The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User • Hacker News Board

Re: The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User

#51

Post by dharma1 » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 11:06 AM UTC

timeout wrote: post #45

Synaesthesia wrote: post #3

"But the famous ‘insularity’ and ‘xenophobia’ of the English is far stronger in the working class than in the bourgeoisie. In all countries the poor are more national than the rich, but the English working class are outstanding in their abhorrence of foreign habits. Even when they are obliged to live abroad for years they refuse either to accustom themselves to foreign food or to learn foreign languages. Nearly every…

That's brexit right there.

combined with this http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/uk-wages-dro...

Re: The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User

#52

Post by Lio » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 11:18 AM UTC

kbart wrote: post #13

f_allwein wrote: post #8

"In the minds of many Brits, umbrella usage was symptomatic of a weakness of character, particularly among men. Few people ever dared to be seen with such a detestable, effeminate contraption. To carry an umbrella when it rained was to incur public ridicule." This sentiment is very much alive today. I'm always surprised how I seem to be the only person carrying an umbrella in London when it rains. Especially bankers…

I doubt that it's to show ones manliness. When you are used to rain (I bet everyone that lived in London for more than a week is), you know when it's not strong enough to get you wet and when it's really time to take your umbrella or get a shelter. I usually carry an umbrella, but use it only when I see that otherwise I'm going to get soaked. Walking down a crowded street with an umbrella is often simply too much of…

The thing is it doesn't actually rain that much in London.

I mean it rains a bit but reputation for rain is far in excess of the reality if you were to compare it with many north American cities.

Have a look at http://www.worldclimate.com/ to compare. London is pretty dry.

Re: The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User

#53

Post by School-Cotton » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 11:30 AM UTC

oblio wrote: post #21

mc32 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's worse, that or not speaking a perfect Frankish language of when in the land of Franks? At least the English tolerate all kinds of foreign mangling pretty well.

> At least the English tolerate all kinds of foreign mangling pretty well. That's because they mangle their own language awfully enough. I'm not a native English speaker but I've heard quite a few native Englishmen and their accents are horrible. Received Pronunciation is obviously nice to hear and quite clear, but those local accents... oh my! I'm not saying that my accent is any better, but at least I try to make m…

What the fuck? I don't come on a message board in your language and tell them people from the town they're from speak their language wrong. Delete this comment.

Re: The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User

#54

Post by rahimnathwani » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 11:34 AM UTC

Lio wrote: post #52

kbart wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I doubt that it's to show ones manliness. When you are used to rain (I bet everyone that lived in London for more than a week is), you know when it's not strong enough to get you wet and when it's really time to take your umbrella or get a shelter. I usually carry an umbrella, but use it only when I see that otherwise I'm going to get soaked. Walking down a crowded street with an umbrella is often simply too much of…

The thing is it doesn't actually rain that much in London. I mean it rains a bit but reputation for rain is far in excess of the reality if you were to compare it with many north American cities. Have a look at http://www.worldclimate.com/ to compare. London is pretty dry.

Where I live now, in China, I don't carry an umbrella. When it rains, it pours. For ages. So an umbrella is little help.

In London, rain is much lighter, but much more frequent and much less predictable. So carrying an umbrella is a must.

I forgot this on my last trip to London. It was sunny when I got on the underground at Heathrow. By the time I got to central London, it was pouring, and I was soaked by the time I had walked to the office.

Re: The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User

#55

Post by celticninja » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 11:35 AM UTC

BjoernKW wrote: post #29

oblio wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> At least the English tolerate all kinds of foreign mangling pretty well. That's because they mangle their own language awfully enough. I'm not a native English speaker but I've heard quite a few native Englishmen and their accents are horrible. Received Pronunciation is obviously nice to hear and quite clear, but those local accents... oh my! I'm not saying that my accent is any better, but at least I try to make m…

There's no letter-to-sound correspondence in English. English probably - at least compared with other European language - is one of the most irregular languages in terms of pronunciation: http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/english1.html This is simply due to the language having been heavily influenced by a host of other - quite different - languages over the centuries, Old Norse and French in particular. There's also the…

When ever the English language and its appropriation of other words come up I cannot help but think of this quote from James Nicoll:

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."

