HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: bernard@sirius.gte.com (Bernard Silver)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: O-levels, A-levels etc was Re: THE COMPLETE BRITISH TO AMERICAN DICT.
Date: 9 Sep 92 14:17:50 GMT
	<1992Sep7.220551.10677@news.Hawaii.Edu>
	<1992Sep8.015751.9525@cbnewsm.cb.att.com>
	<1992Sep8.225446.20808@news.Hawaii.Edu>
Organization: GTE Laboratories Incorporated
In-reply-to: gerard@caliban.soest.hawaii.edu's message of 8 Sep 92 22:54:46 GMT


In article <1992Sep8.225446.20808@news.Hawaii.Edu> gerard@caliban.soest.hawaii.edu (Gerard Fryer) writes:


   In article <1992Sep8.015751.9525@cbnewsm.cb.att.com>, mls@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (mike.siemon) writes:

   [Stuff deleted, including some of my post about relative levels of
   A-levels in UK and overseas, especially Malaysia.]
   |> 
   |> It was, indeed, my impression that 6th form maths in Malaysia was nothing
   |> but a grab bag of tricks.  Challenging, possibly instructive (though in
   |> what I never quite figured out), sufficient to drive some students to a
   |> sense of personal worthelessness and others to a misleading sense of
   |> competence that would never again be called upon after the exams.
   |> 

   That's an interesting perspective.  I hadn't thought about it that way
   but you are absolutely right.  While the exams I took in Malaysia were
   unquestionably harder than the equivalent exams in England, the answer
   to "Were you a better mathematician for having worked through the
   harder syllabus?" is definitely "No."

Definitely a bag of tricks!  At Edinburgh, for my PhD in Artificial
Intelligence, I worked on two programs that solved symbolic equations
from A level (and O-level) papers.  A typical question is:

	cos(x) + cos(3*x) + cos(5*x) = 0

This type of question (sums of sines or cosines with angles in
arithmetic progression) occured nearly every year on the AEB and
London A levels.  Solved by a trick of no great generality.  One of
the programs, PRESS, solved about 91% of the symbolic equations on our
collection of O, A and Scottish Higher papers spanning about 15 years.
(The other, LP, was a learning program that learned how to solve
these problems after examining a single worked example).

Naturally, these programs were *great* AI, but at least part of the
success is due to the "bag of tricks" nature of the A level
mathematics domain.



--
				Bernard Silver
				GTE Laboratories
				bsilver@gte.com
				(617) 466-2663
From: wilcox@vax.oxford.ac.uk
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: <None>
Date: 7 Sep 92 16:45:32 GMT
Organization: Oxford University VAX 6620

In article <25582@castle.ed.ac.uk>, egpv29@castle.ed.ac.uk (JHenderson) writes:
> In article <1992Sep5.192103.13256@cco.caltech.edu> miriam@seismo.gps.caltech.edu (Miriam Jackson) writes:
> 
> =>There are also O/A levels, halfway between O-levels and A-levels,
> =>and S levels which are harder that A-levels, and are taken by
> =>people aiming for Oxbridge.
> 
> Small quibble here: S-levels have/had? no special significance for Oxbridge,
> because most Oxbridge applicants take/took? the special entrance exams, which
> are/were? harder than S-levels.
> 
Cambridge has its own STEP papers, which are equivalent in difficulty to
S-levels (A-level level but in much more depth) and are taken at the same time.
(At the same time as A-levels.) Oxford uses S-levels judiciously for candidates
who decide not to take the Oxford Entrance Exam, which is sat two terms before
A-levels, in the November before the new student goes up.
-- 

Stephen Wilcox             |   Remember what happened to the dinosaurs!
wilcox@maths.oxford.ac.uk  |    I did---and look what happened to me.
From: emct46@castle.ed.ac.uk (J H Dempsey)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Majors Visit to Scotland
Date: 14 Sep 92 10:27:01 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University



After the recent general election and the rejection of the policys of
the conservatives by 75% of Scottish voters the government said they
would be taking stock and seeking a solution to the current
constitutional (if we had a constitution that is)problems (nice speak   
for the imposition of outdated
policies by a dictatorial government with no Scottish mandate)
What does Major do -he consults "prominent" Scottish figures who by some
coincidence are all supporters of the tory party and comes up with no
conclusions. In other words SCOTLAND GET STUFFED we arent going to
listen to you. We are going to weaken local government (as its not tory
ontrolled ) we are going to destroy your industry reduce your public
spending and treat you like you dont matter.
My attitude is now hardening I once believed in change through the
current system but that now seems an impossibility. The first move has
to be the embarresment of the government when they hold the meeting of
the european heads of state in Edinburgh through demonstration.
On a further note the overt bias of the supposed national media. last
week Scotland played their first world cup qualifier as did Wales N.
Ireland and Eire and on the same night the England squad played a
FRIENDLY with Spain. On the radio and the national news all we heard
about was Englands meaningless game with one liners about important
world cup qualifiers.
 
