Great Britain

[TWR]

Will this country ever be know as Great Britain again? Like a few on here, I've travelled the Globe & in each place we have stopped you have people coming up and saying, are you British, are you from Britain, when replied yes by myself and saying Great Britain their replies usually is, I'T WAS!! are they right?

[Gromit]

Your foreign friends are more right than you are.

Great Britain is a geographical term not a poltical one. Geographically we live in the British Isles. The British Isles have 2 main island land mashes, one is called Great Britain, the other is called Ireland.

Great Britain contains England, Scotland and Wales. But not Northern Ireland which is on the other island.

Our country is the United Kingdom which is a political and administrative term. Crucially our country includes Northern Ireland which isn't part of Great Britain.

So to proclaim You are from Great Britain indicates an island you live on, and not a country that once had a great empire.

[murraymints]

I was asked which part of Wales I came from when living in Norfolk..and which part of Australia when in the states ! cosmopolitan I am !

[murraymints]

when writing the royal parchments..queen was always..." Defender of the Faith head of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and her other realms and territories "

[woofgang]

gosh twr how is it you only meet rude people when you are abroad.

[-Talbot-]

murraymints
I was asked which part of Wales I came from when living in Norfolk..and which part of Australia when in the states ! cosmopolitan I am !


I usually wonder what planet you're on ;0p

[albaqwerty]

Minty, was once asked if I was Canadian

(that'll teach me to speak proper)

Woofy, he goes to meet them :-)

[murraymints]

Talbot.. I am from the third star down past zog and turn left at Vulcan...can't miss it ! xx

[Baldric]

Whilst being aware The Country was referred to as Great Britain, I don't think I have ever heard it referred to as that in my adult lifetime.

[woofgang]

alba hahahahaha maybe that would be a good package tour "travel abroad with us, we guarantee you will be offended at every stop"

[jno]

Tell them you're from the Murray river, minty.

Or if you've got time in hand, the Murrumbidgee.

[thistles]

There is a ladies clothes shop in Orkney with the name title "CLAIS" as in clothes, that must cause a bit of explaining.

[Cloverjo]

When I'm abroad if someone asks me where I'm from I say England.

My Brummie dentist asked me if I was American.
I'm from Somerset.

[jourdain2]

I spent a long time, when I lived in France, explaining that 'les anglais' were not all English , some were Welsh, Irish, Scottish etc. and then the difference between Britain, Great Britain and the U.K.. It took years, but 2 smallish communities in France now understand the literal application.

I fear that in the other sense of 'Great Britain' we may have lost it through too much liberalism and too much immigration, all too fast.

[Cloverjo]

I used to work with a man who insisted his nationality was 'Great British'. No one says they're Great British, but this argument went on for ages.

[Old_Geezer]

Indeed, it greatness and superiority was merely an interesting coincidence.

If your experience isn't a leg pull then I think you are just being wound up.

[DaisyNonna]

oh ye of little faith

[Jackdaw33]

I occasionally receive mail from France which is marked 'Grande Bretagne'.

[jourdain2]

I've seen that used Jackdaw, although officially we are Royaume Unis.