( In my Irish Catholic family we had a number of Scots family friends, men and women. When quite young I asked my father about these jokes in America about Scots being stingy (because the Scots I knew were anything but) He blamed a Scottish vaudeville comic of the early 20th century named Harry Lauder who made it into an art form -and, of course was very funny. (For benefit of younger viewers, 'vaudeville' in America was like English music halls) Anyway, I found these items on a website and wanted to repeat them - even though I usually greatly enjoy insulting the Scots.

WHAT DID THE MISERLY,STINGY SCOTS EVER DO FOR ANYONE?

" Telephone - Alexander Graham Bell

Television - John Logie Baird

Penicillin - Sir Alexander Fleming

Steam engine - James Watt

Fax machine - Alexander Bain

Pneumatic tire -John Boyd Dunlop

Logarithms - John Napier

Macadam (paving) - John Loudon McAdam

Waterproof cloth - Charles Macintosh

Gerry, would you please clear up a matter of some discussion around my part of the country? It's been told to me that the Irish did indeed invent the great highland bagpipes and gave them to the Scots as a joke, but they never caught on............. jp

Logarithms - John Napier

l knew l'd find the reason why my maths lessons were so bldy boring had to do with a Jock...

jfromswk:

I Have to look around and over my shoulder and whisper this to you - Some Irish take "the pipes" very seriously. The pipes are no joke to them! (I share the general opinion of mankind with ears differently tuned than those crazy Irish and Scots, that the pipes do give an excellent imitation of a cat being strangled) In NY City, evry year it is a feature of the St. Patrick's Day Parade for the Emerald Society of the NY Police Department to march in kilts and playing the pipes - Now do you understand why I have to keep my identity a secret?

Dave2431:

I had the same reaction when I came to 'logarithms' on the list - but being terrible anyway at all math in school (I barely got passing grades) I should also blame a Greek for plane geometry and the Arabs for algebra!