Leisurely Scribbles (part 5) (Part 1)

Hobbies & Pastimes Hobbies & Pastimes: Chat / Discussions
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I was double crossed recently by a ‘friend’ of the wife, a long story so I won’t go into it, anyway I was disappointed and saddened to say the least, but that’s life and I’ll get over it, i never hold grudges.

“Double crossed”
We don’t hear that now as much as we did before, they have other names for that sort of thing now ‘conned’ springs to mind. It was used lots of times in cowboy and gangster films, like “I think he double crossed us Sheriff, lets get a posse together and head him off at the pass”
I suppose it happens a lot in romantic associations too.
I was just wondering where the expression came from, is it of American or British origin?
Have you ever been double crossed?

Speaking of being double crossed, Al Capone was having a meeting with his mob captains on the 8th storey of an office block in Chicago, the meeting was to be a brief one as Al had to catch an afternoon train to New York.
Unknown to anyone, a large white cat armed with a machine gun was creeping up the drainpipe of the tall building with the intention of rubbing out old Alphonse, the cat was a specially trained FBI agent and they got a tip off as to where Capone was having his meeting.
The cat burst into the room through the large window and opened up with the machine gun, several of Al’s top men were shot, but Al managed to duck under a heavy oak desk, shouting at his boys to ‘get that f…ing cat”
One of Al’s men had been stationed at the main entrance and seen the cat slipping down the pipe, he nabbed him, disarmed him and then took him up to the 8th floor, when he got there he pushes in the door, holds the cat up high by the scruff of the neck and says
“Pardon me boss, is this the cat that tried to shoot you?” :slight_smile:

I think it’s them new tablets i’m on for me nerves, them little oval yellow lads, I’ll have to ask the doc to try something else because they’re obviously not working, it’s worse I’m gettin.:smiley:

https://i.postimg.cc/MZBVptT3/tenor.gif

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Got the eighth floor bit and chattanooga choo choo, but, was expecting something about nine lives, numbers rule, unfortunately.

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Cat’s with nine lives, yes that would explain why they don’t do life insurance for cats, paying out nine times is a bit too much to expect.:smiley:
Numbers mean little to me Spitty, never even done the lotto, I’m far luckier with horses, they owe me nothing, over all the years I’m still ahead stake wise.:wink:

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words, honestly!, not the fear of Hippos as one would be forgiven for thinking, then again I believe Hippo is the Greek word for horse, and I’ve backed a few horses that ran like Hippos in me day, but all names of race horses are restricted to 18 letters by the racing association, anyway I’m rambling again, back to the fear bit.

This fear may be more widespread than we think, considering how popular text messaging is today.
I probably have it myself, albeit very mildly because I don’t know a lot of big words to fear, mostly only the well educated get this phobia and that rules me out of any danger from it. :slight_smile:

My brother in law (who went to college and is now a dentist) had it badly, but he’s grand now after receiving treatment for it at a specialist clinic.
The hardest part was to get him to go into the clinic in the first place, we eventually persuaded him it was for his own good and that of his family, but you can imagine the state he got into when we got out of the car, walked up the path to the entrance, and there in huge letters above the door was “ Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia Clinic”, the screams outta him was something else, he was only fit to be tied, and he was, we eventually managed to get him in when the two attendants supplied a strong chain and padlock to wrap him up in and we dragged him into his cell, sorry room.
This clinic was in Wales beside a railway station, it was the only clinic we could find who treated this ailment, when the brother in law woke up the next morning he looked out the back window and saw the name of the train station on a sign, it was llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. He was knocked out cold for a week after that shock.:lol:
But I think that lettering is all part of the cure plan, same as when folks with acrophobia are confronted with a huge Spider as part of their treatment.

