HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: sp@osf.org (Simon Patience)
Subject: Re: Back from the UK
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 09:04:05 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.233015.28726@csi.uottawa.ca>, misrael@csi.uottawa.ca (Mark Israel) writes:
> In article <1993Jan11.020701.9391@news.columbia.edu>, gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) writes:
> > c) "Store" vs "Shop"
> >
> > In America, the standard terminology for a place of retail sales is a 
> > "store" whereas in the UK it's a "shop."
> 
>    Collins gives this as the first meaning of "store" (n.) *and* of
> "shop" (n.), without labels.  Britons say "department store", not 
> "department shop".  But they do say "chemist's shop" (which 
> traditionally sells a smaller range of goods than the American 
> "drugstore", but then there's Boots...).

Actually I would say that Britons normally just use "chemist's" rather than
"chemist's shop", as in "I'm just going to the chemist's to get some
disprin".

> > d) The word "quite"
> >
> > I acquired a catalog of musical instrument kits (lutes, harpsichords,
> > etc) and it had a legend to show the level of difficulty of the kits.
> > The list read:
> >
> > 	 * = Easy
> >       ** = Quite easy
> >      *** = Average
> >     **** = Quite Challenging
> >    ***** = Challenging
> >
> > To my eyes this looked strange, as I would say that something "quite
> > challenging" is more challenging than something "challenging," 
> 
>    It's ambiguous.  "This cup is quite full" means "This cup is 
> completely full" on both sides of the Atlantic.  And on both sides of
> the Atlantic, "This book is quite good" means "This book is fairly 
> good."

Indeed it is ambiguous. I would say that both sentences can be used in
both ways, it depends on how you say it. In both cases I would read the
meaning as being "fairly" but if you emphasise the "quite" in either case
then I would turn that into "very" or "completely". The use of "quite"
with "good" to mean "very" is somewhat old fashioned though.

Simon.

-- 
  Simon Patience
  Open Software Foundation			Phone: +33-76-63-48-72
  Research Institute				FAX:   +33-76-51-05-32
  2 Avenue De Vignate				Email: sp@gr.osf.org
  38610 Gieres, France				       uunet!gr.osf.org!sp
From: Alan.Holmes@brunel.ac.uk (Alan J Holmes)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: British Imperial Weights and Measures
Date: 4 Jan 93 16:35:36 GMT
Organization: Brunel University, West London, UK

In article <Dec28.193108.50491@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> hugh@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Hugh Graham) writes:

>"A Pint's A Pound the Whole World Round"

I was under the impression that:-

A pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter.

Regards

Alan Holmes
From: ag129@cus.cam.ac.uk (Alasdair Grant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: degrees-grades
Date: 11 Jan 93 11:48:00 GMT
Organization: U of Cambridge, England

In article <C0oo4p.3o3@newcastle.ac.uk> Trevor.Kirby@newcastle.ac.uk (Trevor Kirby) writes:
>In article <A.Grant.33.726616422@ucs.cam.ac.uk>, A.Grant@ucs.cam.ac.uk (Alasdair Grant) writes:
>>But it's common knowledge that external examiners at ex-polys admit to
>>giving firsts for work that would only get an upper second at their own
>>universities.
>
>apparently it's only common knowledge at Cambridge.

Oh, come on.  I only work here.  As it happens I got my info from a 2-page
investigation of this whole question in (I think) the Independent about
a month aog, where they talked to an external examiner (whose own university
was Warwick).

Anyway, I never mentioned Cambridge.  If you want snobbery, try St. Andrews.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: jackson@soldev.tti.com (Dick Jackson)
Subject: Re: American humo(u)r (was Re: Studying Meteorology in the UK)
Organization: Transaction Technology Inc.
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 21:04:10 GMT

Sue Miller writes:
>as a thing of wonder and delight.  I just don't like badly-crafted
>slurs.  :-)
	 ^^^  Is this some kind of joke?

>P.S. I have something of a suspicion that Dick Jackson has been in the
>US longer than I've been alive.  I wonder if this is true?  

I have lived here a long time, when I arrived Lyndon Johnson bombed
Hanoi. Frankly, I like it here. The living is easy, and apart from the
nearby quasi-random machine gun bursts it is very pleasant in So. Cal.
And I love Americans, you all have such cute accents.

