Small Talk: The Jewel In The Crown

[SilverStormm]

The Small Talk topic is for:

• Introductions
• Off-topic chatter
• Having virtual tea with forum buddies

This is NOT a topic for actual Royals discussion. When you want to talk about the Royals:

1. Figure out the nature of the topic you want to talk about
2. Look for an existing topic that matches or fits
3. If there is NOT an existing topic that fits, PM the Mods.

Happy trails beyond Small Talk!

[Avaleigh]

2 hours ago, BloomsburyRez said:

As far as nobles at the coronation I’d think two sure bets are the current Earl of Snowden (the only non-royal grandson of the last king), the Earl of Carnarvon (son of the Queen’s lifelong best friend, his ancestral home Highclere Castle is “Downton Abbey”), the gossiped about Rose’s husband (too lazy at moment to google Marquess of Chxxxxxxxx), and the Marquess & Marchioness of Bath.

Marquess of Cholmondeley. Pronounced Chum-lee.* 

I'm looking forward to seeing what the Marchioness of Bath will wear. Agreed that they'll likely be invited.

*This brings me to a sidenote: why are there so many British titles, names and houses etc that are spelled one way but are pronounced in a totally different way than you'd expect? eg the Duke of Rutland's ancestral home is Belvoir Castle. Pronounced Beaver. Cholmondeley is Chumlee. The Marquess of Bath's name is Ceawlin which is basically pronounced Soo-lin. Gloucester sounds like Gloster, etc. I read that the Spencer family call Althorp Alltrop but most locals pronounce it phonetically. It leaves this American regularly botching pronunciation. 

Edited April 17 by Avaleigh

[Notabug]

52 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

Marquess of Cholmondeley. Pronounced Chum-lee.* 

I'm looking forward to seeing what the Marchioness of Bath will wear. Agreed that they'll likely be invited.

*This brings me to a sidenote: why are there so many British titles, names and houses etc that are spelled one way but are pronounced in a totally different way than you'd expect? eg the Duke of Rutland's ancestral home is Belvoir Castle. Pronounced Beaver. Cholmondeley is Chumlee. The Marquess of Bath's name is Ceawlin which is basically pronounced Soo-lin. Gloucester sounds like Gloster, etc. I read that the Spencer family call Althorp Alltrop but most locals pronounce it phonetically. It leaves this American regularly botching pronunciation. 

Not sure why this is, but I've noticed that the British typically massacre the pronunciation of any word that derives from the French like Beauchamps.  I asked a British friend and she said it was because the British generally don't like the French and don't care how they pronounce words.  So, there's that.

[StaceyNotStacie]

3 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

Marquess of Cholmondeley. Pronounced Chum-lee.* 

I'm looking forward to seeing what the Marchioness of Bath will wear. Agreed that they'll likely be invited.

*This brings me to a sidenote: why are there so many British titles, names and houses etc that are spelled one way but are pronounced in a totally different way than you'd expect? eg the Duke of Rutland's ancestral home is Belvoir Castle. Pronounced Beaver. Cholmondeley is Chumlee. The Marquess of Bath's name is Ceawlin which is basically pronounced Soo-lin. Gloucester sounds like Gloster, etc. I read that the Spencer family call Althorp Alltrop but most locals pronounce it phonetically. It leaves this American regularly botching pronunciation. 

I live in Virginia, not too far away from the Colonial area, and I always find it interesting how so many of our cities and counties share British/UK names (Norfolk, Gloucester, Sussex and Prince George Counties, among others). 

[glowbug]

5 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

Marquess of Cholmondeley. Pronounced Chum-lee.* 

I'm looking forward to seeing what the Marchioness of Bath will wear. Agreed that they'll likely be invited.

*This brings me to a sidenote: why are there so many British titles, names and houses etc that are spelled one way but are pronounced in a totally different way than you'd expect? eg the Duke of Rutland's ancestral home is Belvoir Castle. Pronounced Beaver. Cholmondeley is Chumlee. The Marquess of Bath's name is Ceawlin which is basically pronounced Soo-lin. Gloucester sounds like Gloster, etc. I read that the Spencer family call Althorp Alltrop but most locals pronounce it phonetically. It leaves this American regularly botching pronunciation. 