Who remembers this song about a fella who couldn’t get rid of his cat?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/J2XgXStPms4

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Jem, who in your Bubble would you trust, in a Specialized Clinic, these folks must come from a more Trustable Place, maybe, the National Trust.:lol::wink:

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I think we all have our own little bubble Spitty, some have bigger bubbles than others, and want to burst them over other peoples heads, but I’m quite content with my little one, as long as I don’t get any bubbles on me backside I’m comfortable with that. :smiley:
RJ had his own little planet called “Greendor” where he would retreat when he wanted to get away from it all.
Seriously, I would trust most folks (with the exception of politicians, proven liars, and child molesters} and would continue to trust them until they gave me cause not to.

Phyllis and me celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary earlier this month, all very quietly at home with just the two of us, same as we started out… just the two of us. She had prepared a lovely dinner and we had bought a bottle of champagne to wash it all down.:slight_smile:

The daughter had found an old scratchy photo of when we were leaving the hotel for our honeymoon, Phyllis was 20 then and I was 19, unknown to us she (the daughter) had it enlarged and mounted on a canvas and wood frame, she dropped it into us when she collected it from the shop yesterday, it’s about 12”x12” and it now hangs on the wall facing some other antiques photos, well they say anything over 50 years old is an antique, that makes both of us an antique and a half.:lol:

https://i.postimg.cc/8zyJK381/Photo-on-24-08-2020-at-12-37-copy.jpg

Yes, 55 years in the saddle now, and I’d gladly do it all again, I sympathise with those who have lost long life partners and thank God that I still have mine.
Oh where have all those days gone.

Heres Luke Kelly singing that great Kinks song “Thank you for the days”, unusual for Kelly to sing a song like this, but I’ve heard him do a great job singing “Light my Fire” in the Abbey Tavern in Howth many years ago.

- YouTube
.

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Have dogs got accents?
Let me explain what I’m trying to say.
A married couple moved into the house next door about six months ago, lovely couple with two small kids, they hail from Mauritius. They had a little dog, only a pup, when they moved in first, I think it’s a boxer but I wouldn’t know, just that it has a very ugly face on it.
My dog, a handsome little chap I might add, starting barking every time the boxer pup was out in their back garden and the pup would bark back at him.
Now roll on six months and yerman’s dog sounds the very same as my dog, it’s hard to tell which dog is barking mine or his, very confusing, seems like the dog next door has acquired a Dublin accent, God help the poor thing if they ever bring him back to Mauritius, the dogs there will never understand a bark he utters.:smiley:

More dogs.
I saw a man pass by our house the other day with a strange looking dog on a lead, the dog was as big as a small donkey and was covered with curly redish hair, don’t ask me the name of the breed as I’m hopeless at that.
Anyway I googled strange dogs and I was surprised at all the different breeds, some of the poor creatures look like aliens from another world, like this one below called a ‘Komodor’, or Hungarian sheepdog, big lad ain’t he.
A doggie poo bag would be no good if you took this fella for a walk on the street, you’d need a mini skip, seeing it in a field it looks like a low haystack with legs.:slight_smile:

https://i.postimg.cc/sf4n0SzD/Peter-and-his-dog.jpg

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https://i.postimg.cc/xdcFCr54/The-Black-Church.jpg

St Mary’s Chapel of Ease, also known as “The Black Church”, is a former chapel in Dublin. Now deconsecrated, it was a church of the Church of Ireland located on St Mary’s Place, Broadstone, Dublin. It is constructed from local calp limestone which takes on a dark hue when wet. This is the origin of the building’s nickname.
My grandmother’s house was located at the back of the black church, the brother and me spent most of our childhood in her house. It always was and still is a sinister looking place and I’m surprised that it was never used in the making of horror films, it’s ideal. It was sold to the council in the 60’s and used for various photographic and art exhibitions until fairly recently, I believe it’s let out as business offices now.
It was believed that if you ran around the church three times at midnight, the devil would appear and steal your soul.

