We Used to Be a Proper Country
A mock-nostalgic complaint suggesting a trivial modern change proves society has declined.
“The diner removed the free mints. We used to be a proper country.”
The phrase works best when the complaint is petty, oddly specific, or obviously unrelated to national greatness.
It grew from sincere decline rhetoric and was transformed online into ironic commentary about snacks, sports, design, and pop culture.
we used to be a nation
A close variation.
proper country meme
The format name.
Is it usually political?
Not necessarily; most meme uses focus on trivial changes.
Why does it sound dramatic?
The exaggerated national language makes the small complaint funny.