Path: news.nzbot.com!not-for-mail
From: Chris Croughton <chris@keristor.net>
Newsgroups: alt.languages.english
Subject: Re: Straight or neat?
Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 12:39:04 +0100
Lines: 41
Message-ID: <slrnd8jluo.8bc.chris@ccserver.keris.net>
References: <1116285962.130886.275760@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>
Reply-To: chris@keristor.net
X-Trace: individual.net /VaqqR8U1LnbfVHjaCHKxgR7u2MMbRQ2qSfAo+ZsZR6k9TB1o=
X-Orig-Path: ccserver.keris.net!news
User-Agent: slrn/0.9.7.4 (Linux)
Xref: news.nzbot.com alt.languages.english:705
On 16 May 2005 16:26:02 -0700, credoquaabsurdum
<credoquaabsurdum@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I met a Greek yesterday who insisted that in the UK, no one drinks
> their Scotch "neat." The term is American in origin. All Britons say
> "straight" when they order whisk(e)y unadulterated by ice or mixers.
I use either 'straight' or 'neat'.
> Now, my Greek acquaintance was wrong regarding word origins, and is,
> moreover, only a slight Lechterianesque cut away from the intelligence
> level of a cretinous goon, but since I've never been to the UK, I must
> ask.
>
> Have Britons retained the term "neat" as well? I sincerely doubt that
> this fellow ordered other rotgut spirits in the more questionable
> establishments of London, but is the term "straight" more generally
> current than "neat" in Great Britain?
Hmm, I don't drink single malt Scotch in pubs generally, most of them
only have inferior quality product <g>. I would tend to use 'straight'
for Scotch (and possibly for other alcohol) but 'neat' when using
something like lemon juice in cooking, but I'm not consistent ("A
foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" -- Ralph Waldo
Emerson).
> I worked as a part-time bartender (or is that always barman/bargirl?
> (I've heard that too!)) on my way through college, so I'm particularly
> interested in the answer to this question.
Certainly your acquaintance is wrong that "all" Britons use 'straight',
there are certainly some (and not just a few) who use 'neat'. As far as
I know any bartender ("barman" is also correct for a male bartender, as
is "bar steward"[1] in some establishments; "bar lady" is preferred to
"bar girl" or "barwoman" for female ones; "proprietor" (male or female"
if the person serving is also the owner) in the UK will accept either
'straight' or 'neat' to mean "don't put anything else in it".
[1] Confusable with 'bastard', especially when he calls 'time' <g>.
Chris C
|
|