Off Topic Why is BBC4 TV such a brilliant DOCUMENTARY channel ?

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John Ex Aberdeen now E.R. said:
I guess it is who you have experience talking with. I generally could tell when they spoke English whether they were Danish or Norwegian, but less so if they are Swedish. In fact, with a couple of Swedes I met their English was so good, I thought they were English. Having said that, I had a shipping broker in Denmark who I spoke to daily, and when I first contacted him I thought he was Welsh. So you probably you can deduce from that, that I talking a load of bollocks anyhow.<laugh>
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One time in Randers came across an English type pub, one of the regulars was a Welsh guy who ran the pub quiz in English, the Brits lost.
 
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Most Swedish, not Skåne and north, and east side norsk are clearer and easier to understand. Some west coast norsk (where I am), mountain dialects and the North are difficult, they use different words, nynorsk writing, which varies on location - local written dialects are permitted and not standardised like in UK and Sweden, and often are even subtitled if they're on Norwegian TV.

Norwegians joke about Swedes being tight-fisted, politically correct and stupid, Swedes joke about Norwegians being like rich children, stupid and sheep farmers. All good fun though. Both countries are envious of Danes - cheap alcohol, louder and a more relaxed outlook stereotypically.
 
Plum said:
Yes! The tone is very different. Danish people, especially older ones, tend to speak with a sort of downbeat tone. You know how Australians will often lift their voice a little on the last word of a sentence? Danes imo do exactly the opposite! I lived in Copenhagen for 3 years a while ago so I'm not talking completely out of my backside...:emoticon-0100-smile

Incidentally the Danes I worked with spoke English well enough to take the piss out of my northern accent, bastards them.:emoticon-0105-wink:
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We say that Danes are speaking Norwegian, but after half a bottle of aquavit and with a mouthful of food. Strictly speaking, Norwegians speak a blend of Danish and old nordic/icelandic
 
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Plum said:
Yes! The tone is very different. Danish people, especially older ones, tend to speak with a sort of downbeat tone. You know how Australians will often lift their voice a little on the last word of a sentence? Danes imo do exactly the opposite! I lived in Copenhagen for 3 years a while ago so I'm not talking completely out of my backside...:emoticon-0100-smile

Incidentally the Danes I worked with spoke English well enough to take the piss out of my northern accent, bastards them.:emoticon-0105-wink:
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You can determine a Dane by how they say the number 55. Swedes and Norwegians will say 'fifty five' in respective languages. Danes will say 'five and three times twenty minus ten' to be awkward.
 
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Heimdallr said:
You can determine a Dane by how they say the number 55. Swedes and Norwegians will say 'fifty five' in respective languages. Danes will say 'five and three times twenty minus ten' to be awkward.
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A bit like in France they say quatre-vingt-douze for 92 (four-twenty-twelve), in French-speaking Belgium it is nonante-deux (ninety two)
 
Heimdallr said:
You can determine a Dane by how they say the number 55. Swedes and Norwegians will say 'fifty five' in respective languages. Danes will say 'five and three times twenty minus ten' to be awkward.
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When they've only got about 500 words in their language it isn't surprising!
 
Mr Hatem said:
A bit like in France they say quatre-vingt-douze for 92 (four-twenty-twelve), in French-speaking Belgium it is nonante-deux (ninety two)
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That should be quatre-vingts-douze (four-twenties-twelve).
I was once given a passcode to a building in France. 'Soixante-quinze-dix-neuf' I was told (60, 15, 19). It turned out it was a four-digit code, 7519. Fortunately it wasn't raining as I endlessly tried 60, 15, 19.
 
Hulot said:
That should be quatre-vingts-douze (four-twenties-twelve).
I was once given a passcode to a building in France. 'Soixante-quinze-dix-neuf' I was told (60, 15, 19). It turned out it was a four-digit code, 7519. Fortunately it wasn't raining as I endlessly tried 60, 15, 19.
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Je m'excuse.
Merci beaucoup.
 
norbellini said:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000dl2m
Enjoyed a rail car and plane trip through new zealand A place i often wondered about and never got to go. Well rewarded at the end with a look at Milford sound Some area that
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I was lucky enough to see Milford Sound last February from the deck of a cruise ship. The weather was atrocious (heavy rain) but it just made the whole experience more worthwhile. Spectacular scenery, waterfalls pounding into the sound and this all made for an eerie atmospheric two hours sailing up and down the fjord.
New Zealand is a beautiful country with friendly people and an olde world charm.
Just a pity it is so far away but if you ever get the chance, go.
 
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BBC 4 10:30 tonight (Friday). Buddy Holly: Rave On.
A must watch.

Few artists have influenced music more.

I'll repeat:

A MUST WATCH.
 
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Can't believe it. I remember as if it was yesterday.

61 years ago on Monday Feb 3rd, Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, Ritchie Valence and pilot Roger Peterson died in a plane crash around Clear Lake , Iowa.
RIP.

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Just watched a documentary on BBC4 : "The Fig Leaf: The Biggest Cover-Up in History".

Seriously - a truly artistic bit of work. Michelangelo and many of his mates featured.

It struck me how subtle & ingenious the British sense of humour can be when the following line was uttered by the presenter.

"Sometime in the 17th century Pope X (? - I forget, probably one of the 12th or 14th editions ? There were too many to count if you ask me) started what was called the "Leaf Police' in order to hunt out culpable sculptures exhibiting "naked" willies. This was to enable said police to append fig leafs in appropriate spots to save embarrassment for the local cognoscente.

Reminded me of the (not so ancient) old saying - more like tongue twister: : "The Leith Police dismisseth us".

Sorry, I don't have an Italian, or Latin translation for the true artists. That would be plagiarism methinks.
 
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We're back.
Tonight - "All Creatures Great and Small - Series 1" Episode 1 & 2 . Late 70's
One of the best series ever produced by the Beeb - IMO obvs.
What the **** else is there to do ? Give it a whirl.
 
New series of Cardinal coming up on the BBC .
Not sure if its bbc4 they might switch it to one of the main Channels.
 
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