Tag Archive for British

Did He Dress Provocatively?

As they say, turnabout is fair play. I love the turnabout in this short British video. Yes, female victims ARE still being judged on these questions–mentally, at least, in the best of settings.

(Wait for the video to load, then right-click to “unmute” to get the sound.)

Thanks to Mark O’Donnell for this one.

https://www.facebook.com/BBCOne/videos/10155307004551778/

For all the Die-Hards Out There

I haven’t given you any language trivia for quite awhile.  By now you know that I’m a die-hard for getting people interested in language.

But what IS a “die-hard”?  Today it means a person who is firmly set on a certain belief.  But it hasn’t always meant that.

Originally (1700s) this term was a lot more literal than it is today.  It referred to a hanged man who struggled a long time before dying on the gallows.  Later, during the Napoleonic Wars, the Battle of Albuera (1811s) gave it added meaning when a British officer was wounded.  Instead of pulling back, he urged his soldiers on by yelling, “Stand your ground and die hard.  Make the enemy pay dear for each of us!”  That did the trick.  Despite the 75% casualty rate, the regiment soldiered on to victory.  Thereafter, their nickname was “the Die Hards.”

So now you know……..