History NationalStereotypes / WesternEurope

*** Another stereotype among foreigners about the United Kingdom is that many assume that all British comedy is intellectual and full of absurd and black humour. Usually such people are referring to stuff like Radio/TheGoonShow, Creator/MontyPython, Series/{{Blackadder}} and Series/TheOfficeUK. They don't realize that the country also makes more low-brow and/or conventional comedy series.
* Culturally, Britain is most famous for producing several literary classics in the fields of novels, poetry and plays. Creator/WilliamShakespeare is still a national institution and usually the foremost British author referenced in popular culture. Other notables are Creator/CharlesDickens and Literature/SherlockHolmes to name the most iconic.
** Musically, the United Kingdom is best known for their own version of an American genre: rock. Music/TheBeatles and Music/TheRollingStones put British rock on the map and became just as big as American pop stars, with many famous artists like Music/TheWho, Music/DavidBowie, Music/EltonJohn (and more), ... following their path. The country also created their own rock subgenres HeavyMetal and PunkRock. Their heavy association with rock has lead to the BritishRockStar stereotype. Expect rock stars in popular culture to speak with a British accent rather than an American one. This British rockstar stereotype is also another example of a more degrading British character that highly contrasts with the gentleman archetype.
* By the way: it's always raining in the United Kingdom (BritishWeather). Or when in London, expect some smog or fog to show up.
** It's VERY much TruthInTelevision that Brits are obsessed with [[TalkAboutTheWeather talking about the weather]], probably stemming from - a) Having a [[BritishWeather highly erratic climate]] that goes from blazing sunshine to ''torrential'' downpours in the space of an afternoon, and b) A cultural need to fill in conversational silences and awkwardness with universally acceptable chit-chat.

** Buckingham Palace will usually be visited to have a scene with BritishRoyalGuards tormented by tourists trying to make them smile or laugh. Or the BritishRoyalFamily might turn up, though it's usually just HMTheQueen and Prince Charles, due to the recognizability of his large ears.
** British streets are full of double decker buses, red telephone booths, [[UsefulNotes/BritishCoppers bumbling bobbies]], taxi cabs, pubs, inns,...

* In some fiction like TheSimpsons' episode "The Regina Monologues" Great Britain is depicted as if it still has the death penalty, which is of course carried out in medieval style by beheading someone in the Tower of London. The irony of it all is that Great Britain has abolished the death penalty while the United States still has it!

** They also prefer to stay neutral and prefer to mind their own business. Since the 19th century they were only invaded once, during the Second World War, despite not wanting anything to do with the war. Also one of the few Western European countries who are not part of the European Union and one of the very few in the world that still practic whaling.

* The country is also known for petroleum and organising the annual Nobel Peace Prizes, which are handed out by the Swedish monarch. (Because Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel wanted to give his neighbouring country the honor of organizing the event.)

* The QuintessentialBritishGentleman has blonde, mousey or shiny black hair, a bushy moustache, is dressed in a bowler hat and black suit, carries an umbrella and interrupts everything for the sake of having his tea (see SpotOfTea). In American movies he usually speaks Cockney slang like “'Ello, gov'na!” or other random StockPhrases like “I say "what"?”, "Cheerio", "Right-ee-o", "Hello chaps", "I say!", "Hear Hear", "Bloody...", "What's all this then?" or “Jolly good show!”. Foreign comedians also have a tendency to portray an Englishman by using the words "bastard", "wanker", "tosser" or "bollocks", which are all considered to be [[DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch rude words in Great Britain]] and are always avoided in public, especially on radio or television.
* UsefulNotes/BritishCoppers
* BritishRoyalGuards
* StockBritishCharacters

* The BritishRoyalFamily is easily the world's most famous monarchy, so expect the various members to turn up, usually for [[Film/TheNakedGun comedic]] or [[Film/TheQueen dramatic]] effect, in a variety of works - from TV to films, books and even videogames.
** Since [[HMTheQueen Queen Elizabeth]] is the best-known monarch in the world, she's turned up quite a lot in fiction, usually as an AnonymousRinger or InvisiblePresident, in part due to her function as a constitutional monarch. The Queen [[AsHimself herself]] made her acting debut in a scene opposite Daniel Craig as Film/JamesBond for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 OlympicGames.
** Prince Charles is also a popular point of reference, due to the recognizability of his large ears.

* A mini state mostly known as tax haven for the export of false teeth.

'''UsefulNotes/{{SanMarino}}'''

TheEuropeanUnion is a specific European phenomenon. Even since its creation in 1957 more countries have joined it and thus provided stable peace in most of Europe ever since the end of World War Two. It also provides economic collaboration and a unity needed to compete with The United States, Japan and China. However, the E.U. is also seen as a bureaucratic monster unable to give its member states one ''"European"'' identity, because [[WithEuropeButNotOfIt every country desperately clings on to their own centuries old nationalistic traditions and identity]]. There are also fears that all the youngest member states (mostly former Eastern Bloc countries) will financially hurt the richer member states.

