Cut-purses and blackguards

[Tony Cooper]

From a news item:

"LONDON - Police foiled an attempt Monday to steal gold bullion worth
$70 million and cash from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London's
Metropolitan Police said. A gang smashed through the shutters of the
Swissport Cargo warehouse in a white van before threatening staff with
knives, cudgels and at least one firearm."

Where does the modern-day smash-and-grabber get a cudgel these days?
Are there cudgel shops in England? "Excellent choice, Sir. That's
our model A-stroke-47, made of the finest blackthorn available and
hand-rubbed to a fine luster. You'll not find a skull that will dent
this little beauty, Sir. It's said that James Hind carried a
cudgel of these exact specifications."

[Jitze Couperus]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 19:38:56 -0400, Tony Cooper
<***@earthlink.net> wrote:

>
>Where does the modern-day smash-and-grabber get a cudgel these days?
>

Not sure, but I can tell you that during my recent sojourn in London,
I saw a knobkerrie for sale in an antique store there - they seemed to
think its origin was Irish (based on the name - a knob as used by
Kerry warriors) and I didn't dissuade them.

Jitze

[John Dean]

Tony Cooper wrote:
> From a news item:
>
> "LONDON - Police foiled an attempt Monday to steal gold bullion worth
> $70 million and cash from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London's
> Metropolitan Police said. A gang smashed through the shutters of the
> Swissport Cargo warehouse in a white van before threatening staff with
> knives, cudgels and at least one firearm."
>
> Where does the modern-day smash-and-grabber get a cudgel these days?
> Are there cudgel shops in England? "Excellent choice, Sir. That's
> our model A-stroke-47, made of the finest blackthorn available and
> hand-rubbed to a fine luster. You'll not find a skull that will dent
> this little beauty, Sir. It's said that James Hind carried a
> cudgel of these exact specifications."

It's one of Purdey's sidelines. The sporting blagger will be measured
for his cudgel at the same time as for his shotgun (which he will be
required to saw off himself as Purdey's have to draw the line
somewhere).
--
John Dean
Oxford

[unknown]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 01:07:57 +0100, "John Dean"
<john-***@frag.lineone.net> wrote:

>It's one of Purdey's sidelines. The sporting blagger will be measured
>for his cudgel at the same time as for his shotgun (which he will be
>required to saw off himself as Purdey's have to draw the line
>somewhere).

Purdey's won't draw the line for you either - apparently you have to
do that yourself.

Cheers - Ian

[Laura F Spira]

Tony Cooper wrote:
> From a news item:
>
> "LONDON - Police foiled an attempt Monday to steal gold bullion worth
> $70 million and cash from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London's
> Metropolitan Police said. A gang smashed through the shutters of the
> Swissport Cargo warehouse in a white van before threatening staff with
> knives, cudgels and at least one firearm."
>
> Where does the modern-day smash-and-grabber get a cudgel these days?
> Are there cudgel shops in England? "Excellent choice, Sir. That's
> our model A-stroke-47, made of the finest blackthorn available and
> hand-rubbed to a fine luster. You'll not find a skull that will dent
> this little beauty, Sir. It's said that James Hind carried a
> cudgel of these exact specifications."
>
>

It seems that the cudgel was in fact a hockey stick.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1219717,00.html


--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email)

[John Dean]

Laura F Spira wrote:
> Tony Cooper wrote:
>> From a news item:
>>
>> "LONDON - Police foiled an attempt Monday to steal gold bullion worth
>> $70 million and cash from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London's
>> Metropolitan Police said. A gang smashed through the shutters of the
>> Swissport Cargo warehouse in a white van before threatening staff
>> with knives, cudgels and at least one firearm."
>>
>> Where does the modern-day smash-and-grabber get a cudgel these days?
>> Are there cudgel shops in England? "Excellent choice, Sir. That's
>> our model A-stroke-47, made of the finest blackthorn available and
>> hand-rubbed to a fine luster. You'll not find a skull that will dent
>> this little beauty, Sir. It's said that James Hind carried a
>> cudgel of these exact specifications."
>>
>>
>
> It seems that the cudgel was in fact a hockey stick.
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1219717,00.html

How jolly!
--
John Dean
Oxford

[Tony Cooper]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 07:39:03 +0100, Laura F Spira
<***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:

>Tony Cooper wrote:
>> From a news item:
>>
>> "LONDON - Police foiled an attempt Monday to steal gold bullion worth
>> $70 million and cash from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London's
>> Metropolitan Police said. A gang smashed through the shutters of the
>> Swissport Cargo warehouse in a white van before threatening staff with
>> knives, cudgels and at least one firearm."
>>
>> Where does the modern-day smash-and-grabber get a cudgel these days?
>> Are there cudgel shops in England? "Excellent choice, Sir. That's
>> our model A-stroke-47, made of the finest blackthorn available and
>> hand-rubbed to a fine luster. You'll not find a skull that will dent
>> this little beauty, Sir. It's said that James Hind carried a
>> cudgel of these exact specifications."
>>
>>
>
>It seems that the cudgel was in fact a hockey stick.
>
>http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1219717,00.html

Well that's just plain boring. I really wish you wouldn't bring up
things like this. It's rather interesting to think that England still
has yeggs and yobbos that maintain the traditions of the past. Now I
suppose you are going to publish a url that says that the airport
brigands really didn't say "Stand and Deliver!" and used some prosaic
phrase like "'and it over, mate, or I'll bash your effin' 'ead in."

I'd retaliate for your boring expose of the weaponry used by citing
"Brennan on the Moor", but I don't know if that is familiar enough to
you to cause STS.

[Laura F Spira]

Tony Cooper wrote:
> On Wed, 19 May 2004 07:39:03 +0100, Laura F Spira
> <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>>Tony Cooper wrote:
>>
>>>From a news item:
>>>
>>>"LONDON - Police foiled an attempt Monday to steal gold bullion worth
>>>$70 million and cash from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London's
>>>Metropolitan Police said. A gang smashed through the shutters of the
>>>Swissport Cargo warehouse in a white van before threatening staff with
>>>knives, cudgels and at least one firearm."
>>>
>>>Where does the modern-day smash-and-grabber get a cudgel these days?
>>>Are there cudgel shops in England? "Excellent choice, Sir. That's
>>>our model A-stroke-47, made of the finest blackthorn available and
>>>hand-rubbed to a fine luster. You'll not find a skull that will dent
>>>this little beauty, Sir. It's said that James Hind carried a
>>>cudgel of these exact specifications."
>>>
>>>
>>
>>It seems that the cudgel was in fact a hockey stick.
>>
>>http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1219717,00.html
>
>
> Well that's just plain boring. I really wish you wouldn't bring up
> things like this. It's rather interesting to think that England still
> has yeggs and yobbos that maintain the traditions of the past. Now I
> suppose you are going to publish a url that says that the airport
> brigands really didn't say "Stand and Deliver!" and used some prosaic
> phrase like "'and it over, mate, or I'll bash your effin' 'ead in."

