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Post by karl on Dec 13, 2008 12:55:58 GMT -7
Karl. Yes, clothes are really a matter of practicality and availability. Fashion is certainly regional. I think there is much to be said about the British fashion as well... Like this! We must'nt leave Neville out of this. Since I have seen fit to critique others fashion sense, You will justifiably critique the American fashion won't you? Oh dear! Well Tim, of course not of leave out Neville, for sure! Whilst once in a storm of hail, I would have given all for that suit as displayed For the Brits are very well enhanced with style and as of people, I have of notice of those upon our shores as visitors, to wear that of which is practical for the climate and weather. For those I have met, were a tribute to their Island nation as very nice. With American style of dress: It must be of remind that I live and work in the Pacific Northwest, in-as-such, is very much of the climate of my home. It is wet in winter with associate of storm and in summer, very pretty and mild. The people for the most of part, dress causal if permitted. For the area is of Seattle and as so, very international. For of here, is for the most part, Scandinavian with a large community representative of Asian {Korean/Chinese}. As of short and long, as a person, I kept to my self as a normality. But as an observation: What I see is: the orientals dress very nice and are conscience of their dress in manner. The white Americans, dress of practical. If in casual, they dress as we do, what is comfortable. {Jeans/out door shirt/jacket/sports shoes} If of work {professional} it is attire of expensive appearance of business suit. Or, clean pressed jeans with business suit jacket with casual leather shoes of nice polish and clean. I have found through experience with the Americans is: They of general, equate a person by their manner of dress. If well dressed {sports or business clothed} they will treat with much more respect then of a person as casual dress in jeans and common shirt and/or jacket. The service is much more high in the garage of park, then other wise of common. As a general practice, I do not enjoy the weekly trip into Seattle, for then I must dress up to expectations as of meeting. It is our requirement to dress accordingly as to slightly above the entrance people in lobby or door, but not above our immediate superior. It is a narrow path to follow, but not that un-usual in etiquette. What I have observed is: Americans are very tolerant, Whilst in Canada, not so. For whilst on frequent occasion of business to Vancouver. The dress of a person is very much rated to class. The better the dress, the better the service. And in many case, it will determine as to where you will be seated whilst in a restaurant/place of entertainment. For many of better place of establishment, the gentleman must be attired with a tie, if not, then the rope of velvet will be not opened for the seating in nice area of velvet cushion seating and chesterfield. If clothed in common street attire, then it is to the common are of hard seating chair and plain table. With the above situation, it is a good idea even with common street shirt, to rent the darn tie at the check station for the best of the house seating. Karl
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Post by archivist on Dec 13, 2008 14:00:04 GMT -7
Karl,
That works in Britain too. The best dressed get the best service. But I think Tim got it right too. I suspect he was taking the Mickey a bit too, but as someone else said on the forum: if you give it, you gotta learn to take it. Tim is pretty sharp and he gives as good as he takes. I don't know about other countries, but over here we call that banter. I know that whatever Tim says, it is not malicious and (usually) it is very funny. I'm getting old now and I have learned that if someone makes a joke against me, I can laugh at it. And, vice versa, I expect him to see the funny side if I hit back. I love Tim's humour and I am 100% sure that it is just that - humour - not malice. OK Tim that's given you a licence to poke fun at me!
Neville
PS, I'm surprised that no one has come up with a "stiff upper lip" joke
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Post by archivist on Dec 13, 2008 14:07:37 GMT -7
One other word to Tim:
I don't wear sunglasses and I do travel to hot places. I am well known for my Tiger Stripes which are white lines in the tan I always get, around the creases around my eyes. I must say, though, your cartoon is typically Brit! But, sadly, of a younger generation. For an American, you have a superb sense of humour (even if you can't spell the word!)
Neville
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Post by archivist on Dec 13, 2008 14:13:40 GMT -7
I have to say that I didn't find the tabloid pictures funny. As Bill Shankly (a former Liverpool manager, once said: Football is not a matter of life or death, it@s much more important then that." But even he wouldn't approve of those pictures.
