BS: Mitt & the Brits

Subject: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 26 Jul 12 - 12:16 PM

From mega-blogger Andrew Sullivan, a Washington, DC-based Brit ex-pat: How To Royally Piss Off An Ally

All in all: hilarious so far. But one serious point: the Brits bitch and moan about everything all the time. They are characterologically piss-takers and doom-mongers, fearing (and predicting) national embarrassment always around the corner. But if a non-Brit joins in the doom chorus, the ranks will close, and the anger will be intense. They expect that kind of sneer from the French, not from an American. And now the Brits have a real asshole to prove wrong: the guy who's running to be president of the US.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 26 Jul 12 - 12:22 PM

Oh, dear. Sullivan is too much integrated into his adoptive home: he has forgotten how to spell

'arsehole'!

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 26 Jul 12 - 12:46 PM

'arsehole' is a local variant, mostly restricted to England; far outnumbered by 'assholes' in North America.

(Hmmm, I don't think that says what I had in mind).

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Barb'ry
Date: 26 Jul 12 - 01:28 PM

I agree with the piss take bit but am slightly worried that despite being (allegedly) British, he doesn't realise most of the doom-mongering is also a piss take or at least vaguely tongue in cheek. It's sort of a cross between 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn' and 'Oh god, here we go again'.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Jul 12 - 06:54 PM

I don't think too many people in England give a monkeys about Romney. I rather doubt if most people are really aware of his existance, still less of his presence.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Bobert
Date: 26 Jul 12 - 07:05 PM

Romney ain't wired correctly... It ain't his fault... He's just, ahhhh, defective...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 26 Jul 12 - 08:47 PM

He's just a broken reed from the Church of the Latter Day Saints, or in English, a moron.

Don T.

P.S. That isn't a typo.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 26 Jul 12 - 09:15 PM

'characterologically'.....hmmm

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,999
Date: 26 Jul 12 - 09:31 PM

In the parlance, "It was revealed."



If by chance anyone from the Conservative government of Canada visits England, you have my permission to keep it. No thanks required.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 26 Jul 12 - 10:26 PM

Mike Luckovich's cartoon on the proceedings

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 01:48 AM

Perhaps Sir John took Mitt to meet Q and fitted him up with atomic jet skis that fold up into the hologram of a machine gun - they'd be useful in Utah. he could play his Little Jimmy Osmond albums on it.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Stu
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 03:55 AM

We expect a far better standard of sneer from the French than anything a boorish oaf like Mitt could muster.

Sullivan's obviously spent too long tootling around inside the beltway; we're not bitching and moaning, we're taking the piss out of people like him.

P.S. Love the way Mitt called Ed "Mr Leader". It would have been inspired if it wasn't for the fact he was being genuinely thick.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 04:10 AM

Q, it's arsehole not asshole, it's our language, English, get it, we made an arsehole of teaching it to you colonials though.

Who is Milt Romney ?

Dave H

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 04:17 AM

In a recent poll of 1,000 British Olympic-Games-Ticket-Holders, 999 responded by asking, "Who the fuck is Mutt Romney?".

Is it true that he changed his name from Terry Fuckwit?

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: David C. Carter
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 04:38 AM

He's the product of "Bad Sperm".

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: kendall
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 07:28 AM

Maybe he's an idiot savant? He knows how to make money, but has no clue about anything else, such as how to transport a dog 200 miles.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 08:33 AM

He'd get more respect if he was called Terry Fuckwit.

Dave H

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Arkie
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 09:56 AM

While I do not think Milt intended to insult the British, he did not present himself as an ideal diplomat. And he certainly has demonstrated a tendency to twist comments into something that was not intended or meant. You might say he is getting a taste of his own medicine.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Stu
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 10:42 AM

He's coming across as a thick, out-of-touch rich person in a country that still has a royal family.*








*This joke is one I nicked off twitter and tweaked slightly.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Bill D
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 10:57 AM

Doesn't he have ANY aides with him on this trip who could suggest quietly that he should... Shut up, Mitt!

He 'revealed' that he had actually spoken to someone in MI6.... too bad they didn't 'do something useful' with him when given the chance.

Next, he's going to Israel...what could possibly go wrong?

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 12:52 PM

Funny, was my post eaten by the post eater or modded off?

I pointed out that Mutt had made a bit of a twat of himself

there was the "Anglo-Saxon" gaffe
the olympics gaffe
the leader gaffe
the MI6 gaffe.

It's quite a tally in so short a space of time.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 01:31 PM

Could we Yanks persuade you Brits to keep him? We'll pay you handsomely if you find some excuse to detain him until after, say, Nov.6th. Find a problem with his visa or passport or something. Better yet, declare him a terrorist threat - now that would be rich. Thanks in advance.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: it'smagic
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 06:47 PM

Not Terry F, his real name is Willard (and this is true). But I must have slept through the Anglo Saxon gaffe. What was it?

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,999
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 08:12 PM

(NEWSER) – Mitt Romney was backpedaling as fast as he could yesterday after an unidentified adviser derided President Obama for not being able to recognize the depth of the British-American relationship because he can't fully appreciate the shared "Anglo-Saxon heritage," the Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday. "We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage," and Romney "feels that the special relationship is special," the adviser was quoted by the Telegraph. "The White House didn't fully appreciate the shared history we have." The Telegraph warned that the comments "may prompt accusations of racial insensitivity." Vice President Joe Biden immediately accused Romney of "playing politics with international diplomacy."