When will things change?
Xref: sparky soc.culture.british:12218 rec.arts.tv.uk:5280 rec.arts.drwho:5880 alt.tv.prisoner:1314
From: smckinty@sunicnc.France.Sun.COM (Steve McKinty - Sun ICNC)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,rec.arts.tv.uk,rec.arts.drwho,alt.tv.prisoner
Subject: Re: Americanising of the UK, Now: British TV in North America
Date: 7 Sep 1992 09:20:30 GMT
Organization: SunConnect
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: hardy.france.sun.com

In article <6SEP199213245452@venus.tamu.edu>, ewm6965@venus.tamu.edu (The Guardian) writes:

> Then there's Larry Niven's creation, "tanj" (There Ain't No Justice), and 
> "tanstaafl" (There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch") whose origin I don't
               ^^^^^^^ There Ain't
> know.

I think 'tanstaafl' was a Robert Heinlein invention

Steve
Xref: sparky soc.culture.british:12295 alt.folklore.urban:23111
From: lawson@acuson.com (Drew Lawson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: SEND US A POST CARD PLSE !!!!
Date: 8 Sep 92 19:56:35 GMT
Reply-To: lawson@aldia.UUCP (Drew Lawson)
Organization: ACUSON, Mountain View, CA

In article <SES.92Sep3212249@cmns-sun.think.com> ses@cmns-sun.think.com (Simon Edward Spero) writes:
>In article <1992Sep4.114852.10588@waikato.ac.nz> amc@waikato.ac.nz writes:

>   We are Summer and Anna, two post-graduate students who are in an office with
>   grotty beige wall paint. We want to cover the walls with postcards from all

>WARNING! The Usenet Surgeon General has determined that asking for postcards
>over the net causes cancer.


Yes, it IS confirmed that asking for postcards will cause Cancer of the
Shergold.  Fortunately, this is effectively treated, and the cure only
costs two-fifty.


Drew "an unattended terminal is a terrible thing to waste" Lawson
-- 
Drew Lawson                      If you're not part of the solution,
lawson@acuson.com                you're part of the precipitate
From: gm115@cus.cam.ac.uk (Gabor Megyesi)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: What is a 2.1 equivalent to ?
Date: 14 Sep 92 05:03:00 GMT
Organization: U of Cambridge, England

In article <1992Sep12.235914.18962@cs.hw.ac.uk> neilp@cs.hw.ac.uk (Neil Postlethwaite) writes:
>Everybody who does an honours degree in their final year, be it 3rd in England
>or 4th in Scotland (4 year course - better !!) does a dissertation. This 

Well, I have a honours degree from Cambridge in mathematics and I never
wrote a dissertation.

Gabor
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,rec.arts.tv.uk,rec.arts.drwho,alt.tv.prisoner
From: jongsma@esseye.si.com (Ken Jongsma)
Subject: Re: Americanising of the UK, Now: British TV in North America
Reply-To: jongsma@benzie.si.com
Organization: Smiths Industries
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 16:24:40 GMT

In <1992Sep01.041010.11801@admiral.uucp> dave@admiral.uucp (Dave Litchman) writes:

>Now, in a related vein, did you know that there was an american version of
>Fawlty Towers? Sad, but true. Bea Arthur played the female version of Basil
>Fawlty. I have never seen this series, but I'm told it bombed almost as badly
>as it deserved.

I think you're refering to a show called "HOT L BALTIMORE."

Ken's Rule Pertaining to TV Show Titles:

Any show that uses intentional misspelling or any non-alphanumeric character
in the title deserves to die a slow death.

ObException: M*A*S*H. And that doesn't count because it was taken from the
movie title.

