British question

[Pam Scruton]

No: HPFGUIDX 543

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, summers.65 at o... wrote:
> 
> For our British friends...
> 
> Do you use the word "alum" to describe people who've graduated from 
various
> colleges or universities?
> 
> Lori

I've seen the words alumnus and alumnae used (no idea of the 
classical derivation but it looks a bit odd to me) but not 
invariably - usually referring to graduates of higher education 
establishments (that is post-18) but not usually to schools except, 
as one of my acquaintance described 'pretentious Americanism'  was 
used when the local newspaper referred to an alumnus of a local 
primary school having achieved some exalted rank in the Navy.  

Personally I'm not into merkin-bashing and I think he meant that it 
was pretentious to use the Americanism rather than it was an ism of 
pretentious Americans.  

One of our local secondary schools has got into the habit of holding 
a 'graduation ball' but I don't know if they hold a 'graduation 
ceremony' - the other schools call it a 'leavers' dance' and hold 
a 'leavers ceremony'.  In Britain to describe yourself as 
a 'graduate' implies that you have a degree from a recognised higher 
academic institution - there have been court cases where people have 
been found guilty of misrepresentation by claiming to be a 'graduate' 
at job interviews and then it is found that they have only ever 
graduated from a secondary school and that was at the age of 16 and 
somewhat less than summa cum laude (or whatever)!

Divided by a common language etc. etc. etc

Pam