APAD: We are a grandmother

Meaning:

   `We have become a grandmother' was UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's

   statement to the press in 1989, on the birth of her first grandchild, Mark

   Thatcher's son Michael.

 

Background:

   The use of the `royal we' (the `pluralis majestatis' or `majestic plural')

   had previously been restricted, as one might expect, to royalty; for example,

   Queen Victoria's celebrated `we are not amused`. Its use by a mere prime

   minister and Thatcher's imperious personal manner were the source of

   considerable disdain at the time. Thatcher's apparent conceit led to her

   being described as `a legend in her own imagination' and to some linguistic

   jokes at her expense:

 

     - Why is Margaret Thatcher like a pound coin?

     - Because she is thick, brassy and thinks she's a sovereign.

 

   Another quip came in the explanation from an aide as to why she had the

   nickname of `Daggers' Thatcher. An interviewer asked, `Is that because she

   has a reputation for stabbing colleagues in the back?' `No, its because she's

   three stops past Barking.' [Dagenham is three stops past Barking on the

   London Underground]

 

- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]

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`Barking' here should be the British way of saying `completely mad.'

 

Chinese monarchs called themselves 朕, 寡人, or 哀家. Everyone else was a

NuCai and, if addressing themselves using a royal epithet, a pretender to the

throne. Thatcher should be thankful she didn't work under such sovereigns: she

wouldn't be able to get away with just a few jibes.

所有跟帖: 

Haha, the IronLady&Thatcherism, 3TermPM,goneAfterPastBarking -最西邊的島上- 給 最西邊的島上 發送悄悄話 最西邊的島上 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 03/09/2025 postreply 08:22:03

I just remembered her meeting with Deng Xiaoping. -7grizzly- 給 7grizzly 發送悄悄話 7grizzly 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 03/10/2025 postreply 08:11:48

Oh,really? Congrats!:)想起最開始一直到認識你好久,我一直都以為你是女生~:) -妖妖靈- 給 妖妖靈 發送悄悄話 妖妖靈 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 03/09/2025 postreply 09:49:54

Haha! -7grizzly- 給 7grizzly 發送悄悄話 7grizzly 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 03/10/2025 postreply 08:12:04

Queen Victoria was known as the "Grandmother of Europe" -移花接木- 給 移花接木 發送悄悄話 移花接木 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 03/09/2025 postreply 13:40:19

figuratively&literally,her children married into... ... -移花接木- 給 移花接木 發送悄悄話 移花接木 的博客首頁 (209 bytes) () 03/09/2025 postreply 13:42:10

不過一般英文不刻意區分是奶奶還是姥姥 -移花接木- 給 移花接木 發送悄悄話 移花接木 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 03/09/2025 postreply 13:58:12

like brother (哥哥 or 弟弟)and sister ;-) -最西邊的島上- 給 最西邊的島上 發送悄悄話 最西邊的島上 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 03/09/2025 postreply 14:22:39

I'm watching live Canadian new prime ministor announcement -移花接木- 給 移花接木 發送悄悄話 移花接木 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 03/09/2025 postreply 15:55:58

Hope she's amused, wherever she is, finally. -7grizzly- 給 7grizzly 發送悄悄話 7grizzly 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 03/10/2025 postreply 08:13:36

WWI 被形容為親戚打群架 -移花接木- 給 移花接木 發送悄悄話 移花接木 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 03/10/2025 postreply 11:30:14

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