From the office

I was on a work call today, and we were talking about how a particular item was 'grandfathered' into the project.  Afterwards, my colleague from Germany pinged me:

A:  I understood the topics and how we must keep the old things, but I do not understand the use of this word?

H:  Grandfathered?  It's an English term, for if something is currently against the rules, but previously it was allowed under the rules at the time.  Therefore we allow it now, it is 'grandfathered' in.

A:  Hmm......ok.

H:  So you don't 'Grossvater' or 'Opa' anything?

A:  No.

H:  So what if something is an exception to the rule?  It is not correct according to the rules, but because of certain reasons, we allow it.  How do you call this in German?

A:  (silence)

H:  (imagining a German staring at the screen with a befuddled look.)  A, you don't have this in German do you?  An exception to the rules that is allowed? 

A:  No H, I don't think we have a word for that...

Yet another example of where the language reflects the culture.

The Royal Jubilee weekend

While spirits were high and the mood friendly, the weather was most uncooperative, and rain dampened much of the Queen's festivities.

I did like this humorous take on the four day weekend: