] is a [[StealthParody 19th century educational pamphlet]] intended to prepare upright young women for the horrors of sex. It is an obvious hoax, but it's probably one of the most amusing parodies of the trope you'll ever read.

In contemporary society, sex is commonly regarded as a recreational experience but it's not always so. Often times people have had to endure having sexual intercourse against their wishes, and given this is such an intimate act, they often cope by mentally detaching themselves from the physical act and simply going through the motions and passively allowing the unwanted sexual encounter to transpire.

While this can happen to someone of any gender, it's far more common to occur with female characters. The phrase "Lie back and think of England" refers to the societal expectation that women [[MaritalRapeLicense should endure or submit to sexual activity with their husbands]], even if they are not particularly enthusiastic about it. Although the phrase originated in Britain, this stigma extends globally as it reflects a traditional and repressive view of sexuality, where women were expected to prioritize their role as wives and mothers over their own desires. This was often associated with the belief that AllWomenArePrudes who are simply incapable of enjoying sex, feigning headaches, stomachaches, and menses to get away from their "marital duties". Today, such beliefs are recognized as sexist and oppressive, undermining female agency and suppressing their sexual autonomy.

* The line itself was used by Bear Grylls in one episode of ''Series/ManVsWild'' while demonstrating how to use an enema to bypass consuming dirty water to absorb the nutrients.

* ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', episode "The Return: Part 2": The contextual use is however not sexual, it is instead about resisting interrogation via MindProbe.
-->'''Richard Woolsey:''' He put his hand in my forehead. How can you resist that?\\
'''Maj. Gen. Jack O'Neill:''' Well, I like to close my eyes and think of England.
* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' has "Lie back and think of Torchwood" in the episode "[[Recap/TorchwoodS1E6Countrycide Countrycide]]" while Owen tends to Gwen's gunshot wound.

* Referenced in a ''Series/GilmoreGirls'' storyline. Lane says that the only thing that stuck from her ultra-religious mother is waiting to have sex until she's married, even though she does want to. When Lane is about to be married, her mom sits her down to have TheTalk. Her advice basically consists of "You'll have to 'do it' with this boy. If you're lucky, like me, it will only happen once" [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MesbBk-f7Go while Lane tries not to die of embarrassment.]]

* ''Series/UnitedStatesOfTara'' references this in one episode.

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'':
** In "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S06E12TheStarfighters The Starfighters]]", one of the many, ''many'' jokes made over the endless StockFootage of midair refueling in the movie is "just lie back and think of England's airspace."
** In "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E15AgentForHARM Agent for H.A.R.M.]]", a Russian woman deals with our sleazy middle-aged "hero" Adam Chance, prompting Mike to say, "She's thinking of England, France, the entire European community, the Middle East..."
* In the episode "Reluctant Heroes" of ''Series/{{Highlander}}: The Series'', Duncan [=MacLeod=] says, "Close your eyes, think of England," before cutting off an English villain's head.

* Referenced word-for-word in ''Series/{{Bodyline}}'': Douglas' girlfriend says she does this whenever he starts talking about [[SeriousBusiness cricket]].

* Invoked in ''Series/JonathanCreek''. A female doctor says this phrase to Jonathan right before administering a rectal exam.

* Averted when Cora begins a conversation with Mary before her wedding on ''Series/DowntonAbbey'', as she tells her daughter that "it really is terrible fun!" (Though they started out as a NobilityMarriesMoney MarriageOfConvenience, Cora and her husband Robert have long since fallen quite in love with each other, which explains her perspective despite this being Edwardian England.)

* Punned by Music/{{Skyclad|Band}} as "[[PoliticallyCorrectHistory Think Back And Lie Of England]]".

* "How can you lie back and think of England when you don't even know who's in the team?" - Billy Bragg's 'Shirley'.

* The song "Born to Be a Dancer" includes the line "Once you asked me what I'm thinking/I lay back and think of England".

* After Pip Bin's marriage to Ripely Fecund in ''Radio/BleakExpectations'', she lies back and thinks of England... while he lies back on another bed 30 feet away and thinks of Scotland and Wales. Thereby achieving [[IncrediblyLamePun union]].

