To ask if you know what an Eleanor Cross is?

[HotelTangoFoxtrotUniform]

Without resorting to google?

I was made to feel a bit of an arse for not knowing what it was last night and wanted to know if my education had been lacking of if the guy was being a smug git. And yes, I know the guy was being a smug git for pointing out publicly that I didn't know, but I want to know if its something I should have paid more attention to at school be aware of.

AIBU to ask you if you've heard of it before? And have you?

Yes, but I'm from Northampton so was taught about it at school.

I knew the principle of them but I couldn't remember which king. Does that count?

And I'm a history geek, too.

And of course he was being a smug git. I bet you know stuff he doesn't, you just aren't pompous enough to assume your knowledge is the gold standard for what should be known.

Jeremy Paxman does that on University Challenge, it drives me mad. If he knows something himself he does that 'Come on, don't you know that?' but if he doesn't know himself he looks impressed.

northernlurker don't you think that people could assume that the cross in Charing Cross could refer to another cross? Banbury Cross has nothing to do with these, so your argument falls a bit flat. Vauxhall Cross just refers to a traffic system!

MadBusLady - he's a smug git, not geek. I'd never think of geek as an insult - I wear that badge with pride!

I'm with the "yes there are so many of them" view. How many other queens have we had with as many? 12 is a lot, and unique as far as I am aware for any of our queens

I had no idea, but then I am a bit uneducated in History and stuff like that. I have smug friends and if they try to embarrass me about my lack of knowledge I just ask them if, as a woman, they fitted their own kitchen and bathroom and when they say no, I act so suprised and say really you actually pay for that to be done, oh my god how stupid are you!! It mostly works to shut the w£$%&s up for a bit. I hate people like that, everyone has their talents and mine help me alot more than knowing what a F%$£&g Eleanor Cross is or where they are. Rant over!!

No, but thankyou. Now I do :)

It's perfectly possible to have heard of Charing Cross without knowing about Eleanor Crosses. Just is it's possible to have heard of St Pancras station without knowing who St Pancras was.

Anyway, it's deeply unpleasant to be smug about having a piece of knowledge somebody else doesn't. Knowledge is not education, or culture or being intellectual. Knowledge is just something you've been in the right time and the right place to pick up. Some people know how high My Everest is, or the names and dates of all the Kings and Queens of England. some people can list all the Beatles songs in chronological order. I know what a surcingle and a tazza are. And who wrote the Hounds of Heaven. Big deal. Doesn't make them or me clever, or anyone that doesn't, thick. You can always gain information. Once a smug git, always a smug git!

Yes, one where i grew up too, also one in Geddington where i often drive through.

No, and I've spent a fair bit of time round Charing Cross and have a history degree (Not mediaeval though,) and my general knowledge is mostly fairly good not that I've ever been the one whose the smug git, oh no.

I shall look out for it next time I am at Charing Cross, which should be in the next week or so.

Well said, Curlew.

The fact that he had to put you down and feel small because of his "superior" knowledge says a hell of a lot more about his own issues and insecurities rather than your education.

I'd never heard of them and I have a history degree Totally different period in history though. Is that a good enough excuse?!

Northern you're being harsh.

In my 50s, educated at higly academic girls' school and two universities nowadays rebranded as Russell Group - the Eleanor Cross has passed me by.

I shall remedy the situation straightaway, thank you.

Hadn't got a clue I imagine it is knowledge that stays fairly locally.

Didn't have a clue. I'm sure you know some stuff that the people ridiculing don't know.

Agree that the story is not as widely known as it might be

Wouldn't have a clue, but I'd know what a St Brigids cross is if that's any help?

I do know that there is one in Dunstable. But wasn't sure why?
So, I did Google it

No I didn't.

I'm an academic, but history isn't (directly) my area.

Guy was showing a distinct lack of intelligence. Being smug about knowing a random fact only indicates that he must feel a bit insecure about his intellectual achievements overall. Or just be a bit thick. There's no superiority conferred by happening to know something someone else doesn't. Twit.

Ad I'm a big fan of this kind of trivia/knowledge, I love stories behind things. But if I haven't been told, or haven't come across it, how the hell am I supposed to know it?!

Why do you think it would be unreasonable to ask this?

No, I don't know what this is - it's not something that I've come across.

I've now looked it up and I think:
1 - it's not a cross
2 - you could easily have not visited any of those locations
3 - I have been to St Albans and frankly it's not very unusual-looking. It looks like a monument that you might see in any number of town squares