A Romney spokeswoman initially denied that the statements were made, but Romney said later that he didn't agree with the comments. "I'm generally not enthusiastic about adopting the comments made by people who are unnamed. I have a lot of advisers," he told Brian Williams on CBS. "I can tell you that we have a very special relationship between the US and Great Britain. It goes back to our very beginnings—cultural and historical. But I also believe the president understands that. So I don't agree with whoever that adviser might be." Romney yesterday started a six-day trip to Britain, Poland, and Israel, beginning in London.

The above is from

http://www.newser.com/story/150829/mitt-tries-to-quash-anglo-saxon-gaffe.html

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don Firth
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 09:54 PM

Don't you folks have a useless, uninhabited little rock somewhere out among the Orkneys or Hebrides you could maroon him on? Being a bit of a bird-brain, he'd be right at home among the puffins.

'Course I don't know how the puffins would feel about that. . . .

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 10:41 PM

Hmm - how about the Falklands - he should find the sheep intellectually stimulating.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 10:44 PM

Hang on! There's still sixteen days for us to make a complete and utter bollocks of everything..

Could be this Baseball Mitt Rumbugger is the only one to have grasped the situation in all its horror - namely we have handed this massive project to people who couldn't run a whelk stall - people who every year nearly bankrupt one of the richest countries in the world.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,999
Date: 27 Jul 12 - 10:54 PM

Mitt Romney: it's cruel of you people to speak of him in this fashion. You should be ashamed of yourselves. However, if you Brits decide to keep him, may I be so bold as to suggest you take Stephen Harper and Peter MacKay to sweeten the pot just a tad?

##########################################

Fook you then, just Harper.

###########################################

To my Canadian friends: Sorry, I tried!

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 12:09 AM

Actually, Mitt's done Davey C a BIG favour; Davey should be thanking him. In the space of 24 hours, the papers have gone from nearly nonstop criticism of the handling of the Games to lambasting Romney for his comments. The jaw-dropping problems with G4S/security, the diva-like demands of the sponsors, the appalling waits at an alarmingly understaffed Immigration, and the threatened strikes -- all are now almost forgotten/forgiven as the media and the people of GB pull together to show that churlish Mitthead that he has "misunderestimated" (a Bush-ism; sorry... couldn't resist!) the Brits.

If I didn't know better, I'd think Davey had paid him to say disparaging things...

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 03:14 AM

Well you could be right, YY. He's so obnoxiously avaricious I'd bet that if you waved dollar bills at him, he'd probably agree to eat his own shit.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 04:29 AM

"On September 16, 1620, the Mayflower set sail,for America."

It all started so well.
What went wrong?

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 04:35 AM

They beat us in the War of Independence, which then gave the lunatics freedom to take over the asylum.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 06:09 AM

Another irony is that a major reason they did was thanks to robust and effective support from the French, particularly on the water, yet redneck Americans still dub the French "Cheese eating surrender monkeys".

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 07:35 AM

I'm not sure that a satirical character in The Simpsons can be taken as representing very many Americans, Richard --

[not but what some French are cheese-eating surrender monkeys at that: one thing those of my age will never forgive is that obnoxious swine de Gaulle accepting our aid and hospitality right thru WWii, when he fled his native country leaving it to others to lead the Resistance, and then turned on us over the EC &c. Bastard! & then they elected him President...]

BTW, who is this Romney person? Some sort of prez candidate, I gather? I never read news reports about US Elections, regarding them as only marginally more interesting than American football [so-called] reports, accounts of film actors' sexual shenanigans, & gardening columns about when to spread the shit on your mangelwurzels.

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 11:26 AM

I'd imagine that the idea might have been that saying stuff designed to piss off the British (if they ever took any notice of it, which is pretty unlikely) would have been an intentional bid to appeal to voters back home.

If he can repeat the same ploy with a whole range of other foreign countries that should go down pretty well with the kind of people he's hoping will vote for him.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,999
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 12:29 PM

I still don't see anyone asking for Stephen Harper. It's a sad day when no one wants your Prime Minister.

If we promise to keep him in haircuts and gels, would y'all reconsider?

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 12:39 PM

It's a sad day when no one wants your Prime Minister.

I'd have thought you'd be looking forward to that day, so far as that one is concerned...

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 06:24 PM

It does seem that various "Republicans" in the USA have now, since Romney has taken such a drubbing here, taken to describing the UK as a degenerate second class nation.

It really does seem that George III was right.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: catspaw49
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 06:41 PM

Tell ya' what.........How about you keep Mittens over there in his preferred Anglo-Saxon air and we'll send all of you a lifetime supply of feathers to shove up your "arses" and thus we will ALL be tickled to death!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Greg F.
Date: 28 Jul 12 - 07:03 PM

I'm not sure that a satirical character in The Simpsons can be taken as representing very many Americans, Richard --

You're forgetting that the phrase was picked up & used in session and out by a large cadre of (Mostly Republican)idiots in the U.S. House of Representatives and that august body also officially re-named French fries (a.k.a. chips) as Freedom Fries.

