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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you know what an Eleanor Cross is?

308 replies

HotelTangoFoxtrotUniform · 19/07/2013 08:11

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?

OP posts:
LauraShigihara · 19/07/2013 15:49

I know what they are but not where they are (except the obvious Charing Cross)

I would have ripped my tongue out before I belittled someone who didn't know, though. Angry There's plenty of stuff I don't know yet.

SueDoku · 19/07/2013 15:53

Yes, I know about the story of the crosses - but then, I'm ancient, we learned about them in History when I was at Junior School (1950s) Smile

VeryDullNameChange · 19/07/2013 16:19

This (if my phone linking works) is the XKCD strip summarising one of the many reasons why that bloke was an arse.

amicissimma · 19/07/2013 16:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Yonionekanobe · 19/07/2013 16:32

No, and am a Londoner. If we all knew all the facts about this city our heads would explode.

Lovely story though and I'm glad I now know.

I can't stand the smugness of some people. So unattractive.

TheCatIsUpTheDuff · 19/07/2013 16:36

Yes, but there's one in a village near me. It's not something I've ever needed to know as such, just that my mum and dad pointed it out when we drove past it when I was a kid.

KateCroydon · 19/07/2013 17:07

Never heard of it.

UniqueAndAmazing · 19/07/2013 17:09

I know what a Market Cross is and a Weekday Cross, and a Victoria Cross and a George Cross, but not an Eleanor Cross.

Is it what happened today when I refused to give DD the 3rd banana of the day?
that refusal certainly made Eleanor cross.

[boom boom]

UniqueAndAmazing · 19/07/2013 17:10

nah, wouldn't have even guessed that.
they had them down the eat side of the country - lincoln and grantham the closest to me, but have never heard of them.

munkysea · 19/07/2013 17:10

No, but then I'm not from that area.

DramaAlpaca · 19/07/2013 17:15

Yes, I knew without googling but we did a lot of medieval history at school in the 70s.

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 17:16

Never heard of them, and I've lived in London all my life.

Anyone who tries to make other people feel small because they don't know something is indeed a smug git. Amongst other things.

UniqueAndAmazing · 19/07/2013 17:16

northernlurker - i think you're being a bit smug too.

I have always assumed that Charing Cross was named in much the same way as Weekday Cross or Market Cross- a cross that marked the centre of a marketplace.

SelectAUserName · 19/07/2013 17:18

It was lovely pussycatwillum . First time we'd been there and we had a gorgeous sunny day for our little wander round and a drink at the Star Inn.

northernlurker · 19/07/2013 17:22

No unique I'm a lot smug about this kind of thing, no 'bit' at all Grin Turn the conversation to biological terms or how to wire a plug even and I'd be buggered though (was off sick the day they did that at school)

SoupDragon · 19/07/2013 17:28

Smugness is never a nice trait. Especially when mixed with a heavy dose of condescension.

UniqueAndAmazing · 19/07/2013 17:29
Grin

oh good, I can be smug then - how on earth can anyone not know how o wire a plug? Shock

VivaLeBeaver · 19/07/2013 17:38

Yes I do. But Eleanor died in the next village to here and dd went to Queen Eleanor school.

grumpyoldbat · 19/07/2013 17:57

Didn't know much about them just vague recollection of reading about Eleanor. The nearest one is several 100 miles away and I've never been to any of the locations.

I would maybe be surprised if someone lived close to one yet knew nothing about it as if I lived there I'd read up on the history of the place. Anyone else I wouldn't be surprised, the guy was being a git.

I also don't consider 12 loads and don't think the place name Charing Cross makes the story immediately obvious. Cross in a place name can refer to a cross roads, a market cross or some other religious link. I know several places called The Cross or something Cross with no connection to either Eleanor or Edward. A lot more than 12 actually.

DontCallMeBaby · 19/07/2013 18:56

That's the xkcd! Grin I told my mum about Eleanor Crosses today. Smile

bruffin · 19/07/2013 19:01

One of the school houses at dcs school is Eleanor house named after her.

KingRollo · 19/07/2013 19:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PipkinsPal · 19/07/2013 19:06

Never heard of Eleanor Cross. Is she your auntie?

northernlurker · 19/07/2013 19:06

Uniqye - I dunno - there's three wires isn't there? Called Earth, fire and water or summat? And if you cross them you cause a space and time apocalypse like in Ghostbusters? Something like that.
I do know how to wash up properly though - and use a twin tub Hmm. I was there for those lessons.

sittinginthesun · 19/07/2013 19:07

Yes, but I grew up in a town with one.

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