Mathilda's OP reads: "Is one British english and the other UK?
Some confusion, I fear, for there should be no difference in meaning (or 'type' of English) between British English (as it is usually called) and UK (English) as Mathilda has also called it! Those who responded to Mathilda's OP seem to have completely overlooked the semantic nature of the OP's question in their otherwise helpful and interesting posts on the subject.
By way of background factual information, the official and correct title of the state entity is as follows: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. (G.B. and/or U.K. for short). This is what appears on the front cover of a British passport and this is the accepted and offcial name of the British Isles (The Republic of Ireland is not part of the UK and Norhern Ireland, but is part of the British Isles geographically) which is then 'subdived' into the 'nations' of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. None of these nations is a state or country recognised within the international communiity as an autonomous political or transnational entity The inhabitants of England, Scotland, Wales etc. may think of them selves as English, Scots or Welsh etc., with all the attributes of nationhood (but not statehood), language (Celtic) and culture, but they would have a hard time convincing anyone that that is their nationality in terms of passports and visas etc. Thus the use of the word British English is interchangable with UK English, though the latter in not commonly used to differentiate British English from American English. British English and UK English are one and the same (as opposed to American English etc.) but are overlaid with all the regional and 'class' variants within the UK. In the context in which the OP has formed her question, they (British & UK English) are one and the same. There seems to be confusion out there about the meaning of being 'English' and 'British'. Many people conflate the meanings of the words which, of course, upsets the Welsh, Scots and Northern Irish who are all British, but not English, and who all speak British (UK) English with RP, regional and/or class accents, words and syntax.
Please, just don't. Take it outside. As a Scot, an innocent mistake on this subject really does not bother me.
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<hr>Those who responded to Mathilda's OP seem to have completely overlooked the semantic nature of the OP's question<hr></blockquote>
Deliberately.
OP is a neep.
Well, if we're clearing things up, Scots don't think of themselves as Scots, but as Scottish.
Also, "G.B." refers to Great Britain, which isn't the same as the UK. The UK includes Northern Ireland, where-as Great Britain doesn't. As a result, people from Northern Ireland are either British, or Irish, depending on a) which country they indentify more with, but mainly b) how they feel, C) who they're speaking to, and d) how much they think it'll piss you off that they're being contrary.
Yes, I know the Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom per se - it is a territory. You still forgot about it
Point taken, ducky. Sorry to have upset Scottish sensibilities with my use of the adjective instead of the proper noun. For a Scot, Big Iain was a bit slow to upbraid me on that one. Question: Iain, where were you when I needed you? Answer: Probably taking a couple of aspirins! He, he! Well, Ducky, I wouldn't dare say too much about the word 'Scotch', but it's not entirely inappropriate to bandy this word about here on the 'Get Stuffed' branch, where a wee dram of the hardstuff and a good helping of wild 'Scotch' salmon would go down a treat!
Ducky's UK and GB thread vis-a-vis the province of Northern Ireland is not inconsistent with my OP. The Manx contribution was welcome and thought provoking. Now what about the Channel Isles where you can still hear locals out in country converse in Norman French! Food for thought there, wouldn't you say?
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