* In ''VideoGame/NiNoKuni'', Drippy tells Abul to "lie back and think of Al Mamoon" when Oliver needs to take a piece of his heart to fix the Cowlipha's lack of restraint.

* Invoked in ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}'' when Amber is trying to determine the gender of her new pet hamster.
* Played with in [[http://partiallyclips.com/2003/10/12/on-holiday/ this strip]] of ''Webcomic/PartiallyClips''.

** Name-dropped in another episode where Hank and Cotton send Bobby to a military school. At lights out, the instructor tells the boys to be ready for their upperclassmen's "[[InitiationCeremony welcoming party]]". Bobby, upon hearing a noise, tells the boy at the next bunk, "Lie back and think of England!" This was actually told to him by Peggy, who admits she isn't sure what it means. Bobby does it literally, thinking of typical British things like Literature/PaddingtonBear and the Music/SpiceGirls. (It was TheNineties.)

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode, "Postcards from the Wedge", has Lisa saying ''this'' to Bart when he is about to be given a rectum examination from Marge checking on his fever:
-->'''Lisa:''' Just close your eyes and think of Milhouse. ''[Chuckles.]''

!This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16860145680.82354500 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.

* This phrase is used '''a lot''' in ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' fanfiction. As in, a LOT (but it's usually a ''massive'' inversion of the trope). It's somewhat played straight in [[http://solequeene.livejournal.com/10987.html this fic]], which has ''UsefulNotes/QueenVictoria'' herself literally doing this.

* The line is used in ''LetsPlay/AScotsmanInEgypt'' by DepravedHomosexual Puccio to a handsome and rather uninformed English diplomat, who wasn't aware he was an extra incentive in allying Milan and England against the Scots.

* In the Literature/JaneEyre fic ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/91216 Mustard Seed]]'', Mrs. Fairfax gives this advice to Jane on her wedding night. Jane isn't thrilled with the idea.

* A variation in ''Film/TheGunsOfNavarone''. Sergeant Miller is trying to force Captain Mallory to kill a traitor.
-->'''Miller:''' Climb down off that cross of yours, close your eyes, think of England, and pull the trigger!

* Mocked in ''The Stone of Destiny'', when it comes time to suit up to steal the stone of destiny in question, Ian must get all of his tools on inside the car, with Gavin's help. To stop him from squirming, Gavin tells him to "lie back and think of Scotland."

* ''[[http://depts.washington.edu/psy210/1894.html Instruction and Advice for the Young Bride]]'' [[LongTitle (etc.)]] is a [[StealthParody 19th century educational pamphlet]] intended to prepare upright young women for the horrors of -- (shoulder check) -- ''sex''. It is an obvious hoax, but it's probably one of the most amusing parodies of the trope you'll ever read.

[[AllWomenArePrudes For women]], sex is a chore, a duty that must be endured. [[ArtisticLicenseBiology God knows they don't enjoy the sex act]]. Feigning headaches, stomachaches and menses works for a time, but eventually every woman has to hike her skirt, grit her teeth, and submit to her husband's desires.

The phrase seems to have originated in one Lady Hillingdon's journal, where she wrote in 1912 that "When I hear his steps outside my door I lie down on my bed, open my legs and think of England." However, the journal itself has never been found, so it's uncertain how reliable this attribution is. It's possible the phrase was invented as a joke on the assumption that Victorian and Edwardian ladies were prudish in the extreme. Keep in mind, though, that in this time period it wasn't unheard of for a woman of a high class to have to endure a loveless marriage, since being a married woman brought some social advantages, especially financial security that would not be available to a spinster. Additionally, Lady Hillingdon (if she were indeed the author) was in her fifties when she wrote this, and so may have had problems -- many now treatable -- which rendered sex no longer enjoyable for her. Finally, contrary to CommonKnowledge, it's got nothing to do with Queen Victoria, who a) had died eleven years earlier and b) was ''very'' HappilyMarried.