Dick
From: proberts@informix.com (Paul Roberts)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Attn: Viewers of "Jeeves and Wooster"
Date: 12 Jan 93 20:18:30 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <1iuu63INNpmp@bigboote.WPI.EDU> mfriley@pacman.WPI.EDU (Margaret F Riley) writes:
>In article <1993Jan11.204251.1062@osf.org> dbrooks@osf.org (David Brooks) writes:
>>ewadams@netcom.com (Ernest Adams) writes:
>>| ...Steven Fry explaining what a "gentleman's
>>| personal gentleman" was. During his explanation, the sound dropped out
>>| for a moment on the line "...packing his <silence>," while describing
>>| Jeeves' duties.
>>| 
>>| Was this accident or censorship? What could Fry have possibly said in
>>| that line which required censorship? Does anyone else know what the line
>>| was?
>>
>>Making sure that the young master had a reasonable supply of cigarettes
>>in his pocket, or "packing his fags".
>>-- 
>
>Oh, no wonder!   Obviously Rebecca Eaton at WGBH thought this was
>a politically incorrect word, not realizing that the majority of the
>US viewing public of this series does have an education that would permit
>them to understand that "fags" are cigarettes.    More PC bullcrap
>from the world of W. God Bless Harvard.
>
>Margaret

I venture to suggest that David Brooks was being humourous in the
above. Whatever was faded-out, it can't have been this.
From: wilcox@vax.oxford.ac.uk
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Happy Christmas!
Date: 7 Jan 93 16:29:06 GMT
Organization: Oxford University VAX 6620

In article <C0F5An.BHC@athena.cs.uga.edu>, mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington) writes:
> In article <1992Dec24.053538.2897@netcom.com> sue@netcom.com (Sue Miller) writes:
>>In article <1992Dec23.155048.10981@vax.oxford.ac.uk> wilcox@vax.oxford.ac.uk writes:
>>>In article <1992Dec23.091338.1014@sei.cmu.edu>, firth@sei.cmu.edu (Robert Firth) writes:
>>>> 	Gloria in excelsis deo,
>>>> 	et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis
>>>Which is in turn a mistranslation of something in Greek which was once upon a
>>>time a quotation in Hebrew.
>>
>>Raised eyebrows...Hebrew?  Thought the NT was originally written in Greek.
> 
> By "Hebrew" I think they mean "Aramaic" (a closely related language used as
> the vernacular in Palestine in the time of Jesus).

No, by Hebrew I meant Hebrew. I was taking it for granted that the angels were
announcing the birth of Christ by proclaiming something scriptural, which would
be in Hebrew, and that the shepherds would be good jews so would recognise the
quotation, even in a foreign language. Of course anyone with a bible handy will
be able to tell me that this sentence has no connection with anything in the OT
and I will have egg on my face.
-- 

Stephen Wilcox             |   For Sale: Posts in British Government. Suit
wilcox@vax.oxford.ac.uk    |   outgoing American. Highest bids accepted.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: ahall@library1.library.carleton.ca (Alison Hall)
Subject: Re: Martini
Organization: Carleton University
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 19:00:35 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.144641.1476@infodev.cam.ac.uk> gdb15@cl.cam.ac.uk writes:
>In article <1993Jan10.223047.1@acfcluster.nyu.edu> marcusc@acfcluster.nyu.edu writes:
>
>>Martinis are "mixed" in
>>the US but not in Britain (in fact an american martini is what we would call a
>>gin and it in UK). 
>
>As far as I know "Martini" is a proprietary name for a brand of vermouth
>in Britain. not a generic, but then I don't drink the stuff so I'm
>hardly an expert.  The American usage has always baffled me: is it
>a proprietary name over there as well?
>

Yes, you can get sweet and dry Martini in the States. If you ask for a 
dry martini in a bar, you will get a gin and it.

Alison_Hall@carleton.ca
From: martin.baines@uk.sun.com (Martin Baines - Sun UK - SE Manager Cambridge)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: British Imperial Weights and Measures
Date: 7 Jan 93 11:31:46 GMT
Reply-To: martin.baines@uk.sun.com
Organization: Sun Microsystems Ltd
NNTP-Posting-Host: bottomdog.uk.sun.com

In article 13546@informix.com, proberts@informix.com (Paul Roberts) writes:
[deleted earlier thread]
>>Oh, oh! Five and ten and twenty-one: winter, spring and summer sun.  Ahhhh.    g
>
>OK, who can remember where the above "Five and ten and twenty-one: winter, 
>spring and summer sun" originated? Just to make it a bit easier, it was the
>winning entry in a competition to "find a mneumonic to help people remember
>centigrade temperatures" as help on which Britsh TV programme?

Tomorrows World.

Nice to see that their intention seems to have worked.

Bring Back James Burke!

