'Because the English do not like being told what to do, any order has to be given with a degree of politeness which many other nations find incomprehensible. Should you follow custom and express an order as a request, you will achieve the desired effect. Express it simply as an order, with no hint of personal choice, and the English will invariably break for tea.' Xenophobia is an irrational fear of foreigners, probably justified, always understandable. Xenophobe's Guides - an irreverent look at the beliefs and foibles of nations, almost guaranteed to cure Xenophobia.