Such is the idiocy that sentient beings in the U.S. of A. have to put up with on an ever more frequent basis.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Alice
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 12:37 AM

Mitt is a twit.
His wrote a book, titled No Apology, in which you will find this:
"England [sic] is just a small island. Its roads and houses are small. With few exceptions, it doesn't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy. And if it hadn't been separated from the continent by water, it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler's ambitions."

Now that his trip has taken him to Israel, he has decided to have meetings in secret, not allowing any reporters.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Alice
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 12:38 AM

That should be "He wrote".
sorry

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 04:19 AM

'Mitt is a twit.
His wrote a book, titled No Apology, in which you will find this:
"England [sic] is just a small island. Its roads and houses are small. With few exceptions, it doesn't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy. And if it hadn't been separated from the continent by water, it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler's ambitions."


Interesting! What it tells you is that being the only country in Europe to let them use our airspace when they wanted to bomb Libya. Putting our young mens lives on the line in Helmand .....doesn't buy you respect, does it?

Phew!

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 05:43 AM

You know what? I wonder if he flew here in an aircraft using Rolls Royce engines.

Turd.

Ignorant primitive insular turd.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 06:09 AM

I think that we ought perhaps to take such US Republican politicians' comments as something of a compliment.

After all, this does indicate that this "degenerate second class nation" has the power to upset the largest single collection of idiots and crooks in the Western Hemisphere.

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 10:55 AM

Meanwhile, visiting Israel, the bloody eejit let it be known he will fully support a military intervention by Israel in Iran. Lovely, just what we need.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Ebbie
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 11:05 AM

I suspect that the Americans who denigrate the French got most of their opinions from the Brits.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,999
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 11:12 AM

"Meanwhile, visiting Israel, the bloody eejit let it be known he will fully support a military intervention by Israel in Iran. Lovely, just what we need."

If indeed he did, then he he should be tried then shot for giving state secrets to a foreign government.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Alice
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 12:35 PM

Romney is a Mormon bishop. He did his mission in France (during the Viet Nam war, so he escaped military service) and it is one of the many things that make the French-bashing Republicans uncomfortable.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 01:21 PM

If indeed he did,

Well, there's no doubt about it, it's being widely reported a campaign spokesman issued a statement to that effect.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,999
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 01:23 PM

I wasn't doubting you, Peter. Just had trouble believing what I'd read.

Romney is not only a fool, he's a stupid and dangerous fool.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,GY morris man
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 03:03 PM

Isn'that what most of you paranoid americans like,dangerouse fools,
and continuing on from that, dangerouse fools whith guns.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don Firth
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 03:25 PM

"Isn'that what most of you paranoid americans like,dangerouse fools,
and continuing on from that, dangerouse fools whith guns."

I hope, GUEST, GY morris man, that you're not including all Americans in your statement. I, along with a large number of other Americans, am not paranoid, am very much in favor of instituting strict gun laws in this country, and I sure as hell won't be voting for Romney or supporting him in any way.

It's fairly easy for some people to accuse everybody in a particular group on the basis of the actions of a few. That's called "bigotry."

Don Firth

P. S.   Mitt Romney is merely George W. Bush redux. Total nincompoop, just a slightly different style.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Greg F.
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 03:52 PM

the bloody eejit let it be known he will fully support a military intervention by Israel in Iran

Not only that, he called it "self defense". Kinda like George Zimmerman, I guess.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,Ebor_Fiddler
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 04:32 PM

Is he that bloke who makes those nice frames that so many of us use nowadays? Is he related to Bobbie Zimmerman?

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 07:36 PM

""I suspect that the Americans who denigrate the French got most of their opinions from the Brits.""

If they did, Ebbie, then once again they missed the subtleties of UK humour.

Not entirely surprising! They usually do.

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 07:42 PM

""If indeed he did, then he he should be tried then shot for giving state secrets to a foreign government.""

Hardly State Secrets, given that the world and his wife (including Akhmedinejad) know that it is an integral part of the Republican agenda.

Possibly you might get him on giving aid and comfort to the enemy though, since Akhmedinejad is probably still laughing his head off.

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Ebbie
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 07:51 PM

sheeeesh You Brits seem to think that we Americans don't understand Brits' humour(sic) or practically anything else about you; has it ever occurred to you that you don't understand Americans? There is a LOT more to us than what you prefer to see. Frankly, I'm tired of the not-so-subtle shiv in the ribs. Not that I'm sensitive or anything.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 11:12 PM

It get tedious, huh, Ebbie?

Don Firth, I think you will find GY Morris was "taking the piss"...winding you up a bit. Not an excuse, just an observation from an American.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 11:20 PM

I gather, from the latest Daniel Pipes Mid-East bulletin sent me by friend in Santa Monica, that the Israelis much preferred what Romney had to say to them re US-Israel relations than what they have recenly been hearing from Obama. One can imagine at least two diametrically opposed opinions within the US as to that.

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Penny S.
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 05:25 AM

When I looked up that quote about us having potentially been taken over by the Nazis were it not for the Channel (and there's so many other what ifs if that had been true, that it ill behoves any WASP American to go down that road), he did go on to say that despite being small and so on, we had had a major empire. Not sure if he thought that was a good thing, but it did seem a bit of rhetorical opposition of ideas, and not so anti-Brit as the first part implied.

