When asked how many "kids" I have, my usual response is "sorry, I don't have any goats."

Savior, I think you're being polite. If they assumed you had kids, they must have been calling YOU an old goat!

Our favorite breakfast waitress here always says "what are you kids having today". Since we're both seniors, it makes me smile.

"Calling people from English-speaking countries Anglo-Saxons is a PC thing, Ira? Speaking for myself, I find it a very odd thing to have my ancestors converted to an entirely different ethnicity and history. And looking around the streets of London or New York, I have a hard time imagining anyone calling that slice of humanity Anglo-Saxon.

And Audere, I have seen the term used here to describe more than political or economic systems but opinions and tastes as well. "

Nikki, whether we all like it or not, the French have got into this habit of describing all the english-speaking peoples as 'anglo-saxons', lumping all our economic practices, politics and cultural habits under one umbrella. Like it or not, they see us all as one big scary anglo-saxon massive. They generally use it when they're slagging us off (does that phrase translate?), or wringing their hands about the encroach of 'anglo-saxonism' into their culture, language or lifestyles. So, as with most things, blame the French!

Hi Nikki,

>Calling people from English-speaking countries Anglo-Saxons is a PC thing, Ira?

From a certain viewpoint, yes.

I agree that it is not accurate.

Re Anglo Saxon:-

The 'Anglo' part refers to the English who being predominantly fair skinned and fair haired (thanks to the Vikings!)looked like angels (aahh!) to the southern mediterranean races; and 'Saxon', comes from the German people of the same name.

It used to be a term specific to British people residing in the South and Esatern parts of England.

Or 'Eastern' even!

So make it clear to me not to offend:

when i read something on a British forum or someone who is from UK but i'm not sure if they're Welsh (a perjorative adjective by the way in the U.S.), Irish, Scottish or English) how should i most politely refer to them as??

Obviously Anglo-Saxon is silly and offends the Cornish, etc. as well as several million immigrants.

Speaking of Anglo-Saxons, do people still use the term "WASP" any more? I haven't heard that in ages.

Yes, the term WASP is still used quite frequently in the atmosphere I work and live in here in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a very racially divided city, in my opinion. But, people don't like to talk about it.

Well, to most of us "British" would be fine.

You do get daftosities sometimes.
I think that somebody objected to the term "British Isles" once because it might offend the Irish.
Goodness knows what they thought that we should call 'em, "European offshore Isles" perhaps?

The only people who you could offend with the term "British" are the Irish - they really don't like being called it. Having said that, most of them accept it in good heart if it's an honest mistake - they do live in the British Isles after all.

There are a load of names for the various peoples of Britain - jocks, taffs, geordies, cockneys, mancs, scousers etc.

Me? I'm a soft, shandy-drinking, southern ponce.

The revolting at the word British surprises me and seems silly.

I once wrote something about the Thames being Britain's 2nd or 3rd longest river and such a complain quickly came. I then pointed out that i copied the term from a London tourist office brochure - obviously written by a Brit!

For the record:

I'm 95% Irish by ancestry. I'm perfectly happy if the French call me anglo-saxon (though I'd prefer it to be Anglo-Saxon) as a shorthand for believing people make better decisions about how to run their economy than corrupt politicians.

And I'm proud to use the term Anglo-Saxon to describe a group of English-speaking countries (including Ireland) with an inbuilt preference for free markets, the rule of law and vigorous, pragmatic scepticism to all grand projects.

It's Ireland's Anglo-Saxon heritage that have made ther country one of the world's richest, after the Celtic fantasies of its first President blighted the lives of millions of Irish men and women. And who's the greatest Anglo-Saxon of all? Adam Smith: a Scot.

The original Angles came from Angeln which is the area on the Baltic coast of Germany to the south of the Flensburg fjord, and the Saxons came from Saxony which is further south and is also now part of Germany. Much of England was settled by Danes and Germans until the Normans invaded in 1066, but the Normans were Vikings who'd settled in northern France.

Here in my office in Brussels they refer to anyone from Ireland, England, US as the "common law" people. Granted most of my colleagues here are lawyers. But they refer to the Common Law people with a bit of distaste. Thats cos their funny laws are all written down in a big phone book.

Along the lines of this thread: http://tinyurl.com/2ujsva, what about replacing the term <i>Brit</i> with <b>The Uk-ish</b>? ;-)

Marginal Margiela--

&quot;Philadelphia is a very racially divided city, in my opinion. But, people don't like to talk about it.&quot;

Well, the mainline is generally two races and the rest of the city is many others, and brotherly love is just a slogan, but it isn't much different than any other city as far as that goes. I think it's kind of a refreshing place, after all; I mean, returning from New York, Philadelphia seems downright bucolic!

I'm 1.72m tall and a Brit or Welsh depending on the audience!

Disappointed that most people seem to still use imperial measurements but not surprised. The metric system is so much easier but old habits die hard. I was taught the metric system in school and then taught science myself (metric).

Anglo-Saxon

There is nothing derogatory in French about the word &quot;Anglo-Saxon&quot; especially when referring to &quot;Anglo-Saxon countries&quot; as opposed to Latin countries. Think of the French legal system for instance : it is more &quot;Latin&quot; or rather Roman than the the US, British, Canadian, Australian, etc.. ones.

I have not seen the anti-Semitism or racism in other places that I have lived like I have in Philadelphia.

For example, I was at a reception two years ago and two very prominent WASP women refused to shake the hand of Lenore Annenberg when it was offered to them, all because the Annenbergs are Jewish. I was absolutely shocked at the slight. This is Lenore Annenberg for Gucci's sake.

I also have heard many people complain in the art and antique world when Jews or blacks outbid them at auctions.

I have also seen a whole room full of white diners turn and stare when blacks enter exclusive restaurants.

I am sure this happens in other cities in America, but I am only writing about my own personal experience.