7 ms·

One place even has six silent letters at the beginning!

by switch007 3y ago

willtemperley 3y ago
I don't think people from that particular place, using that particular spelling consider themselves British
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- switch007 3y ago
  Thanks, I know. Was trying to keep it light. Oh well
  - willtemperley 3y ago
    You managed to find the only context imaginable in which the joke didn't work!
Shrezzing 3y ago
Cwmystwyth is 10 letters with no vowels.
- eigenket 3y ago
  No it's not. W and y are vowels in Welsh (y can also be a consonant sometimes but I think only in words loaned from English). In Welsh the letter w stands for a sound something like the double o in the English word book.
arethuza 3y ago
I presume you are referring to Derry/Londonderry? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derry/Londonderry_name_dispute https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derry/Londonderry_name_dispute
- switch007 3y ago
  Right, though I didn't realise the website doesn't cover NI
- arp242 3y ago
  And the obvious way to solve this would be to rename it to Zürichderry, which will make everyone equally unhappy and angry, and is therefore the fairest solution.
lenerdenator 3y ago
There's an event horizon that conventional wisdom slips over when dealing with many things in the British Isles. You don't pronounce the first six letters in Londonderry, four countries is the same as one country, 26 + 6 somehow equals one...
- switch007 3y ago
  But you're OK with 50 states and a district being one country? Also I'm curious if you're familiar with any history of the islands of Ireland and Great Britain? If not, I recommend reading up - save you accusing any country of just being unwise, or whatever it is you are attempting to convey with "an event horizon that conventional wisdom slips over"
  - ben_w 3y ago
    "Four countries is one country" is very different from "50 states is one country". For one, Northern Ireland is variously described as a country, province or region despite (sometimes) having its own government and semi-independent legal system. Wales has its own language and parliament, but shares a legal system (but not all laws) with England. Scotland has its own legal system and is supposed to be the equal counter-party to {England {which included Wales}} in the name "United Kingdom of …". England doesn't have an independent parliament of its own, "just" (scare-quotes needed) the one for the whole UK. The history may have led to the status quo, but it's fair and reasonable to say the status quo is bonkers.
    - switch007 3y ago
      This discussion reminds of when a junior joins a team on an old monolith and after 3 days claims everything a mess! It's bonkers! How can you work like this! I could rewrite this perfectly in 3 months! Is it "bonkers" if it's generating $1bn in revenue? UK GDP is $3tn :D > "Four countries is one country" is very different from "50 states is one country". I don't think you made a very compelling argument. Both are made of constituent parts. Both are "united" in various ways. States have their own constitutions, laws etc. It's messy. Fewer issues around language, I grant that.

One place even has six silent letters at the beginning!

willtemperley 3y ago

I don't think people from that particular place, using that particular spelling consider themselves British

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
switch007 3y ago
Thanks, I know. Was trying to keep it light. Oh well
- willtemperley 3y ago
  You managed to find the only context imaginable in which the joke didn't work!

Shrezzing 3y ago

Cwmystwyth is 10 letters with no vowels.

eigenket 3y ago
No it's not. W and y are vowels in Welsh (y can also be a consonant sometimes but I think only in words loaned from English). In Welsh the letter w stands for a sound something like the double o in the English word book.

arethuza 3y ago

I presume you are referring to Derry/Londonderry? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derry/Londonderry_name_dispute https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derry/Londonderry_name_dispute

switch007 3y ago
Right, though I didn't realise the website doesn't cover NI
arp242 3y ago
And the obvious way to solve this would be to rename it to Zürichderry, which will make everyone equally unhappy and angry, and is therefore the fairest solution.

lenerdenator 3y ago

There's an event horizon that conventional wisdom slips over when dealing with many things in the British Isles. You don't pronounce the first six letters in Londonderry, four countries is the same as one country, 26 + 6 somehow equals one...

switch007 3y ago
But you're OK with 50 states and a district being one country? Also I'm curious if you're familiar with any history of the islands of Ireland and Great Britain? If not, I recommend reading up - save you accusing any country of just being unwise, or whatever it is you are attempting to convey with "an event horizon that conventional wisdom slips over"
- ben_w 3y ago
  "Four countries is one country" is very different from "50 states is one country". For one, Northern Ireland is variously described as a country, province or region despite (sometimes) having its own government and semi-independent legal system. Wales has its own language and parliament, but shares a legal system (but not all laws) with England. Scotland has its own legal system and is supposed to be the equal counter-party to {England {which included Wales}} in the name "United Kingdom of …". England doesn't have an independent parliament of its own, "just" (scare-quotes needed) the one for the whole UK. The history may have led to the status quo, but it's fair and reasonable to say the status quo is bonkers.
  - switch007 3y ago
    This discussion reminds of when a junior joins a team on an old monolith and after 3 days claims everything a mess! It's bonkers! How can you work like this! I could rewrite this perfectly in 3 months! Is it "bonkers" if it's generating $1bn in revenue? UK GDP is $3tn :D > "Four countries is one country" is very different from "50 states is one country". I don't think you made a very compelling argument. Both are made of constituent parts. Both are "united" in various ways. States have their own constitutions, laws etc. It's messy. Fewer issues around language, I grant that.