How do les Anglais Make You Wince?

[Hewitts]

 I have just read an article in today's paper which struck a cord with me, having just spent three weeks in Western Australia on holiday with a couple from Bedford and another couple from Wales (living there for a long time, born in England).

"People may hate national stereotypes but the fact is that all of the Englishmen I meet - including those who I like - whinge.  They winge about the taste of the beer, the temperature of the beer, the price of the beer and the size of the glasses in which the beer is served.  I notice that this doesn't lessen the huge volumes of beer they drink. and they aren't happy about a number of other things apart from the beer, too, but unforunately I'm only writing a magazine article, not a 75,000 work book."

Barry Divola - Sunday Life - The Sun-Herald Magazine

Our three weeks holiday was spent listening to it's too hot, it's too cold, it's too expensive, there is too much on the plate,  ad nauseum.  We loved Western Australia but we were glad to get home, we'll go back on our own someday.  We have known the couple from Wales for forty years or more, but for some reason they now could winge for England and the other couple, I just won't go there or I'll be writing a book.

 

 

[Just Katie]

I really do not see this thread as being racist.  It is interesting, if not slightly old fashioned to look at our regional differences, which of course are now becoming diluted as we become more global.

I was with some friends some months back in a delightful restaurant is St Malo when a rather aggressive looking man and his wife (english) were seated next to us.  We carried on our conversation in english however, this chap kept leaning over and correcting our grammer then started making eeeeeking noises which we thought was rather strange.  Also he and his wife were covered in baby oil.  At this point we decided to speak in welsh for the remainder of the evening.[:P]

Seriously though,  I find when I am abroad and people 'accuse' me of being english their attitude changes when I tell them I am welsh.  I think Englands barbaric history is a cross many Englishmen bear today and I think UNFOTUNATELY, England is one of the more detested nations.

I hear the Welsh language thing,  I am from South Wales and a hundred or so years ago the speaking of the welsh language was banned in schools and is today sadly rarely spoken in the south.  In the 70's there was a fear that the language could die out, the english were purchasing holiday homes and there were high anti english feelings in the north.  North Waleans are a different breed to the south and fiercly guard their culture.  As a south walean visiting areas in north Wales I have been totally ignored for ordering in an english speaking welsh accent.  My husband has played rugby there and they are hostile beyond belief. 

The majority of the welsh down south detest the english but when the six nations is over it is all forgotten.

[Tresco]

Woops I see I said I agreed with Zeb100 last night.

I should have qualified that properly. I see now SB was posting at the same time as me, and said what I would have said if I had had a wit about me.

I lost my only wit earlier in the evening. You didn't find it lying around did you, SB?[:D]

[Poppy]

We lived in North Wales for a few years and found the people very friendly and helpful. We have Geordie accents do you think that helped.

Talking of accents is it just me or do the English with the loudest voices in French restaurants and supermarkets have plums in their mouths. OOPs I didnt mean they were eating the food.

Jan

Lost in the Lot

[Just Katie]

Mikejan, 

Yes I notice that too.  I personally find it very grating.  Sorry for my shallowness and narrowmindedness here but almost to a point where I feel they try to intimidate those of us with cap in hand.

I am glad you find the northwaleans a friendly bunch.  I think what gripes them most is people like me who cannot speak the language of my country.  A language which they so fiercly try to preserve.  I would love to be able to speak welsh but it is a very difficult language to learn and I feel this priviledge was stripped from my ancestors at a very young age

Incidentally, when I was at school we had a breton student teacher who was with us for a year and because of the similarities between welsh and breton claimed as he was leaving that he was almost fluent in welsh.

Have you noticed yorkshire people know the price of bitter in all the pubs when they are on holiday and will walk for miles to the chippy which serves free bread and butter?

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Gluestick"]

Ummm..............how do you miss the radar traps, Zeb?

[/quote]

As far as the autoroutes are concerned, radar traps and speed camaras

could soon be old hat. It would seem that the gendarmerie at J7 on the

A83 have trialled the very simple technique of using the toll ticket

time stamps to work out the average speeds of drivers between entering

and leaving the road. This is done very simply with a computer at the

exit toll booths. If you have travelled at an average of more than

130kph then a uniformed guardian of the peace emerges (knowing our

local lot, probably dabbing at his mouth with a slightly stained

napkin) and administers a wigging. They haven't (yet) got the right to

issue fines or deduct points based on this evidence, but they can

generally find some way of making life difficult for the evil

miscreants. Of course the system breaks down if someone stops for a loo

break or something, but even so they were able to collar about 300

people in the month that they tried it. This was out of season. Could

be a nice little earner.

[TWINKLE]

[quote user="KatieKopyKat"]

Mikejan, 

Yes I notice that too.  I personally find it very grating.  Sorry for my shallowness and narrowmindedness here but almost to a point where I feel they try to intimidate those of us with cap in hand.

I am glad you find the northwaleans a friendly bunch.  I think what gripes them most is people like me who cannot speak the language of my country.  A language which they so fiercly try to preserve.  I would love to be able to speak welsh but it is a very difficult language to learn and I feel this priviledge was stripped from my ancestors at a very young age

Incidentally, when I was at school we had a breton student teacher who was with us for a year and because of the similarities between welsh and breton claimed as he was leaving that he was almost fluent in welsh.

Have you noticed yorkshire people know the price of bitter in all the pubs when they are on holiday and will walk for miles to the chippy which serves free bread and butter?

