The Off Topic Topic

[crazy canuck]

Or you can just change a name to garner more customers.

Of course, but some of these names are very old and it is a shame to see them go. That does not appear to be the case of the pub in Newcastle though.

One of our Universities, Simon Fraser University (named after the Scottish explorer who "discovered" the Fraser River) named its sports teams the Clansmen or the Clan for short.  Not a problem at all when understood within the context of the university's namesake.  Very much a problem when competing in tournaments in the US.  A couple of years ago the University dropped the name clan.  This historical link was nice but not worth the concern, misunderstanding and distressed it caused to others not familiar with what the name was supposed to reference.

A pity. I saw it written, ie without the K spelling, so didn't think of those people at all. When there is a big gathering of the family up in Scotland we always call it a "gathering of the clans", lucky there have never been eavesdropping Americans getting the wrong idea 

The problem was not so much the written form.  I think most Americans would have recognized the difference.  The problem was when people talked about the playing the Clan, when the team was introduced at games etc.  The distinction between the C and K gets lost.

[The Brain]

Or you can just change a name to garner more customers.

Of course, but some of these names are very old and it is a shame to see them go. That does not appear to be the case of the pub in Newcastle though.

One of our Universities, Simon Fraser University (named after the Scottish explorer who "discovered" the Fraser River) named its sports teams the Clansmen or the Clan for short.  Not a problem at all when understood within the context of the university's namesake.  Very much a problem when competing in tournaments in the US.  A couple of years ago the University dropped the name clan.  This historical link was nice but not worth the concern, misunderstanding and distressed it caused to others not familiar with what the name was supposed to reference.

A pity. I saw it written, ie without the K spelling, so didn't think of those people at all. When there is a big gathering of the family up in Scotland we always call it a "gathering of the clans", lucky there have never been eavesdropping Americans getting the wrong idea 

Here in Ontario, we still have a town named "Swastika". 😄

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika,_Ontario

And with the k spelling.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Or you can just change a name to garner more customers.

Of course, but some of these names are very old and it is a shame to see them go. That does not appear to be the case of the pub in Newcastle though.

One of our Universities, Simon Fraser University (named after the Scottish explorer who "discovered" the Fraser River) named its sports teams the Clansmen or the Clan for short.  Not a problem at all when understood within the context of the university's namesake.  Very much a problem when competing in tournaments in the US.  A couple of years ago the University dropped the name clan.  This historical link was nice but not worth the concern, misunderstanding and distressed it caused to others not familiar with what the name was supposed to reference.

A pity. I saw it written, ie without the K spelling, so didn't think of those people at all. When there is a big gathering of the family up in Scotland we always call it a "gathering of the clans", lucky there have never been eavesdropping Americans getting the wrong idea 

Here in Ontario, we still have a town named "Swastika". 😄

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika,_Ontario

The occasional house here in Preston will have a swastika (going the other way) above the door. It means there are Hindus resident and is a sign of good luck, but it still startles.

[Syt]

Today's New Yorker crossword has an excellent clue:

[The Brain]

Dickensian?

[Syt]

The answer ends in "HARD"

[The Brain]

Jeremy's Iron?

[Malthus]

Or you can just change a name to garner more customers.

Of course, but some of these names are very old and it is a shame to see them go. That does not appear to be the case of the pub in Newcastle though.

One of our Universities, Simon Fraser University (named after the Scottish explorer who "discovered" the Fraser River) named its sports teams the Clansmen or the Clan for short.  Not a problem at all when understood within the context of the university's namesake.  Very much a problem when competing in tournaments in the US.  A couple of years ago the University dropped the name clan.  This historical link was nice but not worth the concern, misunderstanding and distressed it caused to others not familiar with what the name was supposed to reference.

A pity. I saw it written, ie without the K spelling, so didn't think of those people at all. When there is a big gathering of the family up in Scotland we always call it a "gathering of the clans", lucky there have never been eavesdropping Americans getting the wrong idea 

Here in Ontario, we still have a town named "Swastika". 😄

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika,_Ontario

The occasional house here in Preston will have a swastika (going the other way) above the door. It means there are Hindus resident and is a sign of good luck, but it still startles.

I've probably told this old war story here before - but many years ago I once had a client who was having great difficulties getting their building approved by the municipal planning authorities. They thought maybe the problem was racism - they were Indian (from India).

Thing is, they had never actually met these authorities in person - only through letters (on actual paper, it was that long ago). One glance at the correspondence showed us what the problem was - the group was called the "Vedic Aryans", the building they were proposing was the "Aryan Cultural Centre", and their letterhead was decorated with swastikas!

A mutual understanding was not difficult to reach - once the authorities were clued in to the fact that these were Indians from India.

[Syt]

The occasional house here in Preston will have a swastika (going the other way) above the door. It means there are Hindus resident and is a sign of good luck, but it still startles.

My Indian coworker's dad asked him if he decorated his house with swastikas for festivals. He had to explain to his dad that it was not a good idea in Austria.

[Barrister]

I've probably told this old war story here before - but many years ago I once had a client who was having great difficulties getting their building approved by the municipal planning authorities. They thought maybe the problem was racism - they were Indian (from India).

Thing is, they had never actually met these authorities in person - only through letters (on actual paper, it was that long ago). One glance at the correspondence showed us what the problem was - the group was called the "Vedic Aryans", the building they were proposing was the "Aryan Cultural Centre", and their letterhead was decorated with swastikas!

A mutual understanding was not difficult to reach - once the authorities were clued in to the fact that these were Indians from India.

Pretty sure you've told us this story multiple times.

It's okay though - it's a good'un.

[celedhring]

When I was at Columbia, there was this student housing building - an old  Manhattan apartment building - that had the floor tiled with swastikas. Apparently they were somewhat in fashion during the 1920s, and those were never removed (maybe they have since then).

We called it "nazi hall". ("let's meet in front of the nazi hall after class").

[Barrister]

Yeah there was some student housing at U of Manitoba that had some old tile floors with a reverse-swastika worked into it.  1920s is probably about right.

[Syt]

Central Animal Laboratories, Berlin, 1984:

[Josquius]

I can just hear the low fi ominous electronic sound track.

[The Brain]

What's that in German? Volkstieresturmjahansprimapalast?