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Post by karl on Dec 13, 2008 15:05:31 GMT -7
One other word to Tim: I don't wear sunglasses and I do travel to hot places. I am well known for my Tiger Stripes which are white lines in the tan I always get, around the creases around my eyes. I must say, though, your cartoon is typically Brit! But, sadly, of a younger generation. For an American, you have a superb sense of humour (even if you can't spell the word!) Neville This is an area I have for to become accustomed of. For why Americans have not the spell correct? And of the wrong measure system as not metric? They seem to have acquired all else that the Brits had taught included that of a different sense of humour. But, all is well, that ends well.. And of course a very well balanced government. Neville, you do know you are the sole British representative on this site, do you not? For in this respective, you are indispensable For once of the proud day I will return home, I may gaze across the channel and say: {Good morning to you sir Neville} for our day is the same, and it is a fine day, for the gull is low on the water, the sun is bright upon our shores and off is the mist {fog} upon the horizen. Karl
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Post by archivist on Dec 13, 2008 16:32:49 GMT -7
Karl,
I really am sorry if I am the only Brit here - but it's very nice to be indispensible! I've never been that before. The spelling thing has two sources; Mr Webster created his world famous dictionary and decided to change the accepted English spellings. That's fine as he didn't change the nae of the language to American. I have no complaint about this as a quarter of a billion Americans can chose to spell things to suit themselves. That's democracy for you! The second source is the late, great English actor David Niven; speaking to an American on British TV, he said: "We invented the language and you butchered it." Americans generally drop the letter U, for example color, honor etc (Brits place a U before the terminal R). Webster changed words like plough to plow but he didn't change words like tough to tow or cough to cow (that would radically change their meaning). It's just a bit of a joke when we comment on spellings and we ask which is crrect American English or English English. Well, let me tell you that English English is the most eautiful language in the world because it has the most different words with the same meaning AND because it has the most words with different meanings. Some English words have several different meanings with the same spelling and that is why it is one of the most difficult languages to learn properly. It is also the international language of aviation and the most widely spoken second language in the world. If it were not for the sheer number of Chinese people extant, it would also be the most widely spoken language on earth.
All that aside, and joking apart, we can easily communicate with Americans so there is no problem. At the end of the day, Americans are our closest friends and allies and so these little differences of spelling are totally irrelevant.
Unfortunately, the fact that so many people around the world speak English makes the English arrogant and unwilling to learn foreign languages. That is our big failing. If I can give you an example, I have several German friends who speak English so well that I have never felt the need to learn German. Is that arrogant or what?
Can I please end on a joke (and it is a Joke). Conceit is when you think you are something special; arrogance is when you know damned well that you are!
Neville
PS It was kind of you to refer to me as Sir Neville, but I have not received my Knighthood yet, so it is just plain Neville! (Sorry, that's just more odd English humour)
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Post by redneck on Dec 13, 2008 17:49:29 GMT -7
I like to think we speak American.
Colour-I think thats the French spelling is it not....HA!
Don't even discuss football, I think you mean to say rugby or soccer, football is not "futbol".
I agree that we butchered your language. We then proceeded to roast it with words from all around the globe and and served it with a helping of informality. Its like Bigos- You can never be sure whats in it from day to day but its tasty none the less!
For me, English is somewhat formal in nature. I speak Spanish fairly well and would compare the informality of American to the informality of latin American Spanish. When I hear Spanish spoken by a Spaniard it sounds like 16th century English. Thee, Thou, etc. Makes me laugh.
P.S. Do you keep a spare tyre in your boot? Thats hillarious to me!!
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Post by kaima on Dec 13, 2008 19:06:42 GMT -7
OK Tim that's given you a licence to poke fun at me! Neville PS, I'm surprised that no one has come up with a "stiff upper lip" joke Neville, If I may step in and use that license, my best English joke comes from an East Indian, and I believe is known as a colonial joke: Why did the sun never set on the British Empire? ... God didn't trust the Britts in the dark! _ _ _ Your English spelling has always caused me troubles, as I have a terrible time distinguishing between American and English spellings., and I have adapted grey in place of gray, as it looks much more like the meaning! I do wonder how you manage to stuff so many dialects into the Islands, however.
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Pawian
European
Have you seen my frog?
Posts: 3,266
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Post by Pawian on Dec 14, 2008 14:03:41 GMT -7
Arlen Specter's Polish Jokes 'Offensive' NewsMax.com, FL Saturday, December 13, 2008
When Pennsylvania Congressman Jack Murtha recently said many of his home staters are "racist" and "rednecks," he may have been referring to the state's longtime U.S. senator.