Well that’s not true because the brother and me sneaked out of the house one midnight and each of us ran around it three times, me first, I was always the test pilot for my older brother, none of us saw the devil and we crept back into the house and then into bed disappointed, muttering “Why do grown ups tell so many lies?” :confused:
Having said that, I would most likely see the devil if I tried it today, not being used to running, except when being chased by dissatisfied customers :-), I’d surely have a heart attack and be face to face with him in no time at all.:lol:

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Why the assumption the devil is a Geezer?

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[quote=“spitfire, post: 1958283”]
Why the assumption the devil is a Geezer?

Well I suppose it could be that ‘Man’ or ‘Mankind’ is the title of the human species, ‘Devil’ or ‘Devilkind’ is a title for a species of evil supernatural creatures, however there is no such creature as a kind devil, wickedness IS their forte, but what matter anyway, the ‘kind’ is out of favour with man, it’s all ’ME-kind’ now, and the devil is winning the game be it a he or a she. :wink:

In the world of animal species a Fish is just a Fish, there are female Fish but we never her tell of them, and a Frog is a Frog is a Frog as Maggie would say, females are not usually mentioned regarding species unless reproduction comes into play.
Suppose men were discussing a Giraffe, we would all assume the Giraffe was a male, and a female Giraffe was a lady Giraffe, but that’s not so, and here’s were it gets confusing, a female Giraffe is actually called a Cow, and a Cow is a completely different species, a female Elephant is also called a cow, I mean that’s like making out that most females are cows!, perish the thought. :smiley:

There is no intention by men here to offend females of any species, It’s just the way we are and we presume too much.

Presumption can get one into trouble, as happened when the Lone Ranger and Tonto were confronted by a hostile tribe of well armed Native Americans, the Lone Ranger turns to Tonto and in a shaky voice says “Your a Native American Tonto, I presume you are friendly with this tribe?” “Methinks paleface do whole lotta presuming Kemo Sabe, Get ‘em up Scout”, and Tonto gallops away.
By the way Ke-mo sah-bee, or Kemo sabe as used by Tonto in the TV series means “He who peeks”, so the Lone Ranger was a bit of a peeping Tom eh, you learn something new everyday with google.:slight_smile:

Native American Actors
GET 'EM UP, SCOUT - Jay Silverheels as “Tonto” - faithful Indian companion of THE LONE RANGER (Clayton Moore) which was a long-running ABC-TV series, not a lot of people know that his brother Moe Silvertoes was a professional ballet dancer.:wink:

https://i.postimg.cc/xjHnG34c/https-i-pinimg-com-originals-7d-9e-ce-7d9ecea797741a5cecfaf926c9642dbb.jpg

Alas, I ramble, where’s RJ to put me back on the straight and narrow again. :smiley:

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A lone Ranger, obviously never gave ground to Birds, after the initial Bang Bang, its tough dealing with the Boom Boom, it is surprising there is only one Lone Ranger.:lol::lol:

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Jem, you seen that new action film about lockdown, and self isolation, great watch, directed by Quentin Quarantino I believe.:lol::wink:

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RJ reminded me of my father, bit like the Darth Vader context, it was a bit uncanny.:slight_smile:

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To me RJ was a very sophisticated gentleman Spitty, with a vast knowledge of many things.:wink:

Sophistication.

“The quality of having an understanding of the world and its ways, and having an understanding of the way people behave”

Real sophistication in people is very rare nowadays, Kipling wrote something like, holding your head when everybody else is losing theirs, and this pandemic has seen many persons of importance losing theirs, they could not give proper advice or reassurance to their frightened citizens when they needed it most, no sophistication whatsoever.

Badly missed are all the sophisticated people that used to frequent the old pubs, clubs, and later on forums.
Towns and villages had their idiots, but they also had their wise men and women.:wink:

Years ago there was always some wise old geezer or biddy handy to put you on the straight and narrow, or explain the wonderful workings of the wheelbarrow, old wise heads that could tell you how to fill in your tax forms and save a few quid at the same time, how to deliver a baby and if you hadn’t got a car how to collect your own baby, they were only too happy to oblige and you never felt awkward asking them about stuff you didn’t understand, they were worldly experienced and knew how people behaved.