-- 
Ken Jongsma                                          ken@wybbs.mi.org
Smiths Industries                               jongsma@benzie.si.com
Grand Rapids, Michigan                      73115.1041@compuserve.com
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: renfro@geewhiz.ssc.gov (James Renfro)
Subject: Re: This England
Organization: Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 13:26:38 GMT

In article <18mobtINN731@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> esh2@po.CWRU.Edu (Evelyn S.  
Hlabse) writes:
> 
> There is a friendly argument that I would like help with.  There
> is a poem which United Airlines is currently using in its ads
> that is from a poem and I don't remember the poem or author.  It
> has the phrase "this sceptered isle, this England".  I think it
> was Spencer or Milton, my daughter says Churchill quoting
> Shakespeare.  Anyone know for sure.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Evelyn
> -- 

Richard II, Act 2, scene 1
William Shakespeare
JOHN OF GAUNT
   	Methinks I am a prophet new-inspired,
   	And thus, expiring, do foretell of him.
   	His rash, fierce blaze of riot cannot last,
   	For violent fires soon burn out themselves.
   	Small showers last long, but sudden storms are short.	 35
   	He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes.
   	With eager feeding food doth choke the feeder.
   	Light vanity, insatiate cormorant,
   	Consuming means, soon preys upon itself.
   	This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,		 40
   	This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
   	This other Eden, demi-paradise,
   	This fortress built by nature for herself
   	Against infection and the hand of war,
   	This happy breed of men, this little world,		 45
   	This precious stone set in the silver sea,
   	Which serves it in the office of a wall,
   	Or as a moat defensive to a house
   	Against the envy of less happier lands;
   	This blesse d plot, this earth, this realm, this England,  50
   	This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings,
   	Feared by their breed and famous by their birth,
   	Renowne d for their deeds as far from home
   	For Christian service and true chivalry
   	As is the sepulchre, in stubborn Jewry,			 55
   	Of the world's ransom, blesse d Mary's son;
   	This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land,
   	Dear for her reputation through the world,
   	Is now leased out  I die pronouncing it  
   	Like to a tenement or pelting farm.			 60
   	England, bound in with the triumphant sea,
   	Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege
   	Of wat'ry Neptune, is now bound in with shame,
   	With inky blots and rotten parchment bonds.
   	That England that was wont to conquer others		 65
   	Hath made a shameful conquest of itself.
   	Ah, would the scandal vanish with my life,
   	How happy then were my ensuing death!

[Thanks to the Shakespeare library resident in _my_ NeXT terminal]

Jim
Xref: sparky soc.culture.british:12508 rec.arts.tv.uk:5461 rec.arts.movies:27796
From: m1wrp99@milo.uucp (William R. Palenske)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,rec.arts.tv.uk,rec.arts.movies
Subject: Re: Why are the British portrayed so falsely on TV/Film
Date: 14 Sep 92 16:06:12 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.british
Organization: Federal Reserve Board, Wash, DC

Neil Postlethwaite writes [ tongue-in-check ? provokingly ]:
>Having watched a few video's over the weekend, one thing with them I find
>is that the British get such a false stereotypical portrayal of them. It
>makes me wonder if the writers have ever been outside their country.
>
>Most of the stuff was American BTW.
>
>The stereotypes are things like the cockney, the London (bowler hat/brolly)
>gent, the stupid country yokel (oo-arr, mines a cyder), the 60's Beatles
>fan, the aristocratic twat, the Scottish `tight git' in a kilt etc ........
>
>Do American's really have such a inadequete view of the world or is it
>just the TV geek people [ stuff deleted .]
>

i'm sure `tv geek people' are the root cause.  i would wager they are
well-traveled to boot.  so they know they are doing a disservice.
however, their opinion of the typical american is such that they
try to pander to us with stereotypic portrayals of everything under
the sun.  i think most of us have come to this conclusion, and i believe
their viewing audience is shrinking as a result.  at least i like to think
so.  furthermore, i wouldn't say that this attitude is limited to american
`tv geek people.'  e.g., i've seen some british films that seemed to
treat, to cite your example, scots as mean-spirited, loutish sots.  [ no
pun intended. ]  indeed, i've also seen  british produced television
that played-up the bowler-hat image, too.  

as an aside, your comment about `aristocratic twats' reminds me of
sir [ later lord ? ] kenneth clark.  i recall watching one of his
_civilization_ programs and hearing him quite deliberately mispronouce
several words.  right now, i can only remember his pronouncing `wigwam'
as `wigwham.'  in my mind's eye, i also can see him standing always a bit
off vertical.  no doubt, these are some kind of university affectations
which were / are fashionable to acquire?  here the man definitely fit the
image ! 


bill
-- 
   Bill Palenske            Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
   m1wrp99@fed.frb.gov      Washington, D.C.  20551
   uunet!fed!wrp            DISCLAIMER: MY OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: hiscrp@nuscc.nus.sg (Richard C. Pennel (Dr))
Subject: Gordon Bennett
Organization: National University of Singapore
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 04:45:24 GMT

