Do You Have A "test Phrase"?

[Geordielass]

 

Actually, we Americans don't really have patriotism "dinned" into our heads. I wish we did, but school children only get a taste of our constitution and historic documents that defined the birth of our country. There may be some that were required to memorize certain parts of historical documents or lines from speeches that stuck with them through the years. You'll find a wide range of patriotism in America. There are those (Americans) who would spit on our flag, and then there are those who would die for, not only our flag (and what it represents), but also for the right of those others to spit on the flag. Many have learned that freedom isn't really free. It cost many lives and it's not to be taken lightly or for granted. Then you'll find many who don't show an animosity for the country, but simply do take it for granted that they live in a free society and they don't think about it much. There are wide ranging levels of patriotism here, but unfortunately, it seems to take a national tragedy to bring Americans together and we glimpse, for a short moment, our blessings of freedom. Anyway, you asked and that's my experience in America.

Thank you for the answer, I wasn't trying to draw broad generalisations about "all Americans", I suppose I was just surprised and curious that so many of you seem to know so very many of these patriotic quotes so I wondered whether you had all learned them at school. (Sorry about "dinned", I only meant to ask if you are all made to learn them by rote at school.)

 

How many Brits can cite off the top of their heads the beginning lines of the Magna Carte or even explain what that document by itself sets out as law? (I'm not looking for an explanation. I can find one on my own. I was simply curious if such would be common knowledge or not.)

There may be as many as half a dozen, but I doubt it. I also can't imagine why on Earth we would want to. To clarify my last comment, seeing Magna Carta as some sort of written Constitution takes it entirely out of historical context.

Edited October 13, 2013 by Geordielass

[Blue_Moon]

Thank you for the answer, I wasn't trying to draw broad generalisations about "all Americans", I suppose I was just surprised and curious that so many of you seem to know so very many of these patriotic quotes so I wondered whether you had all learned them at school. (Sorry about "dinned", I only meant to ask if you are all made to learn them by rote at school.)

 

There may be as many as half a dozen, but I doubt it. I also can't imagine why on Earth we would want to. To clarify my last comment, seeing Magna Carta as some sort of written Constitution takes it entirely out of historical context.

 

Let's say patriotism ranges on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being those who have disdain for our country; 5 being those who don't really care one way or the other; 10 being those willing to lay down their lives for their country. I'll make a generalization and say that my guess (and that's all it is - a guess) is that those who quote some part of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, founding fathers, etc., have some level of patriotism from 6 to 10. As far as the country as a whole, I would have to say that the majority of Americans are between a 5 and a 7. I would say that in the last half century, the numbers have shifted downward. Also, I'd say that most people who can quote parts of historical documents and speeches are probably older - 40/45 and above, having been required to learn by rote in school. Today, most school children are not required to memorize parts of the documents of our founding fathers. Again, not all, but most of those students that are required to do some memory work are in private or military schools. And I stress that those numbers are only my opinion. I'm sure other Americans would set the scale higher or lower, and disagree altogether with some of my statements. I hope that answers some of your questions. Don't worry about "dinned." I took no offense whatsoever.

[Mickey]

There may be as many as half a dozen, but I doubt it. I also can't imagine why on Earth we would want to. To clarify my last comment, seeing Magna Carta as some sort of written Constitution takes it entirely out of historical context.

I was well aware Magna Carta was not comparable to the Constitution (it is much closer in spirit to our Bill of Rights), but it is a significant document, none the less, and one not only Brits should know. As to why, that should be obvious. It represents a significant turning point, if now largely a symbolic one. (To be truthful, I've probably read more Blackstone's "Commentaries on the Laws of England" than Magna Carta; I never learned enough Latin to attack Magna Carta directly.)

 

Though, MC is written in Latin, language need not be a complete barrier. In her 80s, my mother could still recite the Prologue of The Canterbury Tales in Middle English, and I can recite (and write) the most famous lines from "La Vida es Sueno" by Pedro Calderon de la Barca, even though Spanish is far from my first language. Why? Because some things are worth memorizing simply to make the point that they (or something to which they are connected) are important - a little pain you inflict on yourself to make things stick, kind of like getting a tattoo.

 

That nearly answers the original question regarding the American penchant for scribbling snatches from political tracts. We are a mongrel country (at times in our history, even a proudly mongrel country), and expressions of our aspirations, as voiced in a few of our political documents, are among the most beautiful things written in 'American,' that language only slightly related to English.

Edited October 13, 2013 by Mickey

[Sailor Kenshin]

Let's say patriotism ranges on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being those who have disdain for our country; 5 being those who don't really care one way or the other; 10 being those willing to lay down their lives for their country. I'll make a generalization and say that my guess (and that's all it is - a guess) is that those who quote some part of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, founding fathers, etc., have some level of patriotism from 6 to 10. As far as the country as a whole, I would have to say that the majority of Americans are between a 5 and a 7. I would say that in the last half century, the numbers have shifted downward. Also, I'd say that most people who can quote parts of historical documents and speeches are probably older - 40/45 and above, having been required to learn by rote in school. Today, most school children are not required to memorize parts of the documents of our founding fathers. Again, not all, but most of those students that are required to do some memory work are in private or military schools. And I stress that those numbers are only my opinion. I'm sure other Americans would set the scale higher or lower, and disagree altogether with some of my statements. I hope that answers some of your questions. Don't worry about "dinned." I took no offense whatsoever.

 

I'd be a 9, which is why I give great honor and respect for the 10s.

[A. Peavey]

Looking at the notebooks I've used for first writings with a new pen, it seems that I like to make swirls and sign my name to exhaustion.

