Quote:
Originally Posted by tadpole
She said "British" not "English" ! There is one hell of a difference. The British Isles consist of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and last of all England.
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Yes I know you said British, however Scots consider the idea of "Britain" to be imposed on them. Even though it is a geographical location, and even though they were effectively conquered by a French king not an English one, they feel the term "British" implies *owned by England" and would
NEVER use it to describe themselves.
Incidentally, the British Isles do
NOT consist of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England, Britain is the land mass that England, Wales and Scotland lie on, it does not include Ireland, You are thinking of the United Kingdom, that includes
Northern Ireland (although not "Ireland" as a whole, as the majority of Ireland is independent). I know it may sound like I am picking hairs here, but this really matters to the Irish. Call a Scot "British" and he is liable to beat you up, but call an Irishman "British" and he is liable to murder you (literally).
I accept that your mother may be different from most of her countryfolk, but this is a very sensitive issue to the Scots and Irish, and if you ever decide to visit the land of your ancestors be careful what you say. It is fine posting anonymously on the Internet, but a careless comment like your last post said in Scotland or Northern Ireland will land you in hospital!