Re: The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User

#56

Post by clentaminator » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 11:38 AM UTC

e12e wrote: post #24

kbart wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I doubt that it's to show ones manliness. When you are used to rain (I bet everyone that lived in London for more than a week is), you know when it's not strong enough to get you wet and when it's really time to take your umbrella or get a shelter. I usually carry an umbrella, but use it only when I see that otherwise I'm going to get soaked. Walking down a crowded street with an umbrella is often simply too much of…

When you've lived long enough in Bergen, Norway you realize it rains very few other places in the world. It's just that locals around the world whine a lot ;-) I love this (presumably automatic) characterization from: https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-precipitatio... "A lot of rain (rainy season) falls in the months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November…

I love the rain, so I'm now considering moving to Bergen. Thanks :)

Re: The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User

#57

Post by celticninja » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 11:38 AM UTC

oblio wrote: post #21

mc32 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's worse, that or not speaking a perfect Frankish language of when in the land of Franks? At least the English tolerate all kinds of foreign mangling pretty well.

> At least the English tolerate all kinds of foreign mangling pretty well. That's because they mangle their own language awfully enough. I'm not a native English speaker but I've heard quite a few native Englishmen and their accents are horrible. Received Pronunciation is obviously nice to hear and quite clear, but those local accents... oh my! I'm not saying that my accent is any better, but at least I try to make m…

Oh heaven forbid someone speaks to you in a regional accent, how awful it must have been for you. I'm so sorry we don't all speak like the queen, you must be lucky to come from a country where there are no regional accents or dialects of your native language.

Re: The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User

#58

Post by celticninja » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 11:41 AM UTC

f_allwein wrote: post #8

"In the minds of many Brits, umbrella usage was symptomatic of a weakness of character, particularly among men. Few people ever dared to be seen with such a detestable, effeminate contraption. To carry an umbrella when it rained was to incur public ridicule." This sentiment is very much alive today. I'm always surprised how I seem to be the only person carrying an umbrella in London when it rains. Especially bankers…

"I do not believe the presence of moisture in the air is sufficient reason to overturn society's usual sensible taboo against wielding spiked clubs at eye level.”

China Mieville - Un Lun Dun

Re: The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User

#59

Post by celticninja » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 11:43 AM UTC

smcl wrote: post #14

dangravell wrote: post #2

As a former pedestrian commuter through the City, I'd love to see the goons who think a golf umbrella makes a suitable and sociable rainscreen pelted with fruit. I almost considered setting up a Tumblr of ridiculously oversized umbrellas at one point, knocking people off pavements.

I'm with you - I'm tall enough that the little metal tips of most umbrellas are usually at eye-level, and have received many uncomfortable jabs to the eyeballs (and more often than not people are annoyed that their umbrella was nudged, instead of being sorry)

"I do not believe the presence of moisture in the air is sufficient reason to overturn society's usual sensible taboo against wielding spiked clubs at eye level.”

Re: The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User

#60

Post by robjan » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 11:57 AM UTC

BjoernKW wrote: post #29

oblio wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> At least the English tolerate all kinds of foreign mangling pretty well. That's because they mangle their own language awfully enough. I'm not a native English speaker but I've heard quite a few native Englishmen and their accents are horrible. Received Pronunciation is obviously nice to hear and quite clear, but those local accents... oh my! I'm not saying that my accent is any better, but at least I try to make m…

There's no letter-to-sound correspondence in English. English probably - at least compared with other European language - is one of the most irregular languages in terms of pronunciation: http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/english1.html This is simply due to the language having been heavily influenced by a host of other - quite different - languages over the centuries, Old Norse and French in particular. There's also the…

International English does exist. It's basically American English. Every international school around the world and English Cram school is Asia uses it.