Boring? I think it's far more interesting. Have you ever played hockey?
It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.

>
> I'd retaliate for your boring expose of the weaponry used by citing
> "Brennan on the Moor", but I don't know if that is familiar enough to
> you to cause STS.
>
>

'fraid not, you'll have to sing it to me. (I'm easily swayed by a serenade.)

--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email)

[Tony Cooper]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:07:13 +0100, Laura F Spira
<***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:

>Boring? I think it's far more interesting. Have you ever played hockey?
>It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.
>
I've never played hockey due to the fact that when I'm on ice skates
my ankles cave in to the point where I'm sliding on that little bump
on the side of the ankle. What is that thing called, by the way?

I've only attended two professional hockey matches. The first was in
the old Gardens in Boston. I was sitting next to a well-dressed,
professional looking man that appeared to be a civilized human being.
I asked him what the "blue line" was, and he snapped "If you don't
understand the fuckin' game, read a fuckin' book." His attitude may
have been based on the Boston guys being ass-kicked by the guys in the
other colored shirts. I think they were from Colorado. Some guy that
played for the "Miracle" team in the Olympics played for one of the
teams, but I forget which.

I took my son to a Rangers' game in Madison Square Garden. We watched
the crowd instead of the players because there was far more action and
blood in the stands. There are some *serious* crazies in NYC!

(I wanted to write "There's some "serious* crazies in NYC!", but I
didn't way to wake up the OY!ers. It sounds right, though.)

[Areff]

Tony Cooper wrote:
> I've never played hockey due to the fact that when I'm on ice skates
> my ankles cave in to the point where I'm sliding on that little bump
> on the side of the ankle. What is that thing called, by the way?

Coop, is this how you speak to your medical equipment clients
(customers?)?

> I took my son to a Rangers' game in Madison Square Garden. We watched
> the crowd instead of the players because there was far more action and
> blood in the stands. There are some *serious* crazies in NYC!

They're mostly from the suburbs, Coop. Hockey has never been very popular
among New York City natives, as Wickham is my witness, though there does
seem to be an Irish-American Catholic school-derived hockey subculture of
sorts which I've never entirely grokked. Maybe a hurling-descended thing?

> (I wanted to write "There's some "serious* crazies in NYC!", but I
> didn't way to wake up the OY!ers. It sounds right, though.)

Any use of that barbarous initialism "NYC" is worth an "Oy!" or three.

--

[rewboss]

"Tony Cooper" <***@earthlink.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:***@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:07:13 +0100, Laura F Spira
> <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >Boring? I think it's far more interesting. Have you ever played hockey?
> >It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.
> >
> I've never played hockey due to the fact that when I'm on ice skates
> my ankles cave in to the point where I'm sliding on that little bump
> on the side of the ankle.

I think Laura may be British, in which case, when she says "hockey", she
means the sort played on grass. In BrE, the other sort is usually called
"ice hockey".

[Laura F Spira]

rewboss wrote:
> "Tony Cooper" <***@earthlink.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:***@4ax.com...
>
>>On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:07:13 +0100, Laura F Spira
>><***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Boring? I think it's far more interesting. Have you ever played hockey?
>>>It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.
>>>
>>
>>I've never played hockey due to the fact that when I'm on ice skates
>>my ankles cave in to the point where I'm sliding on that little bump
>>on the side of the ankle.
>
>
> I think Laura may be British, in which case, when she says "hockey", she
> means the sort played on grass. In BrE, the other sort is usually called
> "ice hockey".
>
>

I'm English, eksherley. But thank you for clarifying this. I was going
to suggest that Tony sought out some St Trinian's films to see what I
was talking about.

--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email)

[Tony Cooper]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 19:00:28 +0100, Laura F Spira
<***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:

>rewboss wrote:
>> "Tony Cooper" <***@earthlink.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
>> news:***@4ax.com...
>>
>>>On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:07:13 +0100, Laura F Spira
>>><***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Boring? I think it's far more interesting. Have you ever played hockey?
>>>>It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.
>>>>
>>>
>>>I've never played hockey due to the fact that when I'm on ice skates
>>>my ankles cave in to the point where I'm sliding on that little bump
>>>on the side of the ankle.
>>
>>
>> I think Laura may be British, in which case, when she says "hockey", she
>> means the sort played on grass. In BrE, the other sort is usually called
>> "ice hockey".
>>
>>
>
>I'm English, eksherley. But thank you for clarifying this. I was going
>to suggest that Tony sought out some St Trinian's films to see what I
>was talking about.

I've watched (field) hockey played. I watched a match at Croke Park
in Dublin. Killarney vs Meath, if I remember correctly. Standing
like sentinels spaced every few yards apart on the sidelines were men
with litters ready to carry off injured players. They were not called
on that day, but not through any fault of the players. It's a wonder
they didn't have bags of plasma.

I make it a point when traveling to watch any kind of local sport. I
like sports, and I enjoy the enthusiasm of sports fans. It's an
interesting way to chat with the locals. Once they figure out that
I'm a Yank (after about three words out of my mouth) they all make a
special point to tell me how *their* sport is superior to American
football and how *their* players don't have to kit out in body armor
to play a game.

One of the most enjoyable afternoons in this pursuit was spent on the
sidelines of a cricket match in Henley (am I supposed to write out
Henley-on-Thames?) where I corralled a 10 year-old or so boy to
explain the rules. An hour later I had no real grasp of the game, but
I did have a crowd of very eager, very helpful young men doing their
best to make the game clear to me. They never brought up American
football, but one did say that he had seen a basketball game and it
was a daft thing to want to do.

[John Dean]

Tony Cooper wrote:
> On Wed, 19 May 2004 19:00:28 +0100, Laura F Spira
> <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> rewboss wrote:
>>> "Tony Cooper" <***@earthlink.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
>>> news:***@4ax.com...
>>>
>>>> On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:07:13 +0100, Laura F Spira
>>>> <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Boring? I think it's far more interesting. Have you ever played
>>>>> hockey? It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.
>>>>>
>>>> I've never played hockey due to the fact that when I'm on ice
>>>> skates my ankles cave in to the point where I'm sliding on that
>>>> little bump on the side of the ankle.
>>>
>>> I think Laura may be British, in which case, when she says
>>> "hockey", she means the sort played on grass. In BrE, the other
>>> sort is usually called "ice hockey".
>>>
>> I'm English, eksherley. But thank you for clarifying this. I was
>> going to suggest that Tony sought out some St Trinian's films to see
>> what I was talking about.
>
>
> One of the most enjoyable afternoons in this pursuit was spent on the
> sidelines of a cricket match in Henley (am I supposed to write out
> Henley-on-Thames?) where I corralled a 10 year-old or so boy to
> explain the rules. An hour later I had no real grasp of the game, but
> I did have a crowd of very eager, very helpful young men doing their
> best to make the game clear to me. They never brought up American
> football, but one did say that he had seen a basketball game and it
> was a daft thing to want to do.