But, if we (stressed) are a degenerate second class nation, what does the world have to worry about from a degenerate first class nation? Given that there is so much that is good about the USA, about its founding documents, and its so many thoughtful, generous and open-minded people, how are we expected to react when a bunch of over-financed, under-educated holders of ideas which came out of the Ark (or which they think came out of the Ark) get to run it and all its weaponry? (Small and local or earth-threatening.)

And our bankers hold fundraisers for the guy!!! I almost wish I hadn't switched from Barclays for some pettifogging faults some time back, so I could do it more publicly now. Are there rules about foreign money being used in election campaigns over there?

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 05:46 AM

Thing is Ebbie, it looks hideously unsubtle to us. We got used to American politicians of both parties queuing up to shake hands with Adams and McGuinness when they were planning murder and assassinating 'legitimate targets' - like policemen, prison officers, English soldiers, people who made an English soldier a cup of tea. They were going after the Irish vote. Now this character is after the Jewish vote.

Thatcher did that sort of thing. Made racist remarks to go after the fascist vote in England. Its hard not to despise politicians like that.

Plus the fact that the Repulican parties election campaign is funded by the armament industry - and that's the real reason for no gun control on the streets in America, and these damn stupid wars which haven't been thought out - like what to do if we win?

Pick the sublety out of this situation. I can't see it.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 09:38 AM

More unsubtlety:

Mitt Romney speech in Israel offends

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,999
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 09:56 AM

"Romney and his entourage later left for a brief visit to Poland." [Last line of the article Peter linked.]

Romney goes from strength to strength. It wouldn't surprise me to learn he's trying to broker a deal to get an exchange going whereby Poland exports hams to Israel and 'Palestine' in exchange for advice on how Poland and Russia can achieve a permanent peace.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 12:14 PM

Well, no, worse.

Romney expected to return to Cold War rethoric during speech in Poland

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 12:31 PM

"I'm tired of the not-so-subtle shiv in the ribs.

I referred to the Brits' weaponry.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 01:18 PM

Mitt the Twit
had a fit with the Brits
He said his bit
with a CEO twist
but got buggered with
a big public fist.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,999
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 01:23 PM

Ah yeah!

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 01:26 PM

I think ,ost English people love America most of the time. Marin guitars, Gibson, Fender, Leiber and Stoler, Westerns, Rogers and Hammerstein, Charlie Bir parker, Rev Gary davis... our devotion is immeasurable....

But you gotta admit this guy you've sent over is a bit of a twat.

He reminds me of Thatcher. people like that are scary. After some terrorist outrage - she'd say I'D like to reintroduce capital punishment for terrorists.

I'm against CP anyway. But the prospect was doubly unthinkable - Peace vigils, increased contributions to IRA funds, death row scenarios....

Its a sort of populism. Interesting that both Bush the Younger and Romney were draft dodgers when it came to putting their own lives on the line in the battlefield. there was nothing really to stop the Blessed margaret becoming a WAC either.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Greg F.
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 01:53 PM

you gotta admit this guy you've sent over is a bit of a twat.

Hey, I haven't sent him over, Al - I'd be ashamed to.

And you're wrong about his being a bit of a twat. He's the 14 karat, original, classic dictionary definition of a twat. With bells on.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 02:26 PM

has it ever occurred to you that you don't understand Americans?

So far

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 02:37 PM

Oh, please. Could we make that "twit"?

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 02:46 PM

I thought many Jews might find Romney's caricature of them as Fagin offensive too.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 02:47 PM

No Ebbie, he's a twat.

Dave H

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don Firth
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 03:21 PM

Er—I think there is a difference between the way British and Americans use that term, but I won't go into the matter in any detail at the moment. Ahem!

Somehow, Mitt the Twit reminds me of something a friend of mine said about a pop singer of some years ago named Anita Bryant. She managed to turn practically every song she sang into a fundy Christian hymn by changing words here and there. And she became positively livid when Dade County, Florida (where she lived) passed a law making it illegal to discriminate against anyone on the basis of sexual orientation. Basically, she wanted all gays and Lesbians to be taken out and summarily slain, which, she maintained, was the Christian thing to do as prescribed in the Bible (Did Jesus ever say anything like that? I don't think so!).

In one of her diatribes, she justified her position by claiming, "God has his hand on me!"

At which point, my friend said, "No, I don't think so. Because if God had His hand on her, it would be over her big, fat mouth!!"

Somehow that came back to me when I started hearing about Romney's little bon mots.

Rather than the "T-word," might I suggest "dork?" Granted, it doesn't have the advantage of rhyming with "Mitt," but the definition seems to fit quite well.

American/Canadian slang for a quirky, silly and/or stupid, socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends. Often confused with "nerd" and "geek," but does not imply the same intellectual proclivity.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 03:34 PM

"There is a LOT more to us than what you prefer to see. Frankly, I'm tired of the not-so-subtle shiv in the ribs."

Well, tough titties (as we say here). I don't mean that in an insulting way, it's simply that if what the world sees of your country is based around belligerent foreign policy, religious fanaticism, climate change denial, past oppressions that not apologised for, belligerent corporate governance and just about everything else that comes with empire, including non-accountability for deaths during military incursions in far away lands. The English know full well how that feels, and we're not all bad, even though the empire was British, not soley English. We pay for the sins of our fathers.

