# No, we're not fucking quaint. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 24, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459 "2002-04-24T23:50:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/81 "2002-04-27T07:46:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manhattan \* > \*\* Why? Until the mid-90’s, Australian bankruptcy law was _horrible_. Familiar with Linter Textiles? Bond Brewing? The country’s receivership was a freaking disaster that was completely unprepared for the global economy, especially as regards cross-border capital. > > Now it’s better (although relatively untested – it will get better still as caselaw under the new system increases). > > It’s no different than saying that L.A.'s subway system is inadequate or that it rains a lot in Seattle. It is what it is. \*\* Please. It IS what it IS? **"Freaking _LA_ has better subway system."** Fine. If I wanted to comment upon a city with a truly crap public transport, this statement would be a fair comparison. Los Angeles DOES have an inadequate subway system. **"Freaking _Australia_ has more up-to-date bankruptcy laws than y’all."** This is offensive! You just said Australian bankruptcy law _was in the past_ deficient. It’s better now, you say. So why the comparison? LA DOES have a crap subway. Australia DOES NOT have out-of-date bankruptcy laws, according to you. So something tells me yours was not an innocent analogy. Your intent was to either cast wider dispersions on Australia. It was a comment that Australia is SUCH a backwards nation that for another country to have more archaic laws is truly a matter for shame. Oh, and what if I were to comment upon literacy in Africa? **"Freaking _Americans_ have better reading skills".** Is this not offensive? Not according to you. “It IS what it IS”. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/82 "2002-04-27T07:55:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by reprise \* > \*\ ***Manny** , our bankruptcy laws **still** suck; just ask anyone who’s been affected by the collapse of Ansett, HIH, Andersen, or One.tel. \*\* [Pauline Hanson] Please explain. [/Pauline Hanson] Please tell me how Australia’s corporate insolvency laws contributed to the mess that was the collapse of Ansett, HIH et al. I don’t mean to dispute your statement, **reprise** (not yet, at least :)), but as always I’m interested in your opinion. How did insolvency law fail those affected by these corporate collapses? What deficiencies does it have that you would correct? [Oh, and just some terminology info for y’all: in Australia (as in other Commonwealth countries), “bankruptcy law” refers only to the law of personal insolvency. We use “corporate insolvency” to describe… umm, corporate insolvency.] ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2002, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/83 "2002-04-27T14:01:48Z")
Leaving aside replying to stereotypes with stereotypes and the relative merits of British Cuisine (although as a foodie I do consider it some of the best on the world)… > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Waldo \* > \*\* > > I think I’ve seen it mentioned on this board that Michael Cain in fact has a rather low-class accent, despite what Americans think. I’ve also heard that on “Frazier”, Daphne’s family is obviously from all over England, but the Americans are oblivious. > > Can I get a confirmation? \*\* This is indeed true. Michael Cain has a cockney accent, considered a “working class” accent. Whether or not this is his real accent or he plays it up for the camera is open to debate. Cf also Jamie Oliver - The Naked Chef. Compare their accents to John Cleese (doing the Dead Parrot sketch for example) - do they sound even vaguely similar to you? Compare (I’m assuming this quote from The Italian Job is as well-known in the US as it is in the UK): “You’re ahnly supposed to blow the blady doors off!” to “This is an ex-parrot. It has gone to meet its maker.” Were John Cleese to say the first quote it would come out as “You’re ownly supposed to blow the bluddy doors orf!” and were Michael Caine to be in possession of a deceased parrot he would be saying “Vis is a dead parrot. It 'as gawn to meet it’s mayker.” And as for Daphne’s family - lord only knows where they come from. Daphne is supposed to be from Manchester, which is in the North of England. Mancunian is a very strong dialect and Daphne has some bizarre hybrid of Mancunian and godknowswhere. Her brother has a VERY strong Cockney accent (which, by the way, I would very much doubt is the actor’s accent since hardly anyone at all speaks like that nowadays). The difference in their accents couldn’t be more pronounced - they’d have had to be brought up several hundred miles apart. As an example, think of the word “bath”. Daphne, as a Mancunian, would pronounce it with a short “a” - just “bath”, whereas her Cockney-accented brother would pronounce it “bahrf”. The irony is, the actor who plays Frasier’s dad is originally from Manchester. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/84 "2002-04-28T14:48:53Z")