'''{{Austria}}'''

** SpotOfTea is also a quintessential element of British cuisine. In Britain tea is seen as a universal panacea for all ills, and the British love nothing better than 'putting their feet up' and enjoying a 'cuppa'. The quiet gentility of the English tea ceremony is seen as a reflection of the reserved national character. In popular culture they will usually drop everything they where doing at four o' clock in the afternoon because it's "tea time".

** Musically, the United Kingdom is best known for their own version of an American genre: rock. Music/TheBeatles and Music/TheRolling Stones put British rock on the map and it soon became just as big as American pop stars, producing many famous artists like Music/TheWho, Music/DavidBowie, Music/EltonJohn (and more), ... They also created their own rock subgenres HeavyMetal and PunkRock. Their heavy association with rock has lead to the BritishRockStar stereotype. Expect rock stars in popular culture to speak with a British accent rather than an American one. This British rockstar stereotype is also another example of a more degrading British character that highly contrasts with the gentleman archetype.

* Most foreigners know of only three things about Denmark: It's the land of Vikings, Lego, and Creator/HansChristianAndersen.
** In the English speaking world Denmark's association with {{Hamlet}} is very strong, since the play takes place there.

** Also, shy, self-possessed, never foolish, prone to depression and suicide. And racing drivers and metalheads.

** Drunk Finn on a bicycle is a common stereotype in Sweden.

* '''Icelanders''' are often stereotyped by the other Nordic nations as being CloserToEarth, well-meaning but naive and generally more exotic. Also seen as a nation of CloudCuckooLander s, which probably has something to do with {{Bjork}}.

* '''Norwegians''' are either portrayed as modern-day HornyVikings or as leather and spikes-wearing, church-burning black metalers (which is kind of a modernization of the old Viking trope, thanks to Varg Vikernes). A reference may be made to paganism and its (mostly false) association with church-burning.

* Generally no attempt will be made to distinguish Norway from Sweden. If there is, it is that Swedes like death metal while Norwegians like black metal.
* No image of Norway is complete without a scene taking place nearby some fjords. EdvardGrieg's music for ''Theatre/PeerGynt'' is very popular as a soundtrack to these images.
* Norwegians are all very tall and blond, and slightly more Christian than the rest of Scandinavia.
* Norway is known for its fishing industry and particularly its violent maelstroms. It is very likely that a ship will pass through one off the Norwegian coast and the crew will end up in a hut in a small fishing village, tended to by friendly locals. Today this stereotype is [[DeadHorseTrope extremely outdated]] since most of Norway's income comes from oil and natural gas, but at one time it was popular.
* Because of this Norway is supposed to be a very rich country, but everything is super-expensive.
* Norway is supposed by foreigners to be an extremely liberal nation of atheists which is multiculturalist, soft on crime and drugs, and obsessed with tolerance and fairness. These same stereotypes may apply to other Scandinavian countries as well.

* Of all Scandinavian or countries in Northern Europe, Sweden is the most prominent stereotyping target.

** Similar to CanadaEh overuse "Ja" (Yes) to drive the point home that S/he is Swedish.

* Swedish women are usually portrayed as tall, blonde sex bombs, inspired by real-life blonde Swedes like Creator/VictoriaSilvstedt, Creator/UlrikaJonsson, Creator/BrittEkland and [[Creator/AgnethaFaltskog Agnetha Fältskog]] from ''{{ABBA}}''.
* Another Swedish female stereotype is the icy, cool woman, inspired by Creator/GretaGarbo and Creator/IngridBergman.
* Regardless of whether they are sex bombs or ice queens, Swedish women are invariably tall, slender, blonde and blue-eyed, and well-dressed.
* Swedish men are often shown to be blond, dumb, well-built boytoys. Quite often they are ski instructors or handymen. They will always be named Sven or Lars.
** Except in other Scandinavian countries, where the Swedish man will be AmbiguouslyGay, fond of fashion in general and tight trousers in particular, and tech-savvy to the point of nerdiness.
* Swedish cultural fixtures figure into stereotypes such as IKEA, the cradle-to-grave socialist welfare state (and its attendant taxation), Volvos, etc. They are also commonly portrayed in propaganda works as a utopian society as a result of whatever the propaganda authors are advocating, as an example of the virtues of socialism (deconstructed [[http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2009/0514/sweden-hardly-a-socialist-nightmare here]]), atheism (played straight [[http://books.google.com/books?id=tAeFipOVx4MC&lpg=PA59&dq=cambridge%20companion%20to%20atheism%20sweden&pg=PA57#v=onepage&q=healthiest,%20wealthiest&f=false here]]), etc. Tolstoy did this with alcohol suppression way back in 1894 in ''The Young Tzar'', making this one OlderThanRadio.
* Whenever [[LeFilmArtistique arthouse cinema]] is parodied the movies will always be in black or white, surrealistic, too intellectual and made in either France or Sweden. If a Swedish arthouse movies is targeted it will always be referencing Creator/IngmarBergman.
* The women are all StrawFeminist. This is TruthInTelevision to some degree, as Sweden is one of the world's most progressive and experimental country in terms of gender politics and approaches to how people coexist.
* Swedes may be mistaken for Swiss people and vice versa, although their countries are not even geographically close together.
* This European postcard sarcastically depicts the Swedes [[http://www.erothitan.com/press_info/2002-10-28_the_perfect_european_en.html as being inflexible.]]

