If I were a Brit...

[JasonD]

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!

[BoL]

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.

[JasonD]

> 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

[dogboy]

[JasonD]

> 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

[4Eyes]

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approval of the 'union jack' as being an acceptable term for the national flag (1908) has in some way been rescinded.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

[Rooftop]

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.

[BoL]

>> 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.

[dogboy]

If I were a hungry Brit...

[mick g]

http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/UnionJack.aspx

[4Eyes]

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.