HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: godfrey@vxdesy.desy.de
Subject: Re: Back from the UK
Organization: (DESY, Hamburg, Germany)
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 06:12:18 GMT

In article <1jmc58INN22d@bnsgd245.bnr.co.uk>, bocmunro@bnr.co.uk (Bruce Munro) writes:
> You soon learn the benefits of multiple toilets or having separate
> bathroom/toilet when living in a shared house with four or five others.
> Especially when you return after a couple of swift halves [sic.] down
> the boozer, bursting for a pee, only to find some inconsiderate sod
> happily ensconced in a warm tub for the duration!
> 

I translate the last sentence for English-impaired Americans:

Especially when you return after having rapidly enjoyed an English football
game and, having found yourself to be rather unwell as a result of a crash
on the money market which has left you dispossessed of even the smallest
coin of the realm, you are glad to discover that a rather small piece of turf 
has been placed in a heated plant-pot for a very long time.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: godfrey@vxdesy.desy.de
Subject: Re: Back from the UK 
Organization: (DESY, Hamburg, Germany)
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 13:10:14 GMT

In article <727758965snz@rundart.demon.co.uk>, gt@rundart.demon.co.uk (Giles Todd) writes:
> In article <1993Jan22.030456.31470@watson.ibm.com> yozzo@watson.ibm.com writes:
> 
>>If, indeed, it is not a question, then would it not be simpler to merely
>>say "hello"?
>>(Forgive me, if "hello" and "hi" are uniquely American idiosyncrasies. :-))
> 
> No.  "How do you do?", "How do you do?" is an introduction protocol
> understood by nearly everyone in the UK.  It is otherwise devoid of
> meaning.
> 
> The problem is that "Have a nice day" rose apparently from nowhere some
> years ago.  Its very unfamiliarity caused the recipients to assign some
> significance to it.  Unfortunately, any such significance was
> contradicted by the manifest insincerity of those uttering the phrase. 
> The customer relations consultants who coined it appear to have missed
> this point.
> 
> Giles.

My personal favourite is another insincere phrase, used by the waitress
when you leave certain restaurants in California, "Bye, missing you already!"

Lauremnce

Xref: sparky soc.culture.british:19263 alt.usage.english:10954
From: jmunro@wyse.wyse.com (Jim Munro x2497)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: Back from the UK
Date: 22 Jan 93 21:43:46 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.british
Organization: Wyse Technologies San Jose, Ca

In article <1993Jan20.152548.2516@bnrmtl.bnr.ca> sewell@tsingtao.bnr.ca (Henry Sewell) writes:
>
>Remember the Jeyes stuff? Not in a roll, but folded
>and interleaved. It was as tough as leather, but
>smooth as teflon. Them were the days ..........

On my last visit, it was a live and well, at least in 'public'
'conveniances'. It's also so shiny, that it is almost inneffective!

Jim Munro
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: sue@netcom.com (Sue Miller)
Subject: Re: Britain should be a federatin
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 00:40:25 GMT

In article <128030012@otter.hpl.hp.com> arf@otter.hpl.hp.com (Andrew Farmer) writes:
>
>In soc.culture.british, tgg@otter.hpl.hp.com (Tom Gardner) writes:
>
>> arf: PLEASE don't respond to Yadalulu: I quite enjoy his brand of nonsense in 
>> the same way that I enjoy the goons, and I wouldn't want to see him
>> disappear. 
>
>	But Tom.....the Goons weren't funny. "Look at the king!
> Look at the king!"


But arf, Dave *IS.



Xref: sparky soc.culture.british:19107 alt.usage.english:10875
From: pdc@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Paul Crowley)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: Back from the UK
Date: 21 Jan 93 13:56:28 GMT
Reply-To: pdc@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Paul Crowley)
Followup-To: soc.culture.british
Organization: Edinburgh University

Followups set to soc.culture.british.

Quoting yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo) in article <1993Jan20.030157.15946@watson.ibm.com>:
>To satisfy my curiosity, what are other stereotypical American
>characteristics?

(presumably you mean the most negative ones, though national stereotypes
tend to be fairly negative as well).

>I remember seeing a Monty Python skit where an American couple
>was dining with a British couple and the Grim Reaper dropped in.
>In the skit, the American was stereotyped as a pushy, overbearing
>know-it-all.  

This (from "The Meaning of Life") is a very good part of a summary.

>So, here's your chance, Brits.  Let us Americans have it.

