Got the vexillology bug from Big Bang Theory? Sheldon Cooper presents Fun with Flags is a great opportunity to learn about real flags. We've started this discussion thread for questions and comments that arise from the YouTube videos that Dr Sheldon Cooper is recording.

Please join in with any questions or comments that you have about Fun With Flags!

Some questions and quotes from the 1st episode:

Whats the only non-rectangular flag?
What animal appears most on flags?
What animal appears second most on flags?

Flags. You gotta know how to hold em, you gotta know how to fold em.

Possible episode titles for Fun with Flags
Flags of our Fathers Grandmothers
A Flagment in Time
Flagship Stations
Lord of the Flags: Name the Flags Dictator
Keep your Flags Close, and your Enemies Closer
Make up your Mind Already: Flags of the Soviets

'Just like the flag over Fort Sumpter, I'm still here'

The only 2 sided US state flag: Oregon.

Parts of the flag: 'this edge of the flag is called the hoist'

'Why is there a face on that flag? Fedinand T Flag might bring in some younger viewers.'

'The flags of Liechtenstein and Haiti were identical by coincidence; a fact that wasnt discovered until they competed against each other at the 1936 Olympics.'

Which country has not 1 but 2 cows on it's flag? The tiny, landlocked nation of Andorra.

Shendon and Amy show off the Bavarian Flag with Crest (Greater Coat of Arms).

The context of these items is that this week's episode of the TV show "The Big Bang Theory" featured a subplot in which the characters create YouTube videos about flag trivia. There is a preview here (for a while, anyway):

www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/video/?play=true&pid=_2Vxs2S7SQFSWeAoIgolhG8nKJs6t2I8

A few comments on the references:

Whats the only non-rectangular flag?

Actually, there are many non-rectangular flags. The best known are the national flag of Nepal and the state flag of Ohio. The naval ensigns of several Scandinavian nations are two- or three-part swallowtails. The "alpha" and "bravo" flags from the International Code of Signals are swallowtails also.

What animal appears most on flags?
What animal appears second most on flags?

I suspect that eagles and lions are the most common animals on flags -- couldn't say offhand which is most common.

'The flags of Liechtenstein and Haiti were identical by coincidence; a fact that wasnt discovered until they competed against each other at the 1936 Olympics.'

This is not a unique situation. The current flags of Romania and Chad are essentially the same, as are those of Monaco and Indonesia.

Which country has not 1 but 2 cows on it's flag? The tiny, landlocked nation of Andorra.

Better yet: which American state has 3 bears on its flag?

((A while back I received an inquiry from a magazine editor in Yukon, asking if theirs was the only flag that had a dog on it. Unfortunately, there are some Swiss subnational flags that also feature dogs.))

Shendon and Amy show off the Bavarian Flag with Crest (Greater Coat of Arms).

Strictly speaking, a crest and a coat of arms are not the same thing. The crest is a device (often an animal or bird) above the wreath or helmet at the top of the heraldic achievement. The Bavarian arms do not actually have a crest. The term "coat of arms" itself seems to be used in two different senses: it can refer either to the central shield, or to the whole heraldic achievement, including the shield, mantling, supporters, crest, compartment, etc.

I don't believe that the flag with the arms on it is an official Bavarian flag. The Bavarian government site:

Bayerisches Landesportal: Coat of Arms and Flags

states:

The Free State of Bavaria has two official flags, one with stripes and one with rhombuses, of equal status. The striped flag consists of two equal horizontal stripes in the Bavarian colours, white on top, blue below. The rhomboid flag consists of at least 21 white and blue rhombuses including the incomplete ones at the edges of the flag.

The page also separately describes the Bavarian arms, but apparently they don't (officially) appear on the flag.

Peter Ansoff

I enoyed the video. I do hope it really becomes a series and not a one time skit or gag What a great way to get people into the hobby.

I must admit, I've watched it a few times now, and I didn't see the parts about Andorra, Liechtenstein/Haiti or the future episode titles mentioned.

Also, in the background their white board is flanked with two flags, the United States flag to the left, and an unknown flag to the right. Looks like a light blue field with a dragon(?) device on it. I looked through a couple flag catalogs and didn't see it.

I've been to Bavaria, I know the tourist shops sell the flag with the coat of arms. I'll have to check my photos, I know I caught some bavarian flags out in the wild. It does run in m mind the ones I saw flying in more official capacities did not have the device.

Maybe as official as it gets, the flags outside the Rathaus in Munchen:

0056 - Munich - Marienplatz - new rathaus by Coasterville, on Flickr

Thanks for sharing your insight, Peter & David.

"Bavarian Flag with Crest (Greater Coat of Arms)" was an amalgamation based upon my search for the flag in the Bavarian skit. Easy enough to discover it wasn't an official flag. I found the flag offered for sale on several websites and it was most commonly called the "Bavarian Flag with Crest." A little more research led to finding that Sheldon's flag was sporting what's known as the "Greater Coat of Arms" ... as opposed to the lesser

If you have the show recorded, the Andorra, Liechtenstein/Haiti references were all in Sheldon & Raj's office at the 8 minute mark. The Fun With Flags future episode titles were on their office whiteboard at the 19 minute mark.

Not sure what the flag in the backgorund of the Youtube video is. It's a light blue field with a gold dragon. I wasn't able to find a matching flag or dragon. The closest dragon I could find is on the Flag of Deheubarth (Welsh Royal flag of the Middle Ages) but it's not the exact dragon. Any ideas?

.....
Regarding the "unknown" flag on the right flank of the white board in the back ground of the "iPod/YouTube" bit.

The answer may lie in Dr. Sheldon Cooper's T-SHIRT.....

I'm just sayin'.....


PS. It sure was nice seeing BOTH sides of the State of Oregon Flag on national broadcast TV !!!


Robin "Big Bang Thang" Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
.....

It's a light blue field with a gold dragon.

Actually, I don't think it's a dragon -- it looks like a gold lion rampant, langued gules. Unfortunately, there are quite a few flags with rampant lions. One of the Swiss cantons, maybe?

Peter Ansoff

Update: apparently, there is a backstory that preceeds the current episode. Sheldon and Leonard have a "roommate agreement" that has been discussed in prior episodes: see

Roommate Agreement - The Big Bang Theory Wiki

Section 9 of the agreeement specifies that "The apartment's flag is a gold lion rampant on a field of azure and should never fly upside downunless the apartments in distress.

Peter Ansoff