Thing is, if people who have never been to the US believe everything they see on the telly they'll soon forget the good stuff, even though there's plenty to shout about. Luckily, I've spent enough time in the US out in the sticks to get some insight into a resourceful, intelligent, curious and unfailingly polite people who get things done. It's a shame everyone's so isolationist, but if I lived in the US I would never want to leave as there is so much room, so much to enjoy, so much to see.

I'm pleased to say some of the people in my life I have the greatest respect for are Americans, and I can't wait to get back there and see them again later in the year.

One thing though, you've got to stop giving wankers like Romney any credence; the man is dangerous, and as thick as a baboon's arse and does the US no favours. He's off to Poland to rekindle the cold war now. Stone the crows.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,Sugarfoot Jack
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 03:35 PM

That was me above - me cookie's gone awol.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: GUEST,999
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 03:40 PM

Anita Bryant paid for her transgressions, too. The Florida Citrus Commission got rid of her. Her kids suffered because when they had teeth come out and put them under their pillows, well the tooth fairy wouldn't show up. Rocky times back in the day.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don Firth
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 03:52 PM

I definitely agree with your last paragraph, Jack. That's why I'm working my butt off to get Obama re-elected.

Now, I'm not that fond of Obama, based on what he has accomplished--or failed to accomplish--so far. BUT I am fully aware that he has had to buck a hard-nosed Republican Congress that is hell-bent on seeing his policies fail.

Unfortunately, there are no really viable alternatives, so as I see it, Obama is my candidate.

The tricks at this point are, 1) get Obama re-elected, and 2) get some of those Republican obstructionists out of Congress so Obama can actually DO something. I can't do much about the latter in my home state, because both of my Senators and my Congressional Representative are good, solid Progressive Democrats, and only Maria Cantwell, one of our senators, is up for re-election. And she's fine, so I'm supporting her.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don Firth
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 04:11 PM

Yeah, Bruce, I remember Anita Bryant getting bit on the ass by the "little orange bird" (logo of the Florida Citrus Commission) for generally making a total--yeah, "dork" will work in this case--of herself.

She was fairly popular during a time when I worked for a brief time as a disc jockey in a pop music radio station and I had to play some of her records. I would sit there (with the mic switch off) and mutter and writhe at how her "Chrisianizing" would butcher the otherwise good songs she was singing.

Nice singng voice. Too bad she was born without a brain.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 04:13 PM

There's a lunatic fringe of people with all kinds of nasty political and social beliefs in every country.

The trouble is that in some times and places that fringe stops being a fringe and turns into a mainstream - and the impression we get is that this is on the edge of being the situation once again in the USA.

A major party with enormous power, and with a significant chance of winning the presidency, and it appears certifiably crazy. It's frightening.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 04:31 PM

I give Romney no credence whatever, if by that you mean: firm belief in the integrity, ability, effectiveness, or genuineness of someone or something (online thesaurus). I don't consider him to have integrity or genuineness; I would hope that I never gave anyone cause to think that I do.

The part I tire of is the piling on by Mudcatters who should know better on any of many different issues regarding Americans in general and certain Americans in particular.

They all seem to end with "Oh no, we are not referring to you; we have met many good, decent, friendly, thinking Americans..."

It makes one - specifically me - want to attack all things British and then weasel out with the smarmy cop out.

I think Brits would do well to keep in mind that we Americans, as a country and a culture (don't start) or dynamic, if you will, are a diverse lot and have been from the start. MUCH more so than the tamed, domesticated, emasculated, old nations across the waters. (Oh, but I don't mean you; I have met many good, decent, friendly, thinking Brits...)

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 05:18 PM

George Orwell once wrote "England is a family with the wrong members in control." That tends to be true enough of most countries most of the time, including the USA.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Greg F.
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 06:16 PM

I think, Ebbie, it would be well for you to remember that what happens in the U.S. and what the U.S. government does or does NOT do directly impacts the residents of the British Isles --- and for that matter, the rest of the nations of the world.

Oh - and its "British" not "Brit" unless you're trying to be a twa...ooops! make that twit.

This from a "Yank"

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 07:01 PM

Racial stereotypes.....

Cor Lummy Guv'nor....you know us English are far too repressed and and stuck up, to discuss such intimate matters after only a brief acqaintance! We've not been introduced.

Now if I were Trevor Howard and you were Celia Johnson, I'd travel with you to the end of the world.......

As it is I'll travel to the end of time, knowing that we passed up our chance for a passionate and carefree life together - to return to our humdrum existences. Our little lives, our very little lives.....

So try to be sorry for us in our Englishness, and little decancies, and warm beer, and the soft thud of leather on willow over on a summer night on the village green....

We really are frighfully decent in many ways. Oh so many funny little ways.....

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don Firth
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 07:05 PM

True, indeed, Kevin! It appears to be a world-wide problem.

I would remind some of our British friends here that they tend to be dealing a bit in stereotypes with their jibes at Americans. That is, Americans in general—often with, as Ebbie pointed out, quickly inserting the disclaimer, "Oh, but I'm not talking about you!"

