Hi Jane,
I seem to be the Englishman (for want of a better term) that no other English want to socialise with! We have invited many to our home for drinks and snacks - which we always felt was a reasonable start, but most have found ways of avoiding us/me. So much so that we have given up on them, and concentrate such efforts as required on the far friendlier French - who are far more tolerant of my poor French and deafness!
Funny old world really?
The French call it a 'cap anglais' don't they and of course in retaliation (?) 'French letter' in English which tends to mystify me - why 'letter' - although I did hear a vulgar joke on the subject once.
Too right!
Plus, you could dispense with the Ex-Lax !
The domestic cat sized, 30cm+ South American Goliath birdeater is scary but not venomous and the Giant Huntsman Spider that lives in caves in Laos is not one I would like to meet in the dark - they eat bats FFS!
I used to be quite a good sprinter (aged 12). Either of those could see me regaining that ability!
That would be only marginally more interesting than watching paint dry !
Much more interesting Brian, take a look at my latest pet...
http://metro.co.uk/2013/04/03/spiders-as-big-as-your-face-discovered-in-sri-lanka-3581017/
Yes, good old language. The Germans use Pariser (Parisian) as the word that is for us condom, In South America Spanish extranjero for both foreigner and alien, so watching Star Trek in Lima I used to chuckle occasionally (beam me up... reminded me) and I know there are many other similar things. As for golf, the 1457 Act of the Scottish Parliament forbade it because it distracted it with football because it stopped people practising archery for the purpose of defending their country. People did not obey and it appears that some of the language used since evolved out of the ban in both sports, such as penalty which literally means to send to a penal place, thus a penitentiary, a place of correction where people do penance, a prison in real money. The hole in golf replaced the target a bit earlier, apparently so that it became concealed and thus be taken by the 'bestiary'.
When we get down the etymologies then language itself is absurd and proves that any debate about how far we have gone from the primordial grunts and bellows is minuscule and that we appear to attach greater importance to that than is justifiable: hrmm gnrrr ook mmmmmrh!
My Oxford Dictionary says that 'expatriate' (from which expat comes) means to 'withdraw from one's native country'. Doesn't say anything about any length of time or intention.
Foreigner comes from 'foreign' (big surprise?) which appertains (luvly word use it all the time) 'pertinent to another', 'not of one's own land' 'non-domestic or native'.
But the best one I think is 'Alien' - y'see we knew they were here all the time - only it was US!!! Time to call home? Or 'beam me up Scotty' ? Thats was you all the time wasn't it Brian?
Let's be brutally honest, anyone who could invent a game like golf, with its 'par for the Course' etc., had to be a bloody Alien!!
The joy of language? The use of the word 'bastard' in Australia (where i spent almost 20 years as one), all depends on how it is pronounced and is not just for Poms.
To call someone a 'dopey Pommie Bastard' is completely different to calling someone a 'Right Pommie Bastard' but it also applies in the tone as a 'he's a right bastard' can sound funny as well as getting lined up for a smack.
Regarding being regarded as a 'foreigner' is also just as applicable within the French environment as it is towards those from another country. I remember the Butcher in one of our previous villages selling up and leaving after ten years, as he said he was fed up being called a foreigner. He actually came from another village less than 20kms away!
My wife is Parisienne and has often been regarded as a 'foreigner' in rural France. I also seem to recall similar attitudes in regions of England for those of us originating from London.
In my view we are all 'silly bastards' thinking it's an issue.
That is it Norman. I never feel I need a nationality to put my feet on the ground and walk down the road. I sometimes wish to burst into tears, but because I am laughing so much, when one of the very 'nationalist', get out of Europe, types then proclaims Christian beliefs and decries Dawkins, etc, etc, etc but informing me in so doing that he/she obvious believes in the Adam and Eve. If that is the case what is their problem? They rant on about their country and nation (the people). I know that it is people in the USA who do it 'best', but everywhere seems to have them or any equivalent according to their religion. If we have but one pair of ancestors then errr.... errrr.... errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr?