I’m sure there are a lot of factors but I think one of them was that it took a while for spelling in English to be standardized after the printing press was introduced to England, and because the printing press came from Belgium the earliest English printings were done by non-native speakers. Combine that with the great vowel shift starting in the 15th century and the fact that English is a mishmash of indigenous languages, German, and French and you end up with a very confusing language with weird spelling and pronunciations. 

Edited April 18 by glowbug

[Zella]

34 minutes ago, glowbug said:

I’s sure there are a lot of factors but I think one of them was that it took a while for spelling in English to be standardized after the printing press was introduced to England, and because the printing press came from Belgium the earliest English printings were done by non-native speakers. Combine that with the great vowel shift starting in the 15th century and the fact that English is a mishmash of indigenous languages, German, and French and you end up with a very confusing language with weird spelling and pronunciations. 

Yes the standardization of spelling didn't take place for quite a while.

Somewhere deep in my closet is a T-shirt that says "English follows other languages down dark alleys, beats them up, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar." You can easily substitute spelling and pronunciation for grammar. 😁

One of my favorite little tidbits about the development of the English language is that our words for meat products from farm animals by and large come from Norman French (beef, poultry, pork) while our words for the actual animals themselves are usually of Old English origin (cow, chicken, pig) because the guy who was actually getting to eat them was way more likely to be speaking a form of French in England than the guy who was raising it for him, courtesy of the Norman Conquest. 

[Llywela]

8 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

*This brings me to a sidenote: why are there so many British titles, names and houses etc that are spelled one way but are pronounced in a totally different way than you'd expect? eg the Duke of Rutland's ancestral home is Belvoir Castle. Pronounced Beaver. Cholmondeley is Chumlee. The Marquess of Bath's name is Ceawlin which is basically pronounced Soo-lin. Gloucester sounds like Gloster, etc. I read that the Spencer family call Althorp Alltrop but most locals pronounce it phonetically. It leaves this American regularly botching pronunciation. 

It's because English isn't really a language. It's a whole bunch of languages standing on each other's shoulders inside a trench coat. Which on the one hand is the reason it's such a versatile language with multiple words to express the same thing - some with Latin roots, some with Germanic roots, others with French roots - but on the other hand also leads to all the grammatical and spelling issues that are frequently pointed out! See, first the Anglo-Saxon peoples crossed the Channel and pushed the native Celts to the fringes, that's one language (plus the remains of the old Brythonic language here and there, that's another). Then came lots of Viking raids - and the Vikings began to settle around coastal areas, that's another language. Then the French-speaking Normans crossed the Channel with William the Conqueror, so that French became the language of the ruling class, while the lower classes still spoke Old English. That's another language. And then Latin remained the language of the Church for many more centuries, so that's another language again. And then, over time, all those languages gradually mingled and merged to form Modern English, and are the reason it is such a mish-mash!

ETA - well, actually, I suppose, the Romans came first - a lot of towns and villages can trace the origins of their names back to Roman settlements! But it was the coming of Norman overlords founding settlements with French names largely populated by an Old English-speaking underclass that caused most of the weird spellings and pronunciations people still struggle with today!

Edited April 18 by Llywela

[gingerella]

^This^ makes me want to see Chuck and Camz speak Pig Latin during their coronation...

[Avaleigh]

9 hours ago, Llywela said:

Then came lots of Viking raids - and the Vikings began to settle around coastal areas, that's another language.

I remember being told at some point that words that start with 'sk' in English come from the Viking influence. Sky, skate, ski, skull, etc.

[Oosala]

I have a stupid question.  When I'm on The Royals main page, some threads have a blue star next to them to go to the first unread post.  Other threads have a blue DOT next to them that does the same thing.  Does anyone know what the difference is?

Edited April 18 by Oosala

[Jane Tuesday]

1 minute ago, Oosala said:

I have a stupid question.  When I'm on The Royals main page, some threads have a blue star next to them to go to the first unread post.  Other threads have a blue DOT next to them that does the same thing.  Does anyone know what the difference is?

A star means you've posted in that thread.  :)

[Oosala]

11 minutes ago, Jane Tuesday said:

13 minutes ago, Oosala said:

I have a stupid question.  When I'm on The Royals main page, some threads have a blue star next to them to go to the first unread post.  Other threads have a blue DOT next to them that does the same thing.  Does anyone know what the difference is?

A star means you've posted in that thread.  :)

And it's as simple as that!  Thanks @Jane Tuesday.

[Bethany]

19 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

*This brings me to a sidenote: why are there so many British titles, names and houses etc that are spelled one way but are pronounced in a totally different way than you'd expect? eg the Duke of Rutland's ancestral home is Belvoir Castle. Pronounced Beaver. Cholmondeley is Chumlee. The Marquess of Bath's name is Ceawlin which is basically pronounced Soo-lin. Gloucester sounds like Gloster, etc. I read that the Spencer family call Althorp Alltrop but most locals pronounce it phonetically. It leaves this American regularly botching pronunciation. 

Reminds me of the Stephen Leacock line from "Gertrude the Governess"

Quote

But the scene of this narrative is laid in the South of England and takes place in and around Knotacentinum Towers (pronounced as if written Nosham Taws)..

 

[pancake bacon]

8 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I guess we should be glad they didn't go for a traditional meat pie or stargazy pie

 

6 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

Quickly scrolling past that…pie. 

 

5 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

It's a Cornish delicacy and the stuff of nightmares.

 

5 hours ago, MissLucas said:

I once had a Brit trying to convince me that they were delicious and the perfect Christmas meal. I took his word for it. We're no longer together.

 

4 hours ago, Zella said:

As to quote Roger in Mad Men, I'm sorry, I don't know whose eyes to look at.

I first learned about Stargazy Pie (it’s a poetic name, to be honest) from Ladies in Lavender, with Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and darling Daniel Bruhl. The movie was set in Cornwall. Even the Cornwall residents knew it to be a very regional and quirky dish.

Really, if this dish is part for the Coronation Meal, I think it’s a positive to have very regional cuisine included. 

[Zella]

15 minutes ago, pancake bacon said:

I first learned about Stargazy Pie (it’s a poetic name, to be honest) from Ladies in Lavender, with Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and darling Daniel Bruhl. The movie was set in Cornwall. Even the Cornwall residents knew it to be a very regional and quirky dish.

I've never heard of this movie before, but apparently Charles Dance wrote and directed it too. You had my attention with Daniel Bruhl, but now I'm really intrigued. 👀

I am pretty sure I first came across mentions of it when I was watching Poldark several years ago. I don't remember if it was mentioned in the show or books, but I was reading a lot about Cornwall at the time. 

[pancake bacon]

21 hours ago, Zella said:

Charles Dance wrote and directed it too. You had my attention with Daniel Bruhl, but now I'm really intrigued. 👀

It’s a lovely film that I admit I rewatch often! I will not spoil the stargazy pie scene for you, but enjoy Baby Daniel Bruhl getting to be around legends Maggie and Judi… 

 

[gingerella]

Can someone please enlighten me as to why the UK has such amazing brassieres?

[Ohiopirate02]

6 hours ago, gingerella said:

Can someone please enlighten me as to why the UK has such amazing brassieres?

UK bra manufacturers use a broad range of sizes rather than forcing people into a small set of readily available sizes.  Cup sizes for most UK bras go: A - B - C - D - DD - E - F - FF - G - GG - H - HH - J - JJ - K - KK - L - LL.  Most American bra manufacturers stop at the equivalent of a UK E for band sizes 32-36.  

The actual best country for bras for those well-endowed is Poland.  

[pancake bacon]

I’ve sworn by M&S brassieres ever since I graduated to having to wear a bra. Apart from the very wide spectrum of sizes @Ohiopirate02 mentioned, the styles on offer are easy to understand, and thoughtfully approached. I prefer non-padded, non-seam underwire, and the old Marks & Sparks makes it easy to find. 

