Fathers' Day?

[Haltickling]

Today (5/29) is a holiday here (Ascencion), and it's usually celebrated as "Father's Day". The poor suppressed husbands and fathers gang together for an excursion on a tractor-trailer, and they're accompanied by lots of beer and Schnaps. Afterwards, they usually have only very little blood left in their alcohol-level.

Are there similar customs in the States? A "Father's Day"? Or is it celebrated at Superbowl Day?

 

[BigJim]

Hal I have an unrelated question. You put down May the 29th as 5/29. Now in England (and I assumed Europe as well) we don't say May 29th, we say the 29th of May. This means a numerical date is written at 29/5.

Did you just put the date you way you did so the Americans would'nt have to do too much lateral thought p) or is it put that way in Europe too?

P.S. SHIT!!!! Father's day is today??? OH Christ, bugger, smeg and bollocky shit!!!!

 

[Haltickling]

Oh, I always thought Britain was a part of Europe, too?

Seriously: As the majority of members here is American, I try to adapt my writing to American English, including the dates. When going to Rome, speak like a Roman...

In fact, I can speak and write British English, too, and I can even speak Scottish accent as well. However, I've got my problems to understand cockney and some other English dialects. The Brits would categorize my British pronounciation as Upper Middle Class, not Oxbridge or Eton.

In Germany we write the date like this: 29.5.2003, and we speak "29th 5th" or "29th May" (translated literally).

And yes, I'm still sober, despite Father's Day!

 

[Shem the Penman]

Yes, we have Father's Day in America. It's celebrated on the third Sunday in June, and like many other marginal holidays (Mother's Day, Grandparents' Day, etc.), it's mostly an excuse for the gift and greeting card industry to make a pot of money by obliging people to go out and buy something.

 

[Haltickling]

No fair, we don't get presents for Father's Day. Here it's just an excuse for men to get drunk...

Thanks for the info, Shem!

 

[BigJim]

Oh, I always thought Britain was a part of Europe, too?

Herecy!!!!!!! Part of Europe?? Part of the lefty, fucking, lefty, federal, lefty, united, lefty, states of lefty Europe?!?!?!?!? Never in a million years, no matter how many times they re-draft that abortion of a constitution!!!!
Ah, excuse me..... something strange came over me here. I feel much better now. Must have been a brief illness or something.

In fact, I can speak and write British English, too, and I can even speak Scottish accent as well. However, I've got my problems to understand cockney and some other English dialects. The Brits would categorize my British pronounciation as Upper Middle Class, not Oxbridge or Eton.

Heh heh, you never heard anything till you hear my repetoire of voices and vocal impersonations! Just ask your former colleague, Mimi. I am told my Billy Connelly impersonation is a killer.

In Germany we write the date like this: 29.5.2003, and we speak "29th 5th" or "29th May" (translated literally).

Aha, same as here then. Typical of the Americans to fuck up something that already worked perfectly well eh?

 

[BigJim]

Here it's just an excuse for men to get drunk...

Thanks for the info, Shem!

Sort of like having a "y" in the day in England then?

 

[The Pianist]

I'm in Australia... and I don't think we have fathers day yet... we had Mothers day a few weeks ago though...

And its the 29th of the 5th... dratted Americans changing everything and making English impossible... I still can't remember which is the proper spelling of color/colour grrrr. Why did you people have to make up this American English (dodgy english) stuff anyway?

 

[venray]

Herecy!!!!!!! Part of Europe?? Part of the lefty, fucking, lefty, federal, lefty, united, lefty, states of lefty Europe?!?!?!?!?

That's OK Jim...Tony and George are working on a plan to make you a colony of the US...To be announced on the proper day to celebrate father's day.......

Ray

 

[BigJim]

I'm in Australia... and I don't think we have fathers day yet... we had Mothers day a few weeks ago though...

And its the 29th of the 5th... dratted Americans changing everything and making English impossible... I still can't remember which is the proper spelling of color/colour grrrr. Why did you people have to make up this American English (dodgy english) stuff anyway?

The "proper way" is WITH a U. Americans phonetiscised the language and removed most of the galic influences from it. Thus they spell armour a-r-m-o-r. Either that or it could be that they're all too thick to spell properly.

 

[BigJim]

That's OK Jim...Tony and George are working on a plan to make you a colony of the US...To be announced on the proper day to celebrate father's day.......

Ray

Sounds good to me! lol

I think generally that we're f***ed whatever happens. lol

 

[desdemona]

I think Father's Day has become an excuse to keep the tie industry a float (since so many businesses seem to have gone casual). But maybe it was a jealousy thing since Mom's got May and there was no formal holiday in June.

I'll do one better than the mixed up way we do dates. Do you use "military time" in England (I can only speak for the European time tables I've seen and I know the French/Swiss use it)? At work, our appointment schedule only prints in military time...messes with everyone's brain!

And as to spelling, we tend to operate on the K.I.S.S. principle around here for the masses. Extra letters would just aid in confusing our muddled minds

 

[milagros317]

There is no harm in admitting that the American system of writing dates is illogical, as it goes medium-small-large, such as May 30, 2003.

30 May 2003 is much more logical, as it goes small-medium-large.

But my reaction to this, as well as to variant spellings on both sides of the Atlantic, is: So what?

 

[rajee]

[COLOR=FF9F40] I believe we write it May 30, 2003 because it is easiest to say and out of habit we usually say the month first. Go figure.[/COLOR]

 

[Haltickling]

desdemona, I'm not sure about Britain, but practically everywhere outside of the Anglo-American culture, precise time measurement is done in the military mode. We just put a dot between hours and minutes, like that: 20.12 (8:12 pm, or in real military fashion 2012 = twentyhundred-twelve).

This is different in the colloquial language, and it even varies from region to region in the same country. But whenever an exact time needs to be mentioned, we switch to the mode above.

milagros, all languages are usually something illogical (with very few exceptions), so it's "so what?" indeed!

rajee, how do you know that you say the month first because it's written that way?

 

[rajee]

[COLOR=0095ED] For me personally, I just say it as I read it. It will take me a few seconds more to read and say it the other way because I have grown acustomed? to the way North Americans have been writing it for a long time.[/COLOR]