Variations of this phrase were used by Britons to express their particularities. And it used to be funny. It figured prominently in postcards, T-shirts, and other souvenirs. The decision to leave the European Union is another expression of this, very British singularity. It was a blow to the dream of a united continent after the carnages of two world wars in the bloodiest century ever. Europe has come a long way. Britain and the EU will part ways in a democratic and peaceful manner, to be sure. It’s still sad. And not funny anymore.