If you're reading this in English

[undyingking]

Interesting post in languagelog about a bumper sticker saying "If you can read this, thank a teacher. And if you're reading it in English, thank a soldier."

I won't reiterate the discussion there¹ -- but I wondered if anyone had seen this sentiment expressed in the UK, where it would make a lot more sense as a proposition, in relation to WWII². Has anyone in the UK seen or heard of the teachers' message being added to / hijacked in this way?

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1 Except to say that I favour the "ill-thought-out generalized right-wing puffery" theory.
2 Of course one might argue that Battle of Britain aircrew, naval convoys, or Russians, were more to thank, but leave that for now.

Comments

[celestialweasel.livejournal.com]

Well, presuambly we would have been learning German as a second language rather than French, in the manner that Russian was the 2nd language in the Soviet bloc.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

See my comment above about presumed fiendishness of the putative conquering regime. But yes, it would be a bit impractical.