[Curt]

Originally Posted by AGA

I don't understand what weird-fork-holding entails.

Stabbing the food with the fork and then pushing more onto the back of the fork with the knife as opposed to the manner I see most often used here in germany of just pushing the food with the knife into the dip of the fork.

Maybe it's just a family thing. I do claim to be introvertly eccentric.

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by AGA

I don't know any of the words to God Save the Queen

The joys of having been a Cathedral chorister:

God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
happy and glorious,
long to reign over us,
God Save the Queen!

Thy choicest gifts in store
on her be pleased to pour,
long may she reign!
May she defend our laws,
and ever give us cause
to sing with heart and voice
"God Save the Queen!"

That's all I can remember, and the punctuation is probably completely wrong . There's a third verse, but it has very little to do with the queen. I think.

/me runs.

[AGA]

I don't know the words to God Save the Queen... because I'm not English... I was never a chorister and I know our national anthem, it was drummed into me in primary school.

[Pappapisshu]

Originally Posted by Curt

Stabbing the food with the fork and then pushing more onto the back of the fork with the knife

I do that as well, and I'm not british. It's obviously the germans that got it completely wrong, as expected.

[Curt]

Originally Posted by Pappapisshu

I do that as well, and I'm not british. It's obviously the germans that got it completely wrong, as expected.

Hehe! I'll tell Megs, shall I?

[Manhunter71]

"God save the Queen" has to be one of the worst national anthems I have ever heard (and I'm British!), especially in a country where a large percentage of the population don't even agree with the Monarchy!

IMO a national anthem should be something that rouses the spirit of the nation, and this song just doesn't do it for me!

More preferable choices would be "Land of Hope and Glory" or "Rule Brittania"

[Curt]

Originally Posted by Manhunter71

"God save the Queen" has to be one of the worst national anthems I have ever heard (and I'm British!), especially in a country where a large percentage of the population don't even agree with the Monarchy!

IMO a national anthem should be something that rouses the spirit of the nation, and this song just doesn't do it for me!

More preferable choices would be "Land of Hope and Glory" or "Rule Brittania"

Or go with Billy Connolly's choice, the music from the Archers.

[jenny]

looks like i'm the only one from the netherlands :eek:

[Wormsie]

Not at all, Erwin, Flux, Ninja Dodo and MAANY others are from there.

[Supreme Goddess]

Originally Posted by Manhunter71

"God save the Queen" has to be one of the worst national anthems I have ever heard (and I'm British!), .... More preferable choices would be "Land of Hope and Glory" or "Rule Brittania"

You obviously haven't heard the Aussie anthem - very very forgettable so it's possible you have ~ and forgotten it. In fact if you watched the 2000 olympics you probably think our anthem is Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi! Oi! Oi! Which seems to have captured the public imagination, actually.

When Aussies gather we sing Waltzing Matilda and if it wasn't all about a sheep stealing crook who drowns himself to escape the police, it'd be accepted as our anthem by now ~ and everyone knows the words. Seems the diplomats feel the subject matter is slightly inappropriate with the dignity of their office...

Originally Posted by jenny

looks like i'm the only one from the netherlands :eek:

Had je gedacht. Mooi niet! Het wemelt hier van de vaderlanders.

[Jazhara7]

Originally Posted by Supreme Goddess

You obviously haven't heard the Aussie anthem - very very forgettable so it's possible you have ~ and forgotten it. In fact if you watched the 2000 olympics you probably think our anthem is Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi! Oi! Oi! Which seems to have captured the public imagination, actually.

When Aussies gather we sing Waltzing Matilda and if it wasn't all about a sheep stealing crook who drowns himself to escape the police, it'd be accepted as our anthem by now ~ and everyone knows the words. Seems the diplomats feel the subject matter is slightly inappropriate with the dignity of their office...

Well, what should the germans say?

All but the third stanza of the
German National Anthem are forbidden - although I don't think that that is something bad.