The traditional way of explaining cricket to Americans is:

<< You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's
in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the
next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's
out comes in and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those
coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out,
and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in.
There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time and they
decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and
all the men have out, and both sides have been out twice after all the
men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of
the game! >>
--
John Dean
Oxford

[Charles Riggs]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:13:24 -0400, Tony Cooper
<***@earthlink.net> wrote:

...

>I make it a point when traveling to watch any kind of local sport. I
>like sports, and I enjoy the enthusiasm of sports fans. It's an
>interesting way to chat with the locals. Once they figure out that
>I'm a Yank (after about three words out of my mouth) they all make a
>special point to tell me how *their* sport is superior to American
>football and how *their* players don't have to kit out in body armor
>to play a game.

This you *enjoy*? A friend of mine owns a hair shirt I'm sure he'd be
willing to sell you at a special price.
...

>They never brought up American
>football, but one did say that he had seen a basketball game and it
>was a daft thing to want to do.

Basketball is nearly as unenjoyable a game to watch as baseball. Both
can be great grins to play, but, unless there are some fine points I'm
missing, only a masochist would watch either. Evan may not agree.
--

Charles Riggs

- Primarily northeast US upbringing
- Currently living on the west coast of Ireland; passingly
familiar with Hibernian-English expressions
- No discernable Irish accent

My email address: chriggs/at/eircom/dot/net

[Areff]

Charles Riggs wrote:
> Basketball is nearly as unenjoyable a game to watch as baseball. Both
> can be great grins to play, but, unless there are some fine points I'm
> missing, only a masochist would watch either. Evan may not agree.

Who, Kirsh? He'll watch any competitive sport activity as long as
Stanford is one of the teams.

--

[Richard Maurer]

Areff wrote:
Who, Kirsh? He'll watch any competitive sport activity
as long as Stanford is one of the teams.


Yeah, but he may be a fair weather fan (unless he watches
football). Dick Gould has retired and Mike Montgomery
just ducked out. A couple dozen more and Evan's fanhood
may be put to the test.

Question: Assuming a coach is not actually bad, is a good
coach mean more than an additional good player?
Does a great coach mean more than an additional
great player?

-- ---------------------------------------------
Richard Maurer To reply, remove half
Sunnyvale, California of a homonym of a synonym for also.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(lives in the area)

[Gene Wirchenko]

Charles Riggs <***@aircom.net> wrote:

[snip]

>Basketball is nearly as unenjoyable a game to watch as baseball. Both
>can be great grins to play, but, unless there are some fine points I'm
>missing, only a masochist would watch either. Evan may not agree.

Add golf to that list.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

Computerese Irregular Verb Conjugation:
I have preferences.
You have biases.
He/She has prejudices.

[Robert Lieblich]

Gene Wirchenko wrote:
>
> Charles Riggs <***@aircom.net> wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
> >Basketball is nearly as unenjoyable a game to watch as baseball. Both
> >can be great grins to play, but, unless there are some fine points I'm
> >missing, only a masochist would watch either. Evan may not agree.
>
> Add golf to that list.

Baseball translates very poorly to the TV screen because of the
great distances involved. A 400-foot home run is very impressive
when seen in the stadium, but on TV it seems to travel maybe two
feet. The situation is even more so for golf. Despite which, there
are occasions when it is worth tuning in to either -- the seventh
game of the World Series, the last round of the Masters (I watched
Phil Mickelson win his first major, and it was actually exciting),
that sort of thing.

Basketball offers at least intermittent exhibitions of spectacular
athleticism of a sort rarely available anywhere else this side of
gymnastics and perhaps diving. They can be seen and appreciated on
TV. And some of those NBA playoff games, not to mention late-round
games in the NCAA, are tense and exciting. Of course, you have to
have at least some minimal interest in the sport or it might as well
be televised curling.

Anyhow, thass my opinion.

--
Bob Lieblich
Sports fan but not fanatic

[Skitt]

Robert Lieblich wrote:
> Gene Wirchenko wrote:
>> Charles Riggs wrote:
>>
>> [snip]
>>
>>> Basketball is nearly as unenjoyable a game to watch as baseball.
>>> Both can be great grins to play, but, unless there are some fine
>>> points I'm missing, only a masochist would watch either. Evan may
>>> not agree.
>>
>> Add golf to that list.
>
> Baseball translates very poorly to the TV screen because of the
> great distances involved. A 400-foot home run is very impressive
> when seen in the stadium, but on TV it seems to travel maybe two
> feet. The situation is even more so for golf. Despite which, there
> are occasions when it is worth tuning in to either -- the seventh
> game of the World Series, the last round of the Masters (I watched
> Phil Mickelson win his first major, and it was actually exciting),
> that sort of thing.
>
> Basketball offers at least intermittent exhibitions of spectacular
> athleticism of a sort rarely available anywhere else this side of
> gymnastics and perhaps diving. They can be seen and appreciated on
> TV. And some of those NBA playoff games, not to mention late-round
> games in the NCAA, are tense and exciting. Of course, you have to
> have at least some minimal interest in the sport or it might as well
> be televised curling.

What? Don't you find the frantic sweeping exciting?
--
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

[Robert Lieblich]

Skitt wrote:
>
> Robert Lieblich wrote:

[ ... ]

> > Of course, you have to
> > have at least some minimal interest in the sport or it might as well
> > be televised curling.
>
> What? Don't you find the frantic sweeping exciting?

I do enough of that myself at home. It's hard to vacuum (UK hoover)
a hardwood floor effectively.

--
Bob Lieblich
Who sweeps Mrs. Bob off her feet (and boy is she pissed off)

[Skitt]

Robert Lieblich wrote:
> Skitt wrote:
>> Robert Lieblich wrote:

> [ ... ]
>
>>> Of course, you have to
>>> have at least some minimal interest in the sport or it might as well
>>> be televised curling.
>>
>> What? Don't you find the frantic sweeping exciting?
>
> I do enough of that myself at home. It's hard to vacuum (UK hoover)
> a hardwood floor effectively.

I know what you mean. We have hardwood floors throughout, except for the
kitchen and baths, which are tiled. Sweeping them is not exactly the best
way either, I think. I was going to try vacuuming, just like we used to do
when we had wall-to-wall carpeting. Do you advise against that?
--
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

[Laura F Spira]

Skitt wrote:
> Robert Lieblich wrote:
>
>>Skitt wrote:
>>
>>>Robert Lieblich wrote:
>>
>
>>[ ... ]
>>
>>
>>>>Of course, you have to
>>>>have at least some minimal interest in the sport or it might as well
>>>>be televised curling.
>>>
>>>What? Don't you find the frantic sweeping exciting?
>>
>>I do enough of that myself at home. It's hard to vacuum (UK hoover)
>>a hardwood floor effectively.
>
>
> I know what you mean. We have hardwood floors throughout, except for the
> kitchen and baths, which are tiled. Sweeping them is not exactly the best
> way either, I think. I was going to try vacuuming, just like we used to do
> when we had wall-to-wall carpeting. Do you advise against that?

