{"id":10288,"date":"2022-11-02T20:17:13","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T20:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=10288"},"modified":"2022-11-02T20:18:53","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T20:18:53","slug":"lie-back-and-think-of-england-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/lie-back-and-think-of-england-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Lie Back and Think of England \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re looking for a way to convey the idea that women do not enjoy sexual intimacy but merely endure it, the phrase \u201clie back and think of England<\/strong>\u201d is a perfect match.<\/p>\n

This post dives into the fascinating history of this expression, explains what it means, and shows how to use it.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The British expression \u201clie back and think of England<\/strong>\u201d refers to sexual intercourse<\/u>.<\/p>\n

It is, more specifically, related to the idea that women do not generally enjoy sexual intimacy with their husbands but have to acquiesce to it for \u201cGod and country<\/u>.\u201d<\/p>\n

When wondering what to do on their wedding night, English women living in the early 20th<\/sup> century may have been advised to simply \u201clie back and think of England.\u201d<\/p>\n

In modern times, the expression is more likely to be used as an example of outdated thoughts about healthy sexual intimacy.<\/p>\n

You may also hear the variation \u201cclose your eyes<\/em> and think of England<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

Are you wondering how to use the expression \u201clie back and think of England\u201d in a sentence? Take a look at these examples:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \u201cI\u2019m just not attracted to him anymore. What am I supposed to do? Lie back and think of England<\/strong>? I didn\u2019t think so! Our relationship is definitely over.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cBritish women were once told to lie back and think of England<\/strong>, but nothing short of enthusiastic consent will do these days.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cAll you need to know, my dear, is to lie back and think of England<\/strong>. It\u2019ll be over before you know it!\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Origin<\/h2>\n

    The expression \u201clie back and think of England\u201d may conjure images of women living during the Victorian era, which lasted from 1837 to 1901, when Queen Victoria died.<\/p>\n

    Surprisingly, the first written reference dates back to 1912<\/strong>, after the Victorian era had already ended. One Lady Alice Hillingdon<\/strong>, married to Charles William Mills, wrote in her journal:<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhen I hear his steps outside my door I lie down on my bed, open my legs and think of England<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Lucy Baldwin, married to a former UK Prime Minister, was also said to have used the phrase when offering her daughter advice. This incident was documented in a 1943 newspaper column that contained the sentence:<\/p>\n

    \u201cDo what I did \u2014 just close your eyes and think of England<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Regardless of where the phrase originated, it is a social commentary on women\u2019s rights in the early 20th<\/sup> century and, possibly, the late 19th<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n

    Rather than conceiving of sexual intimacy within a marriage as a mutually-pleasurable experience, the saying \u201clie back and think of England\u201d casts marital sex as:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • A burden to be endured.<\/li>\n
    • A patriotic duty.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Phrases Similar to Lie Back and Think of England<\/h2>\n

      While there are no directly synonymous phrases, related phrases include:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • A stiff upper lip<\/strong> \u2014 an expression commonly used to describe British stoicism.<\/li>\n
      • Needs must<\/strong> \u2014 another British expression that means \u201cdo what you have to.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Phrases Opposite to Lie Back and Think of England<\/h2>\n

        Phrases that convey the opposite idea \u2014 that all sexual contact should be consensual, whether or not the partners are married \u2014 are much newer. These sayings include:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • No means no.<\/strong><\/li>\n
        • Silence isn\u2019t consent.<\/strong><\/li>\n
        • Consent should be given freely and willingly.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          What Is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n

          The correct saying is \u201clie back and think of England<\/strong>.\u201d This expression refers to the old idea that women do not enjoy sex, but should endure it.<\/p>\n

          Ways People May Say Lie Back and Think of England Incorrectly<\/h2>\n

          It is important to keep in mind that the expression \u201clie back and think of England\u201d doesn\u2019t just mean \u201ctake it, even though you don\u2019t want to\u201d \u2014 it refers specifically to sexual intercourse.<\/p>\n

          The phrase may have originated as a description of one woman\u2019s life, but it later turned into a piece of often-given advice. This advice is now horribly outdated.<\/p>\n

          Acceptable Ways Say to Lie Back and Think of England<\/h2>\n

          You can use the expression \u201clie back and think of England\u201d when you talk about attitudes British women in the early 20th<\/sup> century might have had toward sex. This description may stretch back to the Victorian age.<\/p>\n

          You could also use the saying as an example of the ways in which women\u2019s oppression shaped the English language.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          If you\u2019re looking for a way to convey the idea that women do not enjoy sexual intimacy but merely endure it, the phrase \u201clie back and think of England\u201d is a perfect match. This post dives into the fascinating history of this expression, explains what it means, and shows how to use it. Meaning The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10288"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10288"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10290,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10288\/revisions\/10290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}