I have found this to be a wonderful culture guide to understanding the sort of British terminology that one reads about and hears in books and films. Chris Rae, a native Scotsman who now lives in Seattle, wrote this book to basically explain the British life to the average American. If for nothing else I have found this book to be a real joy to read. It opened my eyes to some of the Great British expressions that one would hear on a daily basis if you were to go to Britain. The theory behind the title itself is telling. The word "Septic" is short for "Septic Tank" which is a classic British Cockney rhyming play on words. "Septic Tank" rhymes with "Yank", which is what the British refer to as Americans. So you take away the second part of the rhyming scheme which is "Tank" and you are just left with "Septic". So the title basically means The American's Companion. It is better explained by Chris Rae himself. He was a feature on an episode of Rick Steves radio show "Travel with Rick Steves" entitled "British Banter". To listen to the episode, click on the picture of Rick below to go to the file on Soundcloud.com. If I were you I would listen to this interview before reading the book. He explains his theories on the way the book explains things! The book itself can be found on Amazon.com in both paperback and e-editions. Chris Rae described the book as merely a second thought to the website which he started first. The website includes a full dictionary of terms as well as audio pronunciations. To check out the website (which I highly recommend you do) click on the link below. You will get some really great information and some good amusement. Also, from now on along with my Quotes of the Week, I shall post a slang term of the week on the home page. Cheers!
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Today we mark a wonderful celebration. Today marks 63 years since Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne upon the death of her father His Late Majesty King George VI.
During 1951, George VI's health declined and Elizabeth frequently stood in for him at public events. When she toured Canada and visited President Harry S. Truman in Washington, D.C., in October 1951, her private secretary, Martin Charteris, carried a draft accession declaration in case the King died while she was on tour. In early 1952, Elizabeth and Philip set out for a tour of Australia and New Zealand by way of Kenya. On 6 February 1952, they had just returned to their Kenyan home, Sagana Lodge, after a night spent at Treetops Hotel, when word arrived of the death of the King. Philip broke the news to the new Queen. Martin Charteris asked her to choose a regnal name; she chose to remain Elizabeth, "of course". She was proclaimed queen throughout her realms and the royal party hastily returned to the United Kingdom. In London, a Royal Salute is fired by the guns of the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery in Green Park and by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London. Salutes are also fired at Woolwich, Colchester, Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Cardiff, Belfast, York, Portsmouth, Plymouth and Dover Castle. To read more about the Queen's Accession and more, check out the Monarchy's site below! On May 12th 2011 Queen Elizabeth II became the 2nd longest reigning monarch in over 1,200 years of British History. She will have to reign until September 10th 2015 when she will be 89 years old to reign longer than her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years and 216 days from 1837-1901. We look forward to that glorious day! But until then...God Save the Queen and Long May She Reign...and she has reigned for a very long time! |