Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Bobber]

Actually, that would be Sandra's job! Unless Admin could do it. What shall we call it?

I think we could take the last 3 pages.

Done. Hope you like the title. I can be changed.  

[Kevin]

The ruling classes of Scotland signed The Act Of Union in an attempt to recover their terrible financial losses from their own failed attempt at empire building. They sold their people, culture and nation down the river for a few pieces of silver. There were wide spread protests by the populace. The signatories were attacked in the street. That's how much the common Scot wanted to be British.
Wales was conquered, annexed, its language and culture supressed.
No need to mention Northern Ireland.
All three now have seperate governing bodies. English MP's have no say in Scottish affairs, yet Scottish MP's sit in Westminster. Scotland gives its people free university education and health care pound-per-head far in excess of anything available in England,  yet the majority of it is paid for with taxes raised in England.
Time to go.

[harihead]

Thanks for the discussion! I'm learning a lot.

I have never heard Yankee as much of an insultive term. I always thought it was a term for New Yorkers and not the general populace of America anyway.

There is the baseball team "The New York Yankees" as Fendertele has mentioned; perhaps that's the basis of the strong association with New York. In the US, Yankee is basically seen as a term for someone in the northeastern part of the country. It's probably borrowed from the "Yankee Doodle" song, which was meant to be discouraging, but obviously our early ancestors enjoyed British music way back at the beginning so we made it a #1 hit. Then we had our Civil War and the Southerners decided that Yank meant North. They lost the war, hence "Yank" being an ongoing sore spot, but on the plus side they created lots of interesting music during that period. "Dixie Land" is still a great song.

it may be very slightly ignorant to the fact that not all people from this little island are english and that there are other countries also

Fendertele, you're too kind. I don't think "slightly ignorant" covers the situation. But I now know that "English" is preferable to "British" unless you are Scottish or Welsh. That helps a lot. Cheers!

[BlueMeanie]

I think at times it can be quite difficult for people outside of the UK to understand the set up. That Great Britain, and the UK are not the same thing, and that Wales isn't part of England. Present company excepted.

I had to learn the difference between Scandinavian countries, and Nordic countries when I came here.

[Kevin]

I think at times it can be quite difficult for people outside of the UK to understand the set up. That Great Britain, and the UK are not the same thing, and that Wales isn't part of England. Present company excepted.

I had to learn the difference between Scandinavian countries, and Nordic countries when I came here.

We must be the only nation on earth where the vast majority of it's population don't know the correct name of their own county. I just did a scratch poll here at work and only one person - an Indian accountant - out of five got it right. Typically bloody British, in so many ways.
(To avoid allegations of being a smart arse I got it wrong too)

[BlueMeanie]

We must be the only nation on earth where the vast majority of it's population don't know the correct name of their own county. I just did a scratch poll here at work and only one person - an Indian accountant - out of five got it right. Typically bloody British, in so many ways.
(To avoid allegations of being a smart arse I got it wrong too)

It is unfortunately true. I was having this conversation a while back with two English mates in my local. Neither could agree, and both were wrong. Before I told them, I asked a Danish friend, and he got it right first time!

The other one that get's them is 'Nationality', and 'Country of birth'. Not the same thing, and not what most people seem to think it is.

[Kevin]

God bless her though.
The only nation on earth that could make a mile a unit of 1760 yards, 160 ounces in a gallon, 13 gallons to a firkin, divide the pound into 20 shillings and that into 12 pence, doggedly drive on the opposite side of the road to every other sane nation on earth and STILL conquer most of the known world. All with a cup of tea and a nice biscuit. (but not too many thank you.). Makes ya proud.

[BlueMeanie]

God bless her though.
The only nation on earth that could make a mile a unit of 1760 yards, 160 ounces in a gallon, 13 gallons to a firkin, divide the pound into 20 shillings and that into 12 pence, doggedly drive on the opposite side of the road to every other sane nation on earth and STILL conquer most of the known world. All with a cup of tea and a nice biscuit. (but not too many thank you.). Makes ya proud.