The New York Post's Page 6 reports that Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., used the occasion of a public luncheon Friday to lighten up the crowd by telling Polish jokes.
Specter was speaking before the influential Commonwealth Club, a Pennsylvania Republican group meeting in New York's Rainbow Room, when he began his opening act.
The senator queried his audience if anyone present was Polish. Reportedly, about 10 people raised their hands.
Apparently callous to their feelings, Specter let loose with a stream of Polish jokes. The Post said he recounted the old one about a person who tells another person that he knows a good Polish joke. The man responds, "Hey careful, I'm Polish!" Specter delivered the punchline: "That's OK, I'll tell it more slowly."
A member of the stunned audience told the Post that Specter's jokes were "insensitive. "
"I was offended, and I'm not Polish," the source said.
Senator Wonders: How Do You Stop A Polish Army On Horseback? By Hamilton Nolan Gawker, NY Sat Dec 13 2008
You know what never gets old? Polish jokes! You know what really never gets old? A Republican Senator telling Polish jokes to a big group including Polish people, for kicks—dumb Polack kicks, ha!
Sen. Arlen Specter, who has already defeated Chris Matthews without throwing a single punch, decided to "warm up the crowd" at a Republican event in Manhattan last night:
A witness reports Specter began by asking if anyone in the room was Polish. About 10 guests out of hundreds there raised their hands. Specter deemed the number insignificant and forged ahead with some supposedly funny Polish jokes, including the old one about the man who interrupted him once, saying, "Hey, careful. I'm Polish!" Specter said he responded, "That's OK - I'll tell it more slowly." Specter also told two other tasteless jokes in the same Polish vein.
Arlen Specter would never make it out of Greenpoint alive. [P6; Racist answer to headline: "Turn off the carousel." No Arlen did not ask that specifically, AS FAR AS WE KNOW.
If you want to voice your discontent, you can reach Senator Arlen Specter here: specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
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Post by archivist on Dec 14, 2008 15:16:27 GMT -7
Pawian,
I don't think that's funny , especially coming from a politician in a public speech. This is clearly intended to humiliate unless the guy has no sensitivity at all. I suppose he can afford to lose 10 votes if he's working up a big crowd.
Kaima,
You'd get a belly laugh for that one in any British audience! I don't think you have any idea just how many dialects we have. Between the cities of Newcastle and Durham alone (about 15 miles apart) I can pick out six or seven different ones. Just for everyone's amusement, here's a phrase in a broad Geordie dialect From the area around Newcastle upon Tyne home of the famous Newcastle Brown Ale - which probably explains some of the dialect. This fair city is less than 10 miles from here. Here goes:
"Divvent drop yer dottle on the proggy mat" Try to work that one out!
Don't worry though, we communicate so we must basically understand each other.
Tim,
I accept your explanation totally, in fact I'll go a step further. The Queen's English, when correctly spoken, sounds clumsy and ancient to ordinary people. Conflicting rules of grammar make most people give up! The truth is that laziness of speech has become so commonplace that even BBC announcers now use a more relaxed version of English. I don't know if you have heard this before but, until the 1960's, BBC RADIO announcers were required to wear a dinner suit (tuxedo) when reading the news. Yes, I said RADIO!
Neville
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Post by karl on Dec 14, 2008 18:29:03 GMT -7
Pawian
I am not Polish, but I would be embarrassed and some what angry for those remarks from a man of such responsibility, as of Mr. Arlen Spector.
It would appear for at least on the surface. The man is over secure with assumed protection by virtue of position and time in office.
Karl
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Post by kaima on Dec 14, 2008 23:59:00 GMT -7
Maybe we should adapt the Iraqi custom of throwing shoes at people to express extreme displeasure.
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Post by archivist on Dec 15, 2008 4:26:46 GMT -7
Sending you a parcel of old shoes Kaima; use them well!
Neville
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Post by archivist on Dec 15, 2008 12:56:43 GMT -7
Tim,
I'm getting old and slow. It took a second reading before I picked up on the spare tyre/boot joke. OK, I concede defeat! It does sound hilarious but since I have big feet It's amazing what I can get in my boot!
Neville
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Post by redneck on Dec 15, 2008 15:16:44 GMT -7
Neville, I'm sure we have some sayings that sound similarly absurd. The ministry of the ridiculous operates on both sides of the pond.
Tim
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