Another stone in the pond. Gordon Bennett was the name of the Australian
General who left Singapore (and his troops) just as the Japanese were
arriving in 1942. A certain amount of dissatisfaction was expressed by
Australian troops at the time. Since I've always associated the use of
the expression with a. the military and b. Australia could this be
another possible source for it
                                   


Richard Pennell, History, Nat Univ Sing.
From: ag129@cl.cam.ac.uk (Alasdair Grant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: buying peerage
Date: 10 Sep 92 13:35:06 GMT
Reply-To: ag129@cl.cam.ac.uk (Alasdair Grant)
Organization: U of Cambridge Comp Lab, UK

In article <18l6vpINN2pu@grapevine.EBay.Sun.COM> smckinty@sunicnc.France.Sun.COM (Steve McKinty - Sun ICNC) writes:
>Is that not just a consequence of having had 15 years of Conservative
>government? I suspect if we'd had 15 years of Labour we'd probably be
>hearing rantings from Lord Arthur Scargill by now...

But there are many Labour Lords with trade union links right now. When I
was involved in industrial action (at a former job) we were far more 
confident of getting our case heard in the Lords than in the Commons,
and the (relatively) favourable outcome to us was partly due to the 
advocacy of Labour peers.

The point is that peers don't have axes to grind or elections to win.
That's why so many of them are Independents.
From: nick@cs.hw.ac.uk (Nick Taylor)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: This England
Date: 14 Sep 92 11:12:56 GMT
Organization: Dept of Computing and Electrical Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland

In article <43740@skye.dcs.ed.ac.uk> morna@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Morna J Findlay) writes:
>In article <1992Sep11.091611.11680@cs.hw.ac.uk> nick@cs.hw.ac.uk (Nick Taylor) writes:
>>
>>"Be England what she will, with all her faults, she is my country still"
>>
>
>That sounds just like "My country - right or wrong" .
>
>
>Who said that - did anyone?

You've got your answer to that question in another posting. My initial
reaction to you equating these quotes was "unfair!". I tend to read the first
with an air of exasperation at England's faults whilst refusing to take the
easy way out (up here anyway) by denying her. I had always assumed that the
second quote was pure nationalistic clap-trap when not terminated with a "?".
The full quote, however, which appears in that other poster's article (sorry,
didn't notice your name), seems to have been written with the same sentiments
as my interpretation of the first - so maybe you weren't being unfair. Is this
a case of incomplete quotes giving the wrong jist to a passage as was
suggested for the "This England" one? I'd be interested to know how other
people interpret these quotes.

Nick.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,rec.arts.tv.uk,rec.arts.drwho,alt.tv.prisoner
From: baylor@force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com
Subject: Re: Americanising of the UK, Now: British TV in North America
Reply-To: baylor@force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com
Organization: LMSC, Sunnyvale, California
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 19:05:16 GMT

In article <7SEP199223274689@venus.tamu.edu>, ewm6965@venus.tamu.edu (The Guardian) writes:
>
>(I think Bull on Night Court ordered head cheese as a food product once, but 
>then he's known for eating disgusting things anyway.)

Whoa there! Lets not give Bull a repuptation for being stranger than
he really is! There is a food product known as head cheese that has nothing
to do with smegma. It is produced by boiling the head or brains
of a slaughtered farm animal.
From: cla04@seq1.keele.ac.uk (A.T. Fear)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: British Slang
Date: 15 Sep 92 13:28:44 GMT
Organization: Keele University, England

From article <1992Sep15.115454.3650@dcs.qmw.ac.uk>, by mmh@cs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach):
> Are you sure it's Northern, or is this just an extension of the
> usual prejudice which thinks anything earthy and working class
> is northern, while all southerners are pink-gin drinking
> stockbrokers?

This remainds me of a news report on Radio 4 last week when two people
were asked about the effects of the ailing economy. One came from
'Devon' the other from 'the far corner of the country' which turned out
to be the Colne Valley! Must go time to exercise mi whippet...

Andy

BTW any one know the address for the Campaign for the North or even if
it still exists?
Xref: sparky soc.culture.british:12404 rec.arts.tv.uk:5418 rec.arts.movies:27524
From: neilp@cs.hw.ac.uk (Neil Postlethwaite)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,rec.arts.tv.uk,rec.arts.movies
Subject: Why are the British portrayed so falsely on TV/Film
Date: 13 Sep 92 00:16:49 GMT
Organization: Dept of Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.

