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From: Chris Croughton <chris@keristor.net>
Newsgroups: alt.languages.english
Subject: Re: Straight or neat?
Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 15:21:02 +0100
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On 17 May 2005 05:50:01 -0700, credoquaabsurdum
<credoquaabsurdum@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Chris Croughton wrote:
>
>> 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 completely agree about inferior product in pubs, but my acquaintance
> is a devotee of Cutty Sark on the rocks and might consider a Jack
> Daniels with Coca-Cola the height of sophisticiation.
Well, that's probably the best thing to do with Jack Daniels, drown it
<g>. A good "cask strength" Scotch should be diluted with water -- it
should be spring water from the area it was made, of course.
>> 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".
>
> "Bar lady" is slightly more acceptable to my ears than "bar-maid," but
> then again, I'm one of those guys who hate weather girls and prefers
> to hear his news straight up from a far less presentable but far more
> professionally competent meteorologist.
Depends whether I'm interested in the weather or in the girl <g>. Since
the meteorologists seem to get the really important weather (like
hurricanes) wrong here in the UK anyway ("No problem, it won't get
here!") I'd rather see a good looking girl <g>.
(Not that there's any reason why a competent meteorologist couldn't be a
good looking girl or vice versa, I hate stereotypes...)
The term "barmaid" has the connotation of being busty with lots of
cleavage showing and probably 'available', I wouldn't dare call anyone
that unless it was known to be a joke...
>> [1] Confusable with 'bastard', especially when he calls 'time' <g>.
>
> Now you see, that's a new one. The whole "time" thing doesn't exist in
> the same way in the States. When is it, eleven o'clock in some parts
> of Britain? That's just cruel.
Most of Britain it is still 11pm, apparently only a few pubs have even
applied for the new licences to stay open longer. Of course, in many
places (especially rural ones) the pub simply locks the door and turns
it into a "private function" -- they can no longer /sell/ alcohol, but
they can give it away and accept donations and the village bobby gets a
free pint when he comes round.
"Time, gentlemen, please!" is an ancient ritual...
Chris C
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