Here we have two gents of a certain age discussing domestic cleaning
processes with the authority born of experience. Am I alone in finding
this ever so slightly surprising? Or should I have trained my husband
more thoroughly?

--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email)

[CyberCypher]

Laura F Spira wrote on 21 May 2004:

> Skitt wrote:
>> Robert Lieblich wrote:
>>
>>>Skitt wrote:
>>>
>>>>Robert Lieblich wrote:
>>>
>>
>>>[ ... ]
>>>
>>>
>>>>>Of course, you have to
>>>>>have at least some minimal interest in the sport or it might as
>>>>>well be televised curling.
>>>>
>>>>What? Don't you find the frantic sweeping exciting?
>>>
>>>I do enough of that myself at home. It's hard to vacuum (UK
>>>hoover) a hardwood floor effectively.
>>
>>
>> I know what you mean. We have hardwood floors throughout, except
>> for the kitchen and baths, which are tiled. Sweeping them is not
>> exactly the best way either, I think. I was going to try
>> vacuuming, just like we used to do when we had wall-to-wall
>> carpeting. Do you advise against that?
>
> Here we have two gents of a certain age discussing domestic
> cleaning processes with the authority born of experience. Am I
> alone in finding this ever so slightly surprising? Or should I
> have trained my husband more thoroughly?
>
Not at all. Real men know how to take care of themselves, their
houses, their clothes, their meals, and their families. Allowing
their women to share the cleaning 80-20 (female:male) is just one of
the perks of being married to a man.


--
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.
For email, replace numbers with English alphabet.

[Maria Conlon]

CyberCypher wrote:

> Not at all. Real men know how to take care of themselves, their
> houses, their clothes, their meals, and their families. Allowing
> their women to share the cleaning 80-20 (female:male) is just one
> of the perks of being married to a man.

So true -- except you *did* reverse the percentages. But that's okay.
You're allowed to make a mistake once in a while.

<smile>

Maria Conlon
Share the cleaning, 20-80 (female:male).

[Gene Wirchenko]

"Maria Conlon" <***@hotmail.com> wrote:

>CyberCypher wrote:
>
>> Not at all. Real men know how to take care of themselves, their
>> houses, their clothes, their meals, and their families. Allowing
>> their women to share the cleaning 80-20 (female:male) is just one
>> of the perks of being married to a man.
>
>So true -- except you *did* reverse the percentages. But that's okay.
>You're allowed to make a mistake once in a while.
>
><smile>
>
>Maria Conlon
>Share the cleaning, 20-80 (female:male).

Madam, you are generous to a fault.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

Computerese Irregular Verb Conjugation:
I have preferences.
You have biases.
He/She has prejudices.

[Maria Conlon]

Gene Wirchenko wrote:
> Maria Conlon wrote:
>> CyberCypher wrote:
>>
>>> Not at all. Real men know how to take care of themselves, their
>>> houses, their clothes, their meals, and their families. Allowing
>>> their women to share the cleaning 80-20 (female:male) is just
>>> one of the perks of being married to a man.
>>
>> So true -- except you *did* reverse the percentages. But that's
>> okay. You're allowed to make a mistake once in a while.
>>
>> <smile>
>>
>> Maria Conlon
>> Share the cleaning, 20-80 (female:male).
>
> Madam, you are generous to a fault.
>
Oh, pshaw! Now you've embarrassed me.

(Want to be my press-agent?)

Maria Conlon
Some people get nicer with age. I don't think I'm one of them.

[Michael West]

Laura F Spira wrote:

> Here we have two gents of a certain age discussing domestic cleaning
> processes with the authority born of experience. Am I alone in finding
> this ever so slightly surprising? Or should I have trained my husband
> more thoroughly?


I do the vacuuming at home, along with various
other cleaning chores, but nobody ever tried to
"train" me, and if she had, I'd have walked.

If you want a spouse who cleans house, you have
to marry one, not "train" one.

Leopards. Spots.
--
Michael West
Turning 60 in a few months-- a very certain age.

[Robert Lieblich]

Laura F Spira wrote:
>
> Skitt wrote:
> > Robert Lieblich wrote:
> >
> >>Skitt wrote:
> >>
> >>>Robert Lieblich wrote:
> >>
> >
> >>[ ... ]
> >>
> >>
> >>>>Of course, you have to
> >>>>have at least some minimal interest in the sport or it might as well
> >>>>be televised curling.
> >>>
> >>>What? Don't you find the frantic sweeping exciting?
> >>
> >>I do enough of that myself at home. It's hard to vacuum (UK hoover)
> >>a hardwood floor effectively.
> >
> >
> > I know what you mean. We have hardwood floors throughout, except for the
> > kitchen and baths, which are tiled. Sweeping them is not exactly the best
> > way either, I think. I was going to try vacuuming, just like we used to do
> > when we had wall-to-wall carpeting. Do you advise against that?
>
> Here we have two gents of a certain age discussing domestic cleaning
> processes with the authority born of experience. Am I alone in finding
> this ever so slightly surprising? Or should I have trained my husband
> more thoroughly?

The trick, Laura, is to buy a large powerful upright, bring it home,
then announce that it's too heavy for you to push around. Works
every time.

While in the Navy I learned to iron my shirts. I once informed Mrs.
Bob of this skill. She hasn't ironed a shirt since.

Husbands can be very stupid. Take advantage.

--
Bob Lieblich
Typical stupid husband

[Maria Conlon]

Robert Lieblich wrote:
> Laura F Spira wrote:
>> Skitt wrote:
>>> Robert Lieblich wrote:

>>>> I do enough of that myself at home. It's hard to vacuum (UK
>>>> hoover)
>>>> a hardwood floor effectively.
>>>
>>> I know what you mean. We have hardwood floors throughout,
>>> except for the kitchen and baths, which are tiled. Sweeping
>>> them is not exactly the best way either, I think. I was going
>>> to try vacuuming, just like we used to do when we had
>>> wall-to-wall carpeting. Do you advise against that?
>>
>> Here we have two gents of a certain age discussing domestic
>> cleaning processes with the authority born of experience. Am I
>> alone in finding
>> this ever so slightly surprising?

You're not alone. I was a bit surprised, too. However, if my husband
were the type to get involved in a newsgroup, I think he'd pick up on a
housekeeping comment. He knows the terrritory, so to speak.

>> .........Or should I have trained my
>> husband more thoroughly?
>
> The trick, Laura, is to buy a large powerful upright, bring it
> home,
> then announce that it's too heavy for you to push around. Works
> every time.

