Anyone visiting the UK over the last couple of years will have noticed the growth in ephemera with the slogan “Keep Calm and Carry On” emblazoned across the item. The slogan, which is set beneath the Crown cipher of King George VI on a red background, originated from a poster which was prepared by the UK Government in the dark days of 1939. Unusually, the poster itself was not seen at that time for a very simple reason. The expected invasion of the UK never materialised, so there was no need to issue the poster to encourage the British population to “keep calm and carry on” with their everyday lives irrespective of the new challenges and sacrifices that would have had to be made. Few people in the UK probably understand (or even care) about the origins of the poster or the slogan. Rather it has “gone viral” and become a vehicle for new messages, often for humorous effect. These can range from the simple motivational message (“Keep Calm and Drink Tea”), to the slightly more obscure (“Keep Calm, I’m The Doctor”), to the down-right surreal (“Keep Calm and Expecto Patromun”). As time has progressed, the slogan has become a means of drawing attention to political affiliations or events of great moment (“Calm Down you can still Marry Harry”).