How to confuse a Brit?

[Omega1]

Really well played Roger! (Omega 1) At last an erudite thread.

 

Thanks Mike! The way the thread has developed is far more interesting than my original post. :)

[Thrak]

Often attributed to Winston Churchill but most likely a paraphrase of something said by George Bernard Shaw... Factual attribution is difficult, maybe impossible, to track down.

 

Or a verbal paraphrase of something written by Oscar Wilde in the Canterville Ghost published in 1887.

 

"We really have everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language".

 

That is, of course, the other possible source. Searching online for an actual and definitive source leaves doubt as to which is the correct source or if either can actually be cited. I'm satisfied with either as long as Churchill is left out of it. :D

[Spicy Red]

Apologies for off-topic comments. I have no literary gem to share.

It's just that I couldn't let this one go through to the keeper without playing a straight bat.......

 

 

 

Aussies don't drink XXXX. Deranged Queenslanders do. QLD'ers are also confused. They struggle with simple geography. Particularly about their state borders and especially where football (rugby league) players actually come from. For those playing overseas look up a map and see where Bowraville lies.

 

Then look up Palmerston North.......it was in New Zealand last time I visited there............and look up the Maori All Star's beautiful shot of James Tamou taking the ball up for them :D

 

Qlders drink XXXXXXXX and eat NSW League teams.:):):)

[ceba]

now I'm confused:o

[woodyren]

Apologies for off-topic comments. I have no literary gem to share.

It's just that I couldn't let this one go through to the keeper without playing a straight bat.......

 

 

 

 

Then look up Palmerston North.......it was in New Zealand last time I visited there............and look up the Maori All Star's beautiful shot of James Tamou taking the ball up for them :D

 

Qlders drink XXXXXXXX and eat NSW League teams.:):):)

 

Well played sir. Now put up as good an argument to the guy who said we Aussies don't have a sense of humour. (said while singing the song "that's in Qld")

[jrzebird]

Never had this happen on our U.S. side of the pond. Flying in the day of embarkation we always have to depart on our flight the night before, which gets confusing when planning.

 

Can one "embark" a plane? Isn't "bark" derived from some Romance language meaning "ship", or "boat or the like? :confused:

 

 

One boards a plane and de-planes when getting off.

 

As for OP's question, perhaps some are on a special program and get to embark the ship the day before it sails? then everyone else follows on boarding day. I don't know but would be interested to learn the answer.

[hansi]

Well the short answer is - read emails from Princess.

Here's the story:

Last week we had the usual email from Princess welcoming us to our upcoming Emerald Caribbean cruise on November 9.

The only problem was that the email stated the embarkation date was November 8.

I emailed Princess UK to check it out and here is the reply:

 

"I can confirm that you embark on the 9th but most UK passengers depart on the 8th and this is why the email reflects this."

 

What? The logic defies me. I always thought embarkation date referred to the act of getting on a ship, not the date you left your home. In our case we depart the UK five days before sailing.

Perhaps I'm just slow on the uptake and am missing something obvious. Perhaps Princess has a new definition of the word embarkation. If that's the case, would embarkation mean sailing date minus 2 for Aussies?

Can anyone shed any light on this before I reserve a place for myself in the 'Alan Buckelew Home for the Chronically Bemused'.:confused:

 

They also need to brush up on their geography. We were recently on the Caribbean Princess cruise around the UK and the cruise title was (British Isles. Wales), The nearest we got to Wales was Liverpool!:eek: This may also explain why they show Southampton in their brochure as London?:rolleyes:

[Omega1]

 

As for OP's question, perhaps some are on a special program and get to embark the ship the day before it sails? then everyone else follows on boarding day.

 

I had considered that, but soon realised that the day before embarkation is a sea day.

I thought about asking Princess if our helicopter transfer to the ship was included in the basic cruise price or would it be added to our on board account!:D I decided against - if some members of the Princess customer services team don't have a grasp of basic vocabulary, irony would be a step too far.

[Omega1]

They also need to brush up on their geography. We were recently on the Caribbean Princess cruise around the UK and the cruise title was (British Isles. Wales), The nearest we got to Wales was Liverpool!:eek: This may also explain why they show Southampton in their brochure as London?:rolleyes:

 

I love this thread - it has taken us on a ramble through the English language; a foray into literary references; a brief side step into Antipodean drinking and sporting prowess and now a potential conspiracy theory of how Princess would like to redefine national and regional boundaries.

