There's nothing quite like finding out about your home country in a faraway place.
I remember hearing about the Wall come down in Oxford, being told about Diana's death sitting around a safari-park campfire in Swaziland, and watching the events of 9/11 unfold on my TV in Paris.
Less where-were-you, but nonetheless interesting, is the discovery that I made today while listening to NPR: that "filth" is actually an acronym of the term "Failed In London, Try Hongkong" in reference to people who emigrated to the Far East in the 18th and 19th century because they couldn't make it in England.
I remember hearing about the Wall come down in Oxford, being told about Diana's death sitting around a safari-park campfire in Swaziland, and watching the events of 9/11 unfold on my TV in Paris.
Less where-were-you, but nonetheless interesting, is the discovery that I made today while listening to NPR: that "filth" is actually an acronym of the term "Failed In London, Try Hongkong" in reference to people who emigrated to the Far East in the 18th and 19th century because they couldn't make it in England.
I wonder if that makes me FILBAPTD.
1 comment:
Rene says:
There is a book by Jane Gardam, about an old barrister. It is called "Old Filth" and there, the acronym is used in just the same way: Failed in London, Try Hongkong.
The book is very funny, indeed and I would try and read it if I were you. A few years back it was all the rage in the UK.
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