Martin

---
"You might say that, but I couldn't possibly comment"

Martin Baines, Sales Support Manager,
Sun Microsystems Ltd, 306 Science Park, Cambridge, CB4 4WG, UK
Phone: +44 223 420421                 Fax: +44 223 420257
JANET:     Martin.Baines@uk.co.sun    Other UK:  Martin.Baines@sun.co.uk
Internet:  Martin.Baines@UK.sun.com
X.400:     g=martin s=baines prmd=sunir admd=mci c=us
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: sue@netcom.com (Sue Miller)
Subject: Re: Silly Bible semi-pedantry [was: Re: Happy Christmas!]
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 18:11:17 GMT

In article <1993Jan5.092106.12107@dcs.qmw.ac.uk> mmh@dcs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach) writes:
>In article <1992Dec30.052511.17710@digi.lonestar.org> gpalo@digi.lonestar.org (Gerry Palo) writes:
>>In article <1992Dec28.234520.13834@netcom.com> sue@netcom.com (Sue Miller) writes:
>>>OBsoc.culture.brit:
>>>Must all be bogus anyway, since the gospels seem to completely drop
>>>out the bit where Jesus visits the UK.  Would have been the highlight
>>>of his travels, so the chronicles must therefore be entirely bogus.
>>>
>>The Bible never claims to be a complete biography of Christ or a history
>>of the events surrounding his life in the conventional sense.  Your
>>conlusion that their failure to mention this implies that they are therefore
>>entirely bogus is about as logical as the claim that they can only be
>>inspired if they are totally inerrant.
>>
>>The legendary appearance of Christ in England implies that he appeared
>>there after the Resurrection, i.e. at a time when the possibility for
>>him to appear in the body of resurrection would have made such appearances
>>no longer constrained by physical time and space.
>
>Looks like you have forgotten the famous soc.culture.british
>non-printing smiley rule.


He can't help it.  You have witnessed possibly your first lecture
from an American Bible Belt Christian.  


>
>There is a legend that Jesus was brought to Britain as a child
>by Joseph of Arimethea (not the same person as Joseph, Mary's
>spouse, though I have seen him wrongly referred to as such in
>several places this Christmas, most unfortunately in the
>Guardian). They stayed at Glastonbury, and there is still a
>thorn tree there which grew when Joseph planted his staff in
>the ground.
>


And remember the writing on the wall of the cave guarded by
the Vorpal Rabbit.  It was written in Aramaic by Joseph of A.

Aaaaagh.

Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: dj@ekcolor.ssd.kodak.com (Dave Jones)
Subject: Re: British Imperial Weights and Measures
Organization: Vonnegut Tent Rentals, Inc.
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 93 14:54:21 GMT

jac54@cas.org wrote:
> In article <1993Jan6.071306.203@osf.org> sp@osf.org (Simon Patience) writes:
> >In article <Dec28.193108.50491@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> hugh@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Hugh Graham) writes:
> >>"A Pint's A Pound the Whole World Round"
> >
> >I thought it was
> >
> >       A Pint's a Pound, the Earth is flat.
> 
> 	Yes, but what happens if your pint is flat?
> 
It means you're in England.....

--
||------------------------------------------------------------------------
||Dave Jones (dj@ekcolor.ssd.kodak.com)|Eastman Kodak Co. Rochester, NY  |
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: sp@osf.org (Simon Patience)
Subject: Re: British Imperial Weights and Measures
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 07:13:06 GMT

In article <Dec28.193108.50491@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> hugh@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Hugh Graham) writes:
>"A Pint's A Pound the Whole World Round"

I thought it was

	A Pint's a Pound, the Earth is flat.

Simon.

-- 
  Simon Patience
  Open Software Foundation			Phone: +33-76-63-48-72
  Research Institute				FAX:   +33-76-51-05-32
  2 Avenue De Vignate				Email: sp@gr.osf.org
  38610 Gieres, France				       uunet!gr.osf.org!sp
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: pd@x.co.uk (Paul Davey)
Subject: Re: Archers update, please
X-Disclaimer: This is not the view of IXI Ltd unless explicitly stated.
Organization: Not a lot
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 00:03:23 GMT
X-Copyright: The author asserts the right of paternity in this message.

>>>>> On Fri, 8 Jan 1993 17:13:15 GMT, jrichmn@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Joy Richman) said:

Joy> Can anyone tell me whether Ruth's baby has been born yet, 

No, I'm not sure when it's due (another month?), but we can expect
plenty of story line leading up to it.