** Swedish women have a reputation for [[VaporWear not wearing bras]] and for sunbathing in the nude, or at least topless (this was TruthInTelevision in the 1980's but isn't anymore).
* Hacerse el sueco (Playing Swede, meaning to “play dumb, pretend not to have taken notice of things you actually know perfectly and decide to ignore anyway”)
* There's only two genres of music: The grimiest of metal and annoyingly upbeat bubblegum pop. The metal stereotype is applied to pretty much all Nordic countries (except Iceland), while the reputation of Sweden having overly cutesy pop music probably came from ''{{ABBA}}'', Roxette and Ace Of Base.
* Due to the huge popularity of books by Creator/AstridLindgren in the USSR, many Russians associate Sweden with quirky characters such as Literature/KarlssonOnTheRoof and Literature/PippiLongstocking.

* German music comes in several variations: deeply serious and sentimental romantic classical music (LudwigVanBeethoven, Music/FranzSchubert, Music/RobertSchumann, Music/FelixMendelssohn,...), obnoxiously loud and pompous Teutonic noise (RichardWagner), experimental and unenjoyable classical music (Music/KarlheinzStockhausen, Music/KurtWeill,...), Main/Krautrock (Music/{{Kraftwerk}}, Music/{{Can}}, Music/{{Neu}}, Amon Duül II,...), militaristic rock (Music/{{Rammstein}}), jolly oom-pah music or sappy schlager tunes.

* German music comes in several variations: deeply serious and sentimental romantic classical music (LudwigVanBeethoven, Music/FranzSchubert, Music/RobertSchumann, Music/FelixMendelssohn,...), obnoxiously loud and pompous Teutonic noise (RichardWagner), experimental and unenjoyable classical music (Music/KarlheinzStockhausen, Music/KurtWeill,...), Krautrock (Music/{{Kraftwerk}}, Music/{{Can}}, Music/{{Neu!}}, Amon Duül II,...), militaristic rock (Music/{{Rammstein}}), jolly oom-pah music or sappy schlager tunes.

* Germany is also the birthplace of cars. Since their invention the country has become closely associated with highly polished but efficient cars driving over the "Autobahn". Several famous international car brands are German: Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Opel, Porsche, Volkswagen,...

* The BritishRockStar provides an interesting cultural contrast to the gentleman archetype above, and the UK is equally famous for its [[RockAndRoll Rock]], HeavyMetal and [[PunkRock Punk]] heritage, having arguably produced (along with the USA), the most famous, recognizable and iconic bands on the planet; Music/TheBeatles, Music/PinkFloyd, Music/TheRollingStones, Music/TheWho, Music/IronMaiden, Music/LedZeppelin, Music/TheSexPistols (and more). This aspect of British culture is most famously (and lovingly) parodied in the film ThisIsSpinalTap, a mockumentary about a hapless, fictional English HeavyMetal band struggling to remain credible in the early 80's.

* In many countries, especially on the European continent, they are seen as having [[ForeignQueasine awful food]], something that has been spoofed in “{{Asterix}} in Britain". Expect the following British dishes to make a cameo whenever foreign characters in fiction visit the United Kingdom: buttered scones, Worcester sauce, fish 'n' chips, spotted dick (for DoubleEntendre purposes), Yorkshire pudding, peas, shepherd's pie, English breakfast,...

** SpotOfTea is also a quintessential element of British cuisine. In Britain tea is seen as a universal panacea for all ills, and the British love nothing better than 'putting their feet up' and enjoying a 'cuppa'. The quiet gentility of the English tea ceremony is seen as a reflection of the reserved national character.
* The English are often called "eccentric". This is partly caused by their driving on the left side of the road and the use of imperial measurements, which no other country in Europe (still) has.[[note]] Although ports on the coast of Northern Europe from France to Germany, which historically traded with Britain, will still, informally, understand the Imperial units of measurement to the extent that a concept called the "metric pound" exists. This is a unit of weight rounded up to 500 grammes, slightly more than a British pound.[[/note]] They are also the only European country to have a unique version of Christianity as the official state religion: Anglicanism. The usual explanation for the "British eccentric behaviour" is that they have lived for centuries on an isolated island, separated from the rest of the European continent, which caused them to act different from other Europeans. They haven't been invaded since 1066, which might also explain why so many historic traditions and architecture have remained intact and unchanged.