Fantastically gullible; Americans will fall for fundamentalist
preachers, Uri Gellar, Ronald Reagan.  Very dim indeed (see the skit on
philosophy in the same movie: "Shopenhauer, his name begins with an S
as well.")  Fat.  Almost as given to photography on tourism as the
Japanese.  Shallow beyond imagining.

Of course, none of this is true of our cousins from the Net...
  __                                  _____
\/ o\ Paul Crowley   pdc@dcs.ed.ac.uk \\ //
/\__/ Trust me. I know what I'm doing. \X/
From: Geraint.Jones@comlab.oxford.ac.uk (Geraint Jones)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: london, england
Date: 24 Jan 93 16:04:01 GMT
Organization: The Mystic Lipstick and Etherial Cold Compress Company, Donnegal
Originator: geraint@clts1.comlab

Of the Londoning of London papers, jmunro@wyse.wyse.com (Jim Munro x2497) wrote:
(  Its obviously intended to allow the discerning American readership
 ) to differentiate between London rags, and superior products from
(  up North such as the Manchester Guardian!

There are, regrettably, no superior products from further North, except perhaps 
the Yorkshire Post and the Irish Times, until you get to Glasgow.  There has
not been a Manchester Guardian since Adam was a lad.  The Guardian, beg your 
pardon /The/ Guardian, is a London paper, both in origin and spirit; at least
I suppose it has to be admitted to be a London and ever-so-slightly Frankfurt
paper.  Compared to the other London papers it does still demonstrate a bit 
of a guilty conscience about the existence of a readership outside the Home 
Counties, but only in the same way as it admits to the existence of the 
Continent.  

It might all have something to do with the concentration of broadsheet sales
in the Home Counties, of course.  The countries of Britain are all obsessed
with the doings of London in a way which would look really silly if it were
not that the neighbours, France and Ireland, are even more `centralized'.

Next he'll be getting all nostalgic about how Granadaland is non-Metropolitan.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: tjo@its.bt.co.uk (Tim Oldham)
Subject: UK Taps and Plumbing: The Truth (Was: taps etc)
Organization: BT Group Computing Services, Birmingham, UK
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 93 14:05:04 GMT

All this glorious sillines, which is absolutely right for s.c.b., hides the
real state of affairs in the UK: you can have what you want. Personally we
have a combined hot-water and central heating boiler; no cold water tank;
no hot watrr tank; a shower that's fed from the mains (although at 7 KW not
as highly rated as I'd like; 9 KW are easily available but the wiring is
a bit wicked); hot water on demand; and mixer taps in some places and not in
others.

This contrasts with my parents who have a hot water system that's heated
by their boiler, their Aga *and* their open fire via a back boiler, a hot water
tank in a bedroom complete with airing cupboard, and a cold water tank in the
loft.

You pays your money and you takes your choice. 

	Tim.
-- 
Tim Oldham, BT Group Computing Services.       tjo@its.bt.co.uk
``Sounds good to me'' 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,soc.culture.europe
From: kevin@clsi.COM (Kevin Cameron)
Subject: Re: NO EuroState!!
Originator: kevin@dubhe
Reply-To: kevin@clsi.com
Organization: CAD Language Systems Inc.
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 93 00:06:44 GMT


In article <75yTXB5w165w@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca>, yadallee@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Dave Shariff Yadallee) writes:
> I will say again, any good Eurocrat is a dead one!!
> 
> I for one believe that Sovereign states in the EC should first and foremost
> dictate there own destiny WITHOUT being bully by big Brother EuroParliament.
> 
> IMHO, let the EuroParliament have powers like the UN.  European nations are
> distinct from each other, and should exercise veto power aganst ANY
> EuroParliament legislation.
> 
> The fact that common Defence is part of Euro-identity disgusts me!! Does that
> mean that soldiers from a number of country have to get involved in a war
> which, in the historic sense, is NOT one for there concern?
> 
> Imagine the UK in Chad, or ITaly in Israel.  Revolting!!
> 
> Common currency - an infringment over nation-state sovereignty.
> 
> Now don't me wrong, I am a free-and-fair trader, but NEVER in favour of
> political infringment.
> 
> Dave Shariff Yadallee (B. Sc. (Econ/Math) (U of Alberta 1990) )
>  (yadallee@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca, userLIBE@mts.ucs.ualberta.ca)
> God Save the Queen, God Bless us All! Remember! Jesus Saves!!
> Birthdate: 29 Jan 1969, Redhill, Surrey, England, UK

Ah, that blue English blood still beating through the viens.

