опять о глупых американцах

[nvichka]

Идет игра на разнице понятий state school/ public school/ private school в British English/ American English. Через сноску не получится смешно, хотя, наверное, придется :(
Подскажите, если у кого мысль придет!

When I made a reference to someone in Britain attending a state school, an American researcher said to me: "But I didn't think they had states in Britain."
"I meant state in the rather broader sense of nation-state".
"So you mean public schools?"
"Well, no, because public schools in Britain are private schools".
Long pause. "You're kidding".
"It's a well-known fact".
"Then what do they call public schools?"
"State schools".
Another long pause. "But I didn't think they had states in Britain".

[Brains]

Не приходит, а жаль. Похоже, и в самом деле придётся. А хороший был диалог, обидно.
Хотя, может, у кого другого лучше получится?

[lansky]

пока только первая часть:

-Я был там штатным преподавателем..
-Но в Англии нет штатов

[Irina Primakova]

I don't see anything silly here...

If you study federalism in the US, you'll understand that states in the US are very much like countries. The US is a nation of fifty countries, if you want to be exact. Aslo, as oppose to socialistic societies of Europe and elsewhere, the US citizens don't want their life to be controlled by the government, hence, there are no government or state owned schools. Schools belong to the public, therefore, they are called public.

[nvichka]

Lansky, спасибо! Это интересная идея!

[nvichka]

Dear Irina Primakova! You should look through the works of a famous American writer Bill Bryson. There are a lot of jokes like this there. And then if you feel diply humiliated you may bring an action against him. It will be a very entertaining experience...

[Irina Primakova]

Dear nvinka, my comment was not directed to the joke but to this: Тема сообщения: опять о глупых американцах