UK/US Translations

[Splash]

Oh, I've seen plenty of signs warning about large animals; I was just wondering why there needed to be signs for red squirrels in particular.  However, your post did answer my question, since I didn't realize that they weren't common throughout the area, so it would make sense that there would be signs posted in their specific habitat.

[Llywela]

Red squirrels are very, very endangered - they can only be found in a few places now within the UK, remote rural areas. They've been driven to the point of extinction mainly by the arrival of the grey squirrel, which is more vigorous. So yeah, that would be the reason for the warning, reminding drivers to take extra care.

[John Potts]

Yeah, it's the invasion of those damn Yankee grey squirrels (Oversexed and over here!) that are driving the native red squirrels into extinction. Personally, I don't have much of a problem with that (it's just evolution in action, after all and it gives me the chance to make a cheap anti-American point!) - we might feel extinction is sad, but plenty of creatures have gone extinct without any human intervention.

 

Besides, I would be entirely unsurprised if there isn't some 1425 Ordinance claiming that "Should any villager slay a squirrel without his Lord's permission, he will be fined 7d" (I wanted to put in some cod Medieval spellings, but auto correct won't let me!).

[elle]

Michelle "Missy" Gomez is joining the cast of "Gotham."

This link in the "Cast in Other Roles" thread lead me to this series of Christmas adverts (scroll down to see links to the other two - John Lewis and Sainsbury's)

 

Which all leads me to ask - have any of you seen one or more off these commercials on TV?  

                                         - did any of you read the Mog stories?

[HauntedBathroom]

These adverts are everywhere, the John Lewis one is tedious, but the Mog one gets 1000000 plus points.

 

Because Mog is great, and I cried when she flew to the sun.

[hello]

Why did America have to export Black Friday to half the world instead of Thanksgiving? Seriously, a day off work where all you have to do is eat - no presents, no religious stuff, just piles of food and maybe a parade - that all sounds pretty good to me right now.

You DO realize you have to spend hours and hours with family members you spend the rest of the year actively avoiding, right?

 

Aunt Lush and Uncle Racist have a few things they'd like to get off their chests during dinner everyone wheeeeeee good times

 

[elle]

I suspect asking Moffatt to stop being skeevy is a modern King Canute appeal.

Brought this over from the episode thread, since I think this is going to veer into over the pond territory.

 

King Canute, not the same guy from the 1st century or is he?

[AudienceofOne]

Tried to give orders to the tide. I.e. Achieve something impossible.

[ganesh]

I only know a King Canute from my geography research of Sweden in 7th grade. I got nothing else. 

[AudienceofOne]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Canute_and_the_waves

Although ironically that says the tale was supposed to be about humility rather than hubris. I always thought he ordered the tide because he was trying to demonstrate he was all powerful. Either way it's a reference to the futility of opposing an unstoppable force.

[Llywela]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Canute_and_the_waves

Although ironically that says the tale was supposed to be about humility rather than hubris. I always thought he ordered the tide because he was trying to demonstrate he was all powerful. Either way it's a reference to the futility of opposing an unstoppable force.

*historian's hat on* Yeah, that's a common misconception. Because Canute is so often referred to in shorthand, rather than the story told in full, people tend to hear only the 'Canute tried to order the waves' part, and assume he actually believed he could do it. But what really happened (according to legend) was that his attempt at commanding the waves was intended as a demonstration of the exact opposite: he was making the point to his people that he didn't have supernatural powers, and couldn't do the impossible.

 

11th century, rather than 1st century, elle.

[AudienceofOne]

Well, the lesson is still the same, but it does paint Canute in a more positive light.

[Writing Wrongs]

What is the deal with the strings of pendant banners flying over British towns?

[Llywela]

4 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

What is the deal with the strings of pendant banners flying over British towns?

In what context? I'm struggling to think of an episode this might relate to. Unless you mean bunting, which gets put up for any kind of celebration, really. It's festive fun.

[Writing Wrongs]

It's not an episode, it's just something I see in alot of British shows. Looks like it is bunting.

Edited October 7, 2016 by Writing Wrongs

[Llywela]

4 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

It's not an episode, it's just something I see in alot of British shows. Looks like it is bunting.

Yeah, we like our bunting. It's just a very popular and hence a very common form of festive decoration - redolent, I suppose, of village fetes and the like.