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September 08, 2005
A definition
Main entry: England-land
Pronunciation: 'i[ng]-l&nd l&nd
Usage: geographical name/condescending characterization
The sense that you get, while in the southern part of the United Kingdom, that this is not a country so much as a large and very authentic-seeming Disney exhibit. Everything's just too precious: The pedestrian signal encouraging you to "cross with care"; the neo-Gothic architecture and exquisitely manicured lawns; the quaint pubs with names like Earl of Beaconsfield. And the people are so uniformly friendly you wonder if, like Disney employees, those bright smiles and cheery greetings have been beaten into them by their "team leader."
This neologism, I realize, is the product of a particularly American way of looking at the world. For the record, I am aware that other countries do not exist for the sole purpose of providing me with an interesting place to vacation. But still.
Posted by teb at September 8, 2005 02:40 PM