Joy> whether the vicar/vet has proposed to Carolyn, 

Robin proposed last week, but Caroline couldn't decide. Part of the
problem is that she doesn't know what he's like in bed.  After some
time away to think, she still can't decide but they have been thrown
back together even more firmly after Patch (Robin's dog) died after
apparent poisoning...

Joy> whether Nigel has re-proposed to Lizzie? 

No. But he's jealous of the new Doctor, Richard, who's been seeing an
awful lot of Lizzie. Meantimes Nigel is taking Debbie Aldridge to a
`do' to promote the Lower Loxley conference centre tonight as Lizzie
couldn't come.

Oh, and Nelson has been giving Julia Pargiter the chilly shoulder and
has been playing golf with Marjorie Antrobus.

And that's all you get for now I'm afraid as those who know when the
Archer's is on will deduce from the posting time...

--
    Regards,			IXI            Internet: pd@x.co.uk
	Paul Davey		Vision Park    UUCP:     pd@ixi.uucp
				Cambridge      Bang:     ...!uunet!ixi!pd
 "These are interesting times"	CB4 4ZR, UK    Tel:      +44 223 236 555
From: evansg@uproar.enet.dec.com (Gwyn Evans)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: VNS: Wed  6-Jan-1993
Date: 6 Jan 93 12:04:29 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation



<><><><><><><><>  T h e   V O G O N   N e w s   S e r v i c e  <><><><><><><><>

 Edition : 2740            Wednesday  6-Jan-1993            Circulation :  7329

        VNS MAIN NEWS .....................................   47 Lines

VNS MAIN NEWS:                                    [Tom Povey, VNS UK News Desk]
==============                                    [Reading, England           ]

    Here is the News at 07:00 GMT on Wednesday 6-January-1993
    ---------------------------------------------------------

    UK News
    -------
    FT-SE = 2833.6
    Exchange Rate for UK pound = $ 1.5430  = Dm 2.5080

    An oil tanker has run aground at the southern tip of the Shetland
    Islands after its engines failed during huricane force winds and heavy
    seas. The latest reports are that is has probably broken up overnight,
    releasing its cargo of oil. It was carrying twice the amount of the
    Exon Valdiz which ran aground in Alaska. Currently the winds are
    containing the oil in a bay but there are fears that if the winds change
    then the oil could move up the coast damaging fishing grounds and
    wildlife areas.

    There have been fires overnight at a number of stores in central London.
    Incendiary devices are the suspected cause.

    The Foreign Secretary is on a 4 day visit to Argentina, the first such
    visit since the end of the Falklands War in 1982.

    Princess Margaret is in hospital with pneumonia.


    European News
    -------------

    The new Russian government is to re-introduce price controls on food to
    control inflation. 

    World News
    ----------

    President Bush, in his last major speech on foreign policy, has said
    that the USA is not going to be "the policeman of the world".


    {News courtesy of the BBC}


    Local Weather
    -------------

    A damp start. Staying cloudy today with rain at times. Drier later.
    Generally unsettled for the next few days. Staying warmer.


<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
<><><><><><><>   VNS Edition : 2740   Wednesday  6-Jan-1993   <><><><><><><><>
+======================================================================+
| Gwyn Evans  | evansg@uproar.enet.dec.com |  Uxbridge, Middlesex, UK  |
| DESISCo - Digital Equipment Service Industries Solutions Company Ltd |
|  Views expressed and statements made are mine and not those of DEC   |
+======================================================================+
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: pjs@euclid.JPL.NASA.GOV (Peter J. Scott)
Subject: Re: UK CD price fixing
Reply-To: pjs@euclid.jpl.nasa.gov
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA/Caltech
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 16:20:28 GMT

In article <C0AwJG.G1H@world.std.com>, eac@world.std.com (Eric A Cottrell) writes...
 
>I noticed prices of amatuer radio equipment are higher in the UK than the
>U.S. It almost like they rub off the dollar sign and put the pound sign in
>place of it.

Or worse; I bought a Yamaha PSR-500 electronic keyboard here six months
ago for $397; it was offered at that price in two discount chains.  In
the UK I saw it in a "discount" store (Argos, I think) for 489!  When I
was shopping for Xmas gifts things seemed on average about 25% more
expensive.  I had been expecting them to be cheaper because of the
slightly lower exchange rate :-(  Only thing that was cheaper was
Branston Pickle (but then it has to be imported here...), so I brought 
back two 2.75kg jars, should last a while...

