I blush for my country (in a small way)

[owl]

Yesterday a tour bus was vandalised in Belfast.

Personally I cringe every time I see a bus driving about with PADDYWAGON written on its side. Perhaps the vandals thought they were doing a public service?

Comments

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

The bus driver said it sent out the wrong message to tourists.

Well, yes.

(And since when is Maria archaic? The Sound of Music has a lot to answer for!)

[owl]

Like the ambiguity in that statement there.

I think they mean the ma-rye-a pronunciation, not the name itself.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

(Clarifies that I was indeed noting the ambiguity in the busdriver's statement and suspecting it intentional (or knowingly quoted by the journalist); perhaps I should have used more words!)

I _like_ Maria the old pronunciation as a name - hence the von Trapp contamination!