Apr 25, 2005 22:01
19 yrs ago
English term
St John's Ambulance
English
Art/Literary
Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
Piers:
Her Majesty requests the plasure of my presence at the Royal Garden Party.
Janet:
Oh, St John's Ambulance busy, then?
Piers:
No, the Queen invited me. And seeing as the Royal Physician passed away quite recently, I don't tkink it's jumping into conclusions to think...
"My Hero"
Her Majesty requests the plasure of my presence at the Royal Garden Party.
Janet:
Oh, St John's Ambulance busy, then?
Piers:
No, the Queen invited me. And seeing as the Royal Physician passed away quite recently, I don't tkink it's jumping into conclusions to think...
"My Hero"
Responses
| 5 +12 | St. John's Ambulance fields a group of volunteers at events such as Royal Garden Parties |
awilliams
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| 5 +3 | additional information... |
John Bowden
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| 5 +1 | It's the St John's Ambulance brigade |
Anna Maria Augustine (X)
|
Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:
PRO (3): Robert Donahue (X), sarahl (X), RHELLER
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Responses
+12
10 mins
Selected
St. John's Ambulance fields a group of volunteers at events such as Royal Garden Parties
SJA supplies volunteer workers to concerts, functions, parties etc. - the uniformed workers stand on the sidelines and help out if needed. They are nearly always present at prestigious events so being a volunteer is a good way of getting into a party for free without being invited.
In other words, Janet is suggesting that Piers didn't actually get invited to the party but was going as a SJA volunteer, which is not as "prestigious" a way to get into a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
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Note added at 17 mins (2005-04-25 22:18:30 GMT)
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By saying \"St. John\'s Ambulance busy, then?\" Janet is humouring Piers by suggesting that St. John\'s Ambulance need to field a lot of volunteers at the party so they must have recruited him and that must be why he is going, as a volunteer.
A tough one to explain!
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Note added at 26 mins (2005-04-25 22:27:50 GMT)
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Piers:
Her Majesty requests the pleasure of my presence at the Royal Garden Party.
Janet:
[Piers - invited by the Queen to a Royal Garden Party? Never!! The only way he\'d get into one of those parties would be as a St. John\'s Ambulance volunteer...!] Oh, St John\'s Ambulance busy, then?
Piers:
No, the Queen invited me.
That\'s the idea. The whole \"Garden Party\" thing has a real air of secrecy about it - members of the public get invited for specific reasons etc. St. John\'s Ambulance volunteers are always in the background at events, working behind the scenes.
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Note added at 36 mins (2005-04-25 22:37:44 GMT)
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Another option cmwilliams and sarahl have suggested is that Piers was asked to go because St. John\'s Ambulance was busy and was booked elsewhere. I didn\'t see it that way at first but that would be another possible interpretation.
In other words, Janet is suggesting that Piers didn't actually get invited to the party but was going as a SJA volunteer, which is not as "prestigious" a way to get into a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
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Note added at 17 mins (2005-04-25 22:18:30 GMT)
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By saying \"St. John\'s Ambulance busy, then?\" Janet is humouring Piers by suggesting that St. John\'s Ambulance need to field a lot of volunteers at the party so they must have recruited him and that must be why he is going, as a volunteer.
A tough one to explain!
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Note added at 26 mins (2005-04-25 22:27:50 GMT)
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Piers:
Her Majesty requests the pleasure of my presence at the Royal Garden Party.
Janet:
[Piers - invited by the Queen to a Royal Garden Party? Never!! The only way he\'d get into one of those parties would be as a St. John\'s Ambulance volunteer...!] Oh, St John\'s Ambulance busy, then?
Piers:
No, the Queen invited me.
That\'s the idea. The whole \"Garden Party\" thing has a real air of secrecy about it - members of the public get invited for specific reasons etc. St. John\'s Ambulance volunteers are always in the background at events, working behind the scenes.
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Note added at 36 mins (2005-04-25 22:37:44 GMT)
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Another option cmwilliams and sarahl have suggested is that Piers was asked to go because St. John\'s Ambulance was busy and was booked elsewhere. I didn\'t see it that way at first but that would be another possible interpretation.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Anna Maria Augustine (X)
1 min
|
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thanks - a tough one to explain!
|
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| agree |
cmwilliams (X)
: Yes, Janet is being sarcastic. The way I understand it, she's implying that the Queen asked him because St John's ambulance was busy and couldn't attend. He says 'No' when she asks if it was busy.
3 mins
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cheers
|
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| agree |
Lietta Warren-Granato
: so Janet means that Piers has not beeen invited as a real guest, but to work there
12 mins
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| agree |
sarahl (X)
: either that or they couldn't get SJA and he's the next best choice.
19 mins
|
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yes - I didn't see it that way at first but it could mean that as well. Cheers.
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| agree |
Charlie Bavington
: that CMW's and sarahl's interpretations are bang on (and that your original suggestion that Piers was going as a SJA volunteer was not what it meant)
59 mins
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cheers Charlie, you're right.
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| agree |
Robert Donahue (X)
: This obviously required some cultural context : )
2 hrs
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| agree |
Alp Berker
3 hrs
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| agree |
Ian Burley (X)
10 hrs
|
| agree |
Aisha Maniar
10 hrs
|
| agree |
giogi
11 hrs
|
| agree |
Java Cafe
15 hrs
|
| agree |
Alfa Trans (X)
4 days
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you very much!"
+1
3 mins
Anna Maria Augustine (X)
France
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
Related KudoZ points
:
12
It's the St John's Ambulance brigade
An ambulance service as in to transport people to hospital. Named simply after St John. It could have been called the Red Cross ambulance service...
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Note added at 9 mins (2005-04-25 22:10:12 GMT)
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Is Piers a doctor maybe, and Janet is asking if St John\'s ambulance is busy. A doctor\'s presence might be required at the garden party (the royal physician passed away...).
Seems a little sarcastic.
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Note added at 9 mins (2005-04-25 22:10:12 GMT)
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Is Piers a doctor maybe, and Janet is asking if St John\'s ambulance is busy. A doctor\'s presence might be required at the garden party (the royal physician passed away...).
Seems a little sarcastic.
+3
58 mins
additional information...
Other answers are correct in that the implication is that Piers has not been invited as a guest but s a "hired hand" - however, the point of Janet's sarcastic comment is that, in the comedy "My Hero", Piers is a doctor - a GP who is very snobbish, opiniated and certain of his own brilliance - for example, he tried to become a "television doctor" with his own TV health advice show in one episode. So Janet is insulting him a) by implying he hasn't been invited as a guest but to work and b) by comparing him - a self-styled brilliant medical genius - with a bunch of amateur first-aiders.
HTH
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Note added at 2005-04-25 23:02:08 (GMT) [[iso-8859-1]]
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*opinionated*!!
Also, note that Piers is half expecting to be appointed the next Royal Physician...
HTH
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Note added at 2005-04-25 23:02:08 (GMT) [[iso-8859-1]]
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*opinionated*!!
Also, note that Piers is half expecting to be appointed the next Royal Physician...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Charlie Bavington
: your extra note is a point well worth making.
12 mins
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Thanks - I wish my jobs were as interesting as limonka's always are!
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| agree |
sarahl (X)
: nothing like insider info -you sound like a fan! ;-)
2 hrs
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Yes, I am - childish, idiotic but witty at the same time (the programme, not me...but come to think of it...)
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| agree |
Sarah Swift
12 hrs
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Discussion