* In (beat 'em up) videogames Germans are often depicted as [[TheStoic stoic and serious]], verging on [[GermanicDepressive melancholic]] - good examples from the SoulSeries include Seigfried Schtauffen, whose back-story is angsty in the extreme and Hildegard von Krone, who typifies the efficient, serious German.
** Some beat 'em up characters are also ''ambiguously'' German - that is, they have German-sounding names, but it is [[PartsUnknown never specified]] they ''are'' German natives. Examples are to be found in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', with Heidern and Rugal Bernstein (and his children, Adelheid and Rose). In Heidern's case, this is perhaps because his design inescapably evokes a [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Nazi officer]] and so his nationality was [[HandWave hand-waved]] as "unknown". M.Bison of StreetFighter fame also evokes this look, and has a similarly ''"unknown"'' background. [[NaziNobleman Brocken]], (specified as German) from ''VideoGame/WorldHeroes'' shows no such compunction, and is blatantly presented as a ''"Nazi super-cyborg"''. Von [[UnfortunateImplications Kaiser]] of PunchOut fame is similarly blatant, and even quips ''"Surrender! Or I will conquer you!"'', taking the AllGermansAreNazis trope to the limit.
* Germany, just like Russia, is also a popular setting for fairy tales. This mostly stems from ''Literature/ThePiedPiperOfHamelin'' and the collected folk tales from Creators/TheBrothersGrimm, with ''Literature/{{Rumpelstiltskin}}, Literature/TheBremenTownMusicians, Literature/{{Rapunzel}}'' and ''Literature/HanselAndGretel'' as the most ''German'' examples. A trademark of many of these fairy tales is that they are very dark, bloody and filled with [[NightmareFuel/FairyTalesInGeneral nightmare fuel]]. Of course, many foreigners immediately make the narrow minded connection that this has something to do with Germany's reputation for evilness and/or depressing stories. This is also exemplified by the 19th century ScareEmStraight children's classic ''Literature/DerStruwwelpeter''.

* The oldest, and most enduring, stereotype -- it can be found in Tacitus' ''Germania'', in Dante's ''Literature/DivineComedy'', in Creator/{{Shakespeare}}'s ''Theatre/TheMerchantOfVenice, etc., etc.'' -- is that the Germans are heavy drinkers.
* German music comes in several variations: deeply serious and sentimental romantic classical music (LudwigVanBeethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn,...), obnoxiously loud and pompous Teutonic noise (RichardWagner), experimental and unenjoyable classical music (Stockhausen, Kurt Weill), Krautrock (Kraftwerk, Can, Amon Duül II), militaristic rock (Rammstein), jolly oom-pah music or sappy schlager tunes.

* GratuitousGerman will be used to describe abstract concepts like Weltschmerz, Schadenfreude, Wanderlust, Zeitgeist or Gemütlichkeit. In print it will be typed in gothic lettertype. Non-German speakers often add ''"Das", "Die"'' and ''"Der"'' randomly in front of every single German word. Or add unneccesary umlauts or capital letters.

** Just like Americans Germans are often portrayed being obese.

** This stereotype is most mercilessly realized in the manga AxisPowersHetalia with the AnthropomorphicPersonification of Italy, who is portrayed as ''utterly'' useless to his fellow Axis members, Germany and Japan -- the very word "Hetalia" being a contraction for "Useless Italy".

* MicroMonarchy: The ruling Grimaldi family in general are probably the ''2nd'' best known royal family in the world after the British Royal Family, at least to an American audience, due to cinema icon Creator/GraceKelly marrying Prince Rainier in 1956.

* The Belgian singer JacquesBrel once said that "Dutch isn't a language, it's a throat disease". Dutch does indeed involve a lot of noises from the back of the throat, therefore a popular stereotype is that Dutch consists of nothing but these sounds. The word "ja, ja, ja" ("yes, yes, yes") will be uttered non-stop as well.

* Thanks to both the [[{{Prussia}} Prussian Army]] of UsefulNotes/OttoVonBismarck, the [[UsefulNotes/FrancoPrussianWar Franco German War]] and the UsefulNotes/FirstWorldWar and UsefulNotes/SecondWorldWar '''Germans''' are often cast as villains or strict militaristic people, wearing pickelhaube, goosestepping from one place to another and obeying orders at all cost. The German reputation for belligerence has fluctuated a great deal through the ages. The ancient ''Germani'' were considered very war-like by the Romans, but by the Victorian period, the typical German was considered to be sentimental and romantic and musical --''Gemütlichkeit'' and ''Träumerei'' were the clichés. Then along came Bismarck and the Franco-German War, and all Germans became Prussians...During the First World War British propaganda even compared the Germans even to the Huns. Especially UsefulNotes/WorldWarII did a lot of damage to Germany's public image. Today the Germans still suffer from the idea that AllGermansAreNazis. The strange thing is other Axis Powers, like Germany and Japan, managed to escape the assocation with Nazism and Fascism, while Germany is still solely typecast as a country that was morally wrong during those years. For many people Germans are seen as people who are evil by nature, ignoring the fact that there were quite some notable Germans who opposed their military leaders. There was even a large German resistance movement.

* The BritishRockStar provides an interesting cultural contrast to the gentleman archetype above, and the UK is equally famous for its [[RockAndRoll Rock]], HeavyMetal and [[PunkRock Punk]] heritage, having arguably produced (along with the USA), the most famous, recognizable and iconic bands on the planet; TheBeatles, PinkFloyd, TheRollingStones, TheWho, IronMaiden, LedZeppelin, TheSexPistols (and more). This aspect of British culture is most famously (and lovingly) parodied in the film ThisIsSpinalTap, a mockumentary about a hapless, fictional English HeavyMetal band struggling to remain credible in the early 80's.

