On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 22:21:50 +0100, Dr J R Stockton
 wrote:

> In uk.net.news.management message <R2_Gi.7102$gZ.1090@newsfe7-win.ntli.n
> et>, Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:39:29, John Briggs 
> posted:
>> Dr J R Stockton wrote:
>
>>> You may be using an inappropriate interpretation of "Britain"; the
>>> term seems not well defined.
>>
>> "Britain" is short for "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
>> Ireland" - and is used as such by the British government.
>
> Only when it does not choose to be precise.

AFAIK "Britain" always and only ever means the UK, and British only ever
means "of or from the UK" unless used in just one term: "British Isles".
But maybe you would cite usage which proves that my knowledge is wrong.

Tony

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:15:04 +0100, "Clive D. W. Feather"
 wrote:

> In article , Anthony R. Gold 
>  writes
>> AFAIK "Britain" always and only ever means the UK, and British only ever
>> means "of or from the UK" unless used in just one term: "British Isles".
>> But maybe you would cite usage which proves that my knowledge is wrong.
>
> "British Railways" is not the same as "UK Railways".

True; my intended point was use of "British" as an adjective.  Here UK is
not an adjective and British is fixed in place as a part of a name.  Do
you believe British is generally used other that as the adjective of UK?

> "Britain" most often means the island of Great Britain, but it has many 
> other uses (not excluding the peninsular of Lesser Britain).

That is unfamiliar to me.  Certainly Great Britain has that meaning but I
do not recall ever seeing Britain used as a synonym for Great Britain.

Tony

Anthony R. Gold wrote:
> On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:15:04 +0100, "Clive D. W. Feather"
>  wrote:
>
>> In article , Anthony R.
>> Gold  writes
>>> AFAIK "Britain" always and only ever means the UK, and British only
>>> ever means "of or from the UK" unless used in just one term:
>>> "British Isles". But maybe you would cite usage which proves that
>>> my knowledge is wrong.
>>
>> "British Railways" is not the same as "UK Railways".
>
> True; my intended point was use of "British" as an adjective.  Here
> UK is not an adjective and British is fixed in place as a part of a
> name.  Do you believe British is generally used other that as the
> adjective of UK?
>
>> "Britain" most often means the island of Great Britain, but it has
>> many other uses (not excluding the peninsular of Lesser Britain).
>
> That is unfamiliar to me.  Certainly Great Britain has that meaning
> but I do not recall ever seeing Britain used as a synonym for Great
> Britain.

That's because he's talking out of his arse.  The Irish use it in that 
sense, but they have particular political reasons for doing so.  (This has 
unintended consequences: the Irish talk about "Britain and Ireland" thinking 
that they are talking about the geographical entitities, whereas the phrase 
only has meaning when referring to the political entities.)
-- 
John Briggs

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:15:04 +0100, "Clive D. W. Feather"
 wrote:

>"Britain" most often means the island of Great Britain, but it has many 
>other uses (not excluding the peninsular of Lesser Britain).

I'm currently moored somewhere on the British Waterways, doing netnews
by vpn and vnc over a hsdpa card so I'll just say:

I support this RFD

and

British Waterways need renaming, or rm'ing...





-- 
"We have gone from a world of concentrated knowledge and wisdom to one
of distributed ignorance.  And we know and understand less while being
increasingly capable."       Prof. Peter Cochrane, formerly of BT Labs
In memory of Brian {Hamilton Kelly} who logged off 15th September 2005