Me too. I do scribbles and signatures.

[F104]

A few things tend to flow of their own accord:

 

Pen Test.

 

When it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change. (Lord Falkland)

 

éala éarendel engla beorhtast/ofer middangeard monnum sended (Crist, Cynewulf)

 

Aiya Eärendil Elenion Ancalima! (J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings.)

 

Those are among the most common.

[flatline]

"eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"

 

"eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" again but upside down

 

"uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

 

"nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn"

 

"lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll"

 

I also do this same exercise when I'm trying to run the ink out of a pen.

 

--flatline

[JonSzanto]

At the 2012 LA Pen Show, I made the acquaintance of Jonathan Steinberg, a lovely and fascinating guy, and picked up a couple of his books on fountain pens. In one of them ("Fountain Pens: The Collector's Guide to Selecting, Identifying, Buying and Enjoying Fountain Pens") contained a phrase that was written in three different sizes of script on one page, to illustrate differences in nibs:

 

The blaze in my neighbour's hayrick warms the tea in my samovar.

I have no idea why that struck a chord with me, but I find myself writing that every time I pick up a new pen, try a new nib or ink, or whenever I'm just scribbling. Many other phrases, doodles, etc, but that one I always come back to. Thanks, Jonathan.

[HildyZ]

 

There may be as many as half a dozen, but I doubt it. I also can't imagine why on Earth we would want to. To clarify my last comment, seeing Magna Carta as some sort of written Constitution takes it entirely out of historical context.

 

Speaking of the Magna Carta, here's another that often pops into my head when there's a pen in my head:

 

"John, John, bad King John

Shamed the throne that he sat on.

Not a scruple, not a straw

Cared this monarch for the law.

Promises he daily broke,

None could trust a word he spoke.

So the barons brought a creed

Down to rushy Runnymede.

Magna Carta was its hight,

Charter of the people's right.

Formed and fashioned to correct

Kings who act with disrespect .

With a stern and solemn air,

Pointing to the parchment there,

"Sign, sign, sign!" they said.

"Sign, John, or resign instead!"

 

Why that should be permanently burned into my brain, I have no idea. I'm an American, and no one ever required me to learn that poem. Maybe it's the meter. I also enjoy impressing the occasional Briton by being a Yank who has heard of Runnymede.

Edited October 17, 2013 by HildyZ

[amk]

I rather like playing variations on the regular ones:

 

The brown fox was too lazy to jump over any kind of dog.

 

The quick brown fox jumped over the crazy god.

 

and so on...

 

I also like the Egyptian sheikh's pyjamas in mauve, lilac and blazing crimson (though it's missing five letters from the complete haul).

[larsbj]

Most often the name of the pen & ink, nib size, and my name. And these lined figure-8. And the quick brown fox. But now that I think of it a will convert to writing lyrics. Led Zeppelin? Yupp. Probably Stairway etc.

[TheMadHatter]

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary" The opening line of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

[dragos.mocanu]

"[...]But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."

 

(W.B. Yeats, Cloths of Heaven)

 

and of course, the standard quick brown fox which jumps over the lazy dog routine (with some subtle variations)

[CAG_1787]

A quick question to all the Americans who said they write out all of those patriotic quotations, is that actually patriotism, or is it just that you had it dinned into your heads in school (or wherever)? I'm not trying to offend or upset anyone by asking that, I merely ask out of curiosity - I'm British, culturally speaking, we tend not to be big on patriotism.

I can't speak for all, but it's certainly genuine patriotism for my part.

[akohtz]

I use Lincoln's Gettysburg address often as well too. I can recite most of it from memory with the occasional slip here at there too.

 

Hamlet's famous speech ... I just now got to the "slings and arrows." and got lost. LOL.

 

Often I find myself writing out the months and the days of the week when testing.

 

- Andrew

Edited October 25, 2013 by akohtz

[cmalanis]

some of my favorite test phrases:

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood"

 

"En un lugar de la mancha de cuyo nombre no me quiero acordar" (from El Quijote by Cervantes)

 

and usually I write the alphabet: "ABCDE..."

[pegasong]

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

I will not talk in class.

etc.

Love it! Not to mention when I read it I laughed out loud. Glad only the cats heard me.

[pegasong]

Usually write The quick gray fox jumps over the lazy dog's back, followed by alpha, bravo, charlie, delta, echo...and onwards. A rat in the house might eat the ice cream (arithmetic) or supercalifragilisticexpealidicious. Sometime I write backwards or upside down to test a pen.

 

As for the patriotism, i cannot quote most speeches/historical documents, but I can sing the preamble quite well thanks to many viewings of Schoolhouse Rock in my childhood. I love my country and willingly served her in the Navy. My eyes tear up at the sound of the Star Spangled Banner and seeing the flag raised. Many served for her and died for her. I would do a great disservice to forget where I am and what it is to be free.

[jackieblue]

Opening lines of a poem of mine, either one that seems finished or that is bothering me.

[owend]

Not just Americans, I suspect, use the Gettysburg Address. I do, because it's beautifully constructed, although it isn't what Lincoln actually said - it was only a few days after the event that people started saying how moving it was, and he revised the notes he'd used on the day before they were given to the press for publication, and there are several different versions from the time!

 

I also often use a verse of Gray's Elegy (sometimes just the first verse, sometimes verse 8 "Let not Ambition mock their useful toil, Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;"... and you can try to work out what one of my good pens is called!)

 

Also, the word "again" in cursive, it just flows and lets the nib move in every direction.