Just de-lurking (new job, fun but no free time, sorry
) to stick my oars in...
First, quaint. I grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon. Yes, that's right, half-timbered houses, roses round the door, cream teas and china cups. I don't like quaint. Particularly first thing on a Monday morning, when I'm in my school uniform. It's not quaint, it's cold, made of very nasty man-made fibres, which generate more static electricity than a small nuclear plant, and my skirt rides up as I walk. Yes, ok, the town looks lovely, it's old, and it has a fantastic theatre. But you try pushing past the hordes (none of whom are talking with local accents) to catch your bus, knowing that 'I was almost assulted by a French school teacher who thought I was one of her pupils trying to escape a head count' is not a valid excuse for being late... It's not quaint.
Sorry, I regressed a little there.
Second, public vs private schools... the difference over here is, I think, that originally way back when education wasn't compulsary, public schools where ones that anyone could go to (although you might have to pay) and private ones were restricted entry. Something like that anyway. State schools are our equivalent of US public schools.
Third, if I understand it right, you are saying that when a US film sticks in a British character and they say 'quite good' to praise something, that's taken to mean that they really liked it? From my perspective, the joke was that we Brits are uptight and never really truely express our emotions and the best praise we can give to something is 'quite good' meaning ok. Wow, amazing how your perspective can shift.
Fourth, I've just edited this post because Wendy explained it a lot clearer and shorter than I did! But just to add a little fact for today, they only came up with the name Britain for the island after unification with Scotland. Up until then no one had needed to call it anything.
Helga
