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0 pointsNavinF2y ago0 comments

I'd much rather have a Battlefield Wall on my property in the US than a Ribbon Wall or Crinkle Crankle Wall. The latter two sound ridiculous. I really like "Serpentine Wall", but it sounds a little too technical for everyday conversation with nontechnical people

0 comments

11 comments · 4 top-level

benj1112y ago· 4 in thread

This is a perfect summation of the differences between USians and British.

You want a BATTLEFIELD wall. I want a Crinkle Crankle

dang2y ago

Please avoid nationalistic flamebait on HN. It leads to nationalistic flamewars, which we're eager to avoid - https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html.

I realize some of this is lighthearted banter but sadly Mr. Internet can't really do that for very long.

benj1112y ago

I wouldn't say it's flame bait.

It just seemed to me a very good example of '2 nations divided by a common language'

But I'm more a celebrate the differences kind of guy.

But point taken about the internet being the internet.

1 more reply

comfypotato2y ago

This is because you lost the Revolution.

benj1112y ago

Why is it referred to as a revolution? A revolution tends to refer to the overthrow of a govt within a single nations border, whereas one country splitting from another tends to be referred to independence.

I don't really see the cause and effect either. Surely the USs love of FORTRESS walls would be a reason they won?

Anyway, you say lost. I say we got rid of the tea wasters. Sounds like a win to me.

autoexec2y ago· 3 in thread

I suppose it's subjective but Crinkle Crankle is better because it sounds so ridiculous.

Ribbon Wall doesn't sound any more ridiculous than same-shaped Ribbon Candy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribbon_candy) or Ribbon Cables (https://www.fxpstore.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/ribbon-w...), and ribbons don't call to mind atrocities or human suffering. Battlefields are terrible places where horrific things happen. That's not something I'd want associated with my own property.

ChainOfFools2y ago

Crinkle crinkle wall has to be the most British sounding britishism ever. Like something that would have been a subject of serious research at the Ministry of Silly Walls.

LightBug12y ago

True dat, bruv.

And that's jenga.

1 more reply

hfivivfub2y ago

The value in this is the historical dimension. Apparently, "crinkle-crankle" dates to 1598. So it's a pre-US term.

I agree that it's not a good look to automatically prefer the military term to the "ridiculous" one. It smacks of toxic masculinity.

"Crinkle-crankle" is obviously archaic, and it evokes folk art and (in the US) colonial culture. That is fairly neutral, as placenames go.

victorbstan2y ago

It doesn’t sound technical at all. It sounds like you’ve read a book or two beyond the abc and cat in the hat. But then, US education.

fsckboy2y ago

> The latter two sound ridiculous. I really like "Serpentine Wall", but it sounds a little too technical for everyday conversation with nontechnical people

ribbon sounds ridiculous and serpentine sounds technical? you are not a boomer. "Serpentine, Shel, serpentine!" -- Peter Falk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2_w-QCWpS0

Alan Arkin just died recently, RIP

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

11 comments · 4 top-level

benj1112y ago· 4 in thread

This is a perfect summation of the differences between USians and British.

You want a BATTLEFIELD wall. I want a Crinkle Crankle

dang2y ago

Please avoid nationalistic flamebait on HN. It leads to nationalistic flamewars, which we're eager to avoid - https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html.

I realize some of this is lighthearted banter but sadly Mr. Internet can't really do that for very long.

benj1112y ago

I wouldn't say it's flame bait.

It just seemed to me a very good example of '2 nations divided by a common language'

But I'm more a celebrate the differences kind of guy.

But point taken about the internet being the internet.

1 more reply

comfypotato2y ago

This is because you lost the Revolution.

benj1112y ago

I don't really see the cause and effect either. Surely the USs love of FORTRESS walls would be a reason they won?

Anyway, you say lost. I say we got rid of the tea wasters. Sounds like a win to me.

autoexec2y ago· 3 in thread

I suppose it's subjective but Crinkle Crankle is better because it sounds so ridiculous.

ChainOfFools2y ago

Crinkle crinkle wall has to be the most British sounding britishism ever. Like something that would have been a subject of serious research at the Ministry of Silly Walls.

LightBug12y ago

True dat, bruv.

And that's jenga.

1 more reply

hfivivfub2y ago

The value in this is the historical dimension. Apparently, "crinkle-crankle" dates to 1598. So it's a pre-US term.

I agree that it's not a good look to automatically prefer the military term to the "ridiculous" one. It smacks of toxic masculinity.

"Crinkle-crankle" is obviously archaic, and it evokes folk art and (in the US) colonial culture. That is fairly neutral, as placenames go.

victorbstan2y ago

It doesn’t sound technical at all. It sounds like you’ve read a book or two beyond the abc and cat in the hat. But then, US education.

fsckboy2y ago

> The latter two sound ridiculous. I really like "Serpentine Wall", but it sounds a little too technical for everyday conversation with nontechnical people

ribbon sounds ridiculous and serpentine sounds technical? you are not a boomer. "Serpentine, Shel, serpentine!" -- Peter Falk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2_w-QCWpS0

Alan Arkin just died recently, RIP

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse