Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Why Claudine's my hero (And a big big-up for neighbourliness)
A huge thanks to my neighbour Claudine who I've only met briefly once or twice before as a result of HoL stuff.
I know from a previous discussion on here (which I can't find) that Claudine was a plumber - the first registered lady plumber in the country in fact. So I dropped her a note this afternoon in desperation since I was without hot water and couldn't find a plumber who could come out and help. I thought she might know a man who can. I had a reply from Claudine within a few minutes giving me her phone number.
A couple of calls and a visit later, I was back in business, all the hot water I could want and no a hefty plumber,s bill.
Claudine - a BIG THANK YOU. You've made me a happy man and warmed the cockles of my heart.
I know from a previous discussion on here (which I can't find) that Claudine was a plumber - the first registered lady plumber in the country in fact. So I dropped her a note this afternoon in desperation since I was without hot water and couldn't find a plumber who could come out and help. I thought she might know a man who can. I had a reply from Claudine within a few minutes giving me her phone number.
A couple of calls and a visit later, I was back in business, all the hot water I could want and no a hefty plumber,s bill.
Claudine - a BIG THANK YOU. You've made me a happy man and warmed the cockles of my heart.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Weird how now one gets upset about the appropriation of wonderful words like "bender", "faggot" etc. Could it be that gay is the one we chose for ourselves? Heaven forfend!
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Permalink Reply by james walsh on
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Is there any connection to the words 'faggot' and 'facist' both mean 'bundle of sticks'.
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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I have heard that the term 'faggot' for gay men comes from witch burning times. 'Witches' may or may not have been lesbian, being often single women. The fires were stoked with gay men tied together. It seems too ridiculous an explanation to be untrue. So yes, from the same Latin root fasces = bundle, or then "strength through unity" for Mussolini et seq.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-fag1.htm gives some insight although it doesn't give any definitive answer.
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Permalink Reply by empyrean_aisles on
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Geez, people, relax! Language is *organic* - it changes, that's what makes it so magnificent. We adapt it to a huge range of contexts (usually without even being conscious of how we are doing that). Inventing new words - and deliberately choosing terms that jar, sometimes humorously, with the context - is all part of our fabulous human capacity for linguistic inventiveness. You can celebrate that inventiveness, or you can be the language police. When people do the latter it is often nothing to do with language and everything to do with trying to claim the moral high ground in some other way. Go read up on prescriptive vs. descriptive linguistics before proclaiming one bit of language more correct than another.
... and now returning you to your regularly scheduled thread: I have a big big-up for neighbourly plumbers myself. It's also on the plumbing thread but worth putting here as well. Empyrean_spouse & I had what we feared was a potentially serious frozen pipe-related problem, and we were panicking because it was a Sunday and we were about to leave London and were not going to be home for a plumber to come in regular working hours. Charlie Rumens from the Gardens (07710043110) not only came over straight away but fixed the problem (fortunately very simple) AND didn't charge for it! Brilliant.
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Calm down dear ! :-)
I wasn't being prescriptive, or claiming any high ground. I was just expressing a personal preference.
Or is that doubleplus ungood in our Brave New World ?
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Actually, dear, being prescriptive is exactly what you're doing in your post about "growing the business". Why not make grow into a transitive verb? That way we extend the range of meanings that the word makes available to us.
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Grow IS a transitive verb - " I grow wheat "
And I said " I hate the usage " -expression of preference. I didn't say "Don't use it "- prescriptive.
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Permalink Reply by HoL Site Admin on
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@ John D I think you knew this was coming...
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But I agree! I refer you to a post I made on 9 December
Þes sy diht wé dulmúnus á stede stefn gif ædsceaft cásus wæron ne þurhte (Old English for "This is how we would all speak if new words were not accepted").
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