h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It seems that both K and G are unwell today. K from a surfeit of shapely male ankles and G a surfeit of muses.

Being tough and manly, I use google (in fact they do a nice useful little toolbar which is on-screen all the time) rather than the girly boogle. Its just that boogle sounded nicer with boggle, so I lied.

Kaeori, I wouldn't care to inspect the sock region either, as socks can become very unsavoury items!
Anyway, the people in the office would get the wrong idea about me!
And, I'm off all this week (writing this from home) so can't do it anyway (phew!). I pray that the thread has moved on by the time I return to work, and all this talk of socks is forgotten.

A point raised by TC the other day was the issue of unanswered questions, or words that didn't get a comment. To prevent yet another entry in this particular list of sad, unwanted words, let me ask again:- do Americans use suspenders to hold up their pants? (a question sure to get a laugh in the UK!)

Some male Americans do!

I've not heard the phrase "have a goo" to mean have a look at, but I have heard "have a gander"; and what's sauce for the goo's is sauce for the gander
<>====uuu====< and - and yes, we are supposed to be on holiday

Happy Holidays, everyone...and yes, Americans (both male and female) sometimes wear suspenders to hold up their pants! Also called braces, I think. Not a big fashion favourite at my house.

Well, I suppose that all you young things are set to be off ejoying yourselves for some reason which I feel I dare not mention. Please don't be concerned by the thought of me and the other old folks being left alone, deprived of intelligent, lively, educational stimulation, with nothing to look at but an empty forum. Just have a good time and try to avoid doing anything to excess.
(Ha!)
I hope that other bearded old geezer brings you something nice.

I may very well be here, as I have no plans for next week, which is just an ordinary week...

... except I'm hoping I might get an Eid (Muslim holy day) invitation, if I play my cards right.

A friend of mine has a daughter studying in Jerusalem and she has lectures on the 25th.

And why did no one pick up "geezer"

*dances off, singing Julius Caesar, silly old geezer, stuck his wife in a lemon squeezer*

Because today's my last day here until the new Millennium, I'll give two answers to geezer, one entirely fictitious:

1. a geezer is a guiser, a Scottish word for someone in disguise

2. a geezer is an old man that looks after geezes, that is, geese, in Essex.

Take your pick!

See you all on the 2nd of Jan!

Enjoy yourself, G! You leave us torn twixt two geezers!

Hey, the upcoming festivities (well in a weeks time) are a full family affair in the Great White North. Its not just for the young. Everyone from two to two hundred can be seen ringing peoples doorbells at three in the morning. I am fairly certain my first taste of whisky came at ten years, four on Ne'er Day morning at the local village hall disco. My dad and some new found friend (he always had a lot of friends at New Year) forced it on me.
As to geezer, guiser is certainly a word, I used to go guising, but whither it evolved into geezer I find unlikely.
Have a good holiday those who are and I shall pop in to noise up your forum when I can.

Why is it we say a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year?Why not a Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year?
Well whatever way you put it have a good one.

Bah Humbug! I say.

Oh all right- I will have another.......

To set a fairly easy question for the holiday season - where does wassailing come from? I used to know, but I've forgotten. It is some drinking ritual as far as I remember, to be indulged in at Christmas.

(pause to lift cat off keyboard)...

Can anyone remember it exactly . And has anyone ever done it?

Wassail:

Originally a greeting, like "Hail".
At festive times accompanied by the presentation of a drop of something; (spiced) ale or wine. (Good Health!) The reply to "Wassail" was "Drink hail".
Naturally, after several "Wassail - Drink Hail"s the participants became boisterous which led to the verb wassail - to carouse.
No relation, so far as the OED Compact is concerned to "Waits" being a group of musicians / singers remunerated at public axpense. Later falling into disrepute because of their activity of demanding money with music aforethought.
And they look so innocent on the ... erm ... cards.

We've two cats, but it's only the black one that fancies his chances with a PC. I wonder if it's something to do with the mouse?
Sorry.

Nail hit on head, MacMunchkin.
the OED Compact reveals:
Geezer (dialect variation of Guiser - a maquerader or mummer)
Term of derision applied to elderly persons especially women.
Bit of a surprise - the women part.
Guid New Year tae ye.

So Carol Singing is really a kind of wassailing, if it is accompanied by a little tipple. Nice to think it's not died out completely.

I've had several cats over the years - they all like to get my attention by walking across the k/b. One ginger (now sadly deceased) would sit on the k/b and purr loudly.
Cats are much nicer than the other four-legged creature which can't be mentioned.
Happy and safe holiday to all.

No cats here today - there's no one else in the office at all, it's so nice and peaceful. Only one thing missing.

Hasn't wassailing been replaced by the recent trend for wassuping?

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