is "North London" code?

[Altius]

Well, I'll make a deal with you. Remember all those Scots-Irish, or whatever the hell they call themselves, that you shipped over here a couple of centuries ago? Taciturn types with an aversion to shoes? They love strong authoritative leaders, praisin' Jesus and get pretty wound up when they drink? The ones that scurried up into the hills and started breeding like rabbits throughout the southeast as soon as they got off the boats, taking their clannish rivalries with them? Ring any bells?

Well they're ruining the place. We (aided by their own xenophobia) did a pretty good job of keeping them all bottled up in the in the south while the rest of us carried on the business of running the country without them. But eventually, they got loose and lately have been screwing up huge swaths of the country.

Do us a favor: take them all back, please. Do what you want with them. Hell, start your own Mars colonization project with them.

If you'll just do that for us, we'll try to get the formerly irish to shut up. But we can't promise they'll listen to us.

[Paintpig]

Well they're ruining the place. We (aided by their own xenophobia) did a pretty good job of keeping them all bottled up in the in the south while the rest of us carried on the business of running the country without them. But eventually, they got loose and lately have been screwing up huge swaths of the country.

Rabbits? Their bastards of things, eating up all the feed, ruining the pasture land

[Hew Johns]

Did Connard Sage die and make you arbiter of taste, Kawasaki?

As Altius said, it's an American thing. And (along with public expressions of American patriotism) is often (badly) misinterpreted by outsiders. It's our ways of saying we are special, and then saying we are the same as our fellow citizens. It has it's own set of rules - for example whatever I think privately of Mormon traditions, it's still a shock when I see someone here going off on it publicly.

Sure, people can sometimes put on airs, but "plastic" (along with "oreo" or "banana" etc.) is hurtful. Not that much of a step up from "wog", "darkie", or "slope".

[Edit] - okay that's a Brit thing I don't really have a handle on...

[kawasaki on another pooter]

Did Connard Sage die and make you arbiter of taste, Kawasaki?

Nope. He's alive and well

we are special

I couldn't possibly comment.

Sure, people can sometimes put on airs, but "plastic" (along with "oreo" or "banana" etc.) is hurtful. Not that much of a step up from "wog", "darkie", or "slope".

No it isn't, you poltroon. The Paddy' might be (doesn't stop you fuckers calling it St Paddy's Day ), but 'Plastic' is only hurtful if you're trying to be something you're not. If your fucking family's been in the States for three generations, you're bloody American whether or not great-grandpapa Luigi was born in Naples. Get over it.

Yrs

Connard Sage. An Anglo-Irish-Jewish-German.

[dhauser]

And French, but no Yank will ever admit to French ancestry anyway.

My grandfather on my fathers side was French Canadian; Charles Richard. Anyway he's the reason I am a Hauser; well him and a civil servant at Ellis Island.

I'm the reason I'm a cunt.

[Altius]

Yeah, you have to understand, we really are a patchwork of ethnic groups here. Each of those enclaves have their own histories, their own food, their own traditions and very often their own language. Yes, when they come here, they CEASE being their former nationality and become Americans, but those foods, traditions and languages carry on for generations. You can really feel the difference from one to the other when you walk through these neighborhoods, and it's not simply because they are being dicks about it (well, not ALWAYS). It's usually because that's what they grew up with. In many cases, immigrant parents and grandparents don't want their kids to forget where they came from so they work hard to pass on this stuff, and the kids continue these traditions because it marks their inclusion as a part of a community. I know that's been the dynamic in my own household and I've seen it many times over with others.

And that part about calling oneself by a nationality like Irish, German or Spanish? It's just shorthand. Most of us are fully aware that we are no longer part of those larger cultures. It just becomes a way to identify our background as distinct from all the others. It's really not borne out of dickishness. For example, I grew up thousands of miles away among old school New Englanders and French Canadians. Now I am down here in Texas surrounded by Germans, Czechs and lots and lots of Hispanics (Mexicans, to be precise). Believe me, there are lots of notable differences! And I'm not going to add "-American" at the end of every nationality. THAT would be dickish!

[dieselmonkey]

Yeah, you have to understand, we really are a patchwork of ethnic groups here. Each of those enclaves have their own histories, their own food, their own traditions and very often their own language. Yes, when they come here, they CEASE being their former nationality and become Americans, but those foods, traditions and languages carry on for generations. You can really feel the difference from one to the other when you walk through these neighborhoods, and it's not simply because they are being dicks about it (well, not ALWAYS). It's usually because that's what they grew up with. In many cases, immigrant parents and grandparents don't want their kids to forget where they came from so they work hard to pass on this stuff, and the kids continue these traditions because it marks their inclusion as a part of a community. I know that's been the dynamic in my own household and I've seen it many times over with others.

And that part about calling oneself by a nationality like Irish, German or Spanish? It's just shorthand. Most of us are fully aware that we are no longer part of those larger cultures. It just becomes a way to identify our background as distinct from all the others. It's really not borne out of dickishness. For example, I grew up thousands of miles away among old school New Englanders and French Canadians. Now I am down here in Texas surrounded by Germans, Czechs and lots and lots of Hispanics (Mexicans, to be precise). Believe me, there are lots of notable differences! And I'm not going to add "-American" at the end of every nationality. THAT would be dickish!

I can only imagine that seeing as you have fuck all actual history, you attach undue importance to petty nationalistic tribalism.

I mean, my missus' parent's house is older than your entire fucking country.

[Duff]

Yeah, you have to understand, we really are a patchwork of ethnic groups here. Each of those enclaves have their own histories, their own food, their own traditions and very often their own language. Yes, when they come here, they CEASE being their former nationality and become Americans, but those foods, traditions and languages carry on for generations. You can really feel the difference from one to the other when you walk through these neighborhoods, and it's not simply because they are being dicks about it (well, not ALWAYS). It's usually because that's what they grew up with. In many cases, immigrant parents and grandparents don't want their kids to forget where they came from so they work hard to pass on this stuff, and the kids continue these traditions because it marks their inclusion as a part of a community. I know that's been the dynamic in my own household and I've seen it many times over with others.

And that part about calling oneself by a nationality like Irish, German or Spanish? It's just shorthand. Most of us are fully aware that we are no longer part of those larger cultures. It just becomes a way to identify our background as distinct from all the others. It's really not borne out of dickishness. For example, I grew up thousands of miles away among old school New Englanders and French Canadians. Now I am down here in Texas surrounded by Germans, Czechs and lots and lots of Hispanics (Mexicans, to be precise). Believe me, there are lots of notable differences! And I'm not going to add "-American" at the end of every nationality. THAT would be dickish!

I can only imagine that seeing as you have fuck all actual history, you attach undue importance to petty nationalistic tribalism.

I mean, my missus' parent's house is older than your entire fucking country.

Speaking of being dickish.

[Roger Theloger]

When we went to Ireland, to the area my grandmother lived in, and all her siblings were born. I was asked if I was Irish then. I just got a wry smile and a glance towards the Americans when I said "no".

[dieselmonkey]

Speaking of being dickish.

Probably. It's all this PMT talk over here rubbing off on me. I don't go there for a fucking reason.