Anglophile

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An Anglophile is a person who is fond of English culture or, more broadly, British culture.^[1] Its antonym is Anglophobe.^[2]

Definition

Plaque to Paul Mellon, an anglophile, within St George's, Bloomsbury

The word comes from Latin Anglus "English" via French, and is ultimately derived from Old English Englisc "English" + Ancient Greek φίλος - philos, "friend". It gives the first use as occurring in 1867, where the journal Revue des deux mondes is described as a "thoroughly Anglophile journal".^[3]

In some cases, Anglophilia represents an individual's appreciation of English history. Alongside Anglophiles who are attracted to 'traditional' English culture (e.g. Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Dr. Johnson, Gilbert and Sullivan), there are also anglophiles whose affection is based on popular music. The reach also extends to British news and entertainment (such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC World Service) news program), Doctor Who, Footballer's Wives and British cars (Jaguar, Rolls Royce, MG or Aston Martin) and British contemporary culture in general. Fondness of the British monarchy, British bureaucracy (such as the Westminster system of parliament and the Royal Mail) as well as British Empire nostalgia and the English class system, may also be considered Anglophilia. In film and television, adoration of current actors such as Russell Brand,Carey Mulligan, Idris Elba, Clive Owen, Hugh Grant, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley and Sasha Baron Cohen may be considered Anglophilia due to the steady presence of British films that infiltrate Hollywood. In fashion, designers brands that include Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Mary Katrantzou, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood have maintained a global appeal. This goes back to the Swinging London look from the 1960s Mod subculture, which included designers like Mary Quant and the iconic models Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton. Other British subcultures of interest include the Punks, Rockers, Skinheads and Teddy Boys.

American Anglophiles may use British English spellings instead of American spellings, such as 'colour' instead of 'color', 'grey' rather than 'gray', 'centre' rather than 'center', 'traveller' rather than 'traveler', 'theatre' rather than 'theater', and 'tyre' rather than 'tire'. Noted American Anglophiles include Madonna, Lady Gaga, Jean Paul Getty, George Takei, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and John and Hank Green of the Vlogbrothers.

The term is not usually associated with citizens of Commonwealth nations (the former British Empire), although these countries share many aspects of culture and history with the UK. Occasionally, it is used to describe the adherence to the culture of the wider Anglosphere such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand

See also

• Anglo-Saxon
• Anglophobe
• Anglosphere
• British Invasion
• Culture of England
• Culture of the United States

References

Bibliography

• Ian Buruma, Anglomania: a European Love Affair (Random House, 1999 in the US), or Voltaire's Coconuts, or Anglomania in Europe (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1999 in the UK).
• Elisa Tamarkin, Anglophilia: Deference, Devotion, and Antebellum America (University of Chicago Press, 2008).
• Time magazine review of Anglomania

External links

• Anglotopia - Anglophile Blog
• Anglophenia - Anglophile Blog from BBC America
• Smitten by Britain - Anglophile and Britophile blog
• Anglophiles United - Blog and website for Anglophiles