Originally Posted by Eichhornchen (Post 2235383)

Do you know the last time I heard that, I was standing in the Cathedral in 's-Hertogenbosch listening to a Welsh male-voice choir. I'd gone to Holland with my dad on his (as it happens) last veterans' anniversary trip.

It was unbelievable the way even young people outside in the City streets were running up to these old guys with flowers and hugs as they marched by. I really can't see us Brits demonstrating our gratitude in quite such a manner if it'd been us. We'd probably hide indoors until they'd gone.

Aktungbby gets all the credit for providing the historical contexts (see his link above, but I don't know what happened to his original reply)

Originally Posted by August (Post 2235442)

Here's a good one:

Stalag 17

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046359/

Otto Preminger as camp commandant!

http://classicmoviechat.com/wp-conte...0/stalag17.jpg

This is the movie that inspired the TV show Hogans Heroes. Even has a character named Sgt Schultz (played by Sig Ruman).

Originally Posted by Joefour (Post 2235449)

You folks over in the old world still have some respect for yesteryear. Here in the States what was once a branch of european culture has been systematically destroyed and done in such a way that the populace never even noticed. Rap has become the norm; one idiot Supreme Court Chief Justice's misinterpretation of separation of church and state back in the 50's has resulted in things like grade school kids being sent home with a nasty note from the teacher because Junior said grace before he ate his lunch. In Oregon you will go to jail if you are caught swatting your misbehaving brat. Culture has broken down. I should shut up and get off my soapbox-this isn't Hyde Park. Sorry for the rant.

Originally Posted by Eichhornchen (Post 2235478)

No you go ahead, pal. Don't we all sometimes wish we were the Commandant sitting behind the big desk in a prison-camp? :yep:

Originally Posted by Platapus (Post 2235505)

Just watch the movie "Chicken Run" and you will get the best of all the POW movies. :up:

Originally Posted by Eichhornchen (Post 2235553)

My God, you must live a long ways from here; my sister went to live in PA in about 1963 and she's five hours behind us...

By the way, I'd been fishing out frogspawn in a jar from a pond the day JFK was killed.

Originally Posted by Eichhornchen (Post 2235609)

It's still mind-boggling to me that we can be communicating with such immediacy over such a vast distance.

Frogspawn is while it's still frogseggs to us.

Originally Posted by Eichhornchen (Post 2235660)

Do you, as I suspect, have a background in linguistics?

People who know languages have much more insight into their neighbours on the planet, I think. So what do you reckon the Germans make of the British and U.S. male's habit of seeming to be able to regard them only in the context of the war? It's often not a negative context, either: when we make models, the most popular tables at shows always seem to be the ones covered in German stuff. And when we were kids playing War, everyone wanted to be the Germans. And one of the most popular comedians over here is a German, because he makes us roar with his own references to the war.

I feel sad and rather guilty as a Brit now when I hear young Germans saying they feel bad about the war, because they weren't there, but it doesn't seem to stop us picking away at this, because we still make shows like 'Allo 'Allo (do you know it?)

Originally Posted by Eichhornchen (Post 2235690)

My Dictionary of English Etymology is always close by.

If you've never heard of 'Allo 'Allo then you've missed a treat. It's a rather pantomimic comedy series set in occupied France, with an extremely vulgar take on things as you might expect from us, though without any bad language. In the same style of the "Carry On" films, if you know what I mean.

Or how about "Dad's Army", then, a comedy series about the Home Guard? If you've never seen that then you've missed absolute Comedy Gold: the best thing ever made for TV by anyone.

Originally Posted by Eichhornchen (Post 2235690)

My Dictionary of English Etymology is always close by.

If you've never heard of 'Allo 'Allo then you've missed a treat. It's a rather pantomimic comedy series set in occupied France, with an extremely vulgar take on things as you might expect from us, though without any bad language. In the same style of the "Carry On" films, if you know what I mean.

Or how about "Dad's Army", then, a comedy series about the Home Guard? If you've never seen that then you've missed absolute Comedy Gold: the best thing ever made for TV by anyone.