Bucklebury Headmistress - Shame!

[lynbrown]

On Sky news, we have just watched the headmistress of Bucklebury Primary School tell all her pupils that the new royal baby will grow up to be the King of England. She repeated it again in an interview. How can she be so ignorant? What about the Welsh, the Scots, the Northern Irish? He will be their king too. It's enough to make me vote YES in next years referendum.

[Quizmonster]

Team GB was an absurd name. The descriptor in our language normally precedes its accompanying noun; we don't say 'man big' or 'woman pretty', do we? Why not (Great) British team? After all, I don't know of any sport in which the English team, for example, is called 'Team England'.

[craft1948]

The English Lacrosse team are known as Team England.............

[ToraToraTora]

We are always known as Great Britain in the Olympics, Team UK would be absurd. Yes QM it's not grammatically perfect. Don't watch an star trek will you

[jake-the-peg]

I don't know about absurd Tora, it would certainly be more accurate!

I'd be pretty annoyed about it if I were an athlete from Northern Ireland!

[Quizmonster]

Perhaps, but why, Craft? The only reason I can think of is the fact that the word, lacrosse, is from Canadian French and the French, of course, DO put descriptors after their accompanying noun! Is this a practice we are now prepared to condone here?

TTT, are you referring to the words, "to boldly go", by any chance?

[boxtops]

He'll be the King of Canada too, as we were reminded in the congratulatory message from the Canadian establishment.

[emmie]

that is if they are part of the commonwealth, or there is one by the time he becomes King

[BBabbon]

I happen to know the headteacher in question and I think that she would be horrified by any offence caused, as none was intended. I would imagine that she simply got caught up in the moment and made a mistake. GASP, person makes mistake, someone call the lynch mob..........oh.
Honestly, Grow up, Stop whinging and try spreading some happiness and not this vitriolic garbage, you will find it better for the soul.

[Just-Jude]

The English have no respect for Scotland. When they become independent, Alex Salmond will refuse to hand over all the coal, gas, oil and water reserves.

They will soon live to regret their high handed attitude and soon discover who the real King is!

[cathfromsaron]

he will rule only with consent and it cannot be presumed by anyone x

[ichkeria]

Just to bang tediously on about Team UK/GB one more time: it's nothing to do with grammar. It simply, as Jake explicitly points out, overlooks N Ireland, which is sloppy apart from anything else. It's also baffling as Team UK presumably has an equal ring about it. Even the Eurovision Song Contest gets it right for Sir Terry's sake! :-)

[elliemay1]

Well said, BBabbon! It was a simple mistake. Remember anyone who hasn't made a mistake hasn't made anything.

[zebo]

The Olympic team of the UK does not chose to call itself Team GB, the IOA makes such determinations.

[jno]

then the IOA should be reminded of the country's name, before they tell Mexico to call itself Guatemala.

[Maydup]

Its just what we do BBabbon - nothing else going on in our lives!

[zebo]

Jno, I don't agree with the IOA, apparently it can't be Team UK because of UKR being Ukraine!

[jno]

well, Ukraine can be Team UKR if they want; I can't see anyone confusing them with the UK.

[lynbrown]

It's not good enough to claim she just 'made a mistake'. It shows a lack of knowledge that's surprising - shocking even - in a school headmistress. What other wrong info is being taught in her school?

[pixie373]

It isn't wrong though...

[THECORBYLOON]

The British Olympic Association says Team GB is the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic team. Saying UK could be confused with UKR for Ukraine is rubbish. If they have to use three letters in the IOC, why not change GBR to GBN to show Ulster is included? In the meantime I will continue to refer to the UK Olympic Team and not Team GB.