# If the British had a shread of decency

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-british-had-a-shread-of-decency/5618>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [March 28, 2000, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-british-had-a-shread-of-decency/5618 "2000-03-28T00:23:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-british-had-a-shread-of-decency/5618/41 "2000-03-31T13:48:00Z")

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Can I ask something… why is it “The United Kingdom Of Great Britian and Northern Ireland”? why not just “Great Britian”?  
Or even just “Britian”?

I mean, its just called that to show off.  
Its not that great.

## hell, why not throw all the commonwealth into the title?

\*\*Id rather be no one than someone with no one \*\*

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**Author:** ![TomH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90db22/32.png) [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-british-had-a-shread-of-decency/5618/42 "2000-03-31T14:36:00Z")

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John,

It’s to distinguish it from Little Britain, the region of France which is now generally called Brittany.

The first “official” use of the title was when James I was declared king of “Great Britain, France, and Ireland” in 1604. He was a Scotsman, so if you want to argue about the Ireland bit, take it up with MadHun. At that time, Great Britain and Brittany were both referred to interchangeably as “Britain” or “Brittany”or some variant spelling thereof (believe me, there was a lot of variant spelling in those days). Brittany was also called “Little Britain” or “Britain the less”.

I’m not sure when the invariable use of “Britain” for GB and “Brittany” for _Bretagne_ was established in English (though I know it was later than the early 17th Century). There is still no distinction in French: Brittany is _Bretagne_ and Britain is _Grande-Bretagne_.

While we’re on the subject, where are Lower Volta and Inner Mongolia?

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**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-british-had-a-shread-of-decency/5618/43 "2000-03-31T14:47:00Z")

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And where the fuck is the LITTLE barrier reef?

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**Author:** ![Crystalguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Crystalguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crystalguy)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-british-had-a-shread-of-decency/5618/44 "2000-03-31T15:42:00Z")

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I know where the **Little BigHorn** is.

* * *

Crystalguy

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**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2000, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-british-had-a-shread-of-decency/5618/45 "2000-04-03T07:54:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> What would you rather, catholic???

Oooooh no. But that’s another thread. 🙂

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