It puzzled me also; maybe in his cups?Originally Posted by joe552
It puzzled me also; maybe in his cups?
It's obviously a play on words - Joe mis-spelling Nop as Mop, and someone offering accommodation described as accommodating. It's really not that hardIt puzzled me also; maybe in his cups?
Hot on the heels of speculation that you are not French at all, you hit out with an expression "in his cups" - i.e. drunk, that I've only ever heard in the North of England!It puzzled me also; maybe in his cups?
What complicated persona you are, Francois!
I've remarked before on the sheltered life you lead. In this case a simple Google search will show you the error of your assumptions
Indeed ... charmingly so.
Just another reason why I love living in Thailand
francois (July 24th, 2018), scottish-guy (July 24th, 2018)
Scotty, your view is very narrow. Frequent suggested, rightly, a google search. Let me add: one of the things about the U.S. that many miss because of our huge movie, TV and pop culture facade is the fact that our people come from everywhere. "in his cups" is very common here. It puts me in mind of a visit to Amsterdam. Whe purchasing some French Fries ( chips my friend ) the seller concluded that I'm English because I asked for viniger. Not so, I'm a child who attended the Bloomsburg state fair in Pennsylvania as a "wee lad" - see some appalachians use "wee" as they are descended from the Scotch - Irish settlers.Hot on the heels of speculation that you are not French at all, you hit out with an expression "in his cups" - i.e. drunk, that I've only ever heard in the North of England!
What complicated persona you are, Francois!
Also, puts me in mind of Spanish tourists to ranch areas of our deep south west - not the glitzy tourist areas but where the people live. The Spanish sometimes think they are being insulted by being addressed in the stilted, archaic Spanish of the area. They are amazed to learn that the are hearing 17th century Spanish unchanged in the households since they were cut off from Spain.
My long way of saying, you can learn nothing from a simple turn of phrase.
sglad (July 24th, 2018)
Excellent post on the dangers of stereotyping and pidgeon-holing, paborn. This should be pinned somewhere. There's an idiot on this forum who's been saying I can't be where I say I'm from because of my English skills and the way I write as if he's met the myriad of Singaporeans who make up our 5.6 million population.
paborn (July 24th, 2018)
Maybe whoever said that is not an idiot.
Sglad said
“I'm not much of a drinker on holiday or at home. I suffer from terrible hangovers and am usually the designated driver!”
In Singapore?? Where public transport is so cheap and available people go drinking by car? Most couldn’t even afford a car there.
Sure you’re not in the UK where that term is used, frequently (god what Horrible word)?
neddy3 (July 25th, 2018)
I'd like to thank you for your comments because they prove the dangers of generalising, stereotyping and pidgeon-holing based on limited knowledge or a set of facts taken out of context that paborn and I have been talking about.
Buses and trains don't run for 24 hours in Singapore. Except for special days, for eg, New Year's eve, they roughly operate between 5 am and midnight. I'm sure you were young once and remember that the fun doesn't start until late so buses and trains are out if you intend to stay out late. So you drive if you have access to a car.
It's easy for you to say that our buses and trains are cheap because as a senior citizen, you'd be entitled to discounted travel! Not so for students and working folk; the cost of public transportation is relative to how much money you have/make. Taxis are expensive and are subjected to a 50% midnight surcharge and if you're planning to hit four or five places in different parts of the island, including an early morning supper, it's going to add up. Moreover, taxis and Grab cars can be scarce in the early hours. We have a huge expatriate population, most of whom without their own vehicles, with whom we have to compete for these services. So you drive if you have access to a car.
It's true that cars are expensive but many people own them, some out of sheer necessity. A young family with three children, where the children have to ferried here and there, almost can't do without. My parents own a car; they can probably afford two being mid level professionals in their fifties. But they only need one. I can't afford one yet but will probably be able to in a few years so I borrow theirs when I need to. Some of my friends with rich/indulgent parents got their own cars when they started uni. My boyfriend, who is a few years older than I am and has a great job, has a nice car which he's worked hard for. So you see, it's all relative as to whether people in Singapore can afford cars or not. Moreover, think back seventy or eighty years ago. Remember what it was like to have your own wheels and the sense of freedom and independence it gave you? Well, those feelings haven't changed for those of us in the younger generation.
Incidentally, I first heard of the term 'designated driver' on an American sitcom and we use it simply to mean someone who is fit to drive during a big night out where alcohol is consumed. That's all. If I quote lines from 007, does it mean I'm James Bond? No, it doesn't. Are all Australians wannabe geronto-porn stars because we happen to know one who is? Of course not. As we know only too well, some are looney wombats running restaurants.
scottish-guy, I think you're biased against francois because he likes cheap meatloaf and therefore can't possibly be French!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
