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Pedants' corner
Original poster

Dh says it's not the Union Jack ...

27 replies

Madsometimes · 30/04/2011 20:10

it's the Union Flag. It is only the Union Jack if it is flying on a ship.

Is he right? He was getting rather worked up by the BBC commentary on Royal Wedding day.

OP posts:
nethunsreject · 30/04/2011 20:10

Yes.

BluddyMoFo · 30/04/2011 20:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Honeydragon · 30/04/2011 20:13

yes he's right

Carrotsandcelery · 30/04/2011 20:13

My dh has been banging on about it too Mad and sadly he is usually, although not always Grin right.

ilythia · 30/04/2011 20:14

He is right. Annoys me as well. Nobbers.

MoreBeta · 30/04/2011 20:15

... and for goodness sake don't display it upside down otherwise it becomes a distress signal and someone will come and offer to rescue you.

PiaThreeTimes · 30/04/2011 20:17

My DP always corrects people on this. I wish he'd sort out his own poor grammar before jumping on it every bloody time! Grin

SecretNutellaFix · 30/04/2011 20:17

he's right. sorry.

Hassled · 30/04/2011 20:18

He's right and much as I like a spot of pedantry, I really think life is too short on this one. Everyone knows which flag you mean.

BitOfFun · 30/04/2011 20:18

It's not the most obvious distress signal in the world though, is it, Beta?

thisisyesterday · 30/04/2011 20:19

yes, he is right

LaurieFairyCake · 30/04/2011 20:19

Yes

Dd pointed it out to me yesterday

Bloody schools Wink

TimeWasting · 30/04/2011 20:23

Yes Beta, are we supposed paint 'HELP' on it?

cath476 · 30/04/2011 20:24

Yes ds2 (5) very patiently explained this to me, his poor, stupid mummy, yesterday! Grin

MoreBeta · 30/04/2011 20:32

Nope - just put it upside down on the back of your boat and the Royal Navy come and rescue you.

It is quite subtle and causes quite a chuckle among those that know when someone does it by accident on Govt buildings etc.

meditrina · 30/04/2011 20:32

BitofFun: precisely. It's so that the enemy (eg hostile boarding party) didn't know you were signalling for help. Obviously that dates from times before modern comms and depends on the ignorance of the enemy about the flag.

Matelots and military types would spot immediately if it were the wrong way round.

meditrina · 30/04/2011 20:33

x-post!

Original poster
Madsometimes · 30/04/2011 20:43

So if he was a MNer, pedants corner would be where he would feel at home Smile.

OP posts:
Grumpystiltskin · 08/05/2011 20:10

A bit late but to be ultra pedantic MoreBeta a boat is a submarine so you would be unlikely to be rescued with an upside down Union Flag (subs don't have Jack Masts when they are out an about) hanging from the stern of that!

A ship however is a ship and they do have Jack Masts. No matter how har I try though, I can never remember whch way up is correct.

Grumpystiltskin · 08/05/2011 20:11

*out and about

mranchovy · 09/06/2011 22:16

The jack mast (from which a national flag may be flown) is at the bow, only an ensign is flown at the stern.

The national flags of the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Portugal are all difficult or impossible to identify from a distance as inverted so they were never much use as distress signals.

Slambang · 09/06/2011 22:18

Tell him to stop showing off because everybody knows that.

mranchovy · 09/06/2011 22:37

Oh, no - I've only just got started, I haven't allowed myself out in Pedants Corner for years!

DirtyMartini · 09/06/2011 22:44

It was on QI. I keep seeing that episode on Dave.

notimetotidy · 23/06/2011 11:11

He is wrong. It is just called a 'Jack' when on a ship and a Union Flag when ashore. It is never called a Union Jack - ever!