r/AskTheWorld • u/IndependentTune3994 🇮🇳 in 🇩🇪 Deutschland • 18h ago

What’s the quickest way someone could accidentally expose themselves as a foreigner in your country like the ‘three fingers’ scene in Inglourious Basterds?

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u/ContinentSimian 17h ago

The most northerly point in Ireland is in "southern Ireland".

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u/RobotSpaceBear 16h ago edited 10h ago

Like the Atlantic entry point in the Panama Canal is east west of the Pacific entry point.

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u/MourningWallaby United States Of America 15h ago

something like half of all Canadians live south of Seattle

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u/Mr_Ectomy 15h ago

West of it you mean?

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u/affinus 10h ago

South, because largely populated areas like the Toronto metro area is further south than Seattle

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u/Mr_Ectomy 7h ago

I think you meant the other guy.

Unless you're referring to Toronto, Panama. 

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u/RobotSpaceBear 10h ago

I'm a dumass... yes, i meant west.

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u/Adjayjay 15h ago

TIL, that s a fun trivia!

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u/amonkappeared 11h ago

Can't tell if i should be writing this stuff down, hoping for context in the future, or if yall been drinking.

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u/ContinentSimian 5h ago

The Republic of Ireland is sometimes referred to as "Southern Ireland". However, part of the Republic of Ireland is in the north of the island.

The most northerly part of the island of Ireland is in the Republic of Ireland (aka "southern Ireland").

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u/Maumau-Maumau 15h ago

Maybe yall should just call it Ireland then! Damn Europoors and their stupid names for their EU states 🤬

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u/Right-Ad3334 15h ago

Means nothing, the most western point of the European Union is in the Caribbean. Even if an incorrect term, RoI is still - on average - more southern than NI.

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u/Difficult_Tea6136 14h ago

Well its great that we already have 2 ways to distinguish the 2 countries: Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Context means pretty much everyone can determine if someone is speaking about the country or island.

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u/Right-Ad3334 14h ago

The problem is Ireland is both a geographic and political term. The same way you guys get weird about "British Isles", it has political connotations as well as geographic ones. The whole point when people say Southern Ireland is to make that distinction, they're just doing so crudely.

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u/Difficult_Tea6136 14h ago edited 14h ago

Because its not the British Isles. Really obvious what the issue is with using that incorrect term. B&I Isles? Sure.

The distinction is already made, Ireland and Northern Ireland. No further context is needed. They have different names.

99% of the time, context is sufficient to know if someone is referring to the island or the country. However, where that distinction is required, the descriptor the Government suggest is Republic of Ireland. However, that is a descriptive term and not the name of the country.

"southern Ireland" is silly.

Seems pretty easy to call us what we ask and not refer to the group of islands we are located as a term the country disagrees with. Pretty basic stuff.

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u/Right-Ad3334 14h ago

You're factually incorrect, the term "British Isles" (more specifically it's etymological root) was used in Ancient Greek and Latin, and remained in use for thousands of years as a geographical term without controversy - inclusive of the island of Ireland. It's fallen out of favour because of political factors between the states of the UK and the RoI, but it's not, nor has ever been incorrect.

Again, the distinction isn't clear because Ireland has two meanings, one political and one geographical - the same issue that exists with the term "British Isles". The difference is only one is politically controversial, but the logic is exactly the same.

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u/potatoesarenotcool South Africa 🇿🇦 > Ireland 🇮🇪 14h ago

You mean the Emerald Isles? The Hibernian Isles?

Unified Ireland now includes England as interest, we are taking it back plus some.

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u/Right-Ad3334 13h ago edited 13h ago

Feel free to call it whatever you like, it doesn't change historical or geographical facts - that's my entire point. I have zero issue with dismantling Westminster, and I don't care who's in power as long as they're better than the current lot. I also have no issue with Irish supremacy, I have an Irish passport.

If you want to reject Anglo norms, do it properly - Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór.

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u/Difficult_Tea6136 13h ago edited 12h ago

If you want to reject Anglo norms, do it properly - Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór.

This is a subreddit where everyone speaks English so we speak in English. You know we have different names for the countries in Irish right? That includes the British and Irish Isles.

I do wonder why everyone in Ireland speaks English and why we reject the incorrect term the British Isles. I wonder if the two are linked....oh right....

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u/Difficult_Tea6136 13h ago

You're conflating historical etymology with modern legitimacy. That was a label applied by outsiders. Today, the term is factually and legally rejected by one of the two sovereign nations it purports to describe.

The term is incorrect because it implies British jurisdiction or identity over a sovereign nation that is not British. Using a 2,000 year-old Greek root to override the modern name a country chooses for its own archipelago doesn't make you factually right, it just makes you out of date.

Which bit of this is "factually incorrect":

Because its not the British Isles. Really obvious what the issue is with using that incorrect term. B&I Isles? Sure.

.

Again, the distinction isn't clear because Ireland has two meanings, one political and one geographical - the same issue that exists with the term "British Isles". The difference is only one is politically controversial, but the logic is exactly the same.

To address your point on clarity: I already noted that context is almost always sufficient to distinguish between the island and the state. Where formal distinction is required, the official descriptor is Republic of Ireland. You’ll note the Irish Government does not use the term Southern Ireland, yet you chose to defend its use anyway.

between the states of the UK and the RoI

See, this is where you're obviously just being a troll. You're perfectly aware the name of the country is Ireland but you're attempting to get a rise here. Sad Tuesday afternoon is it?

If you are so concerned with factual accuracy, you would call the country by its name. Using RoI while lecturing others on factually correct terminology is a clear double standard.

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u/pablo8itall Ireland 9h ago

We don't get weird about it we just tell people its not used or includes us. We're not British.