North South Divide

Not to try to hijack the thread, but it is interesting that you folks talk about your divide between north and south. In the USA, mostly because of the war known to some as the Civil War or the War Between the States, we have a north-south divide as well. If you ever hear or see a reference to the Mason-Dixon line, that's it.

If you are north of that line, you are a yankee. Contrary to popular opinion, I have NOT omitted the first syllable of that word, though you are very likely to hear the d-word closely linked to it.

If you are south of the line, you are a southerner or a Johnny Reb or a red-neck. USA comedian Jeff Foxworthy has made a ton of money from his "you might be a redneck if..." jokes.

I will say this: Be careful in the Deep South when talking about thespians. Some of the serious rednecks will wonder if you have a speech defect that causes you to have odd trouble with your "L" sounds.

Oh, by the way, the CORRECT name for the Civil War is The War of Northern Aggression.
 
Last edited:
Not to try to hijack the thread, but it is interesting that you folks talk about your divide between north and south. In the USA, mostly because of the war known to some as the Civil War or the War Between the States, we have a north-south divide as well. If you ever hear or see a reference to the Mason-Dixon line, that's it.

I have to ask what was civil about your war? Being the way they are, I'm sure the "English Civil War" was named that way because they would stop and apologise before killing each other, oh and pause for tea in between ;)

If you are north of that line, you are a yankee. Contrary to popular opinion, I have NOT omitted the first syllable of that word, though you are very likely to hear the d-word closely linked to it.

If you are south of the line, you are a southerner or a Johnny Reb or a red-neck. USA comedian Jeff Foxworthy has made a ton of money from his "you might be a redneck if..." jokes.

I will say this: Be careful in the Deep South when talking about thespians. Some of the serious rednecks will wonder if you have a speech defect that causes you to have odd trouble with your "L" sounds.

Oh, by the way, the CORRECT name for the Civil War is The War of Northern Aggression.

Now that was an interesting read for first thing in the morning. We should have an "interesting facts" thread. Not that I believe I'd have much to contribute :)
 
Not to try to hijack the thread, but it is interesting that you folks talk about your divide between north and south. In the USA, mostly because of the war known to some as the Civil War or the War Between the States, we have a north-south divide as well. If you ever hear or see a reference to the Mason-Dixon line, that's it.

If you are north of that line, you are a yankee. Contrary to popular opinion, I have NOT omitted the first syllable of that word, though you are very likely to hear the d-word closely linked to it.

If you are south of the line, you are a southerner or a Johnny Reb or a red-neck. USA comedian Jeff Foxworthy has made a ton of money from his "you might be a redneck if..." jokes.

I will say this: Be careful in the Deep South when talking about thespians. Some of the serious rednecks will wonder if you have a speech defect that causes you to have odd trouble with your "L" sounds.

Oh, by the way, the CORRECT name for the Civil War is The War of Northern Aggression.
Does that explain why the Yanks are not happy unless they're killing someone or something?:confused:
 
I heard that things are so bad with poverty and despair in the North of England and Scotland that the people of Ethiopia and Darfur are holding a Live Aid type rock concert to raise funds to help out.

Col

Would you considering sponsoring a Northern child, akin to save the children or something.

Around 15k a year should cover basic food, clothing and education costs. I will send you a regular update of how they are getting on!
 
Not to try to hijack the thread, but it is interesting that you folks talk about your divide between north and south. In the USA, mostly because of the war known to some as the Civil War or the War Between the States, we have a north-south divide as well. If you ever hear or see a reference to the Mason-Dixon line, that's it.

I think the division between North and South in the USA shifts with elections. I swear Ohio was part of the Deep South back in 2004 :p

Rich said:
Does that explain why the Yanks are not happy unless they're killing someone or something?

Actually, I think you'd find that southerners are far more likely to be those killing someone, particularly Texans.
 
Would you considering sponsoring a Northern child, akin to save the children or something.

Around 15k a year should cover basic food, clothing and education costs. I will send you a regular update of how they are getting on!

