pardon??

[swedeheart]

The other day following the royal engagement a couple of Swedish newspapers covered the story - rather loosely and probably with a lot of second hand info they had just translated from British press, I suspect. I was very puzzled by a short paragraph about Kate Middletons mother. The implication was she was, by many, considered... a bit plebeian, perhaps... "because she uses words like 'toilet' and 'pardon'". These two words had not been translated to Swedish so one can only assume they did mean exactly those words.

Now, 'toilet' I can understand - we do have euphemisms in Sweden too - but 'pardon'? How is that impolite or chavvy? Is it really?

As several of you know, I'm asking from the point of view of the born and bred Swede that I am, so if it seems odd that I found it odd, that'll be why:)

[jno]

"This Earle of Oxford, making of his low obeisance to Queen Elizabeth, happened to let a Fart, at which he was so abashed and ashamed that he went to Travell, 7 yeares. On his returne the Queen welcomed him home, and sayd, My Lord, I had forgott the Fart."

from Brief Lives by John Aubrey (low obeisance is a bow)

[Andyvon]

I hope the press aren't going to start another campaign to destroy someone who finds themselves in the public eye. They did exactly this with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. They never left her alone. Perhaps there might have been problems with the marrige but the press never helped and I'm sure contributed to the break-up with Prince Andrew. Even then they couldn't leave Sarah Ferguson alone and she's now nearly bankrupt I believe. The press do the same with football managers, actors, TV personalities - whoever they decide to get their nasty talons into.

Something has to be done to stop the press doing this. It's no good arguing these are famous people being reported by a wonderful free press. Tony Blair issued an order when he became Prime Minister that all details of his family were to be kept secret and never reported. Even when he was PM no one knew the names of the four Blair children, where they went to school, or even what they looked like. Who would recognise any of them today? It's nothing to do with security, otherwise they would protect the Royal Family the same way. It was just the Blairs deciding to stifle the press for their own privacy.

The same's got to happen more to protect vulnerable people like Kate Middleton's mother.

[ladyalex]

Don't you just hate it when that happens ?

[ladyalex]

Sorry, my answer referred to jno's post.

(Too slow with the typing...proof of my high status.)

[jno]

not quite, Andy. When Blair's son was arrested for being drunk and incapable it was reported, though it mightn't have been if he'd been Euan Andyvon.

When one of his other children got into serious difficulty however it was (quite rightly) kept quiet.

[Andyvon]

Yes jno - but when the lad got drunk the whole thing was used by the Blairs as a showcase to try and show the public that they were 'just like other parents' having to sort out a 16 year old who had too much. If it suited the Blairs not to use the occasion it wouldn't have been reported at all. We heard about Leon being born as well of course, but that suited the Blairs too as a probable vote winner.

Other than that do we know anything at all about the Blair family? I do. They live a few miles from me in the large house of a famous actor whose now dead but who I used to pick up when I was a chauffeur (I used to go to the house to feed the actor's rabbits while he was away!) Even then, they keep very low-key and nothing is reported even around here, certainly not nationally.

It's not as if the Blair's found themselves accidently in the public eye like many others. They courted publicity for their own ends, then stifled the press when it suited.

[swedeheart]

Farting on my thread again I see, lol ladyalex and jno - I've been ROTFL at the Fart - the capital F does add a certain grandeur does it not ha ha. Ant the Fart lives on, on the internet - poor man, if he'd only known...!

I hadn't realised the Blairs kept their children away from the public eye to that degree Andyvon, that was interesting. It does seem to me that the British press is more spiteful than the Swedish and yet we're bad enough, I can tell you that.

[woofgang]

Stupid isn't it, all this fuss over U and non U...th whole point of good manners and ettiquette is to make life easier and more comfortable and not a stick to beat people with.

[swedeheart]

Couldn't agree more Woofgang, I only ask out of interest and to give jno a chance to tell fart jokes;-)

[woofgang]

morning!...jno doesn't need and excuse lol...people who cringe when people say pardon have too much time on their hands IMHO