Quintessentially British!

[InspectorJapp]

Oh yes let's. Then let's compare it with the amount of ones Norway have won.

1. Ummm...

Okay, let's be fair. England have, after all, reached the quarter and semi-finals of the big international tournaments now and again, such as at Euro 96 and Italia 90. Let's list not Norweigan wins, but Norweigan impressive performances.

1. Ummm...

I have no problem admitting that the norwegian national team is a heap of fermented manure. And if that fecking incompetent asshat Morten Gamst Pedersen isn't kicked out soon, my hair (or whats left of it) will turn grey.

However, you are mistaken on point 2. You see, we did finish third at the 1936 olympics.

 

[GorjushPorjush]

Hail Britannia!

8]

 

[BigJim]

I had a vague notion of English being as mad as hatters when it comes to measuring anything but I'm surprised at how complicated it really was.

Ah, this makes me think of something else...

Britain, land of the chap who goes out in the midday sun. Famed the world over for our eccentricities and general utter loonieness.

Anyone who has read the second part of Roald Dahl’s autobiography: Going Solo, will know that that British people in general and in particular those who went abroad to build the Empire, were as mad as fucking hatters.

It is part of our cultural identity, donahca know. We certainly wouldn’t have achieved half the things we did without it.

 

[BigJim]

However, you are mistaken on point 2. You see, we did finish third at the 1936 olympics.

 

[BigJim]

Am I the only one who finds the word "farthing" really funny?

Yes.

 

[InspectorJapp]

Yes.

 

[InspectorJapp]

Hmm, using that smiley made me feel less masculine.

 

[BigJim]

Embrace it dear boy. Just think of Anthony Andrews as The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Sink me!

Besides, you're a Ric Flair fan.

 

[red indian]

I get the feeling I should be making a contribution to this thread....not sure why.

 

[InspectorJapp]

Besides, you're a Ric Flair fan.

Ouch, that hurt.

 

[OmahaTickler]

Before I get into what Britain means to me, a rant. I once worked as a copy editor at a newspaper and was proofing a review of the film "Troy," in which the reviewer described the cast as a bunch of "British actors." His response was basically "What's the dif?" The cast had maybe three Brits, a couple Welshmen, a Scot or two, several Irish and an Australian. Oh yeah, and some Yank named Pitt. My biggest ugly-American pet peeve is Americans who don't respect the fact that there's the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and part of Ireland. There are mostly English-speaking nations, but there are different customs and national identities here. Two words: BLOODY HELL! Now, the fun part:

I grew up gradually falling in love with British royal history through the Stuart kings, then I began noticing how my favorite actors, actresses and director (Hitchcock, need I say more?) were either Brits or Welsh. I actually was disappointed to discover that my favorite actor of all time, Vincent Price, was a Yank, as was my second favorite (Jonathan "Dr. Smith" Harris of "Lost in Space" fame). Then I noticed my favorite New Wave bands of the 80s were of the U.K. As for the first British invasion, I don't like the Beatles, and I have yet to figure out why. (It's not style of music. I'm a big fan of 60s Top 40 in general, including mod, swingin London mainstays like Herman's Hermits and Petula Clark.)

I tend to look at everything through history and media, so that's how I view Britain. I don't seem to be much into British nationalism, though, in that I find the imperial period of expansion that began around the time the Hanover kings came in during the 18th century, and continuing to the present, to be boring as far as royal and parliamentary history. My love of the film "Mrs. Brown" made me appreciate Victorian times a little more, but generally, if I could live in Britain, it would either be before 1714 or in 1960s swingin' London.

I also live for Renaissance Faires. The spectacle, the pageantry, not to mention they celebrate my favorite era: the House of Tudor, and for a few hours, I get to be in 16th century England, with sassy wenches and shifty highwaymen.

I guess I can't put my finger on that quintessential British phenomenon that moves me. Oh well, tally ho!

 

[BigJim]

I get the feeling I should be making a contribution to this thread....not sure why.

Me neither, Indy.

Nice to see you, you old socialist, you. Must be about three years since we last insulted each other, what?

 

[BigJim]

Ouch, that hurt.

Was intended to. Don't worry though, calling Indy a socialist will piss him off far more, so you're not being discriminated against.


P.S. I do so hate post flood measures. On forums I'm not running, anyway. lol

 

[BigJim]

I once worked as a copy editor at a newspaper and was proofing a review of the film "Troy," in which the reviewer described the cast as a bunch of "British actors." His response was basically "What's the dif?"

The thing that saved Anthony Hopkins from alcoholism was when early one morning as he staggered out of a bar to scrape Oliver Reed off the road outside, he heard an American further down the room remark,
"Jesus, that English guy sure can drink!"

I also live for Renaissance Faires. The spectacle, the pageantry, not to mention they celebrate my favorite era: the House of Tudor, and for a few hours, I get to be in 16th century England, with sassy wenches and shifty highwaymen

lol Renfaires? I'm assuming you understand the significance of that remark, around here?

 

[BigJim]

Hail Britannia!