TheEuropeanUnion is a specific European phenomenon. Even since its creation in 1957 more countries have joined it and thus provided stable peace in most of Europe ever since the end of World War Two. It also provides economic collaboration and a unity needed to compete with The United States, Japan and China. However, the E.U. is also seen as a bureaucratic monster unable to give its member states one "European" identity, because [[WithEuropeButNotOfIt every country desperately clings on to their own centuries old nationalistic traditions and identity]]. There are also fears that all the youngest member states (mostly former Eastern Bloc countries) will financially hurt the richer member states.

** Tyroleans will also be seen performing the "Schuhplattler" (knee slapping) dance.
** In the 1970s a whole bunch of cheap sex comedies were made in Tyrol. The genre was even nicknamed "Tyrolian comedy", despite the fact that they were actually filmed in Bavaria, thus also coining the term "Bavarian porn" in other countries.

* "Name ten famous Belgians" is a well-known question, assuming that there are no Belgian celebrities. HilarityEnsues when a foreigner is only able to name two characters, both fictional: {{Tintin}} and HerculePoirot.[[http://www.famousbelgians.net/ The facts are different, especially since the lack of being able to name ten Belgian celebrities says more about the summarizing person's own general knowledge]].

* Belgians are often shown eating French fries ("French" doesn't refer to France, but the verb "to french"). This is more or less TruthInTelevision, fast-food joints selling French fries (and also cooked snails and seafood) abound in the entire country.

** Other national dishes like chocolate, beer, mussels, waterzooi and Belgian waffles contribute to the Belgians' reputation as "pleasure lovers" and jolly people who enjoy eating and drinking extremely tasty stuff. (Brussels sprouts are usually not associated with tastiness).
* British people often assume Belgium is boring.

** Thanks to the French Revolution and all the revolutions that followed ever since (from the Communards in the 19th century to the May 1968 student demonstrations) the French also have a reputation for being revolutionaries, active in LaResistance, spilling their blood on the barricades. Of course, they will still put everyone on the guillotine, even though this was abolished by law in 1981.
* France also has an association with love, romance and sex. [[GayParee Candlelit dinners by moonlight in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background]] are not uncommon in romantic films. French men and women are often portrayed as [[EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench sexy]] or even [[HandsomeLech oversexed]]. There are even a lot of erotic terms associated with France, among others: a "ménage à trois", "soixante neuf", lingerie, liasons, {{femme fatale}}, voyeurism, French kissing, a French tickler...

* The archetypal Frenchmen is usually caricatured as a dirty, lazy, unshaven, curly moustached man wearing a beret, striped sweaters, smoking a cigarette and carrying a baguette under the arm. “Being as dirty as a Frenchman” is actually an English proverb. French squat toilets also promote this image.
** Ironically Frenchmen also have a reputation for being "très chic" and sophisticated. Whoever speaks French must be cultivated, so GratuitousFrench is often spoken by aristocratic, posh, snobbish or very dignified people. This stems from the Middle Ages when most European nobles and royals (even in England) spoke French. Later, during the Versailles era of Louis XIV and later NapoleonBonaparte, a lot of French sophistication clichés began to blossom, including haute couture, parfum, eau de cologne, a monocle, corsettes, small handkerchiefs, a pince-nez and a lorgnette.

* French are often called “rude or arrogant” to foreigners. They are not afraid of swearing and using bad language (See also: FrenchJerk). Especially when they are driving. Parisians in particular are considered to be [[{{Jerkass}} very rude]] to tourists and foreigners (although not as much the latter as the former). It is not uncommon for travel guides to tell tourists not to look at people in the Metro in the eye, since they will think you have a problem with them.
** The [[FrenchJerk "arrogant Frenchman"]] stereotype was also fed by Charles De Gaulle, who both during World War II and later as President (1958-1969) expressed a very non-cooperative and independent view on world politics. During UsefulNotes/WorldWarII de Gaulle refused to cooperate in the Allies plans to '''free France'''. He, unlike all the other leaders, in his public speech right after D-Day stated that this invasion was the real invasion, this had the potential to ruin the Allied deceptions that Normandy was just a feint, with Calais the real invasion point. That was just one of his many, many, many actions whereby it seemed he was [[WithFriendsLikeThese more of a problem for his friends than enemies]].

* French accents are also enormously popular in comedies, WesternAnimation and even dramatic films and TV series, often to the point of overkill. French people will always speak English like Maurice Chevalier, usually complete with a “hon hon hon” laugh. All these French characters talk in the same way: "the" and "this" are pronounced "zee" and "zis", the words "mais oui", "sacre bleu", "zut alors", "mon ami" or "mon chéri" are used non-stop and the "w" is pronounced "ooweee". Famous examples are Inspector Clouseau in ThePinkPanther, Lumière in ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'', all the French characters in ''Series/AlloAllo'' and Pepe Le Pew. Sometimes, like in the movie ''{{Shrek}}'' (where the British character RobinHood inexplicably speaks English with a French accent), people are depicted as being French for no apparent reason other than evoking laughs while using the accent. In reality, as with any language, how heavy a native accent is while speaking a foreign language usually has more to do with 1) when in their lives they learned the foreign language 2) how long they've been speaking it and to whom and 3) how good they are at imitating accents. It's common for a French student of English living in France to talk this way, for example, but it would be very rare for a Frenchman who's lived for many years in, say, Midwestern America, to not say 'the' more or less like a Midwestern American.
** Non-French speakers also assume that you can just put "le" in front of every subject and it's grammatically correct French! The articles "la", "un", "une" or "l'" don't seem to exist.