The Australian National Anthem is Advance Australia Fair , by the way.

(Wikipedia is your friend. )


-

[jenny]

Originally Posted by Fienepien

Had je gedacht. Mooi niet! Het wemelt hier van de vaderlanders.

gelukkig maar, wel cool!

[Sage]

Well, I'm from the Southern United States, but:
I drink tea at every given opportunity, although down here it's served over ice.
I can tolerate British football much better than American football.
I would be horrified to see someone rake food on to their fork with their knife. That is simply too crude for words. I also learned this table-manners rhyme at a young age: "Like ships that sail away to sea, dip your spoon away from thee".
Does this make me a British changeling, or just very, very Southern?

[Elton28]

Originally Posted by Manhunter71

"God save the Queen" has to be one of the worst national anthems I have ever heard (and I'm British!), especially in a country where a large percentage of the population don't even agree with the Monarchy!

IMO a national anthem should be something that rouses the spirit of the nation, and this song just doesn't do it for me!

More preferable choices would be "Land of Hope and Glory" or "Rule Brittania"

And why the hell is it called "God Save the Queen" ?????

She doesn't NEED saving. She's surrounded by guards/security; no-one could even get near her LOL

Well, I'm from the Southern United States, but:
I drink tea at every given opportunity, although down here it's served over ice.
I can tolerate British football much better than American football.
I would be horrified to see someone rake food on to their fork with their knife. That is simply too crude for words. I also learned this table-manners rhyme at a young age: "Like ships that sail away to sea, dip your spoon away from thee".
Does this make me a British changeling, or just very, very Southern?

Hmm....maybe you should leave America and come live here. But I can assure you, you will "tolerate" football a lot less if you were forced to see it on TV every given bloody moment and becomes more important than anything else in the world. I bloody hate football me. And am riled even more by the ridiculous salaries they are paid!!! People that save lives should be paid higher salaries, not pricks running around a pitch kicking a ball around

Besides, most footballers are thick as two short planks; Beckham and Rooney to name a couple, so IMO just do not deserve that big salary.

And look at the hooliganism it causes? Now don't get me started on that subject.....

[Sage]

I have considered moving to the UK from time to time.
My saying "I can tolerate British football much better than American football" is a fine distinction indeed, as American college football is a 24/7 religion where I live, and if you don't partake, you're considered a heretic. I just ignore it for the most part, but sometimes that's not so easy.
I agree with you 100% about football players being "as thick as two short planks" (LOL). Why in the world these people are interviewed on television is beyond me. In the movie "Bedazzled", Brendan Fraser's character does a wonderful send-up of every single jock interview I've ever been unfortunate enough to watch. In high (secondary?) school, I dated the one of the "defensive tackles" (the biggest and dumbest players on an American football team) for a while and he told me how most of the other football players had their elective classes, such as art, drama, choir, etc., selected for them as they were too thick to pick classes themselves.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by Thrift Store Scott

In high (secondary?) school, I dated the one of the "defensive tackles" (the biggest and dumbest players on an American football team) for a while and he told me how most of the other football players had their elective classes, such as art, drama, choir, etc., selected for them as they were too thick to pick classes themselves.

They're cute, aren't they? Those big brawny types who can kick your ass all the way to next week but are so sweet like little puppies.

[Sage]

Yeah Trep, it's exactly the same as when straight guys date well-endowed but intellectually-challenged women: You know it's wrong and there's no future in it, but it sure is fun while it lasts...as long as you don't try to talk to them too much! ;-)

[Intrepid Homoludens]

You can TALK to them?!!

[Sage]

(LOL) Yes, for a little while, but that's only because I'm somewhat conversant in "dumb jock".
Besides, it's best if you exchange names because it's a little uncomfortable to get to the point where it's (smack!) "Who's your Daddy?" (smack!) "Say my name!" and they reply "I don't know!". ;-)