Actually, the trick involves having said husband do the buying. He will
invariably buy a vacuum (or lawn mower or whatever) that's too heavy.
It's part of being male, I think. "Me male! Me want *big* snowblower!"
>
> While in the Navy I learned to iron my shirts. I once informed
> Mrs.
> Bob of this skill. She hasn't ironed a shirt since.

That's one chore my husband won't perform. He does so many others,
though, that I can hardly complain. I did ask him once to iron his own
shirt because I was very busy. He informed me that when one grows up
with three sisters (which he did), one does not iron shirts. One never
has to learn how. (I knew this was a lie -- he had ample time in the
Army to learn how to iron.)

Anyway, about that time, "no-iron" fabrics became popular for shirts. I
haven't ironed a shirt in years -- except perhaps to iron the label that
says "no ironing needed" because said label is made from a different
material -- and curls up and scratches the wearer's neck. (Of course,
the easiest thing to do is remove the label. Voila! No ironing needed!)

I'll have to mention the housekeeping discussion here to my husband. He
may be able to answer the questions about sweeping vs. vacuuming the
floors. He's an expert on floors. Bathrooms, too. Oh, and cooking the
meat. Cooking the meat is definitely a man's job. Men do it *so* much
better than we women.

> Husbands can be very stupid. Take advantage.

I would *never* take advantage!
>
> Bob Lieblich
> Typical stupid husband

I'll bet you love pretending to be a TSH.

Maria Conlon
My idea of housecleaning is to sweep the room with a glance.

[Peter Moylan]

Robert Lieblich infrared:

>While in the Navy I learned to iron my shirts. I once informed Mrs.
>Bob of this skill. She hasn't ironed a shirt since.
>
>Husbands can be very stupid. Take advantage.

I've finally managed to farm out the ironing to my daughter, but I'm
still stuck with all the shopping and cooking.

As for vacuuming, I finally realised that it's a serious mistake to
show competence in anything. I make sure that there's always a
section that I've missed. Ditto for dusting and mopping. As a
result my wife now hires someone else to do those jobs.

--
Peter Moylan peter at ee dot newcastle dot edu dot au
http://eepjm.newcastle.edu.au (OS/2 and eCS information and software)

[Skitt]

Laura F Spira wrote:
> Skitt wrote:
>> Robert Lieblich wrote:
>>> Skitt wrote:
>>>> Robert Lieblich wrote:

>>>>> Of course, you have to
>>>>> have at least some minimal interest in the sport or it might as
>>>>> well be televised curling.
>>>>
>>>> What? Don't you find the frantic sweeping exciting?
>>>
>>> I do enough of that myself at home. It's hard to vacuum (UK hoover)
>>> a hardwood floor effectively.
>>
>> I know what you mean. We have hardwood floors throughout, except
>> for the kitchen and baths, which are tiled. Sweeping them is not
>> exactly the best way either, I think. I was going to try vacuuming,
>> just like we used to do when we had wall-to-wall carpeting. Do you
>> advise against that?
>
> Here we have two gents of a certain age discussing domestic cleaning
> processes with the authority born of experience. Am I alone in finding
> this ever so slightly surprising? Or should I have trained my husband
> more thoroughly?

I may have given a wrong impression. While I have done some of the chores
at one time or another, I am usually only an interested observer and
researcher of new and better ways. Once a better procedure is found, I
gladly abdicate any responsibility.

I do the laundry and the waste disposal duties, though. Oh, and I water our
lone tomato plant in the back.
--
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

[K. Edgcombe]

In article <***@uni-berlin.de>,
Maria Conlon <***@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>You're not alone. I was a bit surprised, too. However, if my husband
>were the type to get involved in a newsgroup, I think he'd pick up on a
>housekeeping comment. He knows the terrritory, so to speak.
>

Just because people lay down the law about how a job should be done, what the
alternatives are, what they cost, how long they take or should take, and all
the ways one can fail to do them satisfactorily, it doesn't follow that
the layers-down-of-the-law actually undertake to *do* the job, does it?

Katy (who perhaps hasn't trained her husband properly, either)

[Maria Conlon]

K. Edgcombe wrote:
> Maria Conlon wrote:
>>
>> You're not alone. I was a bit surprised, too. However, if my
>> husband
>> were the type to get involved in a newsgroup, I think he'd pick
>> up on a housekeeping comment. He knows the terrritory, so to
>> speak.
>>
>
> Just because people lay down the law about how a job should be
> done, what the alternatives are, what they cost, how long they
> take or should take, and all the ways one can fail to do them
> satisfactorily, it doesn't follow that
> the layers-down-of-the-law actually undertake to *do* the job,
> does it?
>
> Katy (who perhaps hasn't trained her husband properly, either)

I've sent a reply by email, Katy. Please let me know if you don't
receive it.
M.C.

[Laura F Spira]

Maria Conlon wrote:
> K. Edgcombe wrote:
>
>>Maria Conlon wrote:
>>
>>>You're not alone. I was a bit surprised, too. However, if my
>>>husband
>>>were the type to get involved in a newsgroup, I think he'd pick
>>>up on a housekeeping comment. He knows the terrritory, so to
>>>speak.
>>>
>>
>>Just because people lay down the law about how a job should be
>>done, what the alternatives are, what they cost, how long they
>>take or should take, and all the ways one can fail to do them
>>satisfactorily, it doesn't follow that
>>the layers-down-of-the-law actually undertake to *do* the job,
>>does it?
>>
>>Katy (who perhaps hasn't trained her husband properly, either)
>
>
> I've sent a reply by email, Katy. Please let me know if you don't
> receive it.
> M.C.
>

Ooh, now I want to know what *that* was about! (And did you get *my*
email about Dame Kitty, Katy?)

--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email)

[K. Edgcombe]

In article <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk>,
Laura F Spira <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>Maria Conlon wrote:
>> I've sent a reply by email, Katy. Please let me know if you don't
>> receive it.
>
>Ooh, now I want to know what *that* was about! (And did you get *my*
>email about Dame Kitty, Katy?)

Yes, I've had both of them, thanks, but I'm drowning in mail and
only rarely dip into a.u.e. at present. I will reply, but probably not this
week.

In case anyone thinks Dame Kitty is something out of a folk tale, she was
headmistress of the school Laura and I attended: a diminutive, practical,
friendly and wholly formidable lady. When she got her DBE there was some
discussion of adopting "There is nothing like a dame" as the school song.

Katy

[Gwilym Calon]

"K. Edgcombe" <***@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:c8scig$48e$***@pegasus.csx.cam.ac.uk...
> In case anyone thinks Dame Kitty is something out of a folk tale, she was
> headmistress of the school Laura and I attended:

NLCS?