Dear over-sensitive Australians: Your receivership system stinks. It used to stink even worse. That means it’s OK to compare, unfavorably, another country’s receivership system to yours as a means of insulting that system without fear that over-sensitive idiots from either country will take the comparison as a slap against the whole country. If you still don’t get it, here’s a diagram of possible reactions: Go fuck yourself \<-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\> Get over it. Please place yourself along the above scale wherever you feel most comfortable. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Dear **not** over-sensitive Australians: Hey, how’s it going? Wanna go out for a beer or something sometime? I got the first round. Love, manny ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/85 "2002-04-28T15:33:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Guiness its not the UK exporting guinness 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dave316](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dave316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dave316)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/86 "2002-04-28T22:21:57Z")
Amish people are quaint . Unless you are Amish you are not quaint. Other people may TRY to be quaint they may even call themselves quaint but they are NOT. I told my Amish friend Jacob Yoder about other people calling themselves quaint and for the first time i have seen a Amish person get mad he wasn’t quaint anymore he was angry he said “if those other people think they are so quaint they can down to Amish country and we will show them who is the quainter” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2002, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/87 "2002-04-28T23:05:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Francesca \* > \*\*I swear to god, if ONE MORE FUCKING PERSON uses the words “quaint” or “cute” as regards Britain or its people, I will hurt something. And no, it won’t be fucking funny if you say it as a comment to this post. It’s patronising and rude and belittling. We’re not cute or quaint compared to everyone else and to stereotype Britain as such is small-minded and really fucking annoying. That is all. \*\* I’ll make you a deal. I’ll never describe Britian as quaint, as long as you never refer to New hampshire as " untouched wilderness." I think, as enlightened people, this is a very easy bargin for us to keep 🙂 Are some of the wackjobs who wax poetic about your home near neighbors, though? You wouldn’t believe how many weird comments I’ve heard from MA, the border of which is only 30 miles from where I live in a couple of directions(we have irregular borders). ---
**Author:** ![NINJA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/53a042/32.png) [@NINJA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NINJA)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/88 "2002-04-29T11:53:59Z")
You think you got it bad??? I live and work in Monaco (yes the grand prix monaco, the grace kelly monaco)… No I am not rich. Actually my monthly salary is not even 1K $ Yes I have met the prince, the crown prince and the princess stephanie, HOWEVER that does not mean I know them personnaly… Not monaco is not a fucking fiscal paradise whatever the press and various international entity might say. No I don’t think it’s cool to have a grand prix there. Actually 80% of the population is leaving monaco during these 4 days of hell. And yes, damnit, it’s a real country NINJA ---
**Author:** ![sirjamesp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@sirjamesp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirjamesp)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/89 "2002-04-29T12:13:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TwistofFate \* > its not the UK exporting guinness 😉 It’s a British company, though. ;)[sup] 2[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/90 "2002-04-29T12:52:20Z")
Dear common or garden variety Rude Fuck hiding behind the mask of smart-talkin’ streetwise Noo Yawker: Up yours cobber. We Aussies are familiar with self deprecation, and indeed don’t mind others having a go at us either (especially New Zealanders and/or Matt Groenig), providing it’s done with style (a criterion your first post does not meet). Dear **Manhattan**. Given the exchange rate for Pacific Pesos, you can buy the first fucking TWO rounds. Make mine a Tooheys Old - despite its former Bond Brewing history, it’s still a bloody brilliant gets-yer-right-in-th’-goolies dark ale. Cheers. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/91 "2002-04-29T13:11:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sirjamesp \* > \*\*It’s a British company, though. ;)[sup] 2[/sup] \*\* Multi-national or rebuilding the Empire? ;)[sup]3[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![sirjamesp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@sirjamesp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirjamesp)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/92 "2002-04-30T06:10:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TwistofFate \* > Multi-national or rebuilding the Empire? > ;)[sup]3[/sup] I was thinking more along the lines of the fact that Guinness is owned by a British company, with its headquarters in Britain, which pays tax to the British government, and hence, by extension, to the Queen. So let’s raise a pint of Guinness to Her Majesty! ;)[sup]4[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459/93 "2002-04-30T08:22:58Z")
My, those people in Northern Ireland sure are quaint, what with their blowing each other up and all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-were-not-fucking-quaint/105459.md?page=4)