British Turn To Humour On Twitter After London Attack

Photo: AP Photo.

The UK has been hit by two terrorist attacks in two weeks, and no one argues that the country is in mourning. What the British would like to debate, however, is the assumption that we are "reeling" after what happened on and around London Bridge on Saturday and in Manchester in May. That word, which The New York Times used in a front page headline on Sunday morning, just doesn't align with the "stiff upper lip" mentality.

J.K. Rowling was one of the first to take the Times to task for this phrasing, tweeting, "The thugs who mowed down innocent people would love to think of the UK 'reeling' but it isn't," she wrote in response to the paper's tweet. "Don't confuse grief with lack of courage."

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The thugs who mowed down innocent people would love to think of the UK 'reeling' but it isn't. Don't confuse grief with lack of courage. https://t.co/9MEUfPLnkv
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 4, 2017

Author Robert Harris shared a photo of the Times' front page, saying, "This sort of hyped-up headline does the terrorists' job for them. UK isn't 'reeling.' "

This sort of hyped-up headline does the terrorists' job for them. UK isn't "reeling" @nytimes pic.twitter.com/KKesMHHIFY
— Robert Harris (@Robert___Harris) June 4, 2017

Twitter soon took up the cause, inventing the hashtag #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling, which has been trending throughout Sunday. Those things do not actually include terrorism.

There are many tea-related suggestions:

When people make tea in the microwave #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling pic.twitter.com/M8006Sq8mr
— Emily Rose✨ (@emilyrosehip) June 4, 2017

Quite a few other references to British comfort food.

Toasters that aren't big enough to fit in the whole slice of toast. What is the point? #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling pic.twitter.com/qj8OsaI2B1
— Charles Rothwell (@charlierothers) June 4, 2017

Jabs at American pronunciations of words.

#ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling "Aloominum". FFS it is AL-U-MIN-I-UM!
— CarpeJugulum 63% (@Insinuare) June 4, 2017

The struggle of the extremely polite.

The same person holding several doors in a row open for you and running out of different ways to say thanks #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling
— Ms Thomas (@thiannon_rhomas) June 4, 2017

After a van drove onto the pavement of London Bridge, assailants with knives attacked people on the street on Saturday night, killing seven and injuring 48, which is no laughing matter. But as London Mayor Sadiq Khan said, residents refuse to be cowed by this incident. This is, after all, the country that invented the phrase "Keep Calm and Carry On", printed on posters to be used in the event of a German invasion during World War II.

Many posted photos of this guy, whose response to the attack on Saturday was to flee with his pint of beer still in his hand. Whatever his intentions at the time, he has become the embodiment of defiance in the face of terror.

@nytimes #reeling #not Man drinking #pint while fleeing becomes symbol of #London #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling https://t.co/AeDtA4083q
— Heather-Maîr (@heathermair) June 4, 2017

Brits kept the hashtag going with these quips.

People who eat kit-kats like this #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling pic.twitter.com/X0t2sKkxvu
— Liam Butler (@liam_butler5) June 4, 2017

Threat level may escalate to "There's no need for that." #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling
— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) June 4, 2017

"Sorry, the milkshake machine is broken" #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling pic.twitter.com/3G04VTry5H
— Charlie (@chralie) June 4, 2017

Not catching someone's name and having to spend the next three decades avoiding introducing them to anyone #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling
— Sarah Crook (@SarahRoseCrook) June 4, 2017

#ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling finding one passenger occupying more than one seat on the tube. pic.twitter.com/iZpnTkArSE
— Rob (@GenericZA) June 4, 2017

Two consecutive days of sunshine #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling
— elPedro (@AngryPete666) June 4, 2017

One person noted it was trending above the attack in the UK. Talk about keeping calm and carrying on.

Love that #thingsthatleavebritainreeling is trending higher than the attack itself. Now THAT's what it means to be British
— AbandonedBear (@AbandonedBear) June 4, 2017

But if you think these Brits are laughing at the attack, think again.

Nobody is using #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling to laugh at a terrorist attack. We're using it to show we're not afraid after one.
— Sofie Jaehn (@SofJae) June 4, 2017