Proud to be UKish?' blog discussion

JDPower

AHAR wrote: »

At least it's easy to jump to United Kingdom if all sites use it. I have come across sites that allow selection of the nations or even "Great Britain" but they are rare in my experience.

But I always jump to the E's to look for England before looking for UK anyway. Has even been a few times when particularly frustrated I've selected 'Other' and entered England when asked.
Still OT I know but I wonder if there is anywhere else in the world that consistently gets called a country when it is in fact two or more countries grouped together

AHAR

JDPower wrote: »

But I always jump to the E's to look for England before looking for UK anyway. Has even been a few times when particularly frustrated I've selected 'Other' and entered England when asked.
Still OT I know but I wonder if there is anywhere else in the world that consistently gets called a country when it is in fact two or more countries grouped together

When I was in Japan last year I was chatting to someone who asked me to explain what the UK was. I had to start by telling them that England and the UK weren't the same. After scribbling a few maps on a scrap of paper then moving on to the devolved Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly, our separate football teams and single Olympic team and a brief mention of the Isle of Man and Channel Islands I think I'd confused them enough that they let me get back to drinking my beer!

lifesuckssometimes

The Island Of Ireland Is Irish ..the Island Of Britain Is British.
If I Break Into Your Home It Is Not Mine..

big_gay_kirk

JDPower wrote: »

Still OT I know but I wonder if there is anywhere else in the world that consistently gets called a country when it is in fact two or more countries grouped together

Technically.. Australia is a federation of at least nominally independent states, as is supposedly the USA.. although the civil war shot that down a bit.. then there's Trinidad and Tobago... and there was Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia..

And like it or not, geographically the Irish are British.. as are Shets, Orcadians, and people from Lundy... but as members of the Goidelic branch they are not Britons... which term is usually held to include only those of Brythonic descent.. such as the overlords of the Welsh, the Dalriads, and the folk of Brittany... and you'll notice I say the overlords of the Welsh.. the main populace of wales was never celtic (sorry lads) but did have celtic (Brythonic) rulers...

SarahJay55

I found this site a while back, and find it invaluable in explaining the whole complicated business to foreign friends:

http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/britishisles/

thanmuwa

big_gay_kirk wrote: »

And like it or not, geographically the Irish are British.. as are Shets, Orcadians, and people from Lundy... but as members of the Goidelic branch they are not Britons... which term is usually held to include only those of Brythonic descent.. such as the overlords of the Welsh, the Dalriads, and the folk of Brittany... and you'll notice I say the overlords of the Welsh.. the main populace of wales was never celtic (sorry lads) but did have celtic (Brythonic) rulers...

Wrong. British is not a geographical term, it does not refer to the British Isles, or else they would be the British Lions, not the British and Irish Lions. British has a specific and exact meaning, a bit like that legal tender titbit from a few weeks ago:
"On January 1 1983, anyone who was a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies on December 31 1982, and had the right of abode* in the UK, became a British citizen." http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/apply-eligibility-am-i.asp
I have heard a lovely turn of phrase to describe it: " Applying the term British, or any of its variants, to citizens of the Republic is both incorrect politically and politically incorrect". :rotfl:
Briton (modern meaning) simply means British person. It would make things much clearer if people used the alternative term Brython instead of Briton when referring to those particular Insular Celtic tribes. By the way, Dalriada was Goidelic with probably a chunk of Pictish thrown in, definitely not Brython.
On a related and slightly tongue-in-cheek note, the Irish for Wales and GB respectively are Breatain Beag (Little Britain :eek:) and Breatain or Breatain Mor (Britain or Big Britain).

Marty_J

thanmuwa wrote: »

Exactly... and UKish is horrible! Seems way too close to "yuck-ish". British has a defined meaning that includes NI etc, why re-invent the wheel?

Surely British means "that which relates to, or comes from, Britain"?

Northern Ireland is not part of Britain, so I don't see how it has a "defined meaning" that includes it, especially considering that lots of people from Britain don't even describe themselves as British, but perfer English, Scottish and Welsh.

I'm from Northern Ireland, and hence the UK, but I'm not from Britain, nor am I British.

Fifer

biscuit wrote:

I think this allowed Bono to be included in the BBC's poll of Great Britons

How could Bono be a 'Great Briton'? What's great about him?

lifesuckssometimes

big_gay_kirk wrote: »

Technically.. Australia is a federation of at least nominally independent states, as is supposedly the USA.. although the civil war shot that down a bit.. then there's Trinidad and Tobago... and there was Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia..

And like it or not, geographically the Irish are British..quote]

rubbish oh dear another deluded person.. so if the Irish invade Britain like the British did and by force told the British this is now the Irish isle i don't think anyone would agree with that... we are all African if you want to go back in history to find our ancestors. I have British, Spanish and yes IRISH blood but if i go back I'm from Africa.. All I'm saying is Ireland is Irish and Britain is British but go way back in history we are all from Africa that will go down well with all the racists :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

thanmuwa

Marty_J wrote: »

Surely British means "that which relates to, or comes from, Britain"?

Northern Ireland is not part of Britain, so I don't see how it has a "defined meaning" that includes it, especially considering that lots of people from Britain don't even describe themselves as British, but perfer English, Scottish and Welsh.

I'm from Northern Ireland, and hence the UK, but I'm not from Britain, nor am I British.

And what passport do they all have? No such thing as a Welsh, Scottish, English passport, only a British one because the nationality of people from the UK is British. Northern Ireland is a bit different because Northern Irish people can choose to have either a British passport (defining them as British), an Irish one (defining them as Irish) or both (defining them as confused :rolleyes:).