A new poll has revealed the top 20 things Brits simply 'grin and bear', with poor customer service, noisy neighbours and disappointing meals ranking among the most commonly tolerated annoyances.
The survey of 2,000 adults found that, on average, Brits 'grin and bear it' three times a day, showing a tendency to quietly get on with things rather than make a fuss. Nearly a quarter (24%) have gone to the seaside only for it to rain most of the time, while a third have suffered through a painfully boring conversation at a party.
Food complaints often swallowed
Brits are particularly reluctant to complain about food. More than a quarter (27%) of all those polled admitted they've eaten a meal they didn't enjoy at a friend's house rather than risk offence. One in five (20%) have kept quiet about food they disliked at a wedding, while the same proportion have done so at their partner's family home, and a further 15% have suffered through an unenjoyable dinner party meal without saying a word.
Additionally, 32% have politely accepted a terrible gift without saying a word, and 35% have stayed silent after being served a disappointing or cold meal in a restaurant.
Working parents feel the strain
For working parents in particular, the chaos of busy family mornings means 26% have ended up drinking a cold tea or coffee after being distracted by family demands, while almost half (45%) admitted they've started a workday feeling like they haven't had enough sleep. Meanwhile, 30% have battled through the school run in the rain, according to the OnePoll data.
As a result, half of all working parents regularly settle for food on the go they don't particularly enjoy, and when it comes to breakfast, 41% have reached for a meal replacement drink.
Research commissioned by yfood
Pete Rosier, from yfood, which makes nutritionally balanced ready-to-drink meals and commissioned the research, said: "There's something uniquely British about tolerating the mediocre, saying 'it's fine', and carrying on regardless.
"In fact, putting up with daily compromises has become such a habit that many of us do it several times a day without even thinking about it."
Rosier added: "The findings highlight just how much working parents, in particular, take in their stride every single morning and how they often put their own needs to one side to keep family life running smoothly.
"When time is tight, convenience often wins out, which is why so many are reaching for food on the go or meal replacement drinks to fuel their mornings.
"But breakfast shouldn't be something we simply grin and bear - with more convenient and nutritiously balanced options such as yfood available, there's no excuse to skip it or settle for something you don't enjoy."
Top 20 things we 'grin and bear'
The full list of the top 20 annoyances Brits tolerate includes poor customer service, someone jumping in front of you in a queue, not having enough sleep before a busy day at work, people cancelling plans last minute, putting up with noisy neighbours, someone eating noisily next to you, encountering delays on the way to work, having a disappointing or cold meal at a restaurant or takeaway, and getting stuck having a boring conversation at a party.
Also featured are being bought terrible gifts, sitting next to someone who plays loud videos on public transport, someone talking over you at work, eating bad tasting food at someone else's house, someone giving you a cup of tea that isn't how you like it, going on a seaside holiday only for it to rain most of the time, getting on the train to work and it's packed full of people, getting a bad haircut, drinking a cold coffee or tea because you didn't have time to drink it or got distracted by family or kids, doing the school run in the rain, and getting urgent emails and work messages before you start in the morning.