All we get now are old men and women giving out about politics and the price of eggs, not as it they could do anything about it, everyones gone all cranky these days and the good nature is definitely leaving the people, they are all out for themselves, quite a few teenagers of the 60’s and 70’s became the moaning old grumps and begrudgers of the 2020’s, what would they have thought then if they could see and hear themselves now?;-):slight_smile:

We could do with those sympathetic sophisticated old folks of yore to reassure both young and old during these worrying times, induce a bit of confidence into the people instead of gloom and despair.

“Jem, you seen that new action film about lockdown, and self isolation, great watch, directed by Quentin Quarantino I believe”

I’ll definitely keep an eye out for that one Spitty, thanks for the tip.

Lockdown, the great box-in, when we all had to start thinking “Box” and look up “Things to do when confined to your box”
Quentin Tarantino thinks outside the box, his work ticks all my boxes, he can take my money and open the box anytime, he’s very successful at the box office too, in fact he’s my all round boxer chappie.
When this is all over, it’s on my bucket list to ride a train across the USA in a boxcar all squared up with Quintin Tarantino and Boxcar Willie, pure heaven! Then I can go contentedly to my own little box six feet under, no doubt about it, boxes have a major role to play in this world.:smiley:

Pete Seeger knew what it was all about all those years ago.

- YouTube

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That is true Jem, it is unfortunate that the Sages are Stuffed, but, the plebs are left, to work through the fall out.

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Remember that other Quintin, Quintin Crisp?, born Denis Charles Pratt.
Now I can understand someone being born with a name like Pratt wanting to change it, but changing it from Pratt to Crisp in going from the frying pan into the fire.:slight_smile:
And then “Quintin” Jaysus! what a name to inflict on a person.
Still I admire the man for his courage in being what he was in a time when you could be locked up for it or beaten up by a gang of louts, which indeed he was.

As regards first names, I have often thought it might be a good idea to call children by a number and letter system until they reach an age were they can confidently select a name they like themselves, say in a family of four kids, the first born would be 1R followed by 2R and so on, the letter representing their surname say it was Ryan, and the Burke family would use 1B, 2B, then as teenagers they pick their own name.
It would save a lot of misery and slagging at school too, some kids really have crap names chosen for them, they have absolutely no say in the matter, and it’s the kids who have to suffer for their parents stupidity, not one bit fair in my opinion.
Thankfully they used ordinary names in my family, Tommy, John, Jimmy, Joe, none of your Quintin nonsense.:-):smiley:

I used to smoke a brand of cigar called “Slim Panatella” in my youth of the 60’s, but only on the weekends when I could afford them.
One Saturday night before I went into the dance hall I ventured into the tobacconist shop to get my cigar fix, the regular fella was off on holidays and there was a new tall and very skinny fella in his place, I took a pound note out of my wallet, smiled at him and asked “Have you got Slim Panetellas?”
“No I haven’t yeh cheeky little bugger!!!
Either he didn’t know much about the tobacco business or I shouldn’t have produced a pound note and smiled.:lol:

https://i.postimg.cc/6pqbPF8z/img-6548-w1024-h765.jpg

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Square pegs, round holes, what about 2b or not 2b, and for that matter, where exactly would RJ slot in?

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You brought old memories back to me Spitty.
I remember back in the 50’s when Tuberculosis was rampant in Dublin, my own Dad had it, but there was always a bit of gallows humour about it.:slight_smile:
When the mobile X-ray vans visited the housing estates screening the men (they had a different van for the women) coming out of Sunday mass and heading for the pub to wait for it to open at 12.30, an ideal time to catch them, when anyone brave enough to take the x-ray and saliva test went in some of their mates would wait outside, and when they emerged from the van they would say “Well?, TB or not TB, that is the question”—- Honestly.