[Browncoat]

@pancake bacon, I found these on the US Marks & Sparks site -- are they the ones you refer to in your post?  I have a terrible time finding bras I like!

https://www.marksandspencer.com/us/3pk-wired-full-cup-bras-a-e/p/P60509236.html?dwvar_P60509236_color=Y4&dwvar_P60509236_size=34-C&pid=P60509236&quantity=1

 

 

[pancake bacon]

3 hours ago, Browncoat said:

@pancake bacon, I found these on the US Marks & Sparks site -- are they the ones you refer to in your post?  I have a terrible time finding bras I like!

https://www.marksandspencer.com/us/3pk-wired-full-cup-bras-a-e/p/P60509236.html?dwvar_P60509236_color=Y4&dwvar_P60509236_size=34-C&pid=P60509236&quantity=1

 

 

Yea, this very model! I’m sure US brands have this style too, but I know M&S will always have it. And yes, they come in three-packs (or two pack) – I love it as an everyday bra. I feel supported and comfy. And no padding is good because I live in a tropical country, and it’s too hot for padding. Highly recommend you give it a go. 

[Quof]

I do love that the Brits call a push-up bra a balcony. 

[Browncoat]

6 hours ago, pancake bacon said:

Yea, this very model! I’m sure US brands have this style too, but I know M&S will always have it. And yes, they come in three-packs (or two pack) – I love it as an everyday bra. I feel supported and comfy. And no padding is good because I live in a tropical country, and it’s too hot for padding. Highly recommend you give it a go. 

If US brands have this style, I haven’t found them except for exorbitant pricing.  Everything I find here is padded or has seams or some other fatal-to-me flaw.  I will order these today and let you know!

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, Quof said:

I do love that the Brits call a push-up bra a balcony. 

Balcony or balconette is a style of bra, and not necessarily a push-up bra.  It has to do with the way the bra is constructed. Balconettes are cut straight across the top of the cup and allow for the tops to be free.  A push-up bra implies some kind of padding in the cup usually near the underwater to lift.  Push-up bras can be balconettes or another style like a plunge (where the top of the cup plunges down from the strap to the gore).

[pancake bacon]

4 hours ago, Browncoat said:

If US brands have this style, I haven’t found them except for exorbitant pricing.  Everything I find here is padded or has seams or some other fatal-to-me flaw.  I will order these today and let you know!

Seams are a definite hard pass for me too! At US$35 for a three-pack, it's a really good value. Also on the same page as the bras were bra extenders for sale; not sure if this is also easily found in the US, but they're a good buy too, especially when your cup size is a bit small for your band size. (Yes, this is my dilemma…) Hope this style works well for you, @Browncoat! 

[Quof]

I miss shopping at Marks and Sparks, 😢 

[jah1986]

Thanks for the M&S recommendation, they're prices seem very reasonable and the items seem good quality. I placed an order today after searching for high quality items and being in pain for way too long.

[Scarlett45]

I am going to London on a short trip for the coronation. Would you all be interested in this thread to hear about the rest of my vacation (food, accommodations, activities etc)? I’ll have limited data so I’ll likely post when I get back. 

[Bethany]

I miss London so much!  I would love to "visit" vicariously through you.  So one vote for Yes Please!

[Scarlett45]

On 4/24/2023 at 2:51 AM, gingerella said:

Can someone please enlighten me as to why the UK has such amazing brassieres?

 

On 4/24/2023 at 9:11 AM, Ohiopirate02 said:

UK bra manufacturers use a broad range of sizes rather than forcing people into a small set of readily available sizes.  Cup sizes for most UK bras go: A - B - C - D - DD - E - F - FF - G - GG - H - HH - J - JJ - K - KK - L - LL.  Most American bra manufacturers stop at the equivalent of a UK E for band sizes 32-36.  

The actual best country for bras for those well-endowed is Poland.  

Yup the sizing. I live and die by Freya! I used to be a 38F, but I’ve lost weight and am now between a 36DD/E depending on the style. (Yay for still having boobs).