Once again, I think it needs to be said, at the risk of being repetitious, that "Americans" do not constitute a monolith. Jaysus! look at all the political fanging and clawing going on in this country!

It is unwise to deal in stereotypes. One stereotype of Americans that appears to be popular with some of our British friends seems to be something like THIS.

Be it noted that there are Americans who think that's just about right!

But then there are stereotypes of "Brits" as well, one of which is THIS.

Stereotypes are essentially caricatures, and a good caricature is based on elements that really are there. But times change, and insisting on hanging on to the same old stereotype tends to lead one to prejudiced thinking, which is the foundation of bigotry.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Bill D
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 08:03 PM

What Ebbie & Don Firth said! Gratuitous generalization NEVER is a good idea.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 10:25 PM

OK, now. I feel *much* better now. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Bobert
Date: 30 Jul 12 - 10:30 PM

Seems that Mitt is 0-2 and hoping for 1-2... All he has to do in Poland is not tell any "Polish jokes"... I donno if he call pull it off...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 31 Jul 12 - 07:18 AM

Virtually all stereotypes tell the truth, but only part of the truth, and typically not the most important part of the truth.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 31 Jul 12 - 09:12 PM

Ebbie, I'm sorry that you should take my comments to be generalisations about all Americans. They certainly aren't meant that way.

My comments are aimed at the specific types which do the USA so much harm.

Those who call the French surrender monkeys and mean it, if they got the idea from British sources, are indeed missing the subtleties of British humour.

Mitt Romney is indeed a brain dead boor, whose visit we could easily have managed without, and whose utterances are utterly lacking in subtlety, tact and intelligence.

The thing we least understand is how you seem to elect such to govern your country on a more or less regular basis.

I have a great deal of respect for most of the US population, except for their somewhat suspect taste in representatives.

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 12:45 AM

If they did, Ebbie, then once again they missed the subtleties of UK humour.


It's pretty easy to figure out Brit "humour." They actually mean the insult until someone gets offended. Then they use retroactive Romney magic and the insult becomes a joke. Sprinkle in some faux indignation and some condescending bullshit about how "sophisticated" the humour is in the home of Benny Hill and Mr. Bean and viola! C'est ca!

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 03:24 AM

Well, he seems to have escaped Poland without more of a gaffe than an aide swearing at the press for asking questions.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 03:30 AM

I've heard of Benny Hill and Mr Bean; but who is this Viola, Jack?

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 07:06 AM

Retroactive eh?

Naah, just 800 more years of joking has made that kind of humour part of the British character.

You should catch up around 2612 Jack.

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Musket
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 08:15 AM

You know, the main problem I have with this guy, speaking as an outsider who being British not American, has no say in the election, is how he may pan out on the world stage.

The world expects homophobia, tea party pandering, state murder remaining on the statute book, creationism taught as science and fear of reds under the bed...   However, such speeches are for domestic fodder. Nobody bats an eyelid outside of The USA, but set foot on foreign soil and the world's media is looking for a statesman. Not statesman as in a citizen of the states, but as in statesmanlike behaviour.

Calling Jerusalem the capital of Israel, hinting that some races have a higher calling than others in the same speech...

At least Dubya had the benefit of being seen as a fool. This bloke is dangerous...

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 08:30 AM

They actually mean the insult until someone gets offended.

In the case of Romney (or of course Dubya before him) any offence is of course quite intended. When it comes to national stereotypes, such as tfor the French or the Americans, it's not normally intended to offend.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 08:40 AM

Don - like it or not - we seem to have upset someone.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 08:46 AM

And that's not good. After we started it We sent them Russell Brand. How they must hate that! The biggest turd on the planet!

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Stu
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 10:08 AM

"It's pretty easy to figure out Brit "humour. . . Then they use retroactive Romney magic and the insult becomes a joke. Sprinkle in some faux indignation and some condescending bullshit about how "sophisticated" the humour is in the home of Benny Hill and Mr. Bean and viola!"

My god man, take an aspirin and sit down. Also, don't go for the low-hanging fruit, there's enough of that for everyone.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 10:37 AM

Stiff upper lip Al. But I must say - sending someone Russell Brand. Wizard wheeze what? So long as he wasn't sent to Manuel.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Stu
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 11:48 AM

"I 'ad one of them yanks in the back of me cab the ovver day right, and I says to 'im I says summit about mr effin' bean bein' on the old olympics on the telly right and 'im not being very funny an all and he says to me he says you brits are right up yer own arses you lot is cos you invented monty pyfon and fools and 'orses and four candles like and I says to 'im I says listen me old china you got nuffin to feel so sore about cos you go that arrested development and them simpsons and that grumpy bald bloke and the office wot we gives you of course but you made yer own and great and stuff so wot you gettin' so effin' stroppy about mush but he didn't larf just kept his norf and sarf shut until goodge street and anyway stone the crows but I also had that keith chegwin in right after that and I says to 'im I says you know who i just 'ad in here me old mucker and he says who and I says that mitt effin' romney moanin' on about our sense of humour I told 'im straight I said listen mate . . . "

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 01:46 PM

"I would remind some of our British friends here that they tend to be dealing a bit in stereotypes with their jibes at Americans."