8]

Is that meant to be a link, Gor? If it is, it doesn't work.

 

[BigJim]

I have no problem admitting that the norwegian national team is a heap of fermented manure. And if that fecking incompetent asshat Morten Gamst Pedersen isn't kicked out soon, my hair (or whats left of it) will turn grey.

However, you are mistaken on point 2. You see, we did finish third at the 1936 olympics.

Congratulations on Eurovision, by the way. I think you can guess how seriously we take it these days, judging from the fact that we have Graham Norton commentating on it.

 

[BigJim]

For some reason when Americans use what they call a "pound sign", the one they use is this... #. We call that a hash mark (nothing to do with the drug) and it most definitely does not mean the British pound Sterling to us. The sign we use is this... £.

Well back in the pre-1971 days of imperial coinage, the pound sign was almost the same, but it didn't have the central cross bar, so it looked kinda like a lower case L done in joined up writing, but without anything joined on.

If someone wanted to write a kind of shorthand for pounds, shillings (a "bob" was slang for a shilling) and pence, they would put "lsd". (Again, nothing to do with a drug.)

However, if you had a price tag on something in a shop, say something that cost eight shillings and six pence, the shillings and pence of the item would be indicated as 8/ 6-. Alternatively, they would just use the letters, so it would be 8s 6d. For some reason the pence were indicated by a d, probably from a latin word for a small coin. I must remember to ask Stephen Fry if I ever meet him.

Good old brain o'mine! (Just goes to show that masturbation DOESN'T dim the faculties!)

According to Wikipedia...

Prior to decimalisation, the pound was divided into 20 shillings and each shilling into 12 pence, making 240 pence to the pound. The symbol for the shilling was "s" — not from the first letter of the word, but from the Latin solidus. The symbol for the penny was "d", from the French denier, from the Latin denarius (the solidus and denarius were Roman coins). A mixed sum of shillings and pence such as 3 shillings and 6 pence was written as "3/6" or "3s 6d" and spoken as "three and six". 5 shillings was written as "5s" or, more commonly, "5/-". The stroke, /, indicating shillings, was originally an adaptation of the long s.


The "long s" as fans of The Vicar of Dibley may remember, basically looks like a joined-up lower case f, without the cross-hatch.

 

[Mister Scruff]

I think we should make this a "Get Britain A New National Anthem" thread. I've just heard a refrain from God Save The Queen and it's fucking awful.

England needs it's own too; I vote for either "Jerusalem", "I Vow To Thee My Country", "Lilibullero", or M People's "Movin' On Up".

 

[InspectorJapp]

Congratulations on Eurovision, by the way. I think you can guess how seriously we take it these days, judging from the fact that we have Graham Norton commentating on it.

Indeed. Having Andrew Lloyd Webber not only composing your entry, but also appearing on stage, just oozes "not serious".

You are crying now, Jim. Admit it.

 

[BigJim]

I think we should make this a "Get Britain A New National Anthem" thread. I've just heard a refrain from God Save The Queen and it's fucking awful.

England needs it's own too; I vote for either "Jerusalem", "I Vow To Thee My Country", "Lilibullero", or M People's "Movin' On Up".

You sound like my dad: he can't stand GSTQ either. AND he's a big fan of Jerusalem. His other choice would be Land of Hope and Glory.

 

[BigJim]

Indeed. Having Andrew Lloyd Webber not only composing your entry, but also appearing on stage, just oozes "not serious".

You are crying now, Jim. Admit it.

One only has to say the word, "Eurovision", and I'm in tears within three seconds: either from despair or laughter.

Seriously Inspecteur, you do not think ze leetle grey cells indicate our lack of seriousness when you observe our entry from one or two years back: four wankers dressed as flight attendants, waving around like double-arm fracture patients?

 

[Mister Scruff]

You sound like my dad: he can't stand GSTQ either. AND he's a big fan of Jerusalem. His other choice would be Land of Hope and Glory.

That's also dirge-tastic. It should be Lilibullero; not only is it catchy and spunky, it also displays contempt for the Taigs

 

[BigJim]

Never heard of either.

 

[benjitk1]

I'd like to add being British is great, we create some of the best football, rugby, television shows, some great food and culture. I don't understand why people don't come over here more, they'd have a good time and it doesn't rain all the time

 

[red indian]

I would like to see the scrapping of any form of national anthem which obliges the great British public to attempt to sing. As Simon Cowell as has generously demonstrated, the vast majority of us are no good at it.

What I would like to hear in its place is a recording of a Merlin engined Spitfire starting up and taking off. This could be used in theatres and on most general public occasions.

More blue ribbon type events( Henley, Royal ascot, Wimbledon) could be permitted to play the sound of a Griffon engined Spitfire.

Major Royal events, state funerals and sporting victories of any kind over the Germans will be done so to the sound of a Lancaster bomber starting up (four merlin engines).

I would also support the scrapping of "Happy Birthday to you" this should be replaced with the sound of a Jaguar V12 six litre engine starting up and tickling over.