NEWS COPY by Astrid Hall
Britons have confessed to being a nation of cheats.
A study found more than half the population admit to bending the rules in their favour at one time or another in their lives.
In fact, overall Just 43 per cent said they were completely honest in relationships, careers, quizzes and board games.
Over one third of 'bad sports' have found a way to cheat during a pub quiz, and more than one in ten have turned the tides of a Monopoly game with a light-fingered visit to 'the bank'.
It also emerged 28 per cent of the nation have won a pub quiz by using deceitful tactics.
The poll was commissioned by SpeedQuizzing.com, the fast-paced, team-based smartphone pub quiz which addresses the problem of players cheating their way to a win,
A spokesman said: “There’s always a temptation during a game or quiz to sneak an answer or peak at someone’s cards – we just can’t help ourselves.
“The feeling of winning, especially when there is a prize, is always hard to resist.
“It all feels very innocent at first but what’s the fun in fixing a win?”
Brits admit to keeping spare cards stashed away to win a game with others confessing to nudging a friend on purpose to succeed during Twister.
The study of 2,000 adults found more than one sixth put their hands up to sneaking a peak at their opponent’s playing cards or scrabble tiles during a toilet break.
And more than one quarter have used codes or ‘walkthroughs’ on a computer game.
Nearly one in five admit to ‘Googling’ answers during a pub quiz and three in ten have overheard another team’s answers and claimed them as their own.
Regardless of how many of us do it, 67 per cent get irritated by others who cheat on quizzes and board games.
And of all the competitive games we cheat on, pub quizzes came out on top followed by Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit.
But the nation aren’t just being dishonest to win games, they’re finding other ways to get ahead in life with nearly half admitting to pocketing extra change they are given and not peeping a word.
One quarter confess to cutting a cake and making their slice bigger than others’.
And one in ten will even sit in First Class when they’ve only paid for Standard.
However, it’s not all plain sailing as 23 per cent admit to getting caught when they’ve made an attempt to get one up on life.
And nearly one third have been caught in the act when being deceitful during a game, quiz or even when cheating on a partner where over one third of Brits have kissed someone else when in a relationship.
The study, conducted via OnePoll.com, also found one sixth of the nation confessed their devious actions are because they hate losing and more than one in ten said they just can’t help themselves.
And one quarter said they would cheat more in life if they knew they could get away with it.
Over one quarter of Brits’ deceitful habits have even resulted in a win.
But where there’s a cheat there’s also remorse, with three quarters feeling guilty for their fraudulent actions.
Although not all cheating is in vain, with over half the nation fixing wins to the benefit of building a child’s confidence.
A spokesman for SpeedQuizzing added: “It’s a shame that so many fun games are being ruined by a cheating minority.
"Whilst we can’t stop Scrabble cheats, video game cheats or love cheats, at SpeedQuizzing we are committed to stamping out cheating at pub quizzes with features such as countdown style time limits and bonus points for fastest correct answers.”
Top 10 ways people cheat:
1. Kissed someone else while in a relationship without the consent of your partner
2. Overheard another team's answer at a quiz and copied it
3. Used 'walkthroughs' or cheat codes on a video game
4. Had an affair - where you have had an intimate relationship on a number of occasions with another person while in a relationship
5. Googled an answer on a pub quiz
6. Looked at other people's playing cards or scrabble letters when they've popped to the toilet
7. Secretly taken money from the banker's stash during a game of Monopoly
8. Secretly taken in answers into an exam or test
9. Read somebody else's paper during a test
10. Taken a shortcut during a race
Top 20 ways people ‘cheat in life’:
1. Getting extra change and not saying anything
2. Using a pasta sauce instead of making your own
3. Flirted with someone else while in a relationship
4. Getting someone else's parking ticket when it hasn't run out so you don't have to pay to park
5. Not saying anything when a restaurant doesn't charge you for something
6. Taken office stationary for personal use
7. Pocketing mini jams/condiments at the breakfast buffet
8. Cutting a cake but you cut your slice slightly bigger than everyone else's
9. Taking extra sugars you don't need at the coffee shop
10. Going on the scales naked to weigh less
11. Watching the film instead of reading the book
12. Getting served at a bar when it's not your turn
13. Watching spoilers
14. Reading the last pages of a book when you haven't finished it
15. Travelling by train without a ticket
16. Filtering/editing a selfie before posting it
17. Pushing into a queue
18. Flashing your lights to get a traffic light to change quicker
19. Sitting in First Class when you're supposed to be in Standard Class
20. Not paying for parking at a pay and display
ENDS