Conservative party conference outcomes

We'll have no fun here everyone, especially if its in French!!

The fact that people think that knowing a bit of French makes you posh gives a little clue into how we ended up with Brexit, n'est pas?

now now Alegrias, it is

n'est-ce pas! (MDR)

Ouf!

That's me off the posh list then.....

No posh posturing, but I am in lurve.
This is a good read. All about Raymond's philosophy on food and life. Some simpler recipes too. I enjoyed his anecdotes about his mother and how his brother accidentally got injured by a wild boar!

Alegrias1

Ouf!

That's me off the posh list then.....

How do you say 'boom boom' in French?

Et toc!

Kali2

Alegrias1

Ouf!

That's me off the posh list then.....

How do you say 'boom boom' in French?

Et toc!

Sounds better in German Kali2.

Bumm, Bumm.

My comment was a bit tongue in cheek I admit Alegrias! It’s just that too much ‘aren’t we all so clever’ excludes the majority (in my opinion) and therefore comes across as rude really. Imagine monopolising a conversation like this in real life whilst most of the group looked on in bemusement.

As for other countries learning English as a second language that’s no surprise is it? It’s spoken in America, Australia, Canada. It’s the shared language of business and communication world wide. So Europeans learn it at school.

When we Brits go on holiday it’s less easy. Sure we learn a few phrases of French, German, Spanish, Italian to get by. That’s only polite. But heck we’d have to be amazing linguists to learn so many of them fluently!

I’m good at ordering food & drink in Spanish! No surprise there! Himself is good at directions - left, right, telling the time etc. Maybe that’s a male perspective but between us we do okay. The Spanish appreciate the fact that we do try.

Just seen the title of this thread and thought we are really digressing aren’t we?

So, you own property in Spain which you visit regularly and can order food and drink in Spanish?

Claro

I have married friends who come from 2 different EU countries who speak to each other in a third language and to their child in all 3. None of those languages is English. But the speak English too. And one of them speaks a bit of Mandarin.

Another mean comment Alegrias. You excel in so many fields.

We get by. We try but mostly we socially se with British friends and holiday makers so we speak English. We spend our pension money in bars & restaurants on the Costa del Sol. The owners are happy to accept our euros! We don’t need to look for a job so our disposable income is just very welcome there, helping to support their economy.

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I learned French and German at my 'cannon fodder factory for blue collar workers' comprehensive school in the middle of a huge urban council estate. It was required of all pupils up to age 14. My family and I are working class to the core - posh we ain't. I speak English and French with an accent that would make Vicky Pollard sound like a duchess.

Thinking that Johnny Foreigner learning English is a given but that foreign languages are less easy for Brits pretty much sums up the Brexit mentality to me.

I like the clever people on here. They make me look things up and I learn from them.

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Donnez-moi un break Urmstongran

Shall we break into Latin? Mine's a bit rusty but I'll get by. That's OK, isn't it. Latin? My ancient Greek is non-existent....

I too like clever people & learning stuff on here. But when a thread goes over the heads of most people that’s not inclusive is it?

I wonder what people reading this are thinking?
Perhaps I can ‘ask the audience’?

Apologies for my contribution of french texting . I had to look up what Josianne write and then decided to reply in kind. No showing off intended …

Thank you Lucca.

I like the clever people on here. They make me look things up and I learn from them.

Me too. I came on here to learn and I certainly have done so - from many and varied people.

I think to be fair that the majority of Brits of our age did learn French at school, so I think most would understand the basics at least? My children learned Welsh too, but there would be less of an audience for that on here! I think it’s a great shame that less value is placed on languages in schools these days, because a basic knowledge is actually very useful, and there are common roots in a lot of the European languages, I can pick up some of the gist of Spanish and Italian as well because I learned French, I’m sure that’s not unusual.

OK, I used 6 French words at the start of a post. The rest of the post was in reasonably good English. I then used a phrase twice, misspelling it once. A couple of people made funny comments using abbreviations, which I also had to look up, BTW. Oh, and I used 2 non-English interjections.

That's not monopolising the conversation UG, I'm sure that the thread hasn't gone over anybody's head.

Alegrias1

Donnez-moi un break Urmstongran

Shall we break into Latin? Mine's a bit rusty but I'll get by. That's OK, isn't it. Latin? My ancient Greek is non-existent....

Well Johnson likes to show off his Latin, and a bit of Greek - just to pad out his Conference speeches and make him look a bit more erudite... no?

Speaking a few words and phrases if fine if you go once to some country- but if you own property there and go for long periods of time on a regular basis- it would be nice if more Brits made a tad more effort- to show respect and to try and take more part in local life- not just expats. But- hey ho.

Back to Johnson and the Tory Party- brilliant contribution here by Ian Hislop- and it is seriously concerning

youtu.be/atZfmZlM5zs

Up in the hills at the enormous very posh villa Zak Goldman has lent him for his hols- I wonder how much Spanish Johnson is speaking?

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Lucca

Apologies for my contribution of french texting . I had to look up what Josianne write and then decided to reply in kind. No showing off intended …

Well if you're citing me Lucca I'll pass this business back to Jane Judge and her mention of Raymond. And she will pass it back to someone who said something about loving the French or their loving us.
No showing off intended, just how minds work, ( note I didn't say how brains work!)