-------
GC

[Laura F Spira]

K. Edgcombe wrote:
> In article <***@uni-berlin.de>,
> Maria Conlon <***@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>You're not alone. I was a bit surprised, too. However, if my husband
>>were the type to get involved in a newsgroup, I think he'd pick up on a
>>housekeeping comment. He knows the terrritory, so to speak.
>>
>
>
> Just because people lay down the law about how a job should be done, what the
> alternatives are, what they cost, how long they take or should take, and all
> the ways one can fail to do them satisfactorily, it doesn't follow that
> the layers-down-of-the-law actually undertake to *do* the job, does it?
>
> Katy (who perhaps hasn't trained her husband properly, either)

You are suggesting that I have made a false assumption, perhaps? Thing
is, I've met Bob and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he
hoovers. I have made further enquiries among my friends and
acquaintances. It seems that quite a few men hoover (especially if it
involves a Dyson) but they are mostly younger than Bob and Skitt. My dad
hoovered sometimes but would never have discussed hoovering publicly.

--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email)

[K. Edgcombe]

In article <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk>,
Laura F Spira <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>K. Edgcombe wrote:
>> the ways one can fail to do them satisfactorily, it doesn't follow that
>> the layers-down-of-the-law actually undertake to *do* the job, does it?
>>
>You are suggesting that I have made a false assumption, perhaps? Thing
>is, I've met Bob and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he
>hoovers.

In justice to my husband, I should say that he also hoovers, and very well he
does it too. My point was more general; that it is not unheard of for people
to set themselves up as experts not only on the jobs they do do, but also on
those they do not, but have frequent opportunity to witness.

Katy

[Richard Ulrich]

On 24 May 2004 08:48:02 GMT, ***@cus.cam.ac.uk (K. Edgcombe) wrote:

> In article <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk>,
> Laura F Spira <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
> >K. Edgcombe wrote:
> >> the ways one can fail to do them satisfactorily, it doesn't follow that
> >> the layers-down-of-the-law actually undertake to *do* the job, does it?
> >>
> >You are suggesting that I have made a false assumption, perhaps? Thing
> >is, I've met Bob and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he
> >hoovers.
>
> In justice to my husband, I should say that he also hoovers, and very well he
> does it too. My point was more general; that it is not unheard of for people
> to set themselves up as experts not only on the jobs they do do, but also on
> those they do not, but have frequent opportunity to witness.

Most Americans feel adequate to the task of criticizing
decisions of the Supreme Court.

Here's a sentiment I once read that I had to identify with -
The most self-assured critic of a mother's work at child-rearing
is apt to be her unmarried brother.

--
Rich Ulrich, ***@pitt.edu
http://www.pitt.edu/~wpilib/index.html

[Evan Kirshenbaum]

***@cus.cam.ac.uk (K. Edgcombe) writes:

> In justice to my husband, I should say that he also hoovers, and
> very well he does it too. My point was more general; that it is not
> unheard of for people to set themselves up as experts not only on
> the jobs they do do, but also on those they do not, but have
> frequent opportunity to witness.

Now *there's* an understatement! Sports and government, especially,
spring to mind, but on a more personal note I've frequently found
myself biting my tongue to keep from asking someone how many hundreds
of thousands of lines of bug-free code *they've* written.[1]

[1] Me neither, but I've been responsible for trying, while they
typically have encountered software only as a user or have written
only tiny programs (under, say, a thousand lines) that weren't run
by others.

--
Evan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------
HP Laboratories |Politicians are like compost--they
1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |should be turned often or they start
Palo Alto, CA 94304 |to smell bad.

***@hpl.hp.com
[phone]

http://www.kirshenbaum.net/

[Laura F Spira]

K. Edgcombe wrote:
> In article <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk>,
> Laura F Spira <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>K. Edgcombe wrote:
>>
>>>the ways one can fail to do them satisfactorily, it doesn't follow that
>>>the layers-down-of-the-law actually undertake to *do* the job, does it?
>>>
>>
>>You are suggesting that I have made a false assumption, perhaps? Thing
>>is, I've met Bob and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he
>>hoovers.
>
>
> In justice to my husband, I should say that he also hoovers, and very well he
> does it too. My point was more general; that it is not unheard of for people
> to set themselves up as experts not only on the jobs they do do, but also on
> those they do not, but have frequent opportunity to witness.

Certainly in the arenas of sport and politics, I would say. Claiming
such expertise in the sphere of domestic cleaning seems, to me, a little
less likely. But I take your point.

--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email)

[Maria Conlon]

K. Edgcombe wrote:

>> In justice to my husband, I should say that he also hoovers, and
> very well he does it too. My point was more general; that it is
> not unheard of for people to set themselves up as experts not
> only on the jobs they do do, but also on those they do not, but
> have frequent opportunity to witness.

Ah. I misunderstood. As for your point, the term "Monday Morning
Quarterback" comes to mind. I don't know the equivalent in BrE -- a
quarterback is a player on an American or Canadian football team. He's
more or less in charge of getting the ball from one spot to another.

(Interruption for Americans and Canadians: I am more familiar with
football than the above might suggest, but there's no reason to get into
great detail for this post.)

Resuming: Most (not all) professional football games seem to be on
Sundays. A Monday Morning Quarterback, then, is the guy (most MMQs are
men) who second-guesses the quarterback in conversations about the game
the next day.

The term goes beyond sports, though. It now encompasses any activity
wherein the person who took the action is criticized for not taking said
action in another way -- with "another way" being the course that would,
surely, have attained success.

The following could be MMQ-type remarks:

You missed a spot. [Implication: I wouldn't have.]
Didn't you add ammonia as I suggested?
This is very good, of course, but it would have tasted a bit better with
a cheese sauce.
You look fine, dear, but what about that black dress...?
No, we never had problems like that with our children. [What's left
unsaid is what's important.]

What is this sort of thing called in other areas? ("Flirting with the
undertaker" fits in some, but not all, circumstances.)

Maria Conlon
OBediting: I've edited this post a few times for clarity. It may now
contain some inexplicable errors. (MConlon 2004)

[Don Phillipson]

> >>>On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:07:13 +0100, Laura F Spira
> >>><***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Have you ever played hockey?
> >>>>It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.

Hockey was always savage. All the same, in the
1950s, "mixed hockey" was the only adult sport
that a young man could join with girls in mind.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada)

[Mike Page]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:13:24 -0400, Tony Cooper
<***@earthlink.net> wrote:

>On Wed, 19 May 2004 19:00:28 +0100, Laura F Spira
><***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
[...]>>I'm English, eksherley. But thank you for clarifying this.
I was going
>>to suggest that Tony sought out some St Trinian's films to see what I
>>was talking about.
>
>I've watched (field) hockey played. I watched a match at Croke Park
>in Dublin. Killarney vs Meath, if I remember correctly. Standing
>like sentinels spaced every few yards apart on the sidelines were men
>with litters ready to carry off injured players. They were not called
>on that day, but not through any fault of the players. It's a wonder
>they didn't have bags of plasma.
>
Are you sure that wasn't Hurling? A bit like hockey, but with
malice aforethought, AIUI.