If there is a problem with raising kids in the north, the kids could be sent to Africa where it costs only £15 per month to feed, clothe and educate them.

Maybe it would be better for people not to have kids if they can't afford them.

Col
 
If there is a problem with raising kids in the north, the kids could be sent to Africa where it costs only £15 per month to feed, clothe and educate them.

Maybe it would be better for people not to have kids if they can't afford them.

Col

What do you mean if - you are well aware of the poverty and desperation.

You can sponsor a ticket to Africa if you wish, and then 15 a month will do nicely? Do you know anymore generous wealthy Southerners who could assist?
 
You can sponsor a ticket to Africa if you wish, and then 15 a month will do nicely?

Send the bill to Bob Geldof, while you're there ask him what's happened to the hundreds of millions that has been donated over the years - when you add together all the charities monies that have been donated to Africa it must run into billions. Why do we still see the same images on TV as we did 30 years ago? I wonder how much actually gets to help the people or does it fund some civil war there.

You see some kid walking 5 miles to get water then the same on the return - why don't they move closer to the water source?

Do you know anymore generous wealthy Southerners who could assist?

I think most people are suffering from charity fatigue. I for one am sick and tired of being asked for money, I'm sure they all mean well, but now I don't even bother any more.

Col
 
oumahexi - How lovely of you to teach the forum some of our slang. I've tried some of these out on my work colleagues since my move south of the border, we've had a right laugh!

Some Scottish people can have a reasonably soft accent which is easy on the ear, unfortunately most I come across seem to have a very agressive harsh accent.
Col

I trust that I am in the "reasonably soft accent category" col..after all you didn't seem to have too much trouble understanding me, unless of course you were just being polite :p

Hay
 
oumahexi - How lovely of you to teach the forum some of our slang. I've tried some of these out on my work colleagues since my move south of the border, we've had a right laugh!

Hay

Gid tae hear that hen. ;)

A like yir picture by the way. We've goat some 'gers fans o'er the road and thir real mental like!

:D
 
Gid tae hear that hen. ;)

A like yir picture by the way. We've goat some 'gers fans o'er the road and thir real mental like!

:D

Aye? Nae kiddin!

Ha ha! I've had to tone my slang down now that I'm living in ingerland but not lost my accent and I do tend to take off with the slang again as soon as I'm back home!

My dad's to blame for me being a footie fan and it costs a fortune especially now that I have to travel the length of the country to come back for it. It does have it's advantages being down here though, don't have to face the ribbing off the celts when we get beat...only now I'm getting it off the Arsenal fans after our gubbing yesterday :o

Where abouts are you, you in Edinburgh? I love Edinburgh.

Hay
 
Aye? Nae kiddin!

Ha ha! I've had to tone my slang down now that I'm living in ingerland but not lost my accent and I do tend to take off with the slang again as soon as I'm back home!
It happens ;)

My dad's to blame for me being a footie fan and it costs a fortune especially now that I have to travel the length of the country to come back for it. It does have it's advantages being down here though, don't have to face the ribbing off the celts when we get beat...only now I'm getting it off the Arsenal fans after our gubbing yesterday :o
Not a big fan of football, which is why I didn't accept a date with an ex Celtic manager (long before he became famous and I became infamous).

Where abouts are you, you in Edinburgh? I love Edinburgh.

Hay

Originally from Edinburgh, I love it though, it's possibly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. If you ever get to Quebec City, you'll see huge similarities.
 
I've had to tone my slang down now that I'm living in ingerland but not lost my accent and I do tend to take off with the slang again as soon as I'm back home!

Hales - Are we still on for that lunch date? You still at Tower Hill?