Having watched a few video's over the weekend, one thing with them I find
is that the British get such a false stereotypical portrayal of them. It
makes me wonder if the writers have ever been outside their country.

Most of the stuff was American BTW.

The stereotypes are things like the cockney, the London (bowler hat/brolly)
gent, the stupid country yokel (oo-arr, mines a cyder), the 60's Beatles
fan, the aristocratic twat, the Scottish `tight git' in a kilt etc ........

Do American's really have such a inadequete view of the world or is it
just the TV geek people, after all the net.people seem pretty 'normal'
to us here.

After all, we in the UK know all Americans are crack-crazed, cop killing,
TV channel hopping, fat burger-chomping, rap loving, Mall hanging out
type of people. All Australian's are XXXX obsessed  Neighbours watching
morons etc ............. :-) !!!! We believe the TV God !!

Regards etc,

	Neil


****************************| Sig' Time |*********************************
JANET: 	  neilp@uk.ac.hw.cs   *   Neil Postlethwaite, Rm G.25, 
INTERNET: neilp@cs.hw.ac.uk   *   Dept of Computer Science,  
UUCP: 	  ..!uknet!hwcs!neilp *   Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton Campus
                              *   Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
------------------------------*-------------------------------------------
Computer Science Account      *   Phone +44 (0)31 449-5111 x4174
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: godfrey@sscvx1.ssc.gov (LAURENCE GODFREY)
Subject: Re: British Slang
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 12:36:00 GMT

In article <BuIGv9.3uq@newcastle.ac.uk>, w.p.coyne@newcastle.ac.uk                 writes...
>>This is also true of the verb "to bonk", and the noun "bonk".  This is
>                                   ^^^^
>>used by the SUN to describe the sexual act between two persons of 
>>opposite sex, for example a well-known Conservative minister and a very
>>poor actress.  One can only guess at its reasons for inventing a new word,
>>when the English language already contains a wealth of possibilities.
> 
>  So far as I know that is not a new word, it has been used as slang
>in Tyneside, (and maybe in the North of England in general) for many 
>years.  When the Sun started using it (noticed how they don't seem to
>use it now) I was long familiar with it.
> 
>  The fact that a word is not in use in Standard British English does not
>mean that it is not part of the English Language
> 
>>Laurence


Okay, I bow to your superior knowledge of the origin of "bonking".  I regret
that I have never lived in the North of England, prefering to limit my
habitat and bonking activities to Asia and SE England.  If it was used
in conversation prior to the SUN's use of the word, then I agree that it
is indeed part of the English language.  However, I would object to any
claim that introduction of a word by that newspaper is sufficient reason
to call it English, as any such argument would permit the SUN more credibility
than it merits.

What, for example, should one do about "naff" in the context used by both
the SUN and MIRROr (ie. "naff off", as a euphemism for "fuck off" or "piss
off")?

Laurence

Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: ray@philmtl.philips.ca (Ray Dunn)
Subject: Re: Gordon Bennett
Organization: On the Brew.
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 15:39:45 GMT

I lived in the UK for thirty years before I left in '76 and yet I'd never
heard the phrase "Gordon Bennet", nor any reference to it, until recently
on various TV shows and then the discussion here.

I have a collection of British humour from the 50's to the 80's, ranging
from the Goons, Monty Python, Ted Ray (!), Beyond Our Ken, Not the Nine
O'Clock News etc. and there is certainly no mention in any of this
material.

I think this is a fairly new expression.  Can anyone show otherwise?
-- 
Ray Dunn at home    |    ray@philmtl.philips.ca    |    (514) 630 3749
Xref: sparky soc.culture.british:12386 rec.arts.tv.uk:5402 rec.arts.drwho:6028 alt.tv.prisoner:1363
From: cdt@sw.stratus.com (C. D. Tavares)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,rec.arts.tv.uk,rec.arts.drwho,alt.tv.prisoner
Subject: Re: Americanising of the UK, Now: British TV in North America
Date: 11 Sep 92 20:35:37 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.british
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.

In article <1992Sep9.200126.17766@news2.cis.umn.edu>, donnell@squid.micro.umn.edu (Your Heinous) writes:

> Still waiting for an answer as to why some characters are wearing Negative
> White-on-black Village badges? #6 and most of the "inmates" have the 
> standard ones, but once in a while, someone is shown with the negative one.

I thought it was just a fashion thing.  You know, for the contrast.  The
black badge goes with the light outfit, etc.
-- 

cdt@pdp.sw.stratus.com      --If you believe that I speak for my company,
OR cdt@vos.stratus.com        write today for my special Investors' Packet...