# This year I'm flying a Union Jack **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 16, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465 "2005-06-16T00:34:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/21 "2005-06-16T14:27:48Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Rule of thumb: a Scot is a Scot until he’s a mass murderer, then he’s British. Same with the Welsh. (You get my meaning.) Nope, haven’t a clue. ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/22 "2005-06-16T14:38:59Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > No, I’m not English, and was specifically meaning English = English ::rolleyes back at you:: because I’ve no idea how significant Nov 5th is north of the border. So if I only knew for sure that my hometown celebrated Christmas then Christmas would be “December 25th is a traditional \ celebration”? Or would it still be (in general terms) a global tradition meaning that I was wrong when I said it was a tradition only of my hometown? (here’s the part where people go on about x% of the world not celebrating Christmas and I wish I hadn’t bothered saying anything in the first place. Semantics, who needs them? 🙂 ). As for the OP - remember that although the union flag at first glance looks symmetrical it can be hung upside down by accident. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/23 "2005-06-16T14:40:27Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Can someone just clue me in on the precise nature and construction of _jello salad_. Others have posted regarding the construction of jello salad. Permit me, if you will, to opine regarding the precise nature of jello salad. It is, perhaps, the most _foul_ thing ever created by man or beast. The only thing worse than a fresh mold of jello salad is a plate of _picked over_ jello salad, where someone has picked out all the fruity bits and just left a mish mash of jello, whipped cream, mayonnaise, etc. This has nothing to do with the fact that, the first time my mom made red jello salad, my sister told me that it was guts. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/24 "2005-06-16T14:57:23Z")
> [@Arch Trout](#): > > So if I only knew for sure that my hometown celebrated Christmas then Christmas would be “December 25th is a traditional \ celebration”? > > Or would it still be (in general terms) a global tradition meaning that I was wrong when I said it was a tradition only of my hometown? Bloody hell, you can’t win, can you? If I’d said Nov 5th was a ‘British tradition’, I’d be very wrong, because there’s places where it certainly isn’t in favour. (And don’t forget that 25th December isn’t a global date for Christmas 😛 ) ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/25 "2005-06-16T15:04:01Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Bloody hell, you can’t win, can you? If I’d said Nov 5th was a ‘British tradition’, I’d be very wrong, because there’s places where it certainly isn’t in favour. What places? Seriously, I’m intrigued. My knowledge of English counties is non-existent so for all I know people from Devon refuse to participate in any Fawkes burning. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/26 "2005-06-16T15:12:24Z")
> [@Arch Trout](#): > > What places? > Seriously, I’m intrigued. > My knowledge of English counties is non-existent so for all I know people from Devon refuse to participate in any Fawkes burning. Who said English places? You’re the one objecting to that interpretation of ‘British’ in the first place! I doubt you could whip up much enthusiasm for it in South Armagh, for instance. All I was doing was being careful about not saying things that I didn’t mean, and you’re complaining I didn’t say things I did mean. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/27 "2005-06-16T15:21:31Z")
> [@Martiju](#): > > Yep - on 5 November we celebrate that the conspirators who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament were caught by setting off fireworks and burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire. > > Remember remember the fifth of November, > Gunpowder, treason and plot… You know, I just learned something about Harry Potter. Go figure… ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/28 "2005-06-16T21:43:40Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Rule of thumb: a Scot is a Scot until he’s a mass murderer, then he’s British. Same with the Welsh. (You get my meaning.) > [@Arch Trout](#): > > Nope, haven’t a clue. Me neither. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/29 "2005-06-16T21:49:19Z")
> [@Vetch](#): > > Me neither. I think **roger thornhill** is trying to make a variation on the old Scottish gripe that 'when a Scottish athlete loses a race, the English media call them “Scottish” - if they win a race, they’re “British”. Funnily enough, they never have evidence to back up this tedious whine. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/30 "2005-06-16T21:57:15Z")
> [@Campion](#): > > When we lived in England, my parents used to throw a block party every Fourth of July When _we_ lived in England, we would go to the local base for the 4th of July: it was an RAF base kind of “leased” to the DoD, but they did a bang-up job with burgers and fireworks and everything. 🙂 > [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Did the neighbourhood host a Guy Fawkes party in November? Ours did! Our neighborhood was a bunch of cul-de-sacs, and the cul-de-sac (or “close”) next to ours always sported a big bonfire every November 5th. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/31 "2005-06-16T22:03:48Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Basically it’s gelatin with various bits of fruit inside (usually oranges, apples, cherries, and so forth. But not pineapple, it has a chemical which prevents the Jell-O from setting.) You can use canned pineapple, but not fresh pineapple. The latter will keep it from setting. The former is just an abominable addition to green Jell-O. _shudder_ Jell-O salads are, IMO, horrible. Haven’t tried one I’ve liked - and I’ve been made to try many. The worst is when the creator has put in crunchy things, or something cloudy like mayonnaise, cottage cheese or ricotta which obscures what other things have been added. Seriously, where is the pukey smiley? OMG - and who thought up adding green bell pepper? ::barf:: ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/32 "2005-06-17T07:57:12Z")
So it’s sort of _homogenised trifle_? ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/33 "2005-06-17T08:09:58Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Who said English places? You’re the one objecting to that interpretation of ‘British’ in the first place! I doubt you could whip up much enthusiasm for it in South Armagh, for instance. All I was doing was being careful about not saying things that I didn’t mean, and you’re complaining I didn’t say things I did mean. 😕 All I meant was that if you told me that there were certain areas of England that didn’t participate on 05/11 then I would accept that, just as I’m perfectly wiling to accept that some areas of Wales have no truck with it. I pretty much guessed that certain areas of NI wouldn’t have anything to do with it but that’s hardly a surprise and you could argue that the people in NI that don’t celebrate Guy Fawkes night probably don’t even see themselves as British anyway. Anyway, just because some people in Northern Ireland might not involve themselves doesn’t negate the fact that the tradition is British not English. In your care to say things that you didn’t mean you said something that was, IMO, inaccurate. Which is what I now wish I hadn’t bothered doing. In fact, I shouldn’t even be posting this reply as I’ve taken the whole thing off topic enough. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/34 "2005-06-17T11:11:40Z")
We do the Halloween thing here in a big way. Bonfires etc. Irish immigrants were one of the reasons the US have such a big Halloween thing going on. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/35 "2005-06-17T11:12:49Z")
Doh! the full post should have been. I could be even nit pickier and say that the official title is Great Britain **and** Northern Ireland. So NI is part of the UK but not Britain 😛 We do the Halloween thing here in a big way. Bonfires etc. Irish immigrants were one of the reasons the US have such a big Halloween thing going on. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/36 "2005-06-17T12:46:03Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > So it’s sort of _homogenised trifle_? Dunno. Is trifle edible? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/37 "2005-06-17T14:05:04Z")
> [@DeVena](#): > > Dunno. Is trifle edible? Yes. It’s made from jelly (jello), cake, fruit, custard, cream, etc. Very edible. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/38 "2005-06-17T14:14:03Z")
Yuck. Jello in trifle is just wrong, because I grew up having it with jam. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465/39 "2005-06-17T16:37:54Z")
I’m with **Ginger**! Trifle is cake, something fruity (jam is easiest), and custard. You can drizzle sherry (or brandy or rum) over the cake first and top with whipped cream, if you like. No Jello! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-flying-a-union-jack/308465.md?page=1)