The Core
Why We Are Here => Water Cooler => Topic started by: dogboy on July 27, 2012, 04:26:56 PM
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(http://img2.appliancesconnection.com/product/450x420/8335ec543b022a16cbd846ff9647db94.jpg)
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I love my country but there is no way on earth I would get a sofa like that!
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hehe, I like it, but I wonder if a Brit having that would be akin to me having one flying the Rebel colors.
On second thought...
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we very nearly got one like that for the office. Unfortunately my soft seating area for stolen for more staff space before it happened.
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it's not a great pic, but the Union Jack on anything transforms it into something badass...
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I think we view or national flags a little differently.
Whether we should, or shouldn't is one of those debates that needs an evening over a few beers to really thrash out, but sadly, for quite a few years the union flag was 'adopted' by some of the extreme right wing (and fairly rascist) politcal movements.
This lead to many otherwise perfectly sane and sensibly patriotic people avoiding overt use of the union flag for fear of being associated with the racist nutters.
This is, of course, wrong on so many levels, but national identity within the British Isles is complex - e.g. a few members of the British football team didn't sing the national anthem 'cos they were Welsh. 'WTF?' you may well exclaim, but then one verse (not sung much these days) of the 'British' national anthem contains the words:
"Lord, grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush.
God save the King."
.. that the Welsh footballers didn't sing it was mentioned in the media, but it wasn't much of a big deal.
As I said, it is complicated and confusing even for us Brits.
... of course, my country's flag is now:
(http://www.ukinf.com/Flag_of_Wales.png)
... well kind of..... where is live now is Wales, but heavily populated by Mancs and Scousers (ie. English), so I think the threat of a horrible death in a whicker man is somewhat less likely than I feared.
[added]
We can't even agree on whether to call it the 'union flag' or the 'union jack' - both are defensible, but you will get plenty of pub know-it-alls telling you that is is only called the 'Union Jack' when flown on a ship.... don't get me started on that one....
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I have a pair of union jack shoes :) - which I'll be getting as much use as possible out of this next month. It really does only feel appropriate this year though. Not sure I could cope with a sofa, I think most people have limited flag fever to a few cushions and a cake stand!
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We can't even agree on whether to call it the 'union flag' or the 'union jack'
In the Olympic ceremony just a moment ago, they called it the "union flag".
A very impressive ceremony, BTW.
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>national identity
For Americans it is easier to think of all of Europe as a bunch of tribes, some of which are cohabiting within the same nation-state. Mostly they get along although they often give each other the fisheye.
The couch is pretty cool and I have always liked the look of the Union flag. Didn't know it had been co-opted by nutters, too bad about that.
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The nutters only get to keep it when the rest of us stop using it.
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I wish they'd stop wheeling out McCartney for these events. Absolute legend, but getting a bit old to crank out his tunes from yesteryear.
>sofa
It's a setee or couch....shirley! Nice to look at but the white isn't very compatible with my messy 18 month old daughter.
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> I wish they'd stop wheeling out McCartney for these events. Absolute legend, but getting a bit old to crank out his tunes from yesteryear.
I (and I think half the nation) agree
> Settee, couch, Sofa
Is there a difference?
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> Settee, coach, Sofa
Is there a difference?
about 1.7 million searches a month :)
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Best damn answer I've ever heard :)
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>> you will get plenty of pub know-it-alls telling you that is is only called the 'Union Jack' when flown on a ship.... don't get me started on that one....
And the know-it-alls would be (mostly) right. If you want to be super-technical, a "jack" is flown by ships, so in another context (such as on land), it isn't a jack, it's a flag. One of my Uni mates is RN, so I've heard this all in great detail...
As a practical matter, unless you happen to be a serving RN officer on diplomatic protocol duty or something, it really makes no difference, since everyone knows what you mean, either way
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My view is simple
Call it a Jack, a Flag or anything you damn like. Understand it conveys the union of 4 great countries, fly it and be proud!
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Technically GB is only 3 countries, but since I was splitting hairs on what to call a seat I'll go with the olympic spirit and just include NI in there too.
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> Technically GB is only 3 countries
You're right of course
Great Britain is England, Scotland and Wales whereas the UK is the United Kingdoms of Great Britain AND Northern Ireland.
> Seat
I looked all three up and still couldn't tell you the difference :)
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(http://www.wardsbookofdays.com/index_files/UJ2.JPG)
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> Technically GB is only 3 countries
Technically there is no country of Wales, simply a geographic distinction of a place since 1535 and the Wales Act, hence why in the Union (Flag|Jack) there is no Wales represented.
That's why, if you have a legal dispute, the law held to it will be "The law of England And Wales" or "Scottish law" as the two are (although very very close) different
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TT - I warned you not to get me started on the flag/jack issue :)
You have taken on the mantle of the pub know-it-all so must bear the consequences - so.....
Bollocks!
To follow that line of reasoning is to :
* ignore that fact the English is a living language, and 'majority rule' ends up changing the meaning of words (if not, why are we not still using some of it's older names, eg. 'the British flag' or 'the flag of Britain'.
* to assume that everyone is happy for the 'name' of an object to change depending on where it is located - by no means a given.
* to assume that Uni mates who are RN are capable of independent non-partisan thoughts.
* and most importantly, to assume that the parliamentary approval of the 'union jack' as being an acceptable term for the national flag (1908) has in some way been rescinded.
Both are acceptable. Neither is wrong - super-technically or otherwise - and you can tell that to the Navy :)
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The pub know it all are mostly wrong on this one (like any of us really care). Those that know my client list will understand why I know this: A jack was originally just a small flag. The admiralty itself used union jack to describe land based ones consistently for a very long time before the "pub bore argument" Seemed to come about.
So the bores are thankfully wrong. Personally I'm with the modern language argument and any way, but it's still nice to know.
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>> Seat
>I looked all three up and still couldn't tell you the difference
I've no idea why I mentioned that... yes absolutely no difference but just variations are popular in different regions of the UK. I think I'd read too much about Mitt Romney and turned into an arse for the rest of the day.
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If I were a hungry Brit...
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/251910_10151057304179316_1737962039_n.jpg)
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http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/UnionJack.aspx
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Well that seals it then :)
If Auntie Bettie's website says it is Ok, it's got settle the pub bore argument once and for all.