Magyar

[pmccarthy]

When I was a kid collecting stamps, Magyar Posta was the Hungarian post office. Magyar meant Hungarian. So how come their new guy has that name? Did he change his name to win votes? 

[octave]

Yes, I remember stamps with Magyar from my childhood stamp-collecting phase.

 

According to AI:

 

Magyar is a relatively common surname in Hungary, acting as an ethnic name that means "Hungarian". It is frequently found across the country, particularly in regions with mixed historical ethnicity. As a surname, it is sometimes the result of historical "Magyarization," where families changed foreign-sounding names to more patriotic ones. 

 

Key Facts About the Name "Magyar"

• Meaning: The word magyar is the autonym for Hungarians and means "Hungarian".
• Origin: The name stems from the ancient Megyer tribe, which was a dominant clan among the Hungarian tribes in the 9th century.
• Commonality: It is a common surname in Hungary.
• Related Names: Similar to other ethnic surnames in Hungary, such as Horváth (Croat) or Német (German).
• Distribution: Data shows high concentrations of individuals with the surname Magyar in areas like Budapest and regional centers such as Hajdúszoboszló and Kecskemét. 

While it means "Hungarian," it is important to note that the country itself is called Magyarország (literally "Land of the Magyars") by its inhabitants.

Edited yesterday at 03:55 AM by octave

[old man emu]

Haven't you know a bloke named English, or his mate French? 

[willedoo]

2 hours ago, old man emu said:

Haven't you know a bloke named English, or his mate French? 

A few named English. The only French I've known of was one of our local lads in my dad's Batallion, got a posthumous VC at Milne Bay.

[Jerry_Atrick]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_English

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnaby_French

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/László_Magyar

 

Can't find anyone with a surname of Australian, New3 Zealander, Canadian, or Kiwi (but there are a few people with a first name of Kiwi):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_Camara

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_Chow

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_Gardner

 

 

And there are a few others if you care to look.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Barnaby French is a detective in a small village in Provence with a high murder rate.

Edited 19 hours ago by pmccarthy

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, pmccarthy said:

Barnaby French is a detective in a small village in Provence with a high murder rate.

I thought those small vilalges with high murder rates were only in Midsummer.

[red750]

Midsomer.

[Marty_d]

The name of the detective in Midsomer Murders was Barnaby too.

[facthunter]

 And He has a really Dumb Dog. I have a Mate who actually Lives where that series is done.  Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

Surprised your mate's still alive being that many murders there. 🙂

 

Edited 9 hours ago by Jerry_Atrick

[facthunter]

Yeah, you'd think Land values would have Plunged with all the deaths. I think the local pub has closed. Just a sign of the times.  Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

Sadly, yes... 

 

Our village pub is a community pub, the villagers put their hands in their pocket (thankfully one villager is a very wealthy venture capitalist) and purchased the building for 1/3 it was bought by the previous landlord. And we did it up, and it is not bad, but unf. when these things are done by clique committees, the person making the decision on the decor transformed it from a rustic character country pub to a bland restaurant with a bar. 

 

Pubs in the UK are (or were), IMHO, a much nicer place to visit than similar ones at lest in the cities. They semed a lot more community focused and less just watering holes. There are historical reasons for this, but, society has transformed in a few ways. First, pubs were known as extensions of one's front (living) room. Because houses tended to be small, puns were where you and you family gathered with friends and their familiy to get together, or celebrate an occasion, etc. My partner noticed that Aussie pubs (both city and rural) were either gastro pubs or tended to be male centric, with women as an afterthought (she was very surprised to see ladies' lounges, for example). Also, though history, most pubs were inns, an under the Innkeepers Act (latest was 1878 before being superseded by the UK Hotel Proprietors Act in 1956), there was a duty to receive or lodge travellers - reasonable cost, etc. Of course, when they were full, they didn't have to receive more, but they couldn't not receive if they had a room or board. 

 

From this, British pubs, when I first arrived in the UK in '96, seemed quite welcoming. It was not unusual to have a conversation with strangers, or be invited to sit with people if you were alone. Beer and driking in general was the thing of younger people and it was a very social place. I am not saying Aussie pubs aren;t, but it seemed one needed more courage to go alone, and it would take some time before you branched beyonf yourself or your group to mingle. 

 

But, with higher taxes of pints pulled at a pub compared to buying in the supermarket, bigger houses, younger people moving away from drinking, and let's face it, some very ordinary publicans; the move towards a more refined experience, etc, pubs are under threat. I know a bloke who owns a chain of pubs - he does very well.. but they are all very classic/contemporary decorated, they have one or two beers at most and an extensive wine list, and the focus is on  an upper mid-market dining experience. And they are all located in the heart of big city centres where there is money. It attracts yuppies - dinks or those with young kids and still money to spend. Since COVD, and the recent oil prices, he has struggled a bit, but still does OK. 

 

Our community pub has yet to turn a profit.. The issue is once food service is done - around 9pm, it virtually empties because most of the patronage are older people; the young ones either don't turn up or if they do, they then head off into town for the nightclubs. Similarly at the pub I stay at in Richmond, the publican, who has been there for 35 years, sees mainly older people - 40+ - and they don't drink as much as the younger set  used to . 

 

[octave]

8 minutes ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

My partner noticed that Aussie pubs (both city and rural) were either gastro pubs or tended to be male centric, with women as an afterthought

 

I think this has changed with the advent of craft beer pubs. My local before I moved was called "Two Birds Brewery"  I heard the owners interviewed and they talked about how in this type of pub there were more female customers.  Rather than being a down 9 pints type of place, there are now often a vast range of beers, and they tend not to be served onto a soggy bar towel.  When at a new location, we always look for the local craft beer establishment, and usually we find a more or less equal gender balance.

 

https://shedefined.com.au/international-womens-day/meet-the-women-breaking-the-gender-divide-in-the-beer-industry/

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

puns were where you and you family gathered with friends

I always enjoy a good pun. Puns are the heart and soul of English comedy.