Mike Page

[Charles Riggs]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 19:00:28 +0100, Laura F Spira
<***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:

>rewboss wrote:

>> I think Laura may be British...
>>
>
>I'm English, eksherley.

But is there any shame in calling yourself British? I mean you *are*
British, are you not? Americans don't fully understand these nuances,
all of them.

Is it that most Britons secretly wish to be English? If so, I could
easily understand, not that the Scots, or even the Welsh, are all bad,
of course.
--

Charles Riggs

- Primarily northeast US upbringing
- Currently living on the west coast of Ireland; passingly
familiar with Hibernian-English expressions
- No discernable Irish accent

My email address: chriggs/at/eircom/dot/net

[Laura F Spira]

Charles Riggs wrote:
> On Wed, 19 May 2004 19:00:28 +0100, Laura F Spira
> <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>>rewboss wrote:
>
>
>>>I think Laura may be British...
>>>
>>
>>I'm English, eksherley.
>
>
> But is there any shame in calling yourself British? I mean you *are*
> British, are you not? Americans don't fully understand these nuances,
> all of them.

No shame, just accuracy. I was born in England and so I've always
described myself as English. Had I been born in Wales, I would describe
myself as Welsh. My .sig might suggest that I am particularly
nationalistic but that is not the case - St. George is the patron saint
of many other places.

>
> Is it that most Britons secretly wish to be English?

I doubt it, although I have heard it suggested that describing oneself
as English, Welsh or Scottish distinguishes one from those who have
acquired citizenship through naturalisation.

[..]

--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email)

[Gwilym Calon]

"Charles Riggs" <***@aircom.net> wrote in message
news:***@4ax.com...
> Is it that most Britons secretly wish to be English?

No. Most Britons are Welsh (Cymraeg). The others are Cornish (Kernewek).

-------
GC

[Charles Riggs]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 11:46:14 -0400, Tony Cooper
<***@earthlink.net> wrote:

>On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:07:13 +0100, Laura F Spira
><***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>Boring? I think it's far more interesting. Have you ever played hockey?
>>It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.
>>
>I've never played hockey due to the fact that when I'm on ice skates
>my ankles cave in to the point where I'm sliding on that little bump
>on the side of the ankle. What is that thing called, by the way?

A boil. Wait a few weeks as I did and it'll go away.
--

Charles Riggs

- Primarily northeast US upbringing
- Currently living on the west coast of Ireland; passingly
familiar with Hibernian-English expressions
- No discernable Irish accent

My email address: chriggs/at/eircom/dot/net

[unknown]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 11:46:14 -0400, Tony Cooper
<***@earthlink.net> wrote:

>On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:07:13 +0100, Laura F Spira
><***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>Boring? I think it's far more interesting. Have you ever played hockey?
>>It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.
>>
>I've never played hockey due to the fact that when I'm on ice skates
>my ankles cave in to the point where I'm sliding on that little bump
>on the side of the ankle.

In Britain, playing hockey on ice-skates is inadvisable unless the
grass is *very* firm.

When a UK paper such as the Grauniad uses the term "hockey stick",
they're referring to the type normally faced with minimal padding.

Cheers - Ian

[Christopher Green]

Laura F Spira <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote in message news:<***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk>...
> Tony Cooper wrote:
> > On Wed, 19 May 2004 07:39:03 +0100, Laura F Spira
> > <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Tony Cooper wrote:
> >>
> >>>From a news item:
> >>>
> >>>"LONDON - Police foiled an attempt Monday to steal gold bullion worth
> >>>$70 million and cash from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London's
> >>>Metropolitan Police said. A gang smashed through the shutters of the
> >>>Swissport Cargo warehouse in a white van before threatening staff with
> >>>knives, cudgels and at least one firearm."
> >>>
> >>>Where does the modern-day smash-and-grabber get a cudgel these days?
> >>>Are there cudgel shops in England? "Excellent choice, Sir. That's
> >>>our model A-stroke-47, made of the finest blackthorn available and
> >>>hand-rubbed to a fine luster. You'll not find a skull that will dent
> >>>this little beauty, Sir. It's said that James Hind carried a
> >>>cudgel of these exact specifications."
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>It seems that the cudgel was in fact a hockey stick.
> >>
> >>http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1219717,00.html
> >
> >
> > Well that's just plain boring. I really wish you wouldn't bring up
> > things like this. It's rather interesting to think that England still
> > has yeggs and yobbos that maintain the traditions of the past. Now I
> > suppose you are going to publish a url that says that the airport
> > brigands really didn't say "Stand and Deliver!" and used some prosaic
> > phrase like "'and it over, mate, or I'll bash your effin' 'ead in."
>
> Boring? I think it's far more interesting. Have you ever played hockey?
> It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.

Both forms of hockey (ice and field) are vicious enough for most
purposes, but I've yet to come across a sport with more (and
better-used) opportunities for sheer dirty play than water polo.
Especially if you get to see the Italian women's team in the Olympics,
don't miss it.

--
Chris Green

[Skitt]

Christopher Green wrote:

> Both forms of hockey (ice and field) are vicious enough for most
> purposes, but I've yet to come across a sport with more (and
> better-used) opportunities for sheer dirty play than water polo.
> Especially if you get to see the Italian women's team in the Olympics,
> don't miss it.

Do they make their opponents sleep with the fishes?
--
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

[Charles Riggs]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 17:43:23 -0700, "Skitt" <***@comcast.net>
wrote:

>Christopher Green wrote:
>
>> Both forms of hockey (ice and field) are vicious enough for most
>> purposes, but I've yet to come across a sport with more (and
>> better-used) opportunities for sheer dirty play than water polo.
>> Especially if you get to see the Italian women's team in the Olympics,
>> don't miss it.
>
>Do they make their opponents sleep with the fishes?

Is there a current series of _The Sopranos_, Alec? We get it only in
reruns these days. It was one of my favourites from the US, ranking
right up there with _The Simpsons_, which we still get, and _Sex and
the City_, which is in reruns for everyone.
--

Charles Riggs

- Primarily northeast US upbringing
- Currently living on the west coast of Ireland; passingly
familiar with Hibernian-English expressions
- No discernable Irish accent

My email address: chriggs/at/eircom/dot/net

[Skitt]

Charles Riggs wrote:
> "Skitt" wrote:
>> Christopher Green wrote:

>>> Both forms of hockey (ice and field) are vicious enough for most
>>> purposes, but I've yet to come across a sport with more (and
>>> better-used) opportunities for sheer dirty play than water polo.
>>> Especially if you get to see the Italian women's team in the
>>> Olympics, don't miss it.
>>
>> Do they make their opponents sleep with the fishes?
>
> Is there a current series of _The Sopranos_, Alec? We get it only in
> reruns these days. It was one of my favourites from the US, ranking
> right up there with _The Simpsons_, which we still get, and _Sex and
> the City_, which is in reruns for everyone.

