What does 'English' mean?

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: cobra
Date: 17 Dec 07 - 05:54 AM

I am English is the shorthand used by some of the modern day inhabitants of the country known as England and these people are unclear that the pure and unadulterated island race they believe themselves to be is in fact a hybrid of several thousand years of interbreeding with a succession of invaders and immigrants .... so to be English is in fact to be a descendant from any/ all of the following - Angle Jute Pict Celt Hun Norman Saxon Roman Viking and latterly Polish Romanian Indo-Chinese Arabic African Afro-Caribbean etc etc etc

English is also a descriptor for an anal obsessiveness with punctuation which is for fules as punctuation is dead in the modern world

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 17 Dec 07 - 05:20 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English
Any of the above.

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Santa
Date: 17 Dec 07 - 04:46 AM

Not just a swerve ball in snooker/billiards, but also in baseball, I believe?

Apparently Sassenach was originally a Highland term for Lowland Scots, and only later became attached to the English. Presumably this was a recognition of the Lowland Scots Saxon roots, the Scots (or Lalland?) language being a version of English, not merely an attractive accent. (Or possibly the Highlanders thought the Lowlanders so beneath mention that calling them English was about as insulting as the Highland imagination ran to? This seems unlikely.)

Being English means having to be tolerant and understanding towards the torrents of bile and resentment poured out from those (no doubt otherwise worthy) individuals who are so bitter at their lack of equal fortune of birth.

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 17 Dec 07 - 03:32 AM

English means never having to say "sorry".
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 17 Dec 07 - 02:42 AM

In Belgium, ordering your steak "English" means "well done plus an extra three minutes", or "carbonised".

In the Netherlands it means "mixed liquorice sweets", like the Liquorice Allsorts ("Engelse drop" - "drop" is liquorice).

And in soccer it means depending on crosses into the box rather than running the ball in; a player needing a 5-metre radius to "control" a ball, and avoiding first time-passing like the plague. Also remembering 1966.

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Rowan
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 09:16 PM

Does English blood really have a different smell?
Apparently the residents of the Far East thought so, when they first encountered Englishmen; the folklore has it that dairy products, especially cheese, were responsible.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 09:03 PM

Peale, 1595, in "Old Wives Tale:" "Fee, fa, fum. Here is the Englishman, Conquer him that can; ..."

Nash, 1596, "Have with You to Saffron Walden:" "O, tis a precious apothegmaticall pedant who will finde matter inough to dilate a whole daye of the first invention of Fy, fa, fum, I smell the bloud of an Englishman."

From an article in "Folklore."

Does English blood really have a different smell?

A great word- apothegmaticall: clearly spoken.

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 08:49 PM

There is NOTHING like a good , concise , sensible question - And that is NOTHING like a good , concise , sensible question ! LOL .

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 08:08 PM

Welcome to the Mudcat, John!

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 07:59 PM

A childhood rhyme I remember- "Fe, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishmun."
The ogre said that in "Jack and the Beanstalk."

Was the first from "King Lear"?
Child Rowland to the dark tower came.
His word was still "Fie, foh and fum,
I smell the blood of a British man."

'usual bloody cold'- I get them in ships, with their recirculated air going to all the cabins. Always a sad end to a cruise. Never thought to blame the English, -

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Peace
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 07:44 PM

"(n.) A kind of printing type, in size between Pica and Great Primer. See Type.
(a.) Of or pertaining to England, or to its inhabitants, or to the present so-called Anglo-Saxon race.
(n.) Collectively, the people of England; English people or persons.
(v. t.) To translate into the English language; to Anglicize; hence, to interpret; to explain.
(a.) See 1st Bond, n., 8.
(n.) A twist or spinning motion given to a ball in striking it that influences the direction it will take after touching a cushion or another ball.
(v. t.) To strike (the cue ball) in such a manner as to give it in addition to its forward motion a spinning motion, that influences its direction after impact on another ball or the cushion.
(n.) The language of England or of the English nation, and of their descendants in America, India, and other countries."

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Emma B
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 07:11 PM

'It is common sense that sets the English apart: they may look silly in their plastic macs on the Riviera, but the last laugh will be on them if the Mistral comes early.

Of course it does not always work; sometimes germs do get through despite their efforts. Then, as well as looking ridiculous, they sport that archetypal affliction, "le sang-froid habituel des Anglais" - the English person's usual bloody cold.'

-Langust Agency 1999-2006

'Em' - suffering from the 'usual bloody cold' at the moment :)

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Crane Driver
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 07:10 PM

Depends on context.

Amongst concertina players, it means a particular system, or arrangement of buttons.

Amongst languages, it means the result of mixing German and French together, with pinches of Latin, Greek, Welsh and other languages to taste, and simmering for a thousand years.

In many parts of the world, it is considered to be synonymous with 'British', which isn't strictly true - many of us are British but not English.

Geographically, it is the adjectival derivation of that part of Britain bordered (approximately) by Hadrian's Wall and Offa's Dyke.

In what context did you pose the question?

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 07:05 PM

The English are best, as pointed out by Flanders and Swann in their song of patriotic prejudice


Kitty

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 07:02 PM

Good question. I have been wondering the same since Rudy Giuliani has insisted that all immigrants must read it, write it and comprehend it in order to become citizens. Funny - most of the high school and many of the college graduates in NYC can't do it so why do immigrants have to?
SINS

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: artbrooks
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 06:56 PM

Among the Amish, it is everyone who isn't.

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 06:53 PM

"Caucasian" - no, they come from right the other end of Europe.

English - everyone born in England.

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: GUEST,Obie
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 06:37 PM

It means Sasunnach!

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 06:22 PM

ænglisc, ynglisse, engleis, englissche, etc.; as Georgiansilver says, from the Engles (Angles), the people of Angul (Anglus in Tacitus). Lots of fun looking this stuff up in the dictionary.

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 06:00 PM

Derivative from Anglo-Saxons........The Angles were known as the Anglish.....and have since become known as English

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Rowan
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 05:37 PM

If English is music to your ears, or not, as the case may be, the thread is properly located.

If not, the thread should go 'below the line'.

I rather like English music and dance.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 05:27 PM

In billiards it means the spin put on the cue ball...at least in America.

It could mean the people of England.

It might be a generic Caucasian, so called by peoples whose first contact with such folks were from England.

Perhaps the it is the language spoken by a vast population of the world.

What does it mean to you, John?

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 05:27 PM

England is a country north of parts of France, and south of Scotland.

"English" is the adjective that relates.

Subject: RE: What does 'English' mean?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 05:25 PM

Putting 'side' on a billiard ball.
G

Subject: What does 'English' mean?
From: GUEST,John Simmonds
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 05:17 PM

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum but would be grateful for your thoughs on a question:

What does 'English' mean?

Many thanks,

John