Why 'Gentleman' Matters

When I tell a Beijing cab driver I'm a British, the conversation tends to go one of two ways.

For the more nationalistic cabbie, Hong Kong is the go-to topic, and even the longest journeys through the city can be filled with talk of Maggie Thatcher, Deng Xiaoping and how we should have given it back much sooner than we did.

But the alternative is never discussed at any great length. "Gentleman" is usually said with a smile and a faint nod of approval, not to question what the word means, but as a simple acknowledgment of the subtle but strong notions of Britishness it invokes.