* Whenever arthouse movies or independent movies are spoofed they are often French (spoofing Jean-Luc Godard, FrançoisTruffaut or any other "Nouvelle Vague" film). (See also: LeFilmArtistique).

* Frenchmen are often cast as cooks, onion sellers, proprietors of restaurants and/or cafés. They will enjoy eating baguettes, croissants, tarts, cheese and drink wine. Sometimes they are also depicted as having an eccentric taste: eating snails (escargots) and frog legs. This is also why the French are often nicknamed "frogs" in the English language. See also FrenchCuisineIsHaughty. Examples of French cooks in fiction: Louis in ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' and the cooks in ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}''.

* If a Frenchman sings it's always "Alouette", "Frère Jacques" or "La Marseillaise". If he plays an instrument it will be an accordion. When he listens to a French singer it's usually EdithPiaf.

* Thanks to both the [[{{Prussia}} Prussian Army]] of UsefulNotes/OttoVonBismarck, the [[UsefulNotes/FrancoPrussianWar Franco German War]] and the UsefulNotes/FirstWorldWar and UsefulNotes/SecondWorldWar '''Germans''' are often cast as villains or strict militaristic people, wearing pickelhaube, goosestepping from one place to another and obeying orders at all cost. The German reputation for belligerence has fluctuated a great deal through the ages. The ancient ''Germani'' were considered very war-like by the Romans, but by the Victorian period, the typical German was considered to be sentimental and romantic and musical --''Gemütlichkeit'' and ''Träumerei'' were the clichés. Then along came Bismarck and the Franco-German War, and all Germans became Prussians...During the First World War British propaganda even compared the Germans even to the Huns. Especially UsefulNotes/WorldWarII did a lot of damage to Germany's public image. Today the Germans still suffer from the idea that AllGermansAreNazis. The strange thing is that during both World Wars Germany collaborated with other Axis Powers as well, but still their country is the only one solely typecast as a country that was morally wrong during those years. For many people Germans are seen as people who are evil by nature, ignoring the fact that there were quite some notable Germans who opposed their military leaders. There was even a large German resistance movement.
** Thanks to numerous war movies, certain German military officers have become a popular stereotype themselves. German women are depicted as strict, dominant, bitchy females [[PrimAndProperBun with their hair in a tight bun hairstyle.]] They tend to shout orders in a shrill, abrasive tone, like for instance Dr. Elsa Schneider from ''IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', Frau Farbissina from ''AustinPowers'', Private Helga Geerhart from ''Series/AlloAllo'' and IlsaSheWolfOfTheSS.
** There are a lot of German inventions still associated with warfare like zeppelins, Panzer tanks and U-boats. Not to mention their Messerschmitt airplanes.
* In more recent times, especially in British comedy, the conscientious post-UsefulNotes/WorldWarII German has become a popular character. He is incredibly polite and respectful, and grows nervous whenever the war is mentioned ([[FawltyTowers "Don’t mention ]][[UsefulNotes/{{WWII}} The War]]!") or [[BerserkButton very pissed off]], [[AllGermansAreNazis if he is called a Nazi]].

** And, of course, from the fact that a lot of "serious" professions have been fulfilled by Germans in previous centuries, such as {{Mad Scientist}}s, psychologists, philosophers, composers, conductors and psychiatrists. Even in popular culture people in these professions [[HerrDoktor speak with thick German accents]]. This image is probably based on real-life examples like the German physicist AlbertEinstein and the Austrian psychiatrist SigmundFreud. Examples of these German scientists in fiction are Ludwig Von Drake, DrStrangelove,[[WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}} Dr. Otto Scratchandsniff]] and... [[TheHumanCentipede Josef Heiter]].
** 18th and 19th century style German romanticism also did a lot to associate Germans with seriousness. Poets, painters and composers wandering in forests or not far from lakes, especially during the fall, commiting suicide over tragic relationships or utter despair about life. May be reflected in "Trauermusik", "Träumerei", "schlager music" or "Sturm und Drang".
** The archetypical German philosopher will always be based on FriedrichNietzsche. Probably because he literally went mad later in life. Or because the Nazis used his ideas for their own propaganda purposes.
** German Expressionism, with a lot of shadows and distorted backgrounds, has also become infamous.

