little Englander

an English nationalist

TRANSLATION

little Englander = bornierter (nicht weltoffener) engl. Nationalist

STATISTICS

IN THE PRESS

It should be remembered that neither Johnson or Gove, the leaders of the Brexit campaign, actually come from the anti-immigration, ‘LITTLE ENGLANDER’, tradition that drove many of those who voted to leave the E.U. They are themselves very much part of an establishment elite.

Bill Tatham - LinkedIn (26 June 2016)

Did you
know?

little Englander
colloquial phrase

- a person who perceives most foreign influences on Britain’s culture and institutions as damaging and undesirable

Collins English Dictionary

- an English person who thinks England is better than all other countries, and that England should only work together with other countries when there is an advantage for England in doing so

Cambridge Dictionary


ORIGIN

Little Englander is a term indicating an anti-imperialist political stance dating from the time of the Second Boer War (1899–1901). Back then, the term referred to people who were opposed to the expansion of the British Empire and who wanted England to extend no further than the borders of the United Kingdom.

Today, the little Englander is characterised as someone who is xenophobic and overly nationalistic while being ignorant and rude.


USAGE CAUTION!

Those who voted for BREXIT, or those who refer to the UK or Britain as “England”, are sometimes accused of being little Englanders.

It's good to know this phrase, but it should be used with caution.


THANKS to Heidrun for suggesting today's OWAD.


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