Downton Abbey - Odd Phrase??

[Smowball]

I don't watch the programme at all so couldn't name a single character, but they showed a clip the other day in which a male character stood up at a family meal to make a speech and he said something along the lines of " doing the lottery and having the winning ticket". Surely that sentence would have made no sense in that era??

[jomifl]

One of many out of period expressions that pop up...

[Obiter]

Yes it would. Lotteries in one form or another have been around since the sixteenth century in Britain.

[jomifl]

http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3767

[sp1814]

For me, the whole episode was ruined when I caught sight of Lady Mary watching a YouTube clip on her iPad in the drawing room.

[Obiter]

People in the 20's would recognise the word 'lottery'. A similar word, not heard much these days, is 'sweepstake'.

[kvalidir]

I hate things which are historically incorrect, not that I'm suggesting that in Pompei they ought to have spoken Latin but ' I just didn't want to be there right now' made me implode with quivering rage and almost everything in Downton is wrong so I can't bear to watch it.

[FrogNog]

yeah SP. She was doing that because she'd just done the Ice Bucket Challenge and was fishing for likes.

[kvalidir]

they would recognise 'lottey' but I question anyone would say ''doing the lottery and having the winning ticket" because what ottery would they have been discussing? 'A lottery' perhaps, but not 'the lottery'.

[jomifl]

Well spotted Kval.

[Obiter]

Valid point kval. The use of the definite as opposed to indefinite article makes all the difference. Don't forget the TV aerial in the first series!

[Mamyalynne]

The English State Lottery was last drawn in 1826,not sure that was what was being referred to all those years later.

// The English State Lottery ran from 1694 until 1826. Thus, the English lotteries ran for over 250 years, until the government, under constant pressure from the opposition in parliament, declared a final lottery in 1826. This lottery was held up to ridicule by contemporary commentators as "the last struggle of the speculators on public credulity for popularity to their last dying lottery".//

[jomifl]

I seem to recall hearing something like 'being there for you' in one of the early episodes..So, like I mean that is so now...innit?

[Obiter]

Although I have never seen the film I understand that one of the extras in 'Braveheart' can clearly be seen wearing a watch.

[sandyRoe]

Did the writer once win an Oscar for a film screenplay? You'd think he'd have an ear for language.

[kvalidir]

Braveheart is riddled with mistakes, the most obvious being the car on the hill during the battle. lol

[tonyav]

Bet you didn't know that they had cars in the 14th century !.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQx7BFo9fvA

[Obiter]

I'm just waiting for Mrs Patmore to say, "Daisy, stick those buns in the microwave for a few seconds whilst I do the smoothies in the blender."

[lankeela]

Although it obviously was around in those days, I was rather surprised to hear Lady Mary talking about 'sex'!