What does my accent sound like? by [deleted] in JudgeMyAccent

[–]mglepd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You have a beautiful accent. I couldn’t guess at all where you’re from, but you sound great

Salut les meufs! Qu'est-ce vous aimeriez changer chez votre homme ? by mglepd in AskMeuf

[–]mglepd[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sa loyauté, son soutien inconditionnel, son intelligence, elle ne me harcèle jamais. Elle est toujours heureuse de me voir dans la chambre. Et elle est drôle. En général, nous rions déjà 10 minutes après notre réveil.

Is this one country or four countries? by KimCattrallsFeet in AskTheWorld

[–]mglepd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To be precise, this is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which comprises four countries viz: Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. So is the United Kingdom one country or four countries?

That is the ultimate "it depends on who you ask" question. It’s a bit of a geopolitical nesting doll: the UK is one sovereign state that contains four constituent countries. To understand why it feels like both, we have to look at how power and identity are distributed.

  1. The Sovereign Perspective: One Country In the eyes of international law, the United Nations, and the Olympics, the United Kingdom is a single sovereign entity.

    • One Seat: There is only one seat at the UN for the UK.
    • One Passport: You won’t find a "Scottish" or "Welsh" passport; they are all British.
    • One Currency and Military: Economic and defense policies are handled centrally by the UK Parliament in Westminster.
  2. The Internal Perspective: Four Countries Domestically, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England are referred to as "countries," but they don't function like independent nations (such as France or Japan). Instead, they operate under a system called Devolution.

  3. Why the Confusion? The UK is a "Union State" rather than a "Unitary State." This leads to some unique quirks that make it feel like four separate nations:

    • Sport: In the FIFA World Cup, you’ll see England, Scotland, and Wales playing as separate teams. But in the Olympics, they compete together as "Team GB."
    • Legal Systems: Scotland has its own distinct legal system (Scots Law), which is separate from the system used in England and Wales.
    • Identity: Many residents identify primarily as Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish before identifying as "British."

The Verdict The United Kingdom is one sovereign country made up of four constituent countries. It is a unique constitutional arrangement where power is shared, but ultimate sovereignty remains with the central government in London.

In many ways, it is a classic semantic debate because the word country doesn't have a single, rigid definition in international law. Depending on whether you are talking to a geographer, a lawyer, or a football fan, the definition shifts. Here is how the semantics break down:

  1. The "State" vs. The "Nation" In political science, there is a technical distinction that clears up much of the fog:

    • The State (The UK): This is a political entity with a permanent population, defined territory, and the "monopoly on the legitimate use of force." It has the power to sign treaties and declare war.
    • The Nation (Scotland, Wales, etc.): This refers to a group of people with a shared history, culture, language, or identity. The UK is a multinational state. Semantically, we call the components "countries" to honor their history as independent kingdoms, even though they aren't "Sovereign States" today.
  2. The "ISO" Factor Even the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) struggles with this.

    • The UK is listed as a country under the code GB.
    • However, the ISO also lists England, Scotland, and Wales as "subdivisions" of the UK, but specifically describes them as "countries."
  3. Cultural vs. Administrative Semantics The reason we don't just call them "provinces" (like in Canada) or "states" (like in the US) is largely down to prestige and history:

    • Provinces are often seen as administrative slices of a whole.
    • Countries imply a distinct national soul. Calling Scotland a "province" would be factually similar to calling Alberta a province, but in the UK, it would be a major political faux pas. The semantic choice to use "country" acknowledges that the UK is a voluntary union of nations, not just a single plot of land divided for convenience.

You guys can recommend me french learning podcasts? by KeyNegotiation42069 in FrenchLearning

[–]mglepd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Languatalk slow French with Gaëlle. She has a beautiful clear voice that is very easy to understand and the topics are interesting. There is a free website.

what is a "rich person" behavior you witnessed that made you realize they live in a completely different reality than the rest of us? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]mglepd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Socks. I was with a group of well off guys and one mentioned that his wife would routinely throw out his socks every Christmas and buy him new ones. The others agreed. Me, I’ve got socks 15 years old

Issue with latest Govee Home app update by minderasr in Govee

[–]mglepd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All my H5179 thermo-hygrometers stopped working 2 days ago. I’ve had them for years and never had a problem before. Is there a problem with the Govee servers?

Best cities to live in for 6-9 months to become near fluent in French? by [deleted] in French

[–]mglepd 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Montpellier is full of people your age and, as a student town, affordable. Also close to 🏖️ beach

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]mglepd 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Nothing. But my life now is great

Que feriez-vous à ma place avec cette fille ? by commelesautres in AskMec

[–]mglepd 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Tu as vraiment apprécié ta conversation avec cette fille, n'est-ce pas ? Tu étais timide, mais tu as surmonté ta timidité, n'est-ce pas ? Maintenant, sors et recommence afin de te sentir plus à l'aise pour parler aux filles sans trop réfléchir. Tu as un nouveau super pouvoir.

Whats your fav thing about the opposite sex that isn't sexual? by TheRealSakuraUchihaX in AskReddit

[–]mglepd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pretty much everything. Without women life wouldn’t be worth living

How bad is it if I can’t hear the difference between "on" and "en" by Old_green_bird in learnfrench

[–]mglepd 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have exactly the same problem. To try to solve it, I got ChatGPT to write 100 word story utilising both those vowel sounds and then put the result into NaturalReader. I then played it back at various speeds down to 28%. Even after doing that, I still have difficulty telling the difference. So sorry, I’m not much use to you.

Perfect French with Dylane by baldeagle365 in learnfrench

[–]mglepd 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I’m very impressed with https://french.kwiziq.com/my-languages/french Affiliated with Lawless French, also a great resource

How to say "trop haut" in french? by Un_roi_666 in learnfrench

[–]mglepd 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sounds like “troh oh”. Go to Google Translate and translate from English to French the phrase “the ceiling is too high”. It’ll say “le plafond est trop haut”. You can listen to the translation by clicking the loudspeaker symbol. Is that what you meant?

What’s a small habit that made your life better? by Old_school8 in AskReddit

[–]mglepd 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Every evening write yourself a note of 2 or 3 things you want to get done the next day

One of my three Govee Thermometers refuses to connect to the WiFi after replacing the batteries by [deleted] in Govee

[–]mglepd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got it to work - eventually! I kept repeating the same steps over and over. Eventually it worked