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

*hands Edward a * - will this do?

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Marcel Bich, founder of the Bic empire, said that Bic biros were the world's only succesful example of communism. They're treated as common property.

>> Did 'vodka' really come from Polish? <<

No, it's Scotch.

With two variations.
1. They weren't too fussy about which grain they used but malt was out of the question on the bogless Steppes.
2. And 'Aqua Vita' in any language is 'water of life' - which is to say that 'whisky' and 'vodka' both mean 'aqua vita'.


~jwf~

A little known fact is that 'aqua vita', 'eau de vie', etc are translations of 'uisghe beatha'. The Gaelic-speaking monks of North-West Scotland were the experts in distilling. Uisghe Beatha also gives us 'whisk(e)y'. Slainte mhath!

Yes I believe that 'vos ka' and 'wis ky' are both derived from the same Celtic experience with all the usual bowel shifts that bad licker and Roman suppression can induce.


There was some recent mention of 'hazard' and I thought someone else might have noted that it is from Arabic and meant 'Chance' (as opposed to Fate, at least in the sense that it 'could' happen but not necessarily).

Curiously most games of Chance involve tossing bones or dice just as oracles and other predictors tried to predict the future and determine Fate by tossing bones and stones and other I Chings.

The idea of 'chips fall where they may' and things that 'befall' us are all associated with the 'fall' of the dice or cards or whatever. I believe hazard originally meant 'fall'.


~jwf~

Many years ago there was a dice game called Hazard which probably got its name from the Arabic word. It's thought to have been invented during the Crusades and was common enough to have been mentioned in the Canterbury Tales.

I think we've covered this before, but can someone remind me why I can call myself a "grass widow" when my husband is away next week?

'cause your husband smokes way too much weed?

On the tv this morning there was a reference to 'spanish practices' in the context of a piece on BA moving to T5 and things getting harmonised within the workforce.
So the question is what are spanish practices and why are they particularly spanish rather than some other nationality?

" in the context of a piece on BA moving to T5"



PLEASE ! could you be clearer for me? I'm Spanish, but have no idea of what you are talking about.
I would like to answer, if I can...

BA= British Airways
T5 = Terminal 5 (the new terminal at Heathrow airpot)

Now
I understand it less!!



Am I too thick?
What's the context?
why the question, whatever it means, is in this thread?

Am I too ?????

"Spanish practices" in this context means long-standing but unauthorised working methods. There's a Wikipedia entry about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_practices

Hi Cheerful D.

that's quite clear now.

>> ...what are spanish practices...<<

The expression is an example of the as-yet unrepentant British prejudice toward anything Spanish; an attitude established around the time of the Armada and the power struggle for global domination (aka: colonialism).

As a result of this conflict there are very few Spanish 'goods' appreciated by Brits (and by extension - Americans, who have their own anti-Latino blind spots). In fact, I doubt anyone can expand on this very short list of things Spanish that have any credence whatsoever to the English (speaking) peoples.

Cervantes "Don Quioxote" (and probably only because the character is considered a fool).

Picasso (and only because he's 'hot' in the Artworld.

Spanish Fly (a mythological aphrodisiac attributed to the Spanish in a not friendly or approving way).

Gibraltar - a big rock the Brits won't let go off.

Penelope Cruz (nuff said).


~jwf~

Sherry

That was invented by Irishmen

I'll second sherry but only if it is bone dry and cold

Spanish guitar music, Chorizo, Concierto de Aranjuez, Barcelona.

t.

Last Woody Allen film* has been shot in Barcelona.

Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johanson and Javier Bardem are the main characters...


*
"Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona"

Why do you say "midwife"?

We say "matrona" it keeps the meaning of mother, madre, but midwife?