Yorkshire Day

[TGS]

Although I've never heard of it before, today is Yorkshire Day. I'm sure all Yorkshire folk - resident and ex-pat - will be celebrating wildly, and all the unfortunates who were not born there or don't live there would like to pass on their best wishes

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;

from Richard III by Shakespeare

[Ziguezon]

Happy Yorkshire day and thank you, Yorkshire breweries, for exporting some of your fine ales for the rest of the world to enjoy (Black Sheep, Samuel Smith, Theakstons, etc.)

Also, my thanks goes out to the late great Michael Jackson* for contributing to my awareness of these breweries and their products through his writing.

* not to be confused with the "King of Pop"

[Falcao]

I know this thanks to Barney the dinosaur:

English

Oh, The grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.

And when they were up, they were up,
And when they were down, they were down,
And when they were only half-way up,
They were neither up nor down.

Spanish (and literal translation)

El noble duque de York (The noble duke of York)
tenía su batallón, (has his battalion,)
marchando subían la colina (marching they went up the hill)
y bajaban a paso veloz. (and they went down swift-footed)

A veces estás arriba, (Sometimes you are above,)
a veces estás abajo, (sometimes you are down,)
y cuándo estás en medio (and when you are in the middle)
no estás ni arriba ni abajo. (you are not above or down.)

[MJK2111]

Yorkshire? Aren't they famous for pudding?

[HarryT]

The main thing that us Yorkshire folk are known for is having short arms and deep pockets .

[amward]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

from Richard III by Shakespeare

And you know that all ended in tears!


Beautiful place Yorkshire and some of my best friends are from there originally.

[neilmarr]

Just for fun, TGS and folks, catch this spoof ad for Yorkshire Airlines: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm6VC5gdaFA. Hey up-up and away. Neil

[DMB]

Originally Posted by MJK2111

Yorkshire? Aren't they famous for pudding?

Pudding is a necessity.

What does Yorkshire call to my mind?

Umm, well apart from pudding, there are the Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire Dales, the Ridings (which they don't have any more), the Brontes, the cricket and cricketers, the industrial towns, Wensleydale cheese, a certain chippy attitude...

[Billi]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The main thing that us Yorkshire folk are known for is having short arms and deep pockets .

Just a language question: Is this a euphemism for being mean or frugal??

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Billi

Just a language question: Is this a euphemism for being mean or frugal??

Yes, it is. People in Yorkshire have the reputation of being "careful with their money" .

[TGS]

Originally Posted by Billi

Just a language question: Is this a euphemism for being mean or frugal??

Frugal yes, mean no

[pholy]

Originally Posted by Billi

Just a language question: Is this a euphemism for being mean or frugal??

Originally Posted by TGS

Frugal yes, mean no

I think frugal (or stingy) is one of the older meanings of the (noun) mean.

And back to the original post, most of Canada yesterday celebrated Civic Holiday, but in Toronto, maybe Ontario, it is called John Graves Simcoe Day, in honour of the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canda, who founded the Town of York, now Toronto, named in honour of the Duke of. I don't know if the people who renamed the day knew of the connection to Yorkshire Day.