The sentiment "AllWomenArePrudes" is also used and is not as severe. It is also used as an InvertedTrope, one used to ''prolong'' a sexual experience: when a man is reaching the point of no return, he may get in the habit of thinking of something else to try and muster up some more stamina. Thinking of baseball (or cricket, or some other sport -- perhaps even one in which balls are ''not'' struck with some form of stick) is especially common. Thinking of [[Film/AustinPowers Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day]] is a terrifying last resort recommended only for characters in comedies (however, young men in Latin American countries were often recommended to think of Music/CeliaCruz -- before her death, that is -- although Mexican men prefer [[EvilMakesYouUgly Elba Esther Gordillo]]).

Compare BritishStuffiness and StiffUpperLip, related to the same national stereotypes. Contrast ThinkUnsexyThoughts and TheLoinsSleepTonight. When the emphasis is on a husband's "right" to force sex on his wife, see MaritalRapeLicense. See also AwfulWeddedLife for when '''nothing''' about being in a relationship is enjoyable, or LousyLoversAreLosers for when it's entirely the guy's fault the woman isn't enjoying herself.

-->-- ''[[http://www.snopes.com/weddings/newlywed/advice.asp Instruction and Advice for the Young Bride]] [[LongTitle on the Conduct and Procedure of the Intimate and Personal Relationships of the Marriage State for the Greater Spiritual Sanctity of this Blessed Sacrament and the Glory of God]].''[[note]]Not authentic in the slightest. Still hilarious.[[/note]]

Compare BritishStuffiness and StiffUpperLip, related to the same national stereotypes. Contrast ThinkUnsexyThoughts and TheLoinsSleepTonight. For the trope about wives "putting up with" sex they don't actually want, see MaritalRapeLicense. See also AwfulWeddedLife for when '''nothing''' about being in a relationship is enjoyable, or LousyLoversAreLosers for when it's entirely the guy's fault the woman feels nothing.

[[AllWomenArePrudes For women]], sex is a chore, a duty that must be endured. [[ArtisticLicenseBiology God knows they don't enjoy the sex act]]. Feigning headaches, stomachaches and menses can only postpone the dreaded inevitable. Then it's time to grit your teeth, hike your skirt, "lie back and think of England".

The phrase seems to have originated in one Lady Hillingdon's journal, where she wrote in 1912 that "When I hear his steps outside my door I lie down on my bed, open my legs and think of England." However, the journal itself has never been found, so it's uncertain how reliable this attribution is. It's possible the phrase was invented as a joke on the assumption that Victorian and Edwardian ladies were prudish in the extreme. Keep in mind, though, that in this time period it wasn't unheard of for a woman of a high class to have to choose between marrying a strange man many years her senior who had no interest in pleasing her, and suffering serious societal repercussions including being possibly left penniless when her parents died. In other words, lying back and thinking of England may have been the best of bad options. Additionally, Lady Hillingdon (if she was indeed the author) was in her fifties when she wrote this, and so may have had problems -- many now treatable -- which rendered sex no longer enjoyable for her. Finally, contrary to CommonKnowledge, it's got nothing to do with Queen Victoria, who a) had died eleven years earlier and b) was ''very'' HappilyMarried.

Compare BritishStuffiness and StiffUpperLip, related to the same national stereotypes. Contrast ThinkUnsexyThoughts and TheLoinsSleepTonight. For the trope about wives "putting up with" sex they don't actually want, see MaritalRapeLicense. See also AwfulWeddedLife for when '''nothing''' about being in a relationship is enjoyable.

* In MoralOrel, Nurse Bendy has been sexually abused by both Principal Fakey and [[spoiler: Joe's father, Dr. Secondopinionson, resulting in Joe's birth]] and is implied to have been the case with others in the past. When we see Principal Fakey having sex with her she has a very bored expression on her face, at one point even eating a sandwich during. This also leads her to having PTSD issues from the abuse.

* Invoked in ''Series/JonathanCreek''. A female doctor says this phrase to Johnathan right before administering a rectal exam.