1. The Monarchy is an anachronysm.

2. God doesn't care for "nation-state sovereignty".

3. People have moved about Europe for hundreds of years now - are your ancestors
   all "English" ?, they were probably French or Dutch a couple of hundred years
   ago [ the royal family are Hanoverians ].

4. If England votes to be an island unto itself - fine! But don't include
   Scotland, N. Ireland and Wales.

5. I would rather have the European Parliament in charge than the brainless
   English Conservatives that have been in charge for the last 14 years.

6. A common currency makes lots of sense in a free trade zone (the notes don't
   have to have the same things on them everywhere).

7. You are not living there, so why are you so upset ?

Kev.
-- 
From: tgg@otter.hpl.hp.com (Tom Gardner)
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 18:08:20 GMT
Subject: Re: Britain should be a federatin
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british

In soc.culture.british, arf@otter.hpl.hp.com (Andrew Farmer) writes:
> In soc.culture.british, yadallee@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Dave Shariff Yadallee) writes:
> > Britain should be a Confederation made up of England, Scotland, Northern
> > ireland and Wales with each region having there own Premier.  It might help
> > to solve some of the alienation problem.
> 	Please stop telling to us what with we should be DOING!!! with our
>  blessed SOVEREIGN!!! (dr. who) Nation. It has nothing to do with you
>  furriners.
> 	arf

arf: PLEASE don't respond to Yadalulu: I quite enjoy his brand of nonsense in 
the same way that I enjoy the goons, and I wouldn't want to see him
disappear. 

It's not for nothing that several
people have (a) used his name as a verb, as in "he yadalleed that argument",
and (b) tried to use rot13 to see if it made more sense.
From: wilcox@vax.oxford.ac.uk
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: I answer the challenge of Simon Patience
Date: 26 Jan 93 12:41:01 GMT
Organization: Oxford University VAX 6620

In article <oDyTXB3w165w@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca>, yadallee@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Dave Shariff Yadallee) writes:
> 
> Right you are then.  You may not believe this one, but we are as accurate to 2
> years here.  Top that mate.
> 
But if wee are as accurate to 2 years in this circle, why are you complaining
and inundating us with complaints? Top *yourself*, mate!

-- 

Stephen Wilcox             |   For Sale: Posts in British Government. Suit
wilcox@vax.oxford.ac.uk    |   outgoing American. Highest bids accepted.
From: mmh@dcs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: The Poll Tax
Date: 22 Jan 93 14:53:22 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept, QMW, University of London, UK.

In article <JIM.93Jan22135232@hunter.cs.strath.ac.uk> jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid) writes:
>In article <1jjqdfINNgu3@grapevine.EBay.Sun.COM> martinb@uk.sun.com (Martin Baines - Sun UK - SE Manager Cambridge) writes:
>                                                                Like
>   most taxes, those who paid them hated them. The particularly nasty
>   thing about rates, was the way they made you pay money out of income
>   based on the value of a nonliquid asset. They worked particularly
>   against the widowed and retired.
>
>Oh, not that chestnut again! Broadly speaking, the more expensive your
>home was (and therefore your likely income), the more you paid in
>rates. Granted there were some anomalies - elderly widows living in
>mansions in Morningside - but they could have been dealt with by a
>careful programme of reform.

Such as a state remortgage scheme. All these poor elderly
widows with their huge houses, presuming they didn't want to
rent them out, could have remortgaged to pay the rates. On
their death, the mortgage is paid off from the inheritance. If
there are people who stand to gain from their inheritance and
thus lose out, well it's their fault for not helping pay
granny's rates when they clearly have a beneficial interest in
the property.

The important thing about rates or land tax (which I would
prefer) is that they act as a disincentive against underuse of
land, which is pretty vital in a crowded place like the UK, and
prevent the serious economic problems (see UK circa 1993), not
to mention serious social problems (see UK circa 1993) of
boom and bust when land becomes an object of speculation.

Matthew Huntbach
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: ewadams@netcom.com (Ernest Adams)
Subject: Re: seperate hot and cold water taps in the UK
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 09:18:33 GMT

>>"Nadine Smith" (nmsmith@sunflower.bio.indiana.edu) wrote:
>>: 
>>: 	Could someone please tell a confused American (no jokes, please!)
>>: 	why the hot and cold water taps are seperate in the UK?
>>: 	And why if there is only one faucet is the hot and cold
>>: 	water kept seperate until it comes out of the tap? 

