Keep calm, and carry on
If any phrase sums up the British stiff upper lip, ‘Keep Calm And Carry On’ is it.
It makes me think of hot cups of tea being brewed in a crisis, and the gutsy English spirit of not being flustered when things go belly-up.
The phrase sprung out of World War II, where the British Ministry of Information commissioned several posters. The purpose was to relay a message from King George VI, reassuring his subjects that all possible measures were being taken to ensure the defence of the country.
Besides ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’, other posters read ‘Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will Bring Us Victory’ and ‘Freedom is in Peril’.
Well, thank goodness that we’re not in the middle of a world war, but somehow the phrase ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ seems just as appropriate almost seventy years later given the gloomy economic mood at the moment.
The Britishness, steadfastness and retro nature of the message make it an amusing and wry statement to have printed on your kitchen tea towel or your favourite mug of tea. After all, isn’t it often the kitchen or the office where we have to demand the utmost calm in a crisis?
You can find mugs and tea towels with this famous slogan online at Fabiola & Sing Sing.
And if you’ve been listening to Gordon Brown lately (regardless of your politics) you’ll know he’s very keen that we do our bit to keep the economy going by continuing to engage in retail therapy.
In which case you’ll definitely be interested in our ‘Keep Calm and Carry on Shopping‘ bags in pink, pale blue and classic red. :-)
Related posts:
The history of “Keep Calm and Carry On”
Keep Calm and Carry On spoofs
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