I have a faint memory that the rest of Europe chose to drive on the other side out of spite, for some reason or other. Imperial measurements were a bit strange, I have to say. America still uses Miles, feet, and pounds.

[Kevin]

I have a faint memory that the rest of Europe chose to drive on the other side out of spite, for some reason or other.

Bet you it was those damn froggies. Couldn't find anyone to surrender to that day so they thought " alors, laisse ennuient l'anglais!" (or British).
Or something like that

[BlueMeanie]

Driving on the left goes back to Roman times. Tracks heading towards quarries have been found with the grooves in the road deeper on the right. This would suggest that they drove on the left, as the cart would be empty going to the quarry, and heavily laden on the way back.

Apparently a third of the worlds population still drive on the left.

[Sondra]

Putting on my pedantic hat now.   Not all the United Kingdom is British. People from Northern Ireland, are Northern Irish. I've never heard of someone being offended for not being called British. I'd rather be referred to as English than British. Scots and Welsh would certainly prefer being called that, than British.

You're a complicated people.   I read up on the whole UK vs Great Britain thing a while ago, but apparently it didn't stick. Very confusing to be honest with you! I read up on it for exactly the reason I said that some people get offended that you don't realize they are part of Great Britain as well and are considered British. The Ireland thing is pretty well known because of all the IRA trouble and stuff back in the 80's. Probably 70's too but my memory only goes back so far. I wasn't into world affairs as a child!

BTW, great name for the thread. Sorry it got off topic in the Paul forum.

[Sondra]

I have a faint memory that the rest of Europe chose to drive on the other side out of spite, for some reason or other. Imperial measurements were a bit strange, I have to say. America still uses Miles, feet, and pounds.

God I remember them trying to teach us the metric system in school. I was in fifth grade and this was when they were pushing for the country to go metric so it was a big deal. It was TORTURE! It's one of the few memories I have of school. Sitting there converting gallons to liters and pounds to kilograms. Needless to say, it didn't catch on. Obviously.

I like the thing Eddie Izzard does on it:
"But you had the metric and the imperial system on the calculations. 'Cause in America you had the metric system for two weeks, it seems, in the seventies. Carter said, (very bad American accent) "Well, here's the metric system

[BlueMeanie]

You're a complicated people.  

We are indeed! Just for the record, The United Kingdom = Great Britain, and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles consisting of England, Scotland, and Wales. It also includes outlying islands, such as Isle of Wight, Anglesey, the Isles of Scilly, the Hebrides, and the island groups of Orkney and Shetland, but does not include other outlying islands such as the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. The latter two are crown dependencies but not part of the UK.

With me?

Clear as mud, I know!

[Mairi]

Britlanders can call me anything they want.. and they can get away with it to cos their accents are so charming.

[BlueMeanie]

Britlanders

I'm sure there was someone else on here when I joined that used to say Britlanders. That one is guaranteed to get the back up of anyone from Great Britain.

[Mairi]

I think it was raxo who used to say that. I didn'tt know it was annoying though.... hmmm I guess I'll keep that in mind for the future.

[BlueMeanie]

Yes, sounds like a Raxoism!

No worries.

[Bobber]

Yes, sounds like a Raxoism!

Certainly not. It was pc.

[An Apple Beatle]

Whats wrong with the term Britlanders? The term does not really exist does it? (Other than on here of course)

[pc31]

damn he was taking the heat and you exposed me.....green apple used it too....
being southern born and bred if you called me a yankee...i'd be mad....we here in the south are rebels.....remember the civil war???blue was north gray was south....
the word cracker was derived to signify the guy who drove the slave forces with a whip....look it up...
and as to calling peeps yanks,poms,limeys,hicks or other finkish names..i wonder what is wrong with calling them by their name??generalizations breed contempt.....and we don't allow that in my world....even tho i was brought up in a very southern environment...i am for all practical purposes a human being....