The British frequently do not have central heating and do not bother
to heat their bathrooms. Likewise, they do not often have good
American energy-wasting 40-gallon hot water heaters, but pathetic
little demand heaters capable of up to six teaspoonfuls a minute.
Consequently, there is no point in having cold water in the bathroom
at all. The only functioning tap needed is the hot water tap. The cold
water tap is just for show and provides visual symmetry.

Joking aside, I never did understand why you have a water tank in the
attic. Is this because supplies are interrupted frequently and you
need to have a reservoir? Or some bizarre Civil Defense thing ("Europe
may have been destroyed by atom bombs, but by god, we've got our water!")?
From: geoff@tyger.East.Sun.COM (Geoff Arnold @ Sun BOS - R.H. coast near the top)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: seperate hot and cold water taps in th
Date: 25 Jan 1993 14:20:39 GMT
Organization: SunSelect
Distribution: world
Reply-To: geoff@tyger.East.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: tyger.east.sun.com

Don't be surprised if you see a move to separate taps here in the US.
A report issued a couple of weeks ago points out that the alloys used
to fabricate taps contain a fairly high proportion of lead, and this
contaminates any water standing in the tap. Hot water makes things much
worse. The upshot is that the first cupful of water drawn after a few
hours may contain lead levels which are way over the recommended
maxima. Recommended solutions are (1) running the water for a few
moments before filling your cup, kettle, etc. (how would that go down
in drought-stricken - er, I mean mud-soaked California, oh, never mind
:-), (2) changing to taps made out of different alloys (but the industry
claims that people will never give up the stunning aesthetics achieved
with the present materials, yawn, cont. p.94), or (3) adopting separate
hold and cold taps and following the British habit of only using cold
water for drinking and cooking.

Geoff
---
Geoff Arnold, PC-NFS architect, Sun Select. (geoff.arnold@East.Sun.COM)
From: smasudmz@simile.engin.umich.edu (Sajjad Masud)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: ATIYA SHAH, King's College, London
Date: 26 Jan 1993 22:36:01 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: simile.engin.umich.edu
Originator: smasudmz@simile.engin.umich.edu


Looking for an old friend.
Anyone know her? 
Send email to : smasudmz@engin.umich.edu
From: jmunro@wyse.wyse.com (Jim Munro x2497)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: london, england
Date: 26 Jan 93 18:10:14 GMT
Organization: Wyse Technologies San Jose, Ca

In article <1993Jan24.160401.15715@clts1.comlab.ox.ac.uk> Geraint.Jones@comlab.oxford.ac.uk (Geraint Jones) writes:
>
>There has
>not been a Manchester Guardian since Adam was a lad. 


It's certainly very possible to buy or subscribe to the weekly airmail
edition of the "Manchester Guardian' almost anywhere outside of the UK.

The daily edition may now be called The Grauniad, and it may also be published
in London. It still retains some connections to Manchester, even if it is only
the 'Property For Sale' ads.

Jim Munro


Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: david@postman.gr.osf.org (David George)
Subject: Re: The Poll Tax
Organization: OSF RI Grenoble
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 09:21:58 GMT

In article <1993Jan20.154915.24919@infodev.cam.ac.uk>, gdb15@grebe.cl.cam.ac.uk (Guy Barry) writes:
|> Someone in a previous posting suggested a local sales tax.  I can't
|> see how this could be made to work in Britain, particularly in urban
|> areas, since people in high-taxed districts would just nip over the
|> local authority boundary to do their shopping in a cheaper district.

|> (You thought the European single market was bad enough!)

Yes it's pretty bad that you can't go to Belgium, order a car, and bring
it straight back to the U.K.  Single market, only in name and not in practice.

|> Also it's unworkable with mail-order goods.

Okay, a flat rate local sales tax, say 17 % (as VAT is a present).  Local
authorities would then have to cut their cloth according to the amount of
money they take in.  I believe the German Laender receive their revenues
from MWSt. (VAT) so why not the U.K. ?  I would abolish VAT and the rate
support grant at the same time.  I also believe the UK should be organised
into regions with much more power over local affairs, like education, the
police etc.  The Govt. should concern itself solely with defence, economic
(hah!) and foreign policy.  With town councils (normally rife with corruption)
restricted to emptying dustbins.  Town councils could receive their revenue
from the region rather then levying a rate directly.


What ?  I hear, but how would local authorities raise more money for crazy
spending ideas ?  Well think of yourself as a local authority, if you want
a new car you can't just go round to your employers safe and take an extra
20% salary, you have to economise elsewhere.   If the idea were not so crazy,
like building a sport centre, they could borrow to finance it rather than
jack up the rates.


