39,327
edits
Britain Versus the UK: Difference between revisions
m
Mass update links
m (categories and general cleanup) |
m (Mass update links) |
||
Line 35:
Seriously, though. If you get this wrong, you will be forgiven. It's an easy mistake to make. There is a reason for it. England ''does'' cover over half of the UK's total land area, and ''does'' contain the vast majority (around 51 million out of 61m, currently) of its population. Even Brits get mixed up often enough - after all, even the title of this article is wrong: "Britain" and "the UK" technically refer to the same thing; it should read ''Great'' Britain Versus The UK - and until [[Newer Than They Think|More Recently Than They Think]] it was accepted practice ([[Double Standard|at least by the English]]) for [[QI|"England" and "Britain" to be interchangeable terms]].
Just watch out for the Scots. They long have a reputation as being '[[Badass|the hard lot from up north.]]' Some of them are nationalists and will not tolerate one step out of line, saying it arises from the Union, which is the root of all evil. Some are unionists... who will not tolerate a step out of line, because it undermines the Union and drives people into the arms of the Nats. Some of them, we shan't name any names, have a reaction resembling an enraged [[Doctor Who
[[Doctor Who
Even using the terms "British" or "Scottish" isn't always enough, even though they're both correct. You've got to use the right term ''in context''. Many Scots, Nats or otherwise, can get really infuriated with English sports commentators, who will refer to an athlete as "bringing the gold home for Britain!" yet conversely to the same athlete as "the plucky Scot, coming in fifth...". Received wisdom says that the predominantly London-based media will often hail any Scot's - or Welsh or Northern Irish person's - sporting success as "British", but (possibly unconsciously) shunt the same person off into the ghetto marked 'Scottish', 'Welsh' etc. should they trail in last. This subtrope is personified by tennis player [[wikipedia:Andy Murray|Andy Murray]]: the joke goes that he is invariably referred to as British when he wins and Scottish when he loses. (The converse happens as well: English when they win, British when they lose.)
| |||