Col
 
You know you're Scottish when:

1. You consider scattered showers with outbreaks of sunshine is good weather

2. The only sausage you like is square

3. You have a wide vocabulary of Scottish words such as numpty, aye, aye right, auldjin, baltic...

4. You have an enormous feeling of dread whenever Scotland play a 'numpty' team like the Faroe Islands

5. You happily engage in a conversation about the weather with someone you've never met before

6. You used to watch Glen Michael's Cavalcade on a Sunday afternoon with his side kick Lamp Paladin

7. You got Oor Wullie and The Broons annuals at Xmas

8. You can tell where another Scot is from by their accent - "Awright, pal, gonnae gies a wee swatch oa yur Sun ? Cheers, magic pal." Or "Fit ya bin up tae ? Fair few quines in the nicht, eh ?", etc

9. You see cops and hear someone shout 'Errapolis'

10. You have participated in or watched people having a 'square go'

11. You know that when someone asks you what school you went to they only want to know if you are catholic or protestant

12. You have eaten lots and lots of random Scottish food like mince 'n tatties, Tunnock's Caramel Logs, oat cakes, haggis, Cullen skink, Lees Macaroon Bars, etc

13. Whenever you see sawdust it reminds you of pools of vomit as that's what the jannies used to chuck on it at school
14. You don't do shopping... you 'go the messages'

15. You can have an entire phone conversation using only the words 'awright', 'aye' and 'naw'

16. You know that ye cannae fling yer pieces oot a 20 storey flat, and that seven hundred hungry weans'll testify tae that. Furthermore you're sure that if it's butter, cheese or jeely, or if the breid is plain or pan, the odds against it reaching earth are 99 tae wan

17. You know that going to a party at a friend's house involves bringing your own drink

18. Your holiday abroad is ruined if you hear there is a heatwave in Scotland while you're away

19. Your national team goes 2-0 up again the Czechs in a qualifier in Prague and your mate says we'll end up losing 3-2 here and you think "Probably"

20. You can properly pronounce McConnochie, Ecclefechan, Milngavie, and Auchtermuchty

21. You can't pass a chip shop or kebab shop, without drooling, when your drunk

22. You can fall about drunk without spilling your drink

23. You can understand Rab C Nesbitt and know characters just like them in your own family

24. You can make a whole sentence out of just swear words

25. You know what haggis is made with and still eat it

26. Somebody you know used a football schedule to plan their wedding day date

27. You've been at a wedding where the footie results were read out

28. You aren't surprised to find curries, pizzas, kebabs, Irn Bru, nappies and fags all for sale in a fish and chip shop

29. Your seaside holiday home has Calor gas under it

30. you know that Irn Bru is an infallible hangover cure

31. you don’t get embarrassed by asking the ice cream man for a “black man” or a “poke”

32. And, finally, you are 100 per cent Scottish if you have ever used these terms - "How's it hingin'?", "clarty", "boggin", "cludgie", "dreich", "bampot", "bawheid", "baw bag" and "dubble nugget".
 
This could be severely normalised:

There are 2 seasons - July and winter!
 
You know you're Scottish when:



3. You have a wide vocabulary of Scottish words such as numpty, aye, aye right, auldjin, baltic...

When my little brother, who is now 17 yrs, was learning to talk he would say "aye" instead of "yes". So when you would say, "Ben, would you like some strawberries?" He would reply in his cute new voice, "Aye!!!"

I wonder if Scottish vocabularly is a recessiv trait....
 
You haven't seen the weather we 've been having the last 3 Julys :D

When I visited Scotland saw a great postcard - miserable looking sheep on hillside, rain slanting in at 88 degrees, caption "Scotland in Winter"

side by side panel - miserable looking sheep on hillside, rain slanting in at 88 degrees, caption "Scotland in Summer"

My first week there, the above applied, the second week was glorious
 
When I visited Scotland saw a great postcard - miserable looking sheep on hillside, rain slanting in at 88 degrees, caption "Scotland in Winter"

side by side panel - miserable looking sheep on hillside, rain slanting in at 88 degrees, caption "Scotland in Summer"

My first week there, the above applied, the second week was glorious

By glorious, do you mean the rain slanting in 20 degrees? :) Or did you book for the actual summer day???
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom