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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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CH was Switzerland -- it stands for Confoederatio Helvetica.
Why would they name themselves after a type face?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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but I was able to amaze people by telling them why CH was Switzerland -- it stands for Confoederatio Helvetica.Whereas any reader of Asterix© would have yawned and replied, "tell me something I don't know" 
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Carpal Tunnel
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One of the quirkier examples is Holland/the Netherlands. From what I can tell they are synonymous in English. I can't think of another country with two names in EnglishMany of my Dutch friends get annoyed by English speaking people using the name of a province for the name of the country.  There is a North Holland and a South Holland, and both are part of the Netherlands. With so many Dutch people here,it has become easy to get into the habit of callign the country by its proper name, and it helps that the people call their language Nederlands. Dutch comes from "Deutsch" I seem to recall reading somewhere.
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addict
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CH was Switzerland -- it stands for Confoederatio Helvetica
which is interesting (and slightly puzzling) because the modern official Swiss names don't use that form. The official names are: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German), Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian).
There is a very interesting museum of all the original documents forming the confederation (1291) and subsequent ones as the various cantons joined. Can't remember the name of the village at the moment (ICLIU). We were at the family chalet for the 700 year celebrations, a tremendous event.
Rod
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Carpal Tunnel
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Why would they name themselves after a type face?Because they couldn't pronounce Arial. 
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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old hand
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old hand
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Muenchen - Munich - Monaco
Monaco - Monte-Carlo
Strange!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Arial; that's a motorcycle, innit?
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BY, are you saying that Monaco = Munich in some language? Which is that?
Monte Carlo is the name of the city which just about completely fills the principality of Monaco, they are not quite the same thing.
And talking of smallish countries, I remember an article in Punch when UK was joining the European Economic Community giving salient "facts" about the other member nations. It claimed that Luxembourg had the best weather in Europe mainly because 90% of the country was indoors.
Rod
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old hand
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old hand
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Munich is Monaco in Italiano (or 'Monaco di Baviera')
In English on the other hand, it's that tiny country east of the French Riviera, where Monte-Carlo lies. Clear, Roger, err, Ron, no Rod. Sike!
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Munich is Monaco in Italiano (or 'Monaco di Baviera')Thanks BY, I hadn't noticed that before. But for some or, more likely, no strange reason Mo'naco (=Monaco) is masculine, but Mo'naco di Baviera = Munich is feminine.  Rod
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