[/quote]

Whos coat is that jacket over buthere ?  Therou are -  thass welsh mun! S'easy gull![:D]

[Poppy]

Have noticed yorkshiremen wearing kilts, but of course geordies are kind, generous etc and truthfull [6]

Twinkle when did you become fluent in Welsh and a Widow?

Jan

[Gluestick]

[quote user="jond"][quote user="Gluestick"]

Ummm..............how do you miss the radar traps, Zeb?

[/quote]

As far as the autoroutes are concerned, radar traps and speed camaras could soon be old hat. It would seem that the gendarmerie at J7 on the A83 have trialled the very simple technique of using the toll ticket time stamps to work out the average speeds of drivers between entering and leaving the road. This is done very simply with a computer at the exit toll booths. If you have travelled at an average of more than 130kph then a uniformed guardian of the peace emerges (knowing our local lot, probably dabbing at his mouth with a slightly stained napkin) and administers a wigging. They haven't (yet) got the right to issue fines or deduct points based on this evidence, but they can generally find some way of making life difficult for the evil miscreants. Of course the system breaks down if someone stops for a loo break or something, but even so they were able to collar about 300 people in the month that they tried it. This was out of season. Could be a nice little earner.
[/quote]

I thought that they already did, jond![8-)]

It was certainly a popular "fact" in Southern France 15 years ago.

In the Nor pas de Calais they are now starting to use fixed cameras, too. As well as Gendarmerie lurking around Peage toll booths.

 

[Just Katie]

Mikejan, Twinkle is a widow since the departure of her dear Miki.  She was the alpha wife.

Arrr she's a poeer dahb now orva by there all on er orn.  Never mind come an av a cwch cariad.  Ewe'll get orva it swn u know.

[TWINKLE]

[quote user="Mikejan"]

Have noticed yorkshiremen wearing kilts, but of course geordies are kind, generous etc and truthfull [6]

Twinkle when did you become fluent in Welsh and a Widow?

Jan

[/quote]

I am tri -lingual - english french & welsh and I have been a widow since my master was put in chains and told to put a sock in it[:(]

[Poppy]

Why I man woman, I understand noo dispite the newky brun.

Did try to find a translation prog geordie to welsh but couldn't find one. Surely there must be one.[blink]

Sincere condolences Twinkle I'm sure Miki will rise again.

Jan

Don't know that Mike will ever rise again

[TWINKLE]

Give him a rub[:-))]

I often get asked by the staff in the local supermarket to interpret french goods into english for the 'local' Brits,  I once taught Sylvie on the cheese counter how  to say "Learn to speak french, madam" to a lady who's been holidaying here for years[:D]  I love a giggle when I'm shopping!

[Just Katie]

Last time I shopped in Twinkles local supermarket whilst on holiday with my family, Sylivie on the cheese counter who doesnt know me and I dont know her asked Twinkle if she knew the 'english family' who was in the shop one hour earlier.  She described us to the 't' even down to the freckles on my sons face.  Then went on to tell her we had bought 1.2 kg mountain cheese and a douzen meriguez.  Yep I met Twinks later that day and was quite surprised that she knew what I had bought.

Have you noticed french people always ask if you are on holidays?

[TWINKLE]

Have you noticed when I come home to Wales NOBODY asks me if I'm on holidays?[:(]

[Just Katie]

Yeah nobodys really missed you or even noticed youve gone thats why.  And besides half of them cant even remember you.  Oh actually I think I'll take that last bit back.

[Just Katie]

Are the british the only europeans who wear socks and sandals?  That really winces me.

[Poppy]

I think the Dutch do it as well. Wear socks and sandals that is.

Why are they all called Sylvie on the Supermarket Cheese counters  or do we use the same super [8-)]

Jan

 

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Gluestick"]

I thought that they already did, jond![8-)]

It was certainly a popular "fact" in Southern France 15 years ago.

In the Nor pas de Calais they are now starting to use fixed cameras, too. As well as Gendarmerie lurking around Peage toll booths.

 [/quote]

You may will be right, mon vieux, but I am now deeply

parochial and and frequently do not notice anything happening outside

of the departement until it old news. Maybe I should get out more.

Anyway, it was in the one of the local free sheets a little while back

as being The Next Big Thing, so I assumed that it was an original idea.

It would appeal deeply to the authoritarian M. de Villiers, whom I

notice has been making the blats this weekend as he and Sarko slug it

out about which one of them is the most Right Wing in order to garner

votes away from Le Pen. Someone told me that he (Le Pen) had taken a

leaf out of Belusconi's book and has vowed to eshrew the pleasures of

the flesh until he is elected President. All sounds a bit unlikely to

me (that he was in any position to eshrew them, I mean - he's not

exactly Robert Redford, is he?), but there's nowt as queer as folk.

[TWINKLE]

[quote user="Mikejan"]

I think the Dutch do it as well. Wear socks and sandals that is.

Why are they all called Sylvie on the Supermarket Cheese counters  or do we use the same super [8-)]

Jan

 

[/quote]

If she says "Learn to speak french, madam" to you -then yes[:)]

[vervialle]

When they ask for there steak to be cooked well done, then moan its tough, that really annoys me.

[Tag]

When their kids shout, scream and run around in the supermarket.

[Tag]

When they abuse the French in English amongst themselves as if the French dont speak or understand English.

[Deimos]

When they clog up the 10 items only checkout with a massive shopping trolley full. Sorry, no that is a French habit not English !!

Ian

[Gardian]

When they descend from the campsite from about this time of the year until around end-Sept, having been up since cock-crow, and snaffle the few copies of halfway decent Sunday papers before I have a chance to do the same thing - at the properly civilised hour of around 09.30. Bloomin' tourists!