England is neither "jolly" nor "old."

[Writer]

Discuss!

[skygazer]

1. Well, a lot depends on how you define "old"

Also "England" for that matter.

[Kutjara]

2. Compared to America, England is old, but then,...

...compared to America, the sandwich I bought from 7/11 this morning is old.

As for jolly, I don't think England is any more jolly than anywhere else. Germany is probably more jolly, if the number of people who actually make the 'ho! ho! ho!' sound when they laugh is any measure.

[Writer]

3. Kick.

An issue in great need of debate. ;)

[tjwmason]

4. No we're not.

I, for one, am distinctly grumpy.

England has only been a united country for a century or two over 1000 years; so not really that old.

[billyskank]

5. But is it green and pleasant?

That seems like a much more pertinent question to me. :)

[tjwmason]

7. The bits which the Deputy Prime Minister hasn't got his hands on are still

green...plus his croquet lawn of course ;)

But apparently won't be very green for much longer, due to climate change :(

[swimboy]

8. Now we have to get into the fishtank and sing.

Someone said mattress to Mr. Lamberts again.

[T_i_B]

21. Green & Pleasant?

Depends where you are in England really doesn't it?

I wouldn't say England's "jolly" but I can't argue with the old part, especially as I am in Britain's oldest town at present!

[swimboy]

6. It is, however, pretty Mary!

Uh, I mean, merrie!





:hide:

[tjwmason]

9. What is up with your mood today?

You seem to be less than half-sane...can't imagine why. :eyes:

[billyskank]

10. Anybody would think he was going on holiday

:eyes:

[Writer]

12. Yes... a few non-sequitors there...

I'm a bit confused.

[swimboy]

13. It is almost a shame to explain it.

(and I am pretty giddy!)

There's an old Monty Python routine where a couple go into a department store to buy a bed. They are warned not to say mattress to Mr. Lamberts but when it slips out he puts a bucket over his head and the only measure to be taken is for one of the other employees to get in the fishtank and sing "And did those feet in ancient times . . . "

so you see, sadly, it all makes perfect sense. Even though it sounds a bit like Random Australian.

:7

[tjwmason]

14. Yes I know the sketch.

But that's in a different one of your responses.

If you want to sing Jerusalem on Sunday, I'm game that's for sure. :P

[swimboy]

18. If I get to sing Jerusalem on Sunday

my recovery will be at an end and I will revert to being an incurable Anglophile once again.



I had to cue up Jerusalem and "I was glad" before supper. :loveya:

[regularguy]

11. Kingsley Amis

I'm vaguely remembering a hiliariously drunken speech from "Lucky Jim" ...

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. England is very old and often jolly

I visited a church that was built in the 1100s. How much older do you want?

Granted, Japan is older (temple built in the 700s) and China is even older than that (terra cotta warriors buried more than 2000 years ago), but compared to any of them, America is a baby!

And I dare you to find anything jollier than a group of English people who have had a pint or two who are sitting around trading witty remarks. Or running through old Monty Python routines, as in this thread.

[Book Lover]

16. All UK'ers I meet tend to be the cranked-up kind

I don't think I'd call that "jolly." (Maybe it's the smell of gas...) As for old... As mentioned upthread, it has only been united-ish for about 1000 years. We Romans have that beat dead to rights.

[mr blur]

17. Well, there's a stone circle near where I was born

that's a couple of thousand years older than Stonehenge. There's a church in our village that's 1,000 years old.

I'm old and English, but not very jolly, really.

England's pretty cool, really and will be even better when Thatcher's Bastard Son has finally fucked off and someone in the Labour Party remembers what Socialism is.

[Arugula Latte]

19. Well, if you think about it, we have some old stuff here in 'Murika.

Anasazi civilization, etc.

[mykpart]

20. Perhaps not, but there are some who feel that

England swings like a pendulum do
Bobbies on bicycles two by two
Westminster Abbey, the Tower and Big Ben
The rosy red cheeks of the little children.

[cwydro]

23. I love England

[Left Is Write]

22. Whaddya mean it's not old?

The US is an infant in comparison.

[billyskank]

24. Compared to India it's not old, I guess

;)

[Deep13]

25. England is about 1500 years old.

It was only jolly compared to grim, Inquisition-ridden Spain.