"Stereotypes are essentially caricatures, and a good caricature is based on elements that really are there. But times change, and insisting on hanging on to the same old stereotype tends to lead one to prejudiced thinking, which is the foundation of bigotry."

But you make yourselves such easy targets........! :-) :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 02:23 PM

"When it comes to national stereotypes, such as tfor the French or the Americans, it's not normally intended to offend. "

That's what I said. I thought I was being clear enough.

It is meant to be a demeaning stereotypical statement largely true in the eyes of the speaker about the other person or country. Once someone else notices and takes offense, it retroactively becomes a joke.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 02:37 PM

If you have to explain a joke.....

Just leave it. They don't get it. We've upset them. Not their fault, not our fault. But there's no point in insisting that a jokes funny. the situation has no possibilities.

There once was a fellow called Mitt
The jokes all about him were shit
His defects were various
I found him hilarious
That must be because I'm a Brit.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 02:43 PM

"Cheese eating surrender monkeys" is a wonderful example. Some people on this thread seem to think that line was a joke about how Americans look at the French. But in context, it was obviously a jibe at the way that Brits look at the French. After all it was spoken by a British character.

I think the most telling thing is how many jokes the French have about the Brits. Almost none so far as I know. Ever since 1066 when they sent William over to civilize y'all, you haven't even been interesting enough to jest about.

They joke about the North Americans, (can they even tell English Canadians from Americans?), the Italians, the Germans, even French Canadians and Cajuns get more jokes than the Brits. They prefer to ridicule peoples worthy of fear and respect. But aside from your soccer hooligans, they hardly give you Brits a second thought. Even their jokes about English dental hygiene are recycled from Jay Leno.

Oh yeah, when discussing British "humour", one phrase always bears repeating.

Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill



Benny Hill !!!

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 02:45 PM

Big AL, that is exactly the point. We DON'T have to have your "jokes" explained to us.

The only pity is that you think that you are joking.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 02:52 PM

Nonsense. I know a French woman who expostulates "You English and your fucking square cheese". Why do you think they call us "les Rosbifs"?

Sorry Jack, you don't get it. You don't even know recent American events as well as Greg F.

I don't suppose you'll get it until there are forward gears on an Italian tank.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Charmion
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 03:21 PM

I'm going to do the Canadian thing here and ask you lot to go to your respective corners and come out fighting fair. So far, this thread consists largely of variants on "That's not funny" and "Yes it is, you just don't get it."

I don't get it, and I don't think it's funny.

And I know lots of French jokes about English people. They tend to begin, "Les têtes-carrées ..."

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Penny S.
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 03:39 PM

Anyone who still believes the Normans were a civilising influence has been reading the wrong histories.

Or believes civilisation lies in exploiting indigenous populations, destroying vernacular religious and scientific literature, reducing free women to chattels, basing life on perpetual warfare, and fearing the locals so much that they have to live behind fortress walls and impose draconian punishments on non-involved civilians if any of the colonial invaders are harmed. As the Normans did.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 03:46 PM

That's what I said. I thought I was being clear enough.

It wasn't what you said, Jack. For one thing you assume national stereotypes are necessarily demeaning. Much of the time they are affectionate, sometimes even there's an element of admiration.

Finding something funny doesn't stop you from loving it. That can be even more true when it comes to people and the differences between people. That's what holds most marriages together.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 05:35 PM

>>Or believes civilisation lies in exploiting indigenous populations, destroying vernacular religious and scientific literature, reducing free women to chattels, basing life on perpetual warfare, and fearing the locals so much that they have to live behind fortress walls and impose draconian punishments on non-involved civilians if any of the colonial invaders are harmed. <<

Pretty much a summary of English history from 1066 to when they lost their empire, don't you think? Ask the Scotts, or the Irish, or Indians, or the people the called Indians who weren't...


>>"Nonsense. I know a French woman who expostulates "You English and your fucking square cheese". Why do you think they call us "les Rosbifs"?"<<

Well of course, she said those things to YOU!! She was being polite!!

"It wasn't what you said, Jack. For one thing you assume national stereotypes are necessarily demeaning. Much of the time they are affectionate, sometimes even there's an element of admiration. "

>>Yeah... keep telling yourself that. Here is a challenge. List ten ways the French are more admirable than the English.<<

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 06:11 PM

The British Empire suppressed scientific literature? Historical, sometimes, but scientific?

The British Empire reduced free women to chattel status?

And I think the only hostage punishments were probably against the Boers - who still poison the country they colonised.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 06:12 PM

The US on the other hand...

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 06:29 PM

List ten ways the French are more admirable than the English.

In general I tend to admire the French much more than the English, even if they aren't quite as funny.   I think it's a great shame that the English came out on top in the matter of shaping the future of North America and other parts of the planet.

But they are still pretty funny.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 06:32 PM

>>The British Empire suppressed scientific literature? Historical, sometimes, but scientific?<<

The British Empire suppressed everything that was not British.... I think.

>>>The British Empire reduced free women to chattel status? <<<

Yes, then took them from Africa to their plantations in "the New World."

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 07:25 PM

Oh bugger! We've been tumbled! How ever did they work it out that we tell jokes that aren't funny. We're just pretending to laugh, because the real buzz is making snotty remarks!