Anyway in the case of RJ’s name there is already built in data into his place in family identification as Robert JUNIOR.
There was a rumour that he had a famous mechanical cousin, a film star in fact, called R2-D2, he also had an Aunt with a weak bladder, don’t know her full name but she used 2U Ryan a lot.:wink:

I spelt Panatela wrong deliberately in my last post, there is only one “L” in it, just to be realistically correct as opposed to grammatically correct, it is pronounced with two “L’s”—Pan-a-Tel-La, and not Pan-a-Te-La, I try to get the sound effects through if at all possible, they are more important than the spelling I think. (that should help confuse the language puritans. :-D)
Now there’s a subject for a good debate “Is it more practical to be realistically correct or politically correct?” All depends on who you’re dealing with I suppose.

Three modern terms, that to me, seem very abrupt and annoying, I’ve got two grandsons in their early twenties, I see them nearly every day so I’m normally very adaptable to new sayings and terms, but these three I would never use.

“Go figure”- An insulting way of saying “Work it out for yourself”

“My bad” -An excuse for not giving a due apology.

“It’s a no brainer” -Wow look at me!, I’m so clever I don’t even have to think about it to figure it out.

I heard a very old one used in a radio play last night, a fella was working in his shed when a hammer hit him on his thump (the sound effects were wonderful), he yells out “Confound it!”, well I suppose it’s nicer than saying “F…k it!” which is the norm.:lol:

My God we’ve had some very heavy showers the past few days, I may have to cut the hedge again, it’s shooting up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/g4flAZEgtjs

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Everyone should go figure Jem, imo, it is incumbent on the individual.

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I had to look up that word “Incumbent” Spitty as it is a new one to my uneducated little grey cell, but I’m always interested in learning new words.:slight_smile:

“The holder of an office or post”.

Seeing that you are now the proud owner of an office, does that make you a new incumbent or just bent on a new income?;-):slight_smile:
I once held a post up in a hole in the garden while the brother in law poured cement into it, so in reality one
could say that I held a very important post, it was important because it held up the wife’s washing. :slight_smile:

Watching the film “the Comedy Man” the other night, I noticed that actor Edmund Purdom had a good part in it, I knew I knew his face from some film or other, but couldn’t place it, then it came back to me.
Purdom was the actor who replaced Mario Lanza in the film “The Student Prince” when Lanza was sacked over a row with the director about a song he preformed. He mimed Lanza’s pre-recorded songs.
That got me to look up Mario Lanza, and talk about bad luck! He died aged 38!:frowning:
I see luck as a double edged sword, good luck and bad luck, twins of fate, a daily reminder of how fragile life is with all it’s ups and downs, it can bring great joy or great sorrow, you never know which twin is next to visit you, and it’s not selective, it effects us all, although I’ve seen some families cursed with what seemed like endless bad luck.

Just read the bit below from Wikipedia and you’ll understand what family bad luck really is.

“In April 1959, Lanza reportedly fell ill, mainly with heart problems as well as pneumonia. On September 25, 1959, he entered Rome’s Valle Giulia clinic for the purpose of losing weight for an upcoming film. While in the clinic, he underwent a controversial weight loss program colloquially known as “the twilight sleep treatment”, which required its patients to be kept immobile and sedated for prolonged periods. On October 7, Lanza died of an apparent pulmonary embolism at the age of 38. No autopsy was performed. He was survived by his wife and four children. Betty Lanza returned to Hollywood completely devastated. She died five months later of a drug overdose. Maria Caniglia, Franco Fabrizi and Enzo Fiermonte attended the funeral. Frank Sinatra sent his condolences by telegram.[29]
From the film Toast of New Orleans, as Lt. Pinkerton USN, in recreation of the opera Madama Butterfly
In 1991, his son Marc Lanza died of a heart attack. He was 37, a year younger than Mario was when he died. In 1998, daughter Colleen Lanza was killed by a car as she crossed a street. She spent two weeks in the hospital in a coma from which she never recovered. Son Damon Anthony Lanza died on August 16, 2008 in California at the age of 55”

So sad his funeral.