-- 
This is news.  This is your       |    Peter Scott, NASA/JPL/Caltech
brain on news.  Any questions?    |    (pjs@euclid.jpl.nasa.gov)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: noel@lonemb.demon.co.uk (Noel Bradford)
Subject: "Market Pricing"
Organization: The Embassy BBS +44-(0)992-448903
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 12:40:50 +0000

07 Jan 93, godfrey@vxdesy.desy.de writes:

> I don't understand what there is to complain about - a sensible person
> just exploits the system and orders everything from the US and Far East
> (by phone and credit card) and continues to do so until the prices in the
> UK become more reasonable.  Sometimes customs charge VAT and duty - it's
> not much anyway - sometimes they don't.  Some US companies won't send to
> addresses outside the US, so you just give them a friend's address and
> s/he sends the stuff on.

And if it wraped as a gift 99% of the time there will be NO duty to pay! (just get the invoice posted later!

Cheers

Noel

Noel@lonemb.demon.co.uk

--  
The Embassy BBS          Internet: lonemb.demon.co.uk
Broxbourne Herts         Fidonet:  2:257/102.0
United Kingdom           Dialup:   +44-992-448903(Int) 0992-448903 (UK)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: tfragala@cs.ulowell.edu (Tom Fragala)
Subject: London: Access to PC/Mac for newcomer
Organization: University of Massachusetts at Lowell Computer Science
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 08:10:05 GMT

  Hi. My sister has recently moved to London after living in Tokyo for several
years to receive her Master's degree. She is currently searching for a job,
and wishes to continue working on her resume. She has it in a WinWord file
on a DOS disk and also on a Mac (MacWrite) disk, I believe. My question is
where can she get access to a PC or Mac at low cost. My ideas are to try a 
local computer club. Here in Boston the Boston Comp. Society lets member use 
their many PC and Macs. I also thought that a library in London might have some
computers for general use. Any other suggestion or advice? Thanks.
  By the way, she is an expert on the Japanese language and culture and has
much experience in translation, teaching and cultural arts for anyone who
needs a person with those qualifications. She has moved to London because
she visited this summer on way back to US and fell in love with the city and
British Isles.
-- 

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Tom Fragala  +  Univ of Massachusetts-Lowell  +  tfragala@cs.ulowell.edu |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: jeremy@castle.ed.ac.uk (Jeremy Henderson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: U.K. --> N. American voltage transformers and plugs
Date: 8 Jan 93 10:16:23 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University

~In article <20240.2b4b4a15@ul.ie> mckeonj@ul.ie writes:
~
~>When bringing electrical apparatus from USA to Britain & Ireland,
~>the best thing is .... DON'T!
~>Too many problems: for a start, the necessary voltage converter
~>/transformer needs to be twice as big as you thought, and will
~>cost four times as much. Next the frequency is "wrong", 50 cycles
~>instead of 60. Next, and most serious, apart from the plugs being
~>wrong, you really must not attach USA wired equipment to "British"
~>supply, because the live and neutral lines are reversed, and you
~>may well finish with a live chassis at 220/240 volts AC - you may
~>survive a 110 volt shock, but you may not survive a 220 volt one.

Most American appliances that I have owned have had a reversible two-pin
plug, so I don't see how the last point could be universally valid. I bought
a mega-size transformer to run my slide projector and it cost about 50 quid
from RS.




-- 
===Jeremy Henderson===jeremy@castle.ed.ac.uk=          

This message cost the net hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
Bloody good value if you ask me.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,alt.usage.english
From: sp@osf.org (Simon Patience)
Subject: Re: Back from the UK
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 09:09:25 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.020701.9391@news.columbia.edu>, gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener) writes:
> d) The word "quite"
>
> I acquired a catalog of musical instrument kits (lutes, harpsichords,
> etc) and it had a legend to show the level of difficulty of the kits.
> The list read:
>
> 	 * = Easy
>       ** = Quite easy
>      *** = Average
>     **** = Quite Challenging
>    ***** = Challenging
>
> To my eyes this looked strange, as I would say that something "quite
> challenging" is more challenging than something "challenging," 

My favourite use of "quite" is the one word answer which is totally
ambiguous.

A: Budwieser is the best beer on the planet, don't you think?
B: Quite.

It is also a great response implying that everything the other person has
said may or may not be true but it is totally irrelevant. "Indeed" can be 
similarly used.

Simon.

-- 
  Simon Patience
  Open Software Foundation			Phone: +33-76-63-48-72
  Research Institute				FAX:   +33-76-51-05-32
  2 Avenue De Vignate				Email: sp@gr.osf.org
  38610 Gieres, France				       uunet!gr.osf.org!sp
Xref: sparky soc.culture.british:18417 soc.culture.french:9504