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As a Europhile living in England, it really bothers me when journalists refer to mainland Europe as "Europe". We're in Europe! But I appreciate that it offers a neat shorthand for referring to the continent.
Is there an alternative that doesn't offend my inclusive sensibilities?
The Continent
In the United Kingdom, the Continent is used to refer to the mainland of Europe.
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A famous, perhaps apocryphal, British newspaper headline once read "Fog in Channel; Continent Cut Off".
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Derivatively, the adjective "Continental" refers to the social practices or fashion of continental Europe, as opposed to those in Britain. Examples include breakfast and, historically, long-range driving before Britain had motorways.
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands. Notably, in British English usage, the term means Europe excluding the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Ireland and Iceland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Europe
For example, here in England you may have heard "continental breakfast" as a reference to the kind of breakfast that is common in most countries in Continental Europe: croissants, butter, coffee, etc.