** Some beat 'em up characters are also ''ambiguously'' German - that is, they have German-sounding names, but it is [[PartsUnknown never specified]] they ''are'' German natives. Examples are to be found in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', with Heidern and Rugal Bernstein (and his children, Adelheid and Rose). In Heidern's case, this is perhaps because his design inescapably evokes a [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Nazi officer]] and so his nationality was [[HandWave hand-waved]] as "unknown". M.Bison of StreetFighter fame also evokes this look, and has a similarly "unknown" background. [[NaziNobleman Brocken]], (specified as German) from ''VideoGame/WorldHeroes'' shows no such compunction, and is blatantly presented as a "Nazi super-cyborg". Von [[UnfortunateImplications Kaiser]] of PunchOut fame is similarly blatant, and even quips "Surrender! Or I will conquer you!", taking the AllGermansAreNazis trope to the limit.
* If Germans are depicted having fun, they are usually wearing Tyrolean hats, lederhosen, drinking beer, playing the tuba and celebrating {{Oktoberfest}}. The women are robust, large-breasted characters with blonde hair in pigtails or braids, wearing dirndls and carrying dozens of steins of beer at once. These partying Germans are often seen eating schnitzel, sausages, sauerkraut and sauerbraten while dancing to oom-pah music or performing the "Schuhplattler" (knee slapping) dance. This folklore image isn’t entirely German, since it’s especially associated with Bavarian culture in southern Germany as well as Austria.

** Another "joyful German stereotype" is the female Berlin cabaret singer performing in male costume, usually referencing Creator/MarleneDietrich or the film ''Film/{{Cabaret}}''.

* GratuitousGerman will be used to describe abstract concepts like Weltschmerz, Schadenfreude, Wanderlust, Zeitgeist or Gemütlichkeit. In print it will be typed in gothic lettertype. Non-German speakers often add "Das", "Die" and "Der" randomly in front of every single German word. Or add unneccesary umlauts or capital letters.
* All Germans are named Fritz, Franz, Otto, Gunther, Hermann, Adolf, Wilhelm, Ernst or Hans. Women are named Helga, Olga, Gretel, Brunhilda or Nina. (Needless to say, many of these names are not that popular in Germany nowadays.) Their surnames will often have a "von" or a suffix starting with the letters "Sch-".

** There are several UK actresses who carved out successful careers (mainly in TheEighties) portraying the [[EvilIsSexy sexy]], [[AhPea RP-accented]], haughty, [[EvilBrit Brit villainess]] type character, especially in American works. Examples include Joan Collins (as infamous mega-bitch Alexis Carrington of Series/Dynasty fame), Stephanie Beacham (also Dynasty), [[SupermanII Sarah Douglas]], [[DoctorWho Kate O'Mara]] and [[EwoksTheBattleForEndor Sian Philips.]]

** There are several UK actresses who carved out successful careers (mainly in TheEighties) playing up the [[EvilIsSexy incredibly sexy]], [[AhPea RP-accented]], haughty [[EvilBrit Brit villainess]] character, especially in American works. Examples include Joan Collins (as infamous mega-bitch Alexis Carrington of Dynasty fame), Stephanie Beacham (also Dynasty), [[SupermanII Sarah Douglas]], [[DoctorWho Kate O'Mara]] and [[EwoksTheBattleForEndor Sian Philips.]]

[[caption-width-right:265:What a stereotypical place, especially the western half!]]

* BritishAccents are used to provide the speaker with a witty, sophisticated outlook (see IAmVeryBritish, SmartPeopleSpeakTheQueensEnglish and [[DeadpanSnarker Deadpan Snarkers]]) This can be the charming, witty, intellectual male Brit (JamesBond, [[Series/TheAvengers John Steed]], SherlockHolmes) or the young and sexy EnglishRose type woman (Emma Peel and various [[BondGirl Bond Girls]]). Characters in historical costume dramas often have British accents, even if the setting has [[TheQueensLatin nothing to do with England]]. Upper-class characters and movie villains are usually represented as TheMeanBrit or EvilBrit. Too often they are depicted as eloquent snobs who are in the end humiliated by someone who is more egalitarian.

** Since [[HMTheQueen Queen Elizabeth]] is the best-known monarch in the world, she's turned up quite a lot in fiction, usually as an AnonymousRinger or InvisiblePresident, in part due to her function as a constitutional monarch. The Queen [[AsHimself herself]] made her acting debut in a scene opposite Daniel Craig as JamesBond for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 OlympicGames.

* In videogames, English ''female'' characters are often amongst the most [[FanService fanservicey]] and portrayed as steely, [[BritishStuffiness no-nonsense]] femme fatales sporting [[SensualSpandex form-fitting outfits]] and cut-glass [[BritishAccents RP accents]]. Examples include Cammy White from ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', Isabella "Ivy" Valentine from the ''SoulSeries'', Christie from ''DeadOrAlive'', Leanne Neville from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' and of course, arguably the number one all-time videogame MsFanservice, [[Franchise/TombRaider Lara Croft.]] This depiction undoubtedly derives from the various sexy Brit [[BondGirl Bond Girls]], as well as pioneering 1960's British SpyDrama series ''Series/TheAvengers'', which singlehandedly started the SpyCatsuit and TV ActionGirl tropes.

** Oddly, despite their stuffy stereotype, in Europe the English are sometimes thought of as sexually sadomasochistic, as demonstrated by the French idiom meaning 'to spank': 'Le Vice Anglais' - The English Vice. BennyHill, CarryOn and the saucy greeting cards of Donald McGill also contribute to this image.

