What makes non kilt wearers an expert?

[Sammac]

Heard a funny definition of an expert, (ex-spurt) ex is a has been and a spurt is a small drip.

[Ozark Ridge Rider]

a spurt is a drip under pressure.

[Zardoz]

drip under pressure!

[CDNSushi]

Maybe a good response to them might be, "And just where/how did you come by this pearl of wisdom? Did someone teach you that?"

Who knows? You might end up actually being able to help them unlearn some of the crap and misinformation they've picked up over time.

[Dale Seago]

I have received the comment "if you not a piper you should not be wearing a kilt" from a server at a restaurant I frequent. I never got the chance to make a response because I got an immediate favorable response from another server that liked the kilt. I go there now when the anti-kilt server is working just to bug her. She never says a word to me anymore.

Mike

A few words from near the end of an article I wrote over a decade ago on historic weapons and fighting methods of the Highland Scots:

"Today, the memory of the Gael as a warrior has been so far lost that, when a person sees someone wearing Highland dress, the first question asked is whether the wearer plays the bagpipes; and people think a dirk is the little knife one wears in one's sock."

Still largely true today, alas. Yet it's strange how pipers seem to have become an American tradition at the funerals of those our society considers "warrior/protector" types including military, law enforcement, and firefighting personnel.

[Geoff Withnell]

A few words from near the end of an article I wrote over a decade ago on historic weapons and fighting methods of the Highland Scots:

"Today, the memory of the Gael as a warrior has been so far lost that, when a person sees someone wearing Highland dress, the first question asked is whether the wearer plays the bagpipes; and people think a dirk is the little knife one wears in one's sock."

Still largely true today, alas. Yet it's strange how pipers seem to have become an American tradition at the funerals of those our society considers "warrior/protector" types including military, law enforcement, and firefighting personnel.

I think that tradition has been influenced by the fairly high representation of Celts (Scots, Irish and Welsh) in those professions. I admit I have no statistics on this, but certainly the perception is that we are very well represented. The Irish cop is practically a stereotype.

Geoff Withnell

[Jordan]

Maybe a good response to them might be, "And just where/how did you come by this pearl of wisdom? Did someone teach you that?"

Who knows? You might end up actually being able to help them unlearn some of the crap and misinformation they've picked up over time.

On the other hand some people just dont want to learn. I remember a dicusion I had with someone before that went along the lines of the comments previously mentioned but also went on to prove that Im not a "real" Scotsman beacuse I have more than one kilt and dont keep it for weddings etc.

Great thing is the person I was talking to was English and had never worn a kilt in his life.

[BroosterB1]

One word; ignorance.

[Deirachel]

I always like to ask if they have underwear on. If they do, I point out pants were originally worn without underwear, so they are wearing them wrong. (Underwear is a relatively modern article of clothing.)

[xman]

When they argue about what's right and wrong, I have found it quite useful simply to say, "highland dancers", and am amazed at how many different misconceptions this can disabuse people of.