Do you correct people if they call you British?

pickarooney

sensibleken wrote: »

Well you'd be wrong because your passport isn't green. Unless youve got a temporary one

Or you're Mexican or something.

iAndale!

GizAGoOfYerGee

KeithAFC wrote: »

Check out We'r Fur Hame on BBC.

Ah, Ulster-Scots. Ironic how they don't adhere to the British English standard of spelling. :P

That video is not available in Spain.

Greenmachine

Yes I would definetly correct someone if they thought I was English. Although would be surprised anyone would think that with the way I talk.


Good day Sirs.

GizAGoOfYerGee

sensibleken wrote: »

Well you'd be wrong because your passport isn't green. Unless youve got a temporary one

You're too young to remember, but they were green before.

DoesNotCompute

El Siglo wrote: »

Heaney wrote it as an open letter back in 1983 with regards to being included in The Penguin Book of Contemporary British Poetry. It's a nice way of saying "I'm Irish not British".

...and back in 1983, Irish passports did indeed have a green cover.

El Siglo

DoesNotCompute wrote: »

...and back in 1983, Irish passports did indeed have a green cover.

Thought it was black?

GizAGoOfYerGee

El Siglo wrote: »

Thought it was black?

Looks green to me!

Fluorescence

GizAGoOfYerGee wrote: »

Looks green to me!

It's so dark green it looks black. Everyone happy now? :pac:

And yeah, I've corrected people before if they've called me british. Usually just in a light-hearted way, "Ah no, I'm Irish actually. Separate country and all that." I've never had to explain any further than that, fortunately :P

A Dub in Glasgo

GizAGoOfYerGee wrote: »

In Spain, they call British and Irish people 'Ingleses' and both islands 'Inglaterra'. As far as they're concerned, we are all Anglo. Some are puzzled when you correct them. You get used to it.

They seemed confused when I called them Iberians in the summer

Madam

KeithAFC wrote: »

The Ulster banner is not an Irish flag. That is what i said. I know republicans have a republican Ulster flag.

Is that not the name of a potato;)

Of course I correct them, when 'they' find out your Irish, people are somehow friendlier - why do you think all those so called Oirish pubs(mostly owned by British folk) do so well abroad?

Oh and btw I'm from Ulster - the best part!

Ave Nocturna

It depends... If I'm talking to them for the first and last time in my life, I don't see the point. I just let it go. Otherwise, yes. I don't correct them for some pompous 'I'm not one of THEM' reason. I'm not British so I tell them that. I'd do the same if they called me Spanish or American.

It doesn't keep me up at night though

Mike 1972

De Hipster wrote: »

Eh...the passport issued to you if you apply in N.I. is BRITISH.

Ive seen various people in NI successfully apply for Irish, Austrian, Polish, American, Argentinian and Turkish passports

GizAGoOfYerGee wrote: »

I've been here 3 years in various parts of Spain, and I have to say that vast majority are misinformed about the political make up of Ireland and Britain.

I know people in Ireland/Britain who are a bit fuzzy on it TBH

56lcd wrote: »

You can only be called british if you are citizen of Scotland,Wales and England (the 3 countries that constitute britain).....

Theres something wrong with your Keyboard but more worryingly there is also something wrong with your vocal cords. They appear to be lodged in your rectum.

Gunsfortoys wrote: »

Me and my family are catholic born.

WTF ?

ScumLord

fluorescence wrote: »

It's so dark green it looks black. Everyone happy now? :pac:

No I'm not going to be happy until he admits it's green! Admit it's green dammit!! :mad:

Dionysus

GizAGoOfYerGee wrote: »

In Spain, they call British and Irish people 'Ingleses' and both islands 'Inglaterra'. As far as they're concerned, we are all Anglo. Some are puzzled when you correct them. You get used to it.

I knew I read somewhere years ago that a Spanish name specifically for the Irish was 'Gringos'. A reference to this can be found in the etymology section of Wikipedia's entry for 'Gringo'

Other online sources affirming this usage:

1. 'gringo. 1849, from Mex.Sp. gringo, contemptuous word for "foreigner," from Sp. gringo "foreign, unintelligible talk, gibberish," perhaps ult. from griego "Greek." The "Diccionario Castellano" (1787) says gringo was used in Malaga for "anyone who spoke Spanish badly," and in Madrid for "the Irish."' (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=gringo)

2. 'In fact, at one time, the word in Spain was often used to refer specifically to the Irish.' (http://spanish.about.com/od/wordsweshare/p/gringo.htm)

3. 'The word Gringo also appears in Spain around the time of the inquisitions, it was used to refer to Irish Monks living in Spain that could not pronounce Spanish correctly.' (http://thegringo.com/index.php?articleID=6276&sectionID=142)

GizAGoOfYerGee

Dionysus wrote: »

I knew I read somewhere years ago that a Spanish name specifically for the Irish was 'Gringos'. A reference to this can be found in the etymology section of Wikipedia's entry for 'Gringo'

I've heard that before, but 'Gringo' here in Spain, they believe, comes from 'Griego', the Greeks, or Romans, which would make more sense.

What is certain is that, in Spanish, 'Gringo' means 'foreigner'. Like 'Gall' in Old Irish, eg 'Dún na nGall' = 'Fort of the Foreigners', but no relation to the Spanish. :pac:

There are all sort of ideas in South America as to where 'Gringo' comes from. The Mexicans say 'Green Coats' = Gringos, the Irish that fought with the Mexicans against the Americans. Sounds romantic, but bullsh!it!

Who knows. I'll stick with the Greeks.

cardwizzard

I wonder what they call Ulster Scots:D

Sunnyisland

Yes of course.

Tubsandtiles

I just look at them in disgust and wonder how they never ever opened a history book or geography book

Azhrei

Noreen1 wrote: »

Eh, Donegal is in the North-West.:D
If you refer to "The North" in Donegal, it will be assumed that you are referring to Northern Ireland. Threefore, you will (mistakenly?) be assumed to have called us British!:P

I don't know why I capitalised north. Bah.