And for our non-British readers ...

[marshlander]

... I wonder why he had to speak soooooooo fast ...

I think it helped flag up the absurdity of it all :tongue:

[The Virgin]

oh, ok..hehe.. i'm guilty..hehe.. i always thought UK is the same as England.. thanks for educating me..hehe

[SlipknotRlZZ]

Aw, Marsh, PrinceAlberto called you honey. How sweet. (:d)

WHY was he speaking so fast?! :d

But isn't it "offensive" only to people from the UK that are from a region different than England? :? Oh, and, by the way who has the strongest British accent?

[The Virgin]

the other thing that bothers me is Ireland. I'm always confused between Ireland and Switzerland... i always though Irish are from Switzerland and that Ireland is just a city from Switzerland.

[marshlander]

the other thing that bothers me is Ireland. I'm always confused between Ireland and Switzerland... i always though Irish are from Switzerland and that Ireland is just a city from Switzerland.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

You will find that many UK citizens are or have been, bothered by Ireland (and vice versa) ... but for quite different reasons than yours, I suspect.

As for Ireland/Switzerland - a quick glance any atlas should help.

[marshlander]

Aw, Marsh, PrinceAlberto called you honey. How sweet. (:d)

He's like that

But isn't it "offensive" only to people from the UK that are from a region different than England? :? Oh, and, by the way who has the strongest British accent?

I've no idea what you mean by a "British" accent. That's something I suspect only exists in the imagination of Hollywood film producers. I have no idea how my "accent" comes across to other British people, having been born in South London, grown up in the Home Counties and lived in the Norfolk Fens for the last twenty-five years. I am pretty certain my accent is quite different from Colin's, Vigilias', Fred's, Joseph's, Matty's, Gareth's and many others - and all of us different from each other. Here, where I live, an East Anglian accent predominates, but ten miles away, the other side of the River Nene, most people speak very differently - to our ears the East Midland sound is closer to Yorkshire than to East Anglian. If by strongest, you mean most difficult to understand that must surely vary by one's starting point. I'm only guessing, but I would imagine that most people in the UK would have less trouble understanding me since my accent is probably closer to what may be heard on a lot of mainstream national radio and television than that of some others. I find some accents in Britain quite difficult, particularly if the language is also peppered with dialect.

I am amused at irritated at the ignorance of people who describe my band's music as "Irish" (which it most certainly is not!), but I don't think I would be offended if someone thought I were Welsh, Scottish or Irish in quite the same way as some people from Wales, Scotland or Ireland (N.I. or The Republic) might be if they were mistakenly described as "English". My eldest son's mother-in-law would rip out the guts and paint them blue of anyone who had the temerity to suggest she might be English She scares the hell out of me.

[SlipknotRlZZ]

Well, okay. I am pretty sure you have already heard all of this, yet...for people who are not native English speakers or have spent their lives outside the UK, the British accent is something that sticks out immediately (and most girls say that it is awfully cute and sexy; I dont know if I'd agree). For example, all the teachers in our schools (the foreign ones) are American, and they are about 50% of the staff in general. Before high school I had never talked to a native speaker face to face (it's different when you watch movies). I had absolutely no trouble understanding the Americans from the first day. It just flows you kow. :d But then this year a British teacher came. He's from Manchester and he teaches Psychology. I really like him, but half the things he says, I just dont get. And then I ask him to repeat. It's just the way he pronounces words and...it's just weird and different and it's hard getting used to it. :d
I am not saying this is bad. I was just wondering. And, yes, of course it wouldn't sound weird to someone who actually is from Britain. :]

I meant that it would be offensive for them to be referred to as English. :] anyways, I understand taht its always irritating when people make that mistake. Like I'd be annoyed if people thought I am from another part of Bulgaria (ah, we the capital children have high standarts) or, as they very often do, thhink that I am Russian.

[The Virgin]

of all the subjects that i hated when i was at school, it would have to be Geography.

[East]

OMG there are places where that mistake could get you into very serious trouble! :eek:

Glad to have helped

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: Noted!.... Thanks!:biggrin:

[fredv3b]

I hate to be a pedant but I would beg to differ with the video and wikipedia.

While 'Great Britain' can be used to refer to the largest of the British Isles I would argue that the main use of the term is political not geographic and refers to England, Wales and Scotland. I suspect most folk on the Isle of Wight would be surprised if you told them they did not live in Great Britain.

Also England, Wales and Scotland are not all co-equal. Wales is a Principality of the Kingdom of England.