What the dickens!

scorpiolady · Superstar

RE: What the dickens!

lula · Deep but naughty Vixen

lol I love Del boy almost as much as Dickens!

Corelli · 10:22 PM, 12/16/07

When I was in California for the first time back in 1990 we were in a restaurant and as we were leaving I asked the cashier ''excuse me, where's the loo?''.
She looked at me and replied ''the WHAT!?''
I said ''the loo, toilet, the BATHROOM!''
She said''I've never heard that one before, what did you call it? The loo?!''
She called one of her workmates over and asked me to say ''loo'' for him in my English accent! Lol. biggrin

-- Edited by Corelli at 22:23, 2007-12-16

scorpiolady · Superstar

That's the brits all over..lol we shorten it to slang hmm

Got to admit, the french phrase sounds alot better than our Loo, but it's such a mouthful.... biggrin

for us brits to say, well at least it sounds better than what most would say wink

Corelli · 10:07 PM, 12/16/07

LMAO!

Trust the Brits though to take a lovely sounding French phrase and bastardise it because they were too lazy to learn to pronounce it properly! Lol. biggrin

A classic quote from Del Boy:

''What's the French word for omelette?'' Lol.

-- Edited by Corelli at 22:10, 2007-12-16

scorpiolady · Superstar

Good one Lesley biggrin

it's funny how the english language sort of come about smile

I didn't know about that..lol, everytime now i'll use the loo, i'll shout out the bathroom window "Gardez l'eau" and throw it out of the window biggrin

that will shock the neighbours..hee hee biggrin

I wonder what other words we have taken from them as well?, that will be fun finding out!

Corelli · 9:55 PM, 12/16/07

Lol!

We adore language...we spend hours with our noses in language books! smile

I love those little quirky books that explain how different slang and witty sayings came about! biggrin

For instance...we call the toilet the loo don't we!
But did you know we get the word loo from the French?
As you know...in the old days there was no sanitation especially in domestic residences therefore people threw their toilet waste (for the want of better words!) out of their windows!
To warn passing people to look out below they used a French phrase ''gardez
l'eau'' which means ''watch out for the water'' but the British bastardised the word l'eau and it became loo! biggrin

That's your lesson for the day! Lol. biggrin

lula · Deep but naughty Vixen

o Corelli i could drivel on for hours about literature!

but i have to control myself for fear of disappearing up my own sweet ****!

Lol!
All this Dickens talk is making me feel so inspired and creative! The Dickens stuff may be triggering off one of my phases.lol! Language is so beautiful to sculpt.

Most of the poetry i have written in the last few years has been done on my mobile

which in itself is thrilling to me, it's a whole creative experience using such accessible technology!

Corelli · 8:38 PM, 12/16/07

lula wrote:
My book shelves at home are an ecclectic mix leftover from my studies, from Chaucer to Shakespeare to the 19th century novel including Dickens, to my huge feminist science fiction collection!

On a lighter note, do you think Nicky and Alice will be sampling smoking bishop and plum pudding this Christmas?!

Same here Lula! smile

        We have books on subjects as diverse as...

        the novels of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, the Brontes, Agatha
        Christie, Arthur C. Clarke, John Wyndham and Issac Asimov.
        The complete works of Oscar Wilde, the complete works of Shakespeare,
        Conan - Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), cookery, photography, true crime - I
        have several books on my favourite crime subject, The whitechapel (Jack
        The Ripper) murders, art, historical travel books and maps
        (Baedekers), books on the history of London, biographies, languages,
        travel, poetry and reference books!

        As for the smoking bishop and plum pudding I think they would enjoy
        it! biggrin

Smoking Bishop - Purple Wine

At the end of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge proposes that he and Bob Cratchit will discuss all that Scrooge will do for Bobs family later that afternoon over a bowl of Smoking Bishop.
In his notes for the 1907 edition of A Christmas Carol E. Gordon Browne describes this Christmas punch:

The drink is made by pouring red wine, either hot or cold, upon ripe bitter oranges. The liquor is heated or mulled in a vessel with a long funnel, which could be pushed far down into the fire. Sugar and spices (chiefly cloves, star anise, and cinnamon) are added according to taste. It is sometimes called purple wine and received the name Bishop from its colour.

unpeeled, Seville oranges
1 unpeeled grapefruit
36 cloves
¼ pound of sugar
2 bottles of red wine (strong)
1 bottle of port

Wash the fruit and bake them in the oven until
they are brownish. Turn once.
Put them into a warmed earthenware bowl with
six cloves pricked into each.
Add the sugar and pour in the wine - not the port.
Cover and leave in a warm place for a day.
Squeeze the fruit into the wine and strain.
Add the port and heat.

                              DO NOT BOIL!

               Serve smoking hot in small wine glasses.
                              Yield: 15 to 20 servings

lula · Deep but naughty Vixen

I agree Jolie, the Albert Finney version of the Christmas Carol is probably my favourite, though I love Alistair Sim too, I was very young when I watched his version one Christmas and it had a huge impression on me.
I love Dickens too Corelli, though I don't own his entire works, lucky you!

My book shelves at home are an ecclectic mix leftover from my studies, from Chaucer to Shakespeare to the 19th century novel including Dickens, to my huge feminist science fiction collection!

I sadly sold many of my books when I needed some money.
My absolute favourite Dickens novel is 'Bleak House'. I love his descriptions of London in it Corelli, with the recurring dark themes of smog and the grinding wheels of chancery.
On a lighter note, do you think Nicky and Alice will be sampling smoking bishop and plum pudding this Christmas?!

Corelli · 5:07 PM, 12/16/07

I'm a huge fan of Charles Dickens.

I have the complete collection of his novels in hardback and my favourite film of all time is the 1968 musical Oliver!

A lot of his books were written about the area where I was born and grew up in...Southwark.

Also...Nic filmed some scenes for NT2 on Southwark Bridge! biggrin wink

Jolie34 · Junior Member

Interesting stuff, thanks for the link. My favourite adaptation of a Christmas Carol is the Muppets biggrin

closely followed by the version with Albert Finney.

What about you guys any favourites?

Wendy

Corelli · 4:57 PM, 12/16/07

Don't worry hun...no probs! smile

Ah...I can see it now...thanx Lula! biggrin

-- Edited by Corelli at 16:58, 2007-12-16

lula · Deep but naughty Vixen

sorry.. having a lula moment! Lol. try it now! I've edited the original link

-- Edited by lula at 16:59, 2007-12-16

Corelli · 4:50 PM, 12/16/07

I can't see it hun! cry

Jolie34 · Junior Member

Might just be my computer but it wont find the page?

Wendy

lula · Deep but naughty Vixen

An interesting read about the Dickens Christmas!

http://www.fidnet.com/~dap1955/dickens/christmas.html

-- Edited by lula at 16:55, 2007-12-16