[CountryGirl]

46 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I am going to London on a short trip for the coronation. Would you all be interested in this thread to hear about the rest of my vacation (food, accommodations, activities etc)? I’ll have limited data so I’ll likely post when I get back. 

Would we be interested?

[Quof]

7 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

the rest of my vacation (food

Only if you to go Kappacasein in Borough Market for a cheese toastie, so I can live vicariously.  https://www.instagram.com/p/Che0mH9I__v/?hl=en.  It's my first stop, every trip.

[pancake bacon]

40 minutes ago, Quof said:

Only if you to go Kappacasein in Borough Market for a cheese toastie, so I can live vicariously.  https://www.instagram.com/p/Che0mH9I__v/?hl=en.  It's my first stop, every trip.

100% endorse – do not miss out! 

[Quof]

Cheese is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy.

[Ohiopirate02]

9 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

 

Yup the sizing. I live and die by Freya! I used to be a 38F, but I’ve lost weight and am now between a 36DD/E depending on the style. (Yay for still having boobs).

I'm a 38F and no amount of weight loss will change that.  I actually am big-boned for a woman at least and carry my weight in other places.  What I love about UK bras is my size is my size across companies.  I have bras from Elomi, Freya, Curvy Cate, Fantasie, and Panache and my size is the same in each.  Sure there's some styles of bras that do not work for me, but my size is my size.  

[Scarlett45]

34 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I'm a 38F and no amount of weight loss will change that.  I actually am big-boned for a woman at least and carry my weight in other places.  What I love about UK bras is my size is my size across companies.  I have bras from Elomi, Freya, Curvy Cate, Fantasie, and Panache and my size is the same in each.  Sure there's some styles of bras that do not work for me, but my size is my size.  

I like Panache bras as well. We are all shaped differently, and if you are not a "standard size" it can be so hard. My god sister is a 30F, trying to squeeze herself in a 34D until I made her see the light!

[Ohiopirate02]

5 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I like Panache bras as well. We are all shaped differently, and if you are not a "standard size" it can be so hard. My god sister is a 30F, trying to squeeze herself in a 34D until I made her see the light!

I also spent years trying to fit into American bras thinking I needed the molded cup.  The cups were too small and always noticeable under my clothes.  Now I wear my correct size in bras that have seams and feel so much better.  The seams are not as distracting as I thought, and I can wear a cami underneath my thinnest tops.  As an added bonus, my UK bras are much cooler than the molded cup ones and I do not have obvious boob sweat in the summer.  

[MissLucas]

This is driving me nuts - today Instagram showed me an add for the PERFECT summer pumps and it was at a reduced price. Since I did not want to fall prey to impulse buying I decided to take a moment before hitting the order button. I memorized the name the shop and returned to real life. But try as I might I can't find the shop via Google and Instagram - who keeps showing me the same add ALL THE TIME - refuses to repeat this particular one. All my Google fu is for naught 😕

 

Also: today's my birthday (thanks to all the news outlets who always run Chernobyl stories on this date) and this would have been the perfect little treat *throws herself a pity party*

[Oosala]

On 4/17/2023 at 4:03 PM, Avaleigh said:

Marquess of Cholmondeley. Pronounced Chum-lee.

This brings back wonderful memories of my dad trying to pronounce Worcestershire sauce.  He insisted on pronouncing each syllable, and I would never embarrass him by correcting him.  Not the done thing.  I miss him so much.  💙

[Ohiopirate02]

14 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

This is driving me nuts - today Instagram showed me an add for the PERFECT summer pumps and it was at a reduced price. Since I did not want to fall prey to impulse buying I decided to take a moment before hitting the order button. I memorized the name the shop and returned to real life. But try as I might I can't find the shop via Google and Instagram - who keeps showing me the same add ALL THE TIME - refuses to repeat this particular one. All my Google fu is for naught 😕

 

Also: today's my birthday (thanks to all the news outlets who always run Chernobyl stories on this date) and this would have been the perfect little treat *throws herself a pity party*

TBH, if you cannot find the shop on Google, then it's really for the best.  Sounds like it was some kind of drop-shipper using images borrowed from a more legitimate website.  If you had impulse bought the shoes, they would have disappointed you.  