I am definitely against local income tax, which I believe will leave a load
of rich tossers living in big houses not paying a bean, or at least their
fair share because their crafty accountants have salted all their cash away
somewhere.


David.
From: fledgist@weber.ucsd.edu (Fragano Ledgister)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Charles's DNA tested to prove not illigitimate
Date: 26 Jan 1993 07:09:43 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego
NNTP-Posting-Host: weber.ucsd.edu

In article <1993Jan25.211333.15955@ttinews.tti.com> jackson@soldev.tti.com (Dick Jackson) writes:
>Mr R J Tinsley writes: The fact remains that
>he (Rich III) was able to usurp the crown because noone was strong enough
>to stand up to him - not because the nobility were convinced by his
>arguments.
>
>I type: My history PhD friend says to interpret politics in the time
>of RIII as being like Chicago gang bosses of the 30's, viz. whoever
>could get the biggest gang became king (and made up reasons purely
>expediently).
>
>Apparently the kings and would-be kings did lead their
>gangs/armies into battle and take the chance of being slit up. Question:
>who was the first English monarch not to lead the English army in person?
>
>Dick

George III
-- 
Dawn over the dark sea brings on the sun;                      
She leans across the hilltop: see, the light!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
fledgist@weber.ucsd.edu  
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,soc.culture.celtic
From: cbas38@vaxa.strath.ac.uk
Subject: Scottish results...anyone interested ?
Organization: Strathclyde University VAX Cluster
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 16:46:07 GMT


	I regularly post Scottish football results to rec.sport.soccer.
Would anyone be interested if I were to post them to soc.culture.british
or soc.culture.celtic as well ? 

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
                                       +
Sandy Mackinnon,                       + 
University of Strathclyde,             +      cbas38@vaxa.strath.ac.uk 
Glasgow,                               + 
Scotland.                              +  
	  	                       +
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
From: peterw@spider.co.uk (Peter Woodhouse)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: M1, M4, M5, M6 & M25 - How long are they?
Date: 27 Jan 93 11:36:14 GMT
Organization: Spider Software, Edinburgh, Scotland

In article <727946840snz@kells.demon.co.uk> geoffl@kells.demon.co.uk writes:
>The M25 is about 134 miles all the way round!
>
>A bit of trivia: The M25 motorway police, as part of their training,
>have to do a speed trial around the entire M25 except for the tunnel
>in a hour or less.

Are you seriously trying to say that they have to average 134 mph on a
crowded motorway as part of their training?  If so, it sounds insane to me.
>
>-- 
>      Geoff Landergan                         geoffl@kells.demon.co.uk
>      Mitcham, Surrey, UK
>      +44 81 646 2605

Peter
-- 
Spider Software                                 E-mail:  peterw@spider.co.uk
Spider Park, Stanwell Street                    Phone :  +44 31 555 5166
Edinburgh, Scotland
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,alt.usage.english
From: yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo)
Subject: Re: Back from the UK
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 17:33:10 GMT
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

In article <C1C17o.29A@ecf.toronto.edu> pelton@ecf.toronto.edu (PELTON MATTHEW ALAN) writes:
>In article <1993Jan22.182449.1280@mala.bc.ca> epp@mala.bc.ca (Lorne Epp) writes:
>>In article <1993Jan22.030456.31470@watson.ibm.com>, yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo) writes:
>>> In article <C184s6.G6J@demon.co.uk> gtoal@pizzabox.demon.co.uk (Graham Toal) writes:
>>>>In article <1993Jan21.170629.31421@watson.ibm.com> yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo) writes:
>>>>:(or the British "How do you do?") 
>>>>
>>>>I trust our American readers are aware that the correct response to 'how do
>>>>you do.' is another 'how do you you do.'  It's not a question, and anyone
>>>>who answers 'very well thank you' is immediately marked as beyond the pale.
>>>>
>>>>G
>>> 
>>> If, indeed, it is not a question, then would it not be simpler to merely
>>> say "hello"?
>>
>>But isn't "hello" just a contraction of "how the hell are ya"?
>>
>>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Lorne Epp                                               epp@mala.bc.ca
>  
>  No.  It's a contraction of "God be with you."
>
>
>

Wait a second, I thought that good-bye is a contraction of, "God be with you."
(or "God be with ye".)

-- 
 Ralph Yozzo (yozzo@watson.ibm.com)  
 From the beautiful and historic New York State Mid-Hudson Valley.