Brian, I feel the need to get on my old song and say it yet again, without us ever growing up enough to deny 'Nationality' and all the nonsenses that carries with it, we will continue to live swinging between folly and applied lunacy 'til the end of days!
The UK (an odd name if there ever was one?) is seemingly looking back over its collective shoulder to Imperial days - curiously the same as Putin in Russia. It seems Britain will never lose its collective delusion of still being 'Great'. Harmless enough as many delusions are, but delusion is akin to madness and can lead to disaster.
Never mind though, with media like the Mail, The Sun, Express and now even the Beeb - what is there to fear?
I am of a mind with you on the idea that the UK would leave the EU. I have the choice between two possibilities, there is a third but I could not contemplate being stuck on an island that would have to pretend its closest neighbours are not there. That is not at all to do with who or what we are as this questions begs, but to do with being part of the many and not the 'only'. That is folly.
James, there is a blinding racist overtone to what you wrote surely? WHITE People and the rest of us?
Personally I dont think there is a problem. For me an expat (as in expatriate) in someone who lives or exports himself to another country which is not his country of origin. Neither in my view does he usually have any thoughts or intention of changing his nationality. Plus the movement of peoples within the EU is specifically NOT immigration as we all have the right to live in any other EU country - i.e. we are Europeans.
An Immigrant is (or is regarded as) some one who has left his country of origin (other than an EU one) to become a National of another country. As in 'no intention of going back to the former country'.
I have lived my life as an 'expat' in 12 different countries, without ever having any intention of ever living there permanently. As it happened through marriage with a French National I automatically absorbed some trappings of being a National- not my choice just how the system works.
IF Britain leaves the EU I will have not the slightest qualm of trying at least to become a French national, and the odds seem to favour me becoming French AND continue as a European.
Sounds about right.
Well yes Irene.
Looking at Tunis, I hope we all continue to be 'Charlie' ?
On a lighter note,
When working in East Ham, obviously very multicultural in about 1975 I was walking along the High Street when I saw a Ford Transit lorry. On the side of the lorry was written the words
'V SINGH & Co.Ltd GENERAL BUILDERS' underneath was written
'You have tried the cowboys, here comes the Indians' !
Well I suppose for you, you are a British European resident in France
For your French neighbours, you are une anglaise
For the French state, you are une étrangère
For other Brits you are a fellow expat
(Maybe ?)
Just for the record, I thought I would I point out this blog merely to show examples of different points of view. I'm don't personally agree with the idea that the newspaper needs to change its style guide. There is no resolution to be made here, and I'm not big on political correctness either. People can use whatever term they like.
I think I'm going to start calling myself an alien. "I'm a legal alien..." as the song goes :-)
So I am a British European resident in France.
Lorenz Khazaleh who writes the blog is a Swiss anthro who is now at the uni in Oslo. If you look closely, you will find that most of the comments on the blog are his. He now mainly writes as a journalist and that is the style he has adopted to snatch the contents of this item.
It reaches the question to a point, but actually uses examples rather than substance to make the point. In reality this thread has done far better. I think Irene has taken the bull by the horns but been a bit harsh about the political correctness question. PC is used as a dismissive to say that people with doubts or who reject things go to far. The PC police is an invention of those who wish to throw caution to the wind and do what they want, which is right in principle, but some exploit it to the extreme of saying they are entitled to be racist, sexist and so on.
The solution is relatively easy. Firstly, individuals can choose, therefore not use it but must accept others doing so. Secondly, allow debate like this to be inconclusive rather than wishing to resolve it and believe that resolution is the alpha and omega of all truth.
Some people's feathers were ruffled yesterday when I mentioned what the term 'expat' conjures up. Yes, it is jargon where I come from, and it has certain connotations. Which is why I personally prefer the terms 'immigrant' and 'foreigner', for myself, or 'immigré', if I want to take on airs and pretend I'm at a party in a Graham Greene novel (rolling of eyes). So some readers may want to re-think the use of the word, next time they're in 'mixed' company and not just among their peer group.