Have You Ever Had Your Tartan Disputed By A Stranger?

**Riverkilt** · 18th July 09, 07:38 AM

Ever had a stranger come up to you and ask, "What tartan is that?"

And you tell them the name of the tartan...

And they respond, "No its not." Then they go on to tell you some long story about how they know what tartan it really is because their grandfather or someone had a kilt in that tartan and it had a different name.

Does it happen more often around town, or at a gathering?

People are amazing creatures...bullheaded and stupid...but amazing...

As if we don't know the tartan we're wearing....

Ron

**McMurdo** · 18th July 09, 08:04 AM

I did have someone tell me my Maple Leaf tartan was not a real kilt or tartan. His reasoning was that tartans are for clans not countries, provinces or states. He was actually yelling at me over it. I could not believe he was so sure of himself. The worst part is that he is a neighbour so I do see him form time to time.

**Tony Miles** · 18th July 09, 08:10 AM

When I wear Black Watch I usually get a Campbell who has to do the "hey , why are you wearing a Campbell tartan?" My usual response is "cuz I like soup"
Then I wait for it to see if they get it. I've never gotten any lip from the Grants or Munros - but those Campbells are a rowdy bunch

**Riverkilt** · 18th July 09, 08:13 AM

Ya gotta love it cousin!

Any chance your neighbor is wise enough to figure out he's "wrong" and maybe be embarrassed about it?....right...okay...didn't think so....

**Chas** · 18th July 09, 08:17 AM

At the Harpenden Highland Gathering, I was, to start with telling all and sundry that my kilt tartan was 'Flower of Scotland', which it is. After a while this got boring and I started telling them that it was 'Clan Charles' (my surname) and that we are a sept of Clan MacKenzie, which we are. No one batted an eyelid or queried it and the most I got was "Aren't you lucky to have your own tartan". I've always said that when you wear a kilt, you become the expert.

Sorry Ron - no other experts - yet.

Regards

Chas

**McMurdo** · 18th July 09, 08:18 AM

Wrong, no never not him, he yelled louder so he must be right.

**peacekeeper83** · 18th July 09, 08:23 AM

I wonder where that came from... he who yells loudest must be right.. attitude.. because I see it often... and usually from some who are not always so right.. but refuse to be wrong....LOL

**scotchmaster** · 18th July 09, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by McMurdo

I did have someone tell me my Maple Leaf tartan was not a real kilt or tartan. His reasoning was that tartans are for clans not countries, provinces or states. He was actually yelling at me over it. I could not believe he was so sure of himself. The worst part is that he is a neighbour so I do see him form time to time.

I have had the same argument with a knuckle head about my Cornish Hunting Tartan Kilt.

**crboltz** · 18th July 09, 08:31 AM

Once, I was wearing my Gordon Tartan (* Funny off topic story about that below), and a fellow employee came up and asked what tartan it was --- then told me that he was fairly sure it was a _____ (I don't remember Anderson?), he went on about how he was in his sisters wedding and she married a guy from ____ clan and this was the tartan they wore -- oh, and something else was wrong with <I>my</I> kilt, it was missing the red pin stripe. DOH! (I later that day got a question from another co-worker from _____ clan who asked if I knew if we were related because our family tartans were so close -- just that little red stripe of difference. )

*Funny story: I bought my Gordon kilt shortly after my marriage to honor my husbands family -- half of them are Gordons. I didn't tell my husband ahead of time because I wanted it to be a surprise. I got it, showed him, then told him the tartan. He laughed and laughed. Turns out the "Gordons" are the branch of his family that isn't from Scotland/Ireland/England --- they were German, and when the came to America, choose the new last name "Gordon" as it sounded so American, so they wouldn't endure any anti-German immigrant prejudice. Then they moved to New York, and endured a good deal of anti-Irish prejudice. Oh well, I still like my Gordon kilt.

Cheers
Chris

**Tony Miles** · 18th July 09, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by peacekeeper83

I wonder where that came from... he who yells loudest must be right.. attitude.. because I see it often... and usually from some who are not always so right.. but refuse to be wrong....LOL

weak arguments, weak logic and weaker minds often have to resort to name calling or rage to make their "points"