Thursday 29 July 2010

Big Cheese Update...

Long-term readers (eg. more than two weeks!) will recall my post Mr Cheese, where I outlined how a blog feud began between Cheeseman and I. Cheeseman draws humor cartoons (an example of his visual wit here (click on cartoon to read what it says, btw)) - I write funny. Cheesman is Anamerican. I'm a Scot/Brit (at least, for the purposes of a feud with a Yank, even though it looks like I'm a rail company).

The last I reported to you, my loyal fan base, he was running away to hide from my mom mum.

But Cheeseman is back!

Well, when I say back, I actually mean that I wandered over to his blog, just to be nosey friendly and, dammit, he will persist in being funny. Even his partner (can't find where to do the French accent things for "fiancee" yet), Christine, is funny - and can do funny cartoons.

He's even funny about Jim. Dammit.

 As Vic & Bob would have it "He wouldn't let it LIE."

Then, when I saw his most recent post, about a certain Lord Likely's blog, I had to immediately ignore the fact that Cheeseman was, in fact, minding his own business and not insulting me! How verrrry dare he? - I KNEW I HAD TO TAKE THIS PERFECTLY INNOCENT POST AS A MAJOR INSULT OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE -  AND RETALIATE!!!

Jealous that Cheeseman had discovered this blog before I had I did what any decent, upstanding citizen of her Majesty's Great Empire would do - I marched straight over to Lord Likely's very Victorian, very funny  site*, and claimed Lord Likely as my uncle (see the comment I made in disguise as Lady Brassington Gonad, entered (phnar,phnar!) under Lord Likely's Literary Love Pump). A-Ha! Take that, you scoundrel!

 I also alerted Lord Likely to the fact that he was fraternising with....gasp!...a Colonial! It's just NOT DONE, don'tchyewknow?

Depending on how the situation develops, and what (if any) reactions I receive from either Cheeseman or Lord Likely, I may have a guest blog written by Lady Brassington Gonad appearing soon, or I may begin find myself in an entirely new blog feud with an English Sassenach Victorian aristocratic playboy whose sexual proclivities (ooooo! spell checker's gonna be busy by the end of this!) are Internationally renowned and reported in all the right nooks and crannies (phnar,phnar!)! 

*NB: WARNING - LL's site contains material of a sexually explicit nature, but also some very long words, so some readers may become excited, confused, or both at once, and may have to resort to dictionaries, or reading material of an entirely different kind, when perusing him!

Watch this space! (Ark, ark!)
"It's humour Jim, but not as we know it!"


PS.Hi April, thanks for the best answer vote and for joining us - abide!

7 comments:

Kissmyarts, (the artist formerly known as Alistair) said...

An excellent excuse for a little lecture here on linguistic history... (ahem, ahem). The origins of the word yankee:
Most linguists look to Dutch sources, noting there was a great deal of interaction between the Dutch in New Amsterdam (later New York) and the Yankees of New England. The Dutch first names "Jan" and "Kees" were and still are most common. In many instances both names (Jan-Kees) are used as a single first name. The word "Yankee" is a variation that would refer to settlers moving into these Dutch areas. Michael Quinion and Patrick Hanks argue that the term refers to the Dutch nickname and surname Janneke (from "Jan" and the diminutive "-eke", meaning "Little John" or Johnny in Dutch), Anglicized to Yankee (the "J" is pronounced "Y" in Dutch) and "used as a nickname for a Dutch-speaking American in colonial times". By extension, the term grew to include non-Dutch colonists as well.
H. L. Mencken explained the derogatory term "John Cheese" was often used against the early Dutch who were famous for their cheese. An example would be a British soldier commenting on a Dutch man "Here comes a John Cheese". The Dutch translation of John Cheese is "Jan Kaas" where the J sounds like Y. The two words sounded like "Yahnkees", and the term was born.

Kissmyarts said...

....and that's another thing: When are these Americans going to see the light and make English their official language? That's right, every time someone proposes a bill to make English the official language of the United States of Whatsisname, some idiot starts complaining that it would be in contravention of the U.S. Constitution to have only one official language for the whole country. That's why they can't spell properly. It's also the reason that when they make a mistake they say "That's American English". It's probably also the reason for shooting each other all the time, because they can't find the words to express themselves clearly.

Anyway, 'nuff said!

Kissmyarts said...

p.s. I'd also start calling him Mr Cheezewizz, as that is, I believe, the preferred make of "cheese" in the U.S.

Brand New Day said...

I think I'm ready for that "History of Dutch Influence on American Slang" exam now....Thanks Kizzmyartz!;)

Anonymous said...

That's "Cheese Whiz." If you are going to mock the culinary talents of my homeland, I insist you at least spell it correctly.

Anonymous said...

Excuse me. "Cheez Whiz." I apparently cannot spell American English, either.

Brand New Day said...

Hahahahahaha! Sorry, I shouldn't mock the afflicted! But thenagain, hahahahaha! (that's how OLD AGE creeps in y'know! - hope you enjoyed your birthday, by the way!)
Thanks for your comment Cheeseman - it made me laugh - a lot! ;)