I don't know. I have to admit that I haven't seen a single episode of _The
Sopranos_. It is on HBO, and, until recently, we didn't subscribe to HBO.
Now that we have it (as part of the HDTV package), we are still not in the
habit of watching it.

My "fishes" reference comes from the Godfather movie.
--
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

[Steve Hayes]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:07:13 +0100, Laura F Spira
<***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:

>Tony Cooper wrote:
>> Well that's just plain boring. I really wish you wouldn't bring up
>> things like this. It's rather interesting to think that England still
>> has yeggs and yobbos that maintain the traditions of the past. Now I
>> suppose you are going to publish a url that says that the airport
>> brigands really didn't say "Stand and Deliver!" and used some prosaic
>> phrase like "'and it over, mate, or I'll bash your effin' 'ead in."
>
>Boring? I think it's far more interesting. Have you ever played hockey?
>It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.

I've played both hockey and croquet, and never found hockey vicious (though
the female variety may be). I don't think anything comes near croquet for
rage-inducing nastiness.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

[Mike Page]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 16:07:13 +0100, Laura F Spira
<***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:

>Tony Cooper wrote:
>> On Wed, 19 May 2004 07:39:03 +0100, Laura F Spira
>> <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Tony Cooper wrote:
>>>
>>>>From a news item:
>>>>
>>>>"LONDON - Police foiled an attempt Monday to steal gold bullion worth
>>>>$70 million and cash from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London's
>>>>Metropolitan Police said. A gang smashed through the shutters of the
>>>>Swissport Cargo warehouse in a white van before threatening staff with
>>>>knives, cudgels and at least one firearm."
>>>>
>>>>Where does the modern-day smash-and-grabber get a cudgel these days?
>>>>Are there cudgel shops in England? "Excellent choice, Sir. That's
>>>>our model A-stroke-47, made of the finest blackthorn available and
>>>>hand-rubbed to a fine luster. You'll not find a skull that will dent
>>>>this little beauty, Sir. It's said that James Hind carried a
>>>>cudgel of these exact specifications."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>It seems that the cudgel was in fact a hockey stick.
>>>
>>>http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1219717,00.html
>>
>>
>> Well that's just plain boring. I really wish you wouldn't bring up
>> things like this. It's rather interesting to think that England still
>> has yeggs and yobbos that maintain the traditions of the past. Now I
>> suppose you are going to publish a url that says that the airport
>> brigands really didn't say "Stand and Deliver!" and used some prosaic
>> phrase like "'and it over, mate, or I'll bash your effin' 'ead in."
>
>Boring? I think it's far more interesting. Have you ever played hockey?
>It's a vicious sport, second only to croquet.
>
>>
>> I'd retaliate for your boring expose of the weaponry used by citing
>> "Brennan on the Moor", but I don't know if that is familiar enough to
>> you to cause STS.
>>
>>
>
>'fraid not, you'll have to sing it to me.

>'(I'm easily swayed by a serenade.)',
The lass said to her beau.
'But you'll have to rhyme, as up you climb
To my balcony from below.'

'You can have your way, any day
If you sing like a troubadour.
But don't you mess, with my STS -
That curtains pour l'amour.'

Sorry, the muse came upon me.


Mike Page

[Maria Conlon]

Mike Page wrote:
>
>> '(I'm easily swayed by a serenade.)',
> The lass said to her beau.
> 'But you'll have to rhyme, as up you climb
> To my balcony from below.'
>
> 'You can have your way, any day
> If you sing like a troubadour.
> But don't you mess, with my STS -
> That curtains pour l'amour.'
>
> Sorry, the muse came upon me.

Well, *I* was amused.

Mr. Draney will have to be the final judge, I think.

Maria Conlon
"Anybody can sympathise with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires
a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend's success." (Oscar
Wilde)

[Laura F Spira]

Maria Conlon wrote:
> Mike Page wrote:
>
>>>'(I'm easily swayed by a serenade.)',
>>
>>The lass said to her beau.
>>'But you'll have to rhyme, as up you climb
>>To my balcony from below.'
>>
>>'You can have your way, any day
>>If you sing like a troubadour.
>>But don't you mess, with my STS -
>>That curtains pour l'amour.'
>>
>>Sorry, the muse came upon me.
>
>
> Well, *I* was amused.
>
> Mr. Draney will have to be the final judge, I think.
>
> Maria Conlon
> "Anybody can sympathise with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires
> a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend's success." (Oscar
> Wilde)
>
>

r...can think what he likes: *I* think it's brilliant (even though
there's a superfluous comma in the penultimate line and a missing "'s"
in the last line...)

--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email)

[Michael West]

Mike Page wrote:

> Sorry, the muse came upon me.

Eewwwww!
--
Michael West

[Jonathan Miller]

"Laura F Spira" <***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote in message
news:***@DRAGONspira.fsbusiness.co.uk...
> Tony Cooper wrote:
> > From a news item:
> >
> > "LONDON - Police foiled an attempt Monday to steal gold bullion worth
> > $70 million and cash from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London's
> > Metropolitan Police said. A gang smashed through the shutters of the
> > Swissport Cargo warehouse in a white van before threatening staff with
> > knives, cudgels and at least one firearm."
> >
> > Where does the modern-day smash-and-grabber get a cudgel these days?
> > Are there cudgel shops in England? "Excellent choice, Sir. That's
> > our model A-stroke-47, made of the finest blackthorn available and
> > hand-rubbed to a fine luster. You'll not find a skull that will dent
> > this little beauty, Sir. It's said that James Hind carried a
> > cudgel of these exact specifications."
> >
> >
>
> It seems that the cudgel was in fact a hockey stick.
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1219717,00.html
>

Geez, how do they expect to make a profit if they're going to use such
expensive weapons? (Ice hockey -- I have no idea about the cost of field
hockey sticks.)

Well, $70 million, all right. That is more that a hockey stick. But, given
the way the things seem to break practically every game, it's still an
expensive way to go about getting a club.

Jon Miller

[Steve Hayes]

On Tue, 18 May 2004 19:38:56 -0400, Tony Cooper <***@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>From a news item:
>
>"LONDON - Police foiled an attempt Monday to steal gold bullion worth
>$70 million and cash from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London's
>Metropolitan Police said. A gang smashed through the shutters of the
>Swissport Cargo warehouse in a white van before threatening staff with
>knives, cudgels and at least one firearm."
>
>Where does the modern-day smash-and-grabber get a cudgel these days?
>Are there cudgel shops in England? "Excellent choice, Sir. That's
>our model A-stroke-47, made of the finest blackthorn available and
>hand-rubbed to a fine luster. You'll not find a skull that will dent
>this little beauty, Sir. It's said that James Hind carried a
>cudgel of these exact specifications."

Maybe one of them had visted they USA and picked up a baseball bat.

I've seen them used as cudgels in the movies, usually on cars.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk