What a fun thread!
When I was student (in the ante-diluvean era and I still have the kaghoul to prove it!) 'dogging' meant hanging about and not doing much. I had a friend who a faux-fur coat for 'dogging' in...Well, maybe I was naive - I
thought she meant for hanging around doing nothing in!! And speaking of naivete (as an aside) - when I was fortunate enough to have the care of 26 guinea pigs

, I used to go to Temple Newsam to collect grass and dandelion leaves for them. One day there was big rock festival there and traffic was turned away. A 'bouncer' stopping the cars said I couldn't go in and I said, "I don't want to stay. I've just come to collect some grass...." at which he paused for a moment then said, "I could let you have some. Do you have any cigarette papers?" And like an idiot, I just said, "No, but I've got some cigarettes if you want one..."
Being English is really always saying, "Yes it's bucketing down, but there's a bit of blue in the sky so the sun will come out soon..."
Queueing (even when there are only 2 people waiting we stand in an orderly line!).
The smoking thing...well I see it as spirit of the Brits that in spite of the ban, smokers still gather in groups in all weathers...
Making the best of it.
Disliking people who succeed and being particular obnoxious about people who succeed and take their success abroad (Michael Caine had an awful time from the press when he went to America; and the press was all out to undermine David Beckham because he was so good at what he did).
Supporting the underdog.
Being a bit laid back at the same time as being uptight (I mean, there's not been a revolution here for 400 years, and that's probably because we're all too laid back to be interested in politics, and yet so uptight that we moan about whoever is in power)
Taking any opportunity for a celebration...anything for a stick of rock and a paper hat.
Enjoying the sea, whatever the weather, just because we're at the seaside.
Going shopping each day for necessities.
'Knocking' ourselves all the time, but becoming defensive as soon as someone else does.
Anything that we can latch on to that re-creates 'the spirit of the Blitz' (what did they have before the Blitz? Spirit of the Crimea, the fire/plague of London, spirit of the Armada or something?)
Raking up our past to reassure ourselves that we once were the best (and the belief that really we still are!).
Not taking anything that seriously!
Quirky humour.
And I think there is a big north-south divide. Being from the north, it always amused me that friends from the south were amazed when people whom they did not know spoke to them (told them their life histories!!) just because they happened to be in the same queue. In the north that's what people do. My experiences in the south - especially in London - are that no one even makes eye-contact (but I might be mistaken and am willing to be corrected!).