BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: GUEST,Ard Mhacha
Date: 02 May 02 - 09:09 AM

And Grab that appliies to George Bush, Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: Grab
Date: 02 May 02 - 09:00 AM

Still, how many English ppl could place any of the US midwest states on a map? Or any given Indian state, or French Départment? Knowledge of geography usually only extends to areas you're interested in or have visited a bit.

Huw, IIRC it's pronounced as if "we bet him he couldn't, and he...". Is that about right?

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: Grab
Date: 02 May 02 - 09:00 AM

Still, how many English ppl could place any of the US midwest states on a map? Or any given Indian state, or French Départment? Knowledge of geography usually only extends to areas you're interested in or have visited a bit.

Huw, IIRC it's pronounced as if "we bet him he couldn't, and he...". Is that about right?

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: artbrooks
Date: 02 May 02 - 08:58 AM

Gareth, that's an excellent point on relative distances. Many of us who DON'T live in big cities (where one often has to drive for 2 hours to go 20 miles) regularly get in the car and go 100 miles or more for a weekend's camping. Of course, gas (petrol) is cheap here, although we think its expensive; about $1.25 US per gallon...and I won't even try to convert that to decimal pounds per liter.

The ignorance of some Americans about geography isn't limited to Wales. I live in New Mexico (Dead Horse, if you're looking at a map, that's west of the rounded part that points south, aka Texas). There is a story told about a New Mexican who tried to buy a ticket for a New York show by telephone, only to be told by someone {who didn't know the difference between a state and a country} that the ticket sellers couldn't sell outside of the US. Of course, many of us consider New York to be in another country [it is, after all, named after a city in England]...or perhaps on another planet.

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: GUEST,Ard Mhacha.
Date: 02 May 02 - 08:54 AM

Yes Gareth, you are right about Bill Clinton, but my God I shudder when I think of the goon in the White House, and he had to use his lap-dog Blair as a foreign Ambassador. The string pullers have to be working overtime. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: MMario
Date: 02 May 02 - 08:39 AM

Regional Variations in the US can confuse even those who a) grew up here and b) have traveled.

there are sections of Philly where the accent is almost identical to a Cape Cod accent - depending on where on the Cape the person is from. Some parts of the Cape have a "Bahsten" accent - some are verbally closer to Maine, and some are unique. (Actually - this is true even within members of a *family* )

Lousiana and Mississipi have several regional dialects and accents apiece.

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: Gareth
Date: 02 May 02 - 08:25 AM

Hmmm ! Is also a matter of size. By American standards a 2 hour drive - Cardiff to/from London - would be near.

Cardiff in the South to the North - 3 Hours drive.

Thats what I liked about Bill Clinton, at least he knows where Europe is !!!

And on accents - I have no doubt that American Regional Variations are clear - to another American.

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: HuwG
Date: 02 May 02 - 07:56 AM

The linguistic abilities of most English people ("If the foreigner you are speaking to in English looks baffled, shout louder") extend to Wales.

How often have I heard newsreaders on BBC Northwest mangling "Bettws-y-coed", a popular climbing centre in Snowdonia ? (Hint, dear newsreader; it is not pronounced "Betsy co-ed").

I once made the mistake of asking for a brand of Welsh goats-milk cheese, "Pant Ysgawn", at the delicatessen counter in a local supermarket. It took some fast talking to avoid being thrown out for making what sounded like obscene suggestions to the (female) assistant. Oddly, they don't stock it any more ... They do stock "Y Fenni", which merely gets raised eyebrows, rather than insulted expressions. Luckily, "Bara brith", which is a fruited bread not unlike an Irish "barm brack", is on the bread counter, and I don't have to ask for it specially.

Iechyd da bob Cymri ...

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: Ringer
Date: 02 May 02 - 07:44 AM

Looks as though I can't be a true Englishman, then, Dead Horse, because I'm a Francophile.

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 02 May 02 - 07:34 AM

You think Wales is difficult for people to place? Ha! When applying for an international call card by phone in the US, I had to give my home address. When I said "Northern Ireland" I was asked "is that the bit that's attached to England?". I thought about this for a few seconds, then decided it would be much easier if I agreed rather than discuss physical and metaphorical situations...

(I met loads of people who did know where it was, I might add!)

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: sian, west wales
Date: 02 May 02 - 04:54 AM

There's a story about Carwyn James, the legendary Welsh rugby figure, taking a cab in New York and telling the cabbie that he came from Wales, to which the cabbie replied, "Oh. The fish, or them singing b*st*rds?"

Fame of sorts.

sian, west wales

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: Dead Horse
Date: 02 May 02 - 04:50 AM

I'm somewhat guilty myself
While having a fairly extensive knowledge of the geography of most of the world, I often find myself all at sea when it comes to the States. I know NY is east & Californy is west, but as for what is inbetween............
Same is also true of France, but then, like ALL true Englishmen, I am a Francophobe, (except for the bits about food, music, culture, shared history etc.)

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 02 May 02 - 04:11 AM

I got so tired of this experience that when travelling abroad I always carry a postcard with a suitably delineated map of the United Kingdom. It makes for easier explanation.
Remembering the postcard is no problem as I use it as a bookmark, and I always carry a book.

Subject: RE: BS: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 02 May 02 - 03:56 AM

Hi Ard Macha...

Well I live not far from Cardiff. A couple of years ago, I went travelling around Baltimore, Washington, New York and Annapolis. Of course my accent stuck out like a sore thumb, (not really having a strong Welsh accent as I live on the border) people always asked where I was from. Usually when I was ordering dinner, shopping or whatever.

When I said Wales quite often they asked where it was, and then said - Oh is that near (or in) London. They really didn't have a clue where Wales is in relation to any other part of the country. And thought it was all England. Though a big majority also knew where it was.

So that was my experience, though I'm not saying none of them had a clue, but it did get a little wearing. And was always impressed when people knew where it was.

Ella

Subject: Wales, its enough to make you wail.
From: ard mhacha
Date: 02 May 02 - 03:34 AM

Charlotte Church a teenage singer from Wales whilst guesting on the satrical BBC quiz, "Have I got News for you", recalled, after singing for George Bush was asked by the great man, as to what State Wales was in. Poor Charlotte taken aback muttered "it`s near England" and George`s reply "Oh Yeah". How many US Catters have a better geographical knowledge than their President. Ard Mhacha.