** In the U.S.A. [[BritishTeeth the English and their bad teeth]] have been a staple of comedy for centuries. (for instance in the ''Simpsons'' episode "Last Exit to Springfield," the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "One If by Clam, Two If by Sea" and the Film/AustinPowers series. With real life examples like [[Music/SexPistols Johnny Rotten]], Susan Boyle, MargaretThatcher, Amy Winehouse, Music/EltonJohn, [[Music/{{Radiohead}} Thom Yorke]]... it's not hard to understand where this image came from. [[http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-22429,00.html "A staple of American humor about the UK is the population's bad teeth."]]

* '''Britons''' have a reputation for being [[StiffUpperLip polite, proper, sophisticated, decent, clean, stately, reticent, dignified, and having a talent for standing patiently in queues, as well as a genuine sense of fair-play.]] The negative end of this stereotype portrays them as being [[BritishStuffiness stiff, stuck up, snobbish, prudent, easily embarrassed, pompous, unemotional, bombastic, imperialistic, self-important, phlegmatic and obsessed with class and social status.]] Partly [[TruthInTelevision true]], in the sense that they may not be as instantly outgoing or comfortable with expressing emotion as some other nationalities.

* ''Keep Calm and Carry On''...The British are known for their equanimity, and many works reference the British StiffUpperLip, a national character trait that ranges from a general "mustn't grumble" attitude in mild examples, to an extreme level of ambivalent disregard for the inherent danger in volatile situations. Examples generally either play this straight or employ the trope for comedic effect. Straight examples are to be found in films like ''Film/MasterAndCommander'', which cranks this UpToEleven throughout, ''TheBridgeOnTheRiverKwai'' and perhaps most famously in ''{{Zulu}}'', which depicts the victorious LastStand battle of 139 British soldiers against 5000 Zulu warriors. Comedic examples are equally prevalent, most famously seen in ''[[CarryOn Carry On Up The Khyber]]'', where the British rulers in India discover that bloodthirsty Afghan hordes are approaching fast, intending to slaughter them all, but proceed to have a dinner-party under heavy fire (the dining room eventually loses a wall, all the windows, and most of the ceiling) -- no one bats an eye-lid throughout.

** It's VERY much TruthInTelevision that Brits are obsessed with [[TalkAboutTheWeather talking about the weather]], probably stemming from - a) Having a [[BritishWeather highly erratic climate]] that goes from blazing sunshine to ''torrential'' downpours in the space of an afternoon, and b) A cultural need to fill in conversational silences and awkwardness with universally acceptable chit-chat.

* '''Britons''' have a reputation for being [[StiffUpperLip polite, proper, sophisticated, decent, clean, stately, dignified, and having a talent for standing patiently in queues, as well as a genuine sense of fair-play.]] The negative end of this stereotype portrays them as being [[BritishStuffiness stiff, stuck up, snobbish, prudent, easily embarrassed, pompous, unemotional, bombastic, imperialistic, self-important, phlegmatic and obsessed with class and social status.]] Partly [[TruthInTelevision true]], in the sense that they may not be as instantly outgoing or comfortable with expressing emotion as some other nationalities.

TheEuropeanUnion is also a specific European phenomenon. Even since its creation in 1957 more countries have joined it and thus provided stable peace in most of Europe ever since the end of World War Two. It also provides economic collaboration and a unity needed to compete with The United States, Japan and China. However, the E.U. is also seen as a bureaucratic monster unable to give its member states one "European" identity, because [[WithEuropeButNotOfIt every country desperately clings on to their own centuries old nationalistic traditions and identity]]. There are also fears that all the youngest member states (mostly former Eastern Bloc countries) will financially hurt the richer member states.

Europe has a very strong historical, cultural and intellectual heritage. To some snobbish people it seems as if all the important events in history just took place here and all the important artistic, philosophical, political, juridical and scientific achievements were done solely by Europeans, thus making the continent morally superior to all the others. This is, of course, nonsense. For starters, Europe also brought us such historical marvels as Capitalism, Absolutism, white Colonialism and Imperialism, Nazism, Fascism and Communism. On a lighter, yet equally awful note, it also spawned {{Europop}}, exemplified by the EurovisionSongContest, whose only major durable international contribution so far has been Music/{{Abba}}.

Europe has a very strong historical, cultural and intellectual heritage. To some snobbish people it seems as if all the important events in history just took place here and all the important artistic, philosophical, political, juridical and scientific achievements were done solely by Europeans, thus making the continent morally superior to all the others. This is, of course, nonsense. For starters, Europe also brought us such historical marvels as Capitalism, Absolutism, white Colonialism and Imperialism, Nazism, Fascism and Communism. On a lighter, yet equally awful note, it also spawned {{Eurotrash}}, exemplified by the EurovisionSongContest, whose only major durable international contribution so far has been Music/{{Abba}}.

* Brazilian people seem to think that the Portuguese are dumb.
* More rarely, Portuguese people are considered more taciturn and fatalistic than other southern European populations, probably because of Fado music (fado means "fate"), mentioned above.
* People from Alentejo (one of the most rural and underdeveloped regions in the country) live life at a snail's pace, are lazy and mostly old. They're probably communists too.

* Apart from Fado music, the Portuguese are not the best singers around. They're quite good at poetry, though (shown in an ComicBook/{{Asterix}} book, where a Lusitanian slave is asked to sing, to which he replies that he can't sing, but he can recite poetry.