How ever will we be able to hold our head up amongst nations again?

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 07:43 PM

Finally! ;-)

I am sorry to have been the one to tell you. But I drew the short straw!

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Stu
Date: 02 Aug 12 - 03:58 AM

whooooooooooooooosh!

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Penny S.
Date: 02 Aug 12 - 04:57 AM

I was well aware of echoes in what I wrote, and that they often apply to the British (post Norman, except for Wales), but I was careful in drafting that response. Those things applied, and still apply, to others than the Normans, and not only in Europe, and not only nation states.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 02 Aug 12 - 05:29 AM

Penny S: Anyone who still believes the Normans were a civilising influence has been reading the wrong histories.

Ditto for anyone who believes the Normans were French! There's a clue in the name! They were basically transplanted Vikings, backed up in their invasion by a bunch of Bretons (who were originally Brits transplanted to Armorica at the end of the Roman period). There were hardly any Frenchmen in William The Bastard's army in 1066!

(Incidentally, when and why did "a l' Armoricaine" become "a l' Americaine"?).

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 02 Aug 12 - 07:48 AM

you can't judge people who lived a thousand years ago by contemporary standards.

the Normans were probably grooving round in their tin hats chasing after Robin Hood and doing their best.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Penny S.
Date: 02 Aug 12 - 08:57 AM

In that case, we can drop all that what the Brits did stuff, can't we?

And did I say they were French? Once, when I was off school, I found myself watching a history programme, in which the English spoke Old English with the proper accent, and subtitles, and bits of it were just about comprehensible. The Normans spoke what I assume was Norman-French, which was impossible to follow any of. The Scandinavian accent was so thick that it completely hid any sort of French that was uttered. I don't know how they obtained the footage.

And as for the standards of the time, they were laid down by the church (not without fault itself), and attempted to limit what we would call war crimes. By those standards, the law whereby, if a Norman were killed, and the locals did not turn over the killer, ten innocent people would be executed, fails completely.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Aug 12 - 05:04 PM

Slavery has always been unlawful at English common law. End of.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 02 Aug 12 - 05:11 PM

England has never held it against you if you've got a funny accent.

We have these people called traditional folksingers who sing in ever such strange voices. Of course, no one much listens to them - but I've never heard of them being discriminated against - made to sit at the back of the bus, nothing like that.

As for the Normans - all is forgiven and forgotten in the mists of time. And they don't hold Robin Hood and Kevin Costner against us. No denying - they got a bad press at the time - and they've cluttered up England with churches. But we've had time to get over the trauma.

10 nice things about the French

1) They gave Oscar Wilde a home when England was beastly to him.
2) They work hard at making cheese - over two hundred different kinds. One day they'll get round to cheddar.
3) French knickers
4) French kissing
5) Pernod
6) Lots of artists live there - Picasso and Van Gogh - so it must have have something.
7) The French people (and the Dutch) were nice to my Dad when he drove a tank across their countries in in 1944.
8) Samois - the best guitar music festival in the world.
9) French films - A bout de souffle
10) Charles Trenet - La mer
11) English songs about France - Wizz Jones National Seven and Ralph McTell's Grande Affaire.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 03:39 AM

I thought Nationale 7 Was Jansch or maybe Renbourn.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 03:48 AM

They both had a stab at it - but I think it was Wizz, who wrote it and did the definitive version.   Great song - not for the faint hearted. You really need to have a better 'Broonzy thumb' than I've got.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Penny S.
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 05:03 AM

What about Edith Piaf?

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 05:11 AM

no she didn't write it.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 01:00 PM

French bread

FRENCH PASTRIES!!!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Musket
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 03:23 PM

French letter?

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 06:49 PM

avoirdupois YY!

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 02:17 AM

Big Al: 2) They work hard at making cheese - over two hundred different kinds. One day they'll get round to cheddar.

Actually, as of about 2007, the UK makes more types of cheese than France does. Not including the silly ones manufactured by mashing cranberries walnuts or apricots into cheddar, etc.

There's been an explosion in British "artisan" cheesemaking over the the last 15 years or so. I can now get over 30 varieties of small-scale artisan cheese which is made within a 20 minute drive of where I live.

Blessed be the cheesemakers!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 03:27 AM

For they shall inherit the girth.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 04:01 AM

'Actually, as of about 2007, the UK makes more types of cheese than France does.'

I'm not sure its something we should really encourage. Since we came to live in Dorset, Ive never seen so many different cheeses as they have at the local market. Got to face facts....lancashire, Cheshire, Cheddar, Red Leicester, Caerphilly.....its enough.

This local Blue Vinny stuff, you couldn't even clean your bike with it. The smell is an environmental nightmare. Imagine a world smelling of that.

Still, I suppose its better than them beating up old ladies....marginally.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 09:38 AM

"There's been an explosion in British "artisan" cheesemaking over the the last 15 years or so."

Sounds like a Wallace and Gromit episode.

.......................

No one mentioned Georges Brassens.

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 09:57 AM

Or Jake Thackeray!

Subject: RE: BS: Mitt & the Brits
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 02:12 PM

Yes, Big Al, avoirdupois indeed! [sigh]

Rob, I thought of mentioning Monsieur Thackeray, but he is un Anglais, n'est ce pas?