[Turquoise]

13 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

This is driving me nuts - today Instagram showed me an add for the PERFECT summer pumps and it was at a reduced price. Since I did not want to fall prey to impulse buying I decided to take a moment before hitting the order button. I memorized the name the shop and returned to real life. But try as I might I can't find the shop via Google and Instagram - who keeps showing me the same add ALL THE TIME - refuses to repeat this particular one. All my Google fu is for naught 😕

 

Also: today's my birthday (thanks to all the news outlets who always run Chernobyl stories on this date) and this would have been the perfect little treat *throws herself a pity party*

Happy Birthday!

My son feels your pain...he was born the same day as the end of the Waco siege, so he gets Waco and the Oklahoma City bombing every year on his bday.

[CountryGirl]

50 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

This is driving me nuts - today Instagram showed me an add for the PERFECT summer pumps and it was at a reduced price. Since I did not want to fall prey to impulse buying I decided to take a moment before hitting the order button. I memorized the name the shop and returned to real life. But try as I might I can't find the shop via Google and Instagram - who keeps showing me the same add ALL THE TIME - refuses to repeat this particular one. All my Google fu is for naught 😕

 

Also: today's my birthday (thanks to all the news outlets who always run Chernobyl stories on this date) and this would have been the perfect little treat *throws herself a pity party*

34 minutes ago, Turquoise said:

Happy Birthday!

My son feels your pain...he was born the same day as the end of the Waco siege, so he gets Waco and the Oklahoma City bombing every year on his bday.

My birthday falls on 9/11. 

[Bethany]

1 minute ago, CountryGirl said:

My birthday falls on 9/11. 

One of my nieces was actually born on that day in 2001.  You can imagine what that day felt like for the family.  

53 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Also: today's my birthday (thanks to all the news outlets who always run Chernobyl stories on this date) and this would have been the perfect little treat *throws herself a pity party*

[ozziemom]

@MissLucas Happy Birthday 🎈🎁🎉🎂🎊 Enjoy your day.

[Notabug]

1 hour ago, CountryGirl said:

My birthday falls on 9/11. 

Pregnant patients go out of their way to try to avoid that birthday nowadays.  Plenty refuse to be scheduled for an induction or cesarean on 9/11 because they don't want the birthday to fall there.

[CountryGirl]

20 minutes ago, Notabug said:

Pregnant patients go out of their way to try to avoid that birthday nowadays.  Plenty refuse to be scheduled for an induction or cesarean on 9/11 because they don't want the birthday to fall there.

I can understand it. My brother passed away the day before so it has been a tough time even prior to 2001. 

[Zella]

5 hours ago, Turquoise said:

Happy Birthday!

My son feels your pain...he was born the same day as the end of the Waco siege, so he gets Waco and the Oklahoma City bombing every year on his bday.

He shares a birthday with my mom. I recognized the shared dates of infamy right away. 

Edited April 27 by Zella

[jennblevins]

You can add me to the list of Waco/Oklahoma City birthdays (and Joanna Gaines of HGTV and Marvel’s Simi Liu).  9/11 would be worse, though. 

[MissLucas]

Not sure where to put this but here should be a good fit. Harriet de Winton has put up a youtube tutorial for creating your own watercolor flower crown inspired by the artwork of the coronation invitation. I love her tutorials she brought me back to work with watercolors. She also does commissions for weddings etc. When I saw the official invitation I immediately thought of her.

[Bethany]

I wasn't sure if this was something to mention in the Coronation thread or not but since it's just family stuff thought better here.  My aunt is in an assisted living retirement home and they are planning a gala tea party May 6th.  I'm going to be helping serve the tea and cucumber sandwiches.  Most of the ladies are getting hats for the occasion and we've even begged and borrowed real tea cups and saucers (I was glad to donate from my totally never used sets of Royal Doulton and the like!).  Should be a blast -  a genteel blast 🙂!