USA, Canada / American people attitude towards Poles in the USA [98]

This discussion is about American attitudes to Polish people in the USA?
If we widened the debate to include Canada, might someone actually mention the Western side of the Atlantic for a change?

Or perhaps add a little more of a historical context.
How were Polish people seen in America before the end of Communism?
Did things change much?

Life / Poles are not racist [873]


One of the very best. Whether it's good or bad, you'll probably find it in London.

Life / Poles are not racist [873]


Not everyone is a saint. There are good and bad people of all colours, shapes, sizes and persuasions. Two wrongs don't make a right.

If an individual does wrong, you blame the individual, not everyone who has the same colour eyes or the same shoe size.

Life / Poles are not racist [873]

There does seem to be more racism from Polish people. Maybe this is partly because of the lack of ethnic diversity in Poland and much distrust of their two biggest neighbours. I met some otherwise nice people in Poland, but their opinions about black people set them back some way in my opinion. They had never met any black people in their lives.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]

Wasn't it Mark Twain?

Someone beat me to it.
Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]

There are stupid questions, but it is often better to put the questioner at ease by not making them feel stupid.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]

Poland is situated between Laalaaland and Tinkywinkyland.

Genealogy / Do Polish people have big noses? [451]

If your nose is too small, you'll have difficulty wearing glasses - an essential for making yourself look more intelligent than you really are.

Genealogy / Do Polish people have big noses? [451]

big nose - big handkerchief

Genealogy / Do Polish people have big noses? [451]

What's creepier?
A naturally big hooter - the sort just made for detecting the different notes of fine wines and cheeses,
or a strangely, sinisterly small snifffer that looks like it couldn't spot a gas-leak?

My nose is medium-sized and therefore detects the aromas of quality cheeses, yet is also slightly sinister.

I've just realised how different a story my avatar tells!
Pass the wine!

Genealogy / Polish Surnames Anglicized? [48]


Why did anyone pick such a dull colour?

Actually brown is the colour of all the best things:
wood, beer, chocolate, tobacco, meat, tea, coffee...

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]

Edit / addition: Why does something like this end up at the top of a page? -

I slept with a vegetarian a few times. Never agiain.
Must have been the beans!

She's the one who missed out on all my fantastic cooking.
Vegetarian recipes: I have only one - ratatouille.
But it's better with minced beef, chicken livers and bacon in it!

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]

Humans are meat and vegetable eating animals. We evolved to hunt and gather.
Farming is an ancient practice and can substitute the natural hunter-gatherer diet well.
Fast-food and vegetarianism are as bad as eachother.
Neither give balance to the nutrition we require, the satisfaction of food or the tradition that makes every culture and every individual different.
Be a vegetarian, but don't make other people vegetarians - you deny their rights to be the human animals they are born as.

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]


True, but how do you produce sufficient to provide enough milk for the market?
There needs to be more calves than can be kept for milking.

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]


Like beans?


So?

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]

So much of what we eat comes from animals.
Even dairy products result in the deaths of animals - how else do you make a cow produce enough milk?
This either leads to veganism, with which we would never appreciate any good food, or all wither away through lack of energy,
or omnivory where we eat a bit of this, a bit of that, and accept our place in the animal knigdom.
How many animals could we keep all over the countryside if there were no animals there for our nutrition?
Cows, sheep, pigs - they all have cute faces.
They also taste good.
Just don't talk about eating donkey.

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]

Why place vegetarianism and health in the same sentence without a negation particle in between?

Healthy food means a balance of foods. Humans have always eaten meat, and it is the best way for us to continue.
I eat fresh food, local food, tasty food, good food. There are plenty of vegetarians who eat sh1t.
Vegetables don't supply all the nutrients we need - most of the methods of bulking up these nutrients to natural levels require the consumption of unnatural products with bad flavour or no flavour.

Pills or bacon?
Hmmm! Not too tricky, that one!

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]

The best beer is the one you're drinking.
I'm drinking Specjal. Out of a can.
I prefer bottles.

It says pelny on the can, but it doesn't look it to me.

Language / Polish or any Slavic language key to any other Slavic languages? [126]


What about English English and Scots English? They have at times been considered seperate languages. Until the two countries became one about 300 years ago, it was considered two seperate languages.

I get the impression there is far more diversity within English than in many of the Slavic languages, and that the differences between some of them is really quite small. The biggest difference between Croatian and Serbian seems to be the different alphabets they use.


What else would you call a pigeon?

Life / Do Polish People steal a lot? [330]


The debate is about as worthwhile as 'Why do people think 'a lot' is one word?'

Life / Do Polish People steal a lot? [330]

In one year of having Polish temps in the company, the total list of things stolen by them looks a bit like this:

1 broken sharpening stone,
1 Tescos bag load of potting compost,
Innumerable brain cells (they supplied spme vocka for the summer barbeque).

There were probably about 20 different temps in total over that period.

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]

I have declared my flat (and garden) to be an independent state.
In my country, everyone smiles big, cheeky, genuine smiles!

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]

I've seen Polish people smiling, and even laughing and joking both in Poland, the UK and some points in between.
I'm English and in nearly 31 years, I've spent less than 3 months abroad. I smile frequently.
I've never seen a Russian smile, but I have not observed many.

UK, Ireland / Polish Festivals/Exhibitions/Events in UK [91]

I was originally answering as one of the many on the forum who could answer.

But the issues of ability to travel to such an event, and of interest (whether by Polish people in the UK or non-Poles) are relevant. Many wouldn't have the time away from work, the money to get anywhere...

UK, Ireland / Polish Festivals/Exhibitions/Events in UK [91]

Lerwick might be nice!
Or perhaps Lands End.

Some of us can't afford to go very far.

UK, Ireland / Polish Festivals/Exhibitions/Events in UK [91]


If festival means food and the UK means the southeast of England, then yes!

Food / Types of CHEESE in Poland [150]


Do I have to fly all the way to Poland to find this.
I am a cheese obsessive (so they tell me).
I couldn't find good cheese when I was in Poland.
Is there good Polish cheese in London?

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]


All sounds a bit clinical.

Every language has it's 'ouch' words.
Some involve swearing, some don't.

If sex wasn't a taboo subject at the time, there would have been no sexual swear-words.
Maybe some form of blasphemy could have formed the basis of swearing.
(There may have been more than enough gods to choose from.)
Maybe PIE *au- was really quite rude and offensive in its day.

Language / Polish/Ukrainian words similarities [209]

Has anyone actually mentioned that Ukrainian and Russian, along with Belorussian are East Slavic languages,
whereas Polish, along with Czech and Slovak are West Slavic languages.
West and East Slavic split some time before their daughter languages diverged.
I believe their is more commonality between all Slavic languages than, say,
between English and German (both descended from the same tongue).
Words may have been borrowed between languages after they had split,
thereby slightly incresing the possibility of mutual intelligibility
(but also giving rise to a certain number of 'false friends').

Has anyone else pointed out
that there are beautiful women from all over the world?
I thought that most men who look for a particular eastern European nationality of girl
are usually the ones who think they can get one cheap over the internet.
(See Singles section on PF)

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]


Like when there was a road in 13th century Oxford called 'Gropec*** Lane'.

Any Polish examples that have survived the bowdlerisation of history writers?