Well, they never told me where he was from in school (I didn't pick or study history), high school, college, or any general knowledge quiz I've taken up to this point. They went with an assumption that they obviously didn't think needed questioning. They were surprised when it was mentioned and obviously thought they were right. Clearly your "general" knowledge isn't the same as theirs.
Originally Posted by Existentialist: “How can the so called 'business elite' have such a poor grasp of general knowledge. Columbus British? Heaven's above!”
My 12 Year Old was sat there with her mouth open in astonishment
I thought it was Raleigh that brought back the potato
To be honest, young people from other European countries (i.e. Germany, Scandinavian countries, France, etc) are much better with general knowledge. Among developed countries, young Brits are generally ignorant. The good news is that the Americans are worse.
I knew he wasn't British, but thought he was Spanish
The Caracas misadventure was quite excruciating, even before the rogue apostrophe came into play. Unlike the great Singles Day debate, it was clearly nothing other than incongruous.
Originally Posted by capekdeh: “To be honest, young people from other European countries (i.e. Germany, Scandinavian countries, France, etc) are much better with general knowledge. Among developed countries, young Brits are generally ignorant. The good news is that the Americans are worse.”
I think it goes to show that no matter how many qualifications some people have they can still lack common sence and general knowledge that us lesser mortals have.
You are right OP it is astounding, but I have a sneaky suspicion Lord Sugar wouldn't have fared much better in the general knowledge stakes at their age.
Sometimes people driven to succeed in business focus all their energy on their goal and nothing else.
Originally Posted by RussellIan: “I knew he wasn't British, but thought he was Spanish
The Caracas misadventure was quite excruciating, even before the rogue apostrophe came into play. Unlike the great Singles Day debate, it was clearly nothing other than incongruous.”
A restaurant owned by a fictional person called Caraca? No? Perhaps I'm giving them too much credit.
Originally Posted by In Arcadia Ego: “A restaurant owned by a fictional person called Caraca? No? Perhaps I'm giving them too much credit.”
To me it seemed that they weren't thinking of the name in terms of a fictional person*, and had most likely just included the apostrophe on a 'thinking there should be one' basis.
(*If there was any information within the programme to suggest that they were, I missed it sorry. When Susan was talking about the name during the pitch thing, she certainly didn't say anything to suggest it had been based on anything other than it just sounding generally evocative of Mexicana, as far as I recall.)
Originally Posted by Stansfield: “Education~Education~Education
Out the window~Out the window~Out the window
”
I don't know that you can judge the quality of our education system on the basis of a person not knowing Columbus wasn't British. I'd rather schools were teaching skills than general knowledge.
Originally Posted by silkstone: “I don't know that you can judge the quality of our education system on the basis of a person not knowing Columbus wasn't British. I'd rather schools were teaching skills than general knowledge.”
One of the key skills is knowing what you don't know. You could argue that basic world history is something that everyone should know.
Originally Posted by silkstone: “I don't know that you can judge the quality of our education system on the basis of a person not knowing Columbus wasn't British. I'd rather schools were teaching skills than general knowledge.”
Originally Posted by silkstone: “I don't know that you can judge the quality of our education system on the basis of a person not knowing Columbus wasn't British. I'd rather schools were teaching skills than general knowledge.”
General knowledge! You make it sound like it's only something you need to know for pub quiz machines. It's history and without knowledge of history how can we make decisions about our future or the decor of our small business enterprise.
Admittedly, I probably wouldn't have known that Columbus was Italian if I hadn't watched an episode of the Sopranos a few years ago that kept bringing that fact up :P.
Originally Posted by geraldinemaria: “General knowledge! You make it sound like it's only something you need to know for pub quiz machines. It's history and without knowledge of history how can we make decisions about our future or the decor of our small business enterprise.”
I'm going to hazard a guess that you didn't take History beyond 16.
Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts: “Technically speaking though, Columbus was Genoese. He worked for the Spanish Crown, and later the Portugese.”
And what few know, he was also a relentess devourer of pies, making numerous trips to Wigan way before he crossed the Atlantic to discover Florida, where, of course, he set up the very first Benigans outlet utilising the Genoans love for stripey designs in the eateries' coproate imagery.
Originally Posted by visitor: “My 12 Year Old was sat there
I thought it was Raleigh that brought back the potato ”
There is debate over whether it was Releigh, Thomas Harriot or Sir Francis Drake who brought the "PO-TAY-TOE" to Ireland. But equally it could have been an unknown Basque fisherman who should get the credit.
Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts: “Technically speaking though, Columbus was Genoese. He worked for the Spanish Crown, and later the Portugese.”
Yes, my husband and myself thought that he was Portugese and if not Spanish, but as for English and then where the potatoe come from. I thought that Tom and Helen were s'pose to be clever? I cannot understand why they were not brought up about this either!
Originally Posted by Darcyprincess: “Yes, my husband and myself thought that he was Portugese and if not Spanish, but as for English and then where the potatoe come from. I thought that Tom and Helen were s'pose to be clever? I cannot understand why they were not brought up about this either!”
I thought that they were. In the restaurant by Nick and by LS later. Maybe I just remember it that way cause it makes sense.