You may suspect a trap lurking behind this oh so British expression … But, no, it is indeed a thoroughly English invention (one that the French would not take long to ape though, with their heure du goûter). A reminder of the noble history that has become the proud cliché of an entire people, much like Big Ben, Tower Bridge, drizzle, London taxis, Hyde Park’s Speakers’ Corner, the stiff upper lip, pop music, and so on.
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/who-invented-afternoon-tea-1.3809973
