Happy "We Beat British Butt" Day!

[Graham]

Well actually Joseph Swan patented the light bulb before Edison got there, and baseball was derived from 18th century British rounders games imported by immigrants...which leaves the US as the home of Pink Lemonade, Hot Dogs, Elvis and Coca Cola...Thanks guys...so much

All the best

Dave

Hot Dogs were originally Dutch, known as frickandel or something like that. So - we're down to pink lemonade, Elvis, Coca Cola, and AIDS.

G

[Graham]

Americans gave the world computers. Game over. We win.

The Americans might have given the world computers that are sold to the general public in their millions but (a) they are all made in the Far East and (b) the world's first useful computer was designed and built by we Brits during WW2 to crack the Enigma Code. So there.

G

[Cogidubnus]

That leaves you with Baseball, light bulbs, Pink Lemonade Hot Dogs, Elvis, Coca Cola

Well actually Joseph Swan patented the light bulb before Edison got there, and baseball was derived from 18th century British rounders games imported by immigrants...which leaves the US as the home of Pink Lemonade, Hot Dogs, Elvis and Coca Cola...Thanks guys...so much

All the best

Dave

[Cogidubnus]

The Americans gave the world Oliver Hardy. That makes up even for basketball.

I'll take your Oliver Hardy and raise you Stan Laurel, Bob Hope and Charlie Chaplin! Mind you, I'd still like them to keep Piers Morgan and Jedward!

All the best

Dave

[bolo]

Actually the computer was invented by a Brit. But we gave the world the radio, the light bulb, baseball, basketball, pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, whiskey, pink lemonade, and two out of the three English words recognized in every country in the world. Elvis and Coca Cola. Jesus did his own press junket.

The pioneering research which made radio transmissions feasible was done by James Clerk Maxwell, a Scottish physicist, and the first successful transmission was performed by Guglielmo Marconi from Italy. Also from Italy and adjacent countries came the Pizza. Hamburgers are believed to be a German invention (even though you guys perfected them over the decades) and the origins of Whiskey lie in either Ireland or Scotland.

That leaves you with Baseball, light bulbs, Pink Lemonade Hot Dogs, Elvis, Coca Cola and some other word I'm not going to mention, for which you surely allow myself to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart.

[Errata]

Americans gave the world computers. Game over. We win.

Actually the computer was invented by a Brit. But we gave the world the radio, the light bulb, baseball, basketball, pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, whiskey, pink lemonade, and two out of the three English words recognized in every country in the world. Elvis and Coca Cola. Jesus did his own press junket.

[c.d.]

"Strike in porn industry. Workers down tools."

"Impromptu strike in porn industry. Workers come and go."

c.d.

[Robert]

"Strike in porn industry. Workers down tools."

[c.d.]

We can both take credit for English becoming the world's default language - you because of the British Empire and us because of our super power status in military, economics, science and technology.

You forgot to mention the porn industry.

c.d.

[sdreid]

We can both take credit for English becoming the world's default language - you because of the British Empire and us because of our super power status in military, economics, science and technology.

[Ally]

Americans gave the world computers. Game over. We win.

[Robert]

The Americans gave the world Oliver Hardy. That makes up even for basketball.

[lynn cates]

language

Hello Phil. This will explain the language situation.

Cheers.
LC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAYUuspQ6BY

[Phil Carter]

Happy 4th of July everyone!


I thought the American "language" was just a dialect of the English language?

Or a hybrid, perhaps? Oh well....

We Brits really must not complain though. Many great things have originated in the United States of America. Things that the USA can be very proud of presenting to the world.

Sample some great quotes from their Presidents and Vice Presidents, for example..

''A man I'm proud to call my friend. A man who will be the next President of the United States -- Barack America!''
—Joe Biden, at his first campaign rally with Barack Obama after being announced as his running mate, Springfield, Ill., Aug. 23, 2008

''For seven and a half years I've worked alongside President Reagan. We've had triumphs. Made some mistakes. We've had some sex...uh...setbacks.''
—President George H.W. Bush, in 1988

''As yesterday's positive report card shows, childrens do learn when standards are high and results are measured.''
—President George W. Bush, on the No Child Left Behind Act, Sept. 26, 2007

''Stand up, Chuck, let 'em see ya.''
—Joe Biden, to Missouri state Sen. Chuck Graham, who is in a wheelchair, Columbia, Missouri, Sept. 12, 2008

''I've now been in 57 states -- I think one left to go.''
—Barack Obama, at a campaign event in Beaverton, Oregon, May 9, 2008

''The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history. I mean in this century's history. But we all lived in this century. I didn't live in this century.''
—Dan Quayle

''Folks, I can tell you I've known eight presidents, three of them intimately.''
—Joe Biden, Aug. 22, 2012

''I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future.''
—Dan Quayle

''Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?''
—George W. Bush, Jan. 11, 2000

''Welcome to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts.''
—Dan Quayle

''I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself.''
—President Ronald Reagan

''Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child.''
—Dan Quayle

''People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook. I've earned everything I've got.''
—Richard Nixon at a November 17, 1973 news conference

''There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again.''
—President George W. Bush, Sept. 17, 2002

''A zebra does not change its spots.''
—Al Gore

''I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix.''
—Dan Quayle

''I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people.''
—Bill Clinton, Jan. 26, 1998

''It depends on what the meaning of the words 'is' is.''
—Bill Clinton, during his 1998 grand jury testimony on the Monica Lewinsky affair

''During my service in the United States Congress I took the initiative in creating the Internet.''
—Vice President Al Gore, during the 2000 presidential campaign

''They misunderestimated me.''
—President George W. Bush, Nov. 6, 2000

''I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I have was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people.''
—Dan Quayle

''I was under medication when I made the decision to burn the tapes.''
—Richard Nixon

''I heard there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft.''
—President George W. Bush, during the second presidential debate, Oct. 2004

''Facts are stupid things.''
—Ronald Reagan, at the 1988 Republican National Convention, attempting to quote John Adams, who said, ''Facts are stubborn things''

''When the President does it, that means it's not illegal.''
—Richard Nixon, in a 1977 interview with David Frost

''Well, I learned a lot....I went down to (Latin America) to find out from them and (learn) their views. You'd be surprised. They're all individual countries''
—President Ronald Reagan



Seriously... Have a great 4th of July everyone!



Phil

[RivkahChaya]

Not strange or ironic at all, RC.

British history is the only meaningful history you've got, like it or not.

Your tabloid/magazine buyers know that, if only subconsciously.

What? What does that even mean? And most tabloid buyers probably can't find Britain on a map.