How Others See Us

[Wharton]

On holiday in Greece recently the local pub owner asked us where we were from. On being informed that we were Scots he said, "Ah Scotland, snow and whisky". We all had a good laugh. We had an even bigger laugh when we asked him what two words came to mind when England was mentioned. The reply was sleekit and spiv. Do any countries conjure up two-word generalisations?

[2sp_]

A very brave question, think I'll pull up a seat...

[erin-x]

A Greek said sleekit?! Lol!!

[Wharton]

2sp - I'll sit next to you
erin-x - I don't think we were the first Scots he had met

[2sp_]

Sleekit is a great word!

[sunny-dave]

Scots has some excellent words - dreich for one ...

... also I seem to remember erin once calling someone a bawbag :+)

[2sp_]

We are indeed blessed with a wonderful vocabulary!

[Wharton]

being called a bawbag from a lady let's you know exactly what your chances are

[daffy654]

Oh good, another thread to take the mick out of the English. :-/

Why is that ok but we are not allowed to say anything against Scottish, Welsh or Irish?

[erin-x]

Me?! Naw...... ;-)

[Wharton]

only saying what the Greek chap said daffy

[emmie]

i had to look it up, but the explanation is quite interesting

http://caledonianmerc...-word-sleekit/0013273

[emmie]

it doesn't according to this source.

[emmie]

The word sleekit, a two-syllable word pronounced as it is spelt, is an adjective formed from the Scots verb to sleek. This verb, which is derived from Old English, means to make smooth or to polish, echoing the meaning of the English verb sleek, as in sleek back your hair. The derived adjective sleekit means smooth or glossy, as in a well-fed cat wi a sleekit coat.

[Svejk]

Giros & smack. Is that the general idea here Wharton?

[NoMercy]

Wales:

Sheep sh******

[Eve]

When I was in California and I said I was from Shropshire I got sheep mentioned a lot...and asked if we really do afternoon tea everyday.

[Psybbo]

daffy, you can take the mick out of me any time

[joeluke]

and what 2 words would we choose to describe Greeks?

[emmie]

if he was a local pub owner, was he Greek, because if he had used the term spiv, he would have had to have lived here, it is not a really widely used term, at least not now. And anyone can be a spiv.. even north of the border.

[emmie]

tax dodgers