Any more?

[Omega1]

Come to think of it, I suspect a majority of Brits would not know the difference between the British Isles, the United Kingdom and Great Britain.

[Corfe Mixture]

Come to think of it, I suspect a majority of Brits would not know the difference between the British Isles, the United Kingdom and Great Britain.

 

You are absolutely right. I pride myself on getting these things right, but I had to do a quick think on the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

 

My amusing story of bad geographical knowledge was a US gentleman from Texas, I met on a cruise, who continually referred to Scotland, England!!

 

Despite my best efforts, I could not get him to understand that Scotland and England are two constituents countries of the United Kingdom. I even tried the trick of referring to Texas, Arizona but even that didn't work as all it did was to make him indignant to the point that he seemed to regard me as a complete idiot.

 

OK, just to keep the fun going :) let us move on to another common error, which confuses most Brits and is almost unintelligible to anyone from outside the UK and that is the title of the wife of Prince William

 

There is no such person as Princess Kate, or even Princess Catherine, just in the way there was no Princess Diana

 

The correct current title for the wife of Prince William is:

Her Royal Highness Princess William, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus.

 

When Charles becomes King and William is invested as Prince of Wales, her title will change to:

Her Royal Highness Catherine, Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus.

 

unless she is invested with him (Diana was not invested with Charles as he was invested before he was married) when, I believe, her title would become:

Her Royal Highness Princess Catherine of Wales, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus.

 

Finally, if when William is crowned King, his wife is crowned with him, as happened with the wives of King George V (Queen Mary) and King George VI (Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) her style will change to:

Her Majesty Queen Catherine......

 

Interestingly, as of today, although she will hopefully one day be our Queen, when she meets the grandchildren of Her Majesty the Queen protocol dictates that she should courtsey, BUT, if Prince William is present the situation is reversed.

 

So, the bottom line is: we don't need anyone to confuse us. We are quite capable of doing it to ourselves!!

 

:confused:

[Corfe Mixture]

Oops, think I got it wrong.

 

When Charles becomes King and William is invested as Prince of Wales, I think her title will change to:

Her Royal Highness Catherine, Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus.

 

unless she is invested with him when, I believe, her title would become:

Her Royal Highness Princess Catherine of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus.

 

Though even that could change if William is created an Earl.

 

See how easy it is to confuse a Brit!!

[Nomsayin]

One last shot. On a recent visit to London, we encountered numerous signs advising of "Disabled Toilets." What's up with that? Why not fix them?

[newport dave]

One last shot. On a recent visit to London, we encountered numerous signs advising of "Disabled Toilets." What's up with that? Why not fix them?

 

I'm not even going to be baited into answering this........:D:D:eek::eek:

[newport dave]

And, back to Wales. Surely it's just a 'Principality' of England.....;););)

[hansi]

And, back to Wales. Surely it's just a 'Principality' of England.....;););)

 

Oooh, naughty! Anyway, it's a bit like the sign I sw in a park. It said "Dogs must be carried" You know, I couldn't find a dog anywhere!:D:D:D

[caber]

And, back to Wales. Surely it's just a 'Principality' of England.....;););)

 

Oh you Englishman!!! You will be banished from Wales. :D

[jrzebird]

I am so enjoying this thread, even if I am lost on about a third of it. Sort of like when I watch Doctor Who!

[MandE-UK]

I am so enjoying this thread, even if I am lost on about a third of it. Sort of like when I watch Doctor Who!

Me too. I am almost so over- awed with the depth of knowledge and learning. Almost but not completely!!

[Omega1]

Oops, think I got it wrong.

 

When Charles becomes King and William is invested as Prince of Wales, I think her title will change to:

Her Royal Highness Catherine, Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus.

 

unless she is invested with him when, I believe, her title would become:

Her Royal Highness Princess Catherine of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus.

 

Though even that could change if William is created an Earl.

 

See how easy it is to confuse a Brit!!

 

Can you arrange to get all this included in the Princess trivia question database? We might stand a chance of winning then.