Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

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D. Spencer Hines

Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 11 feb 2007 01:29:55

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a gill is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly -- limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Fortem Posce Animum

Julian Richards

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Julian Richards » 11 feb 2007 02:13:13

On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
<poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a gill is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly -- limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?
--

Julian Richards

http://www.richardsuk.f9.co.uk
Website of "Robot Wars" middleweight "Broadsword IV"

THIS MESSAGE WAS POSTED FROM SOC.HISTORY.MEDIEVAL

The Highlander

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av The Highlander » 11 feb 2007 04:55:21

On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
<poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier

That's because you're all piss-up artists.

I'll bet you never seen the phrase "a sober Irishman" in print.

Its antithesis on the other hand...

--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a gill is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly -- limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Ah. so we have taught you something after all! Cleansing the palate
and tongue between glasses lets you start afresh with each new glass.
Three is also a good number to stop at, as the tastebuds tend to close
down at that point and all the balance and subtle aromas are lost.

There can be nothing more déclassé than gulping down a fine whisky -
except for adding 7-Up or ginger ale, at which point, one puts the
decanter away and offers the guests something cheap and nasty, like
Queen Anne, or Paddy's Cork Whisky (Ireland); the choice of culchies.

Fine malts should also be drunk at room temperature. Chilling
Lagavulin (or any other great whisky) with ice means you lose a large
part of the 28 separate flavours some commoisseurs claim to be able to
detect.

The mark of a great whisky is that if you add good quality water, the
quality of the taste remains constant and unpleasant tastes do not
intrude. A cheap whisky will rarely remain constant once watered, and
some fade away completely into tastes more reminiscent of the inferior
poteen, where the only desirable factor is high alcohol content. In
other words, an unpleasant vodka sensation with oak and tannin
flavours.

I must say that when my wife and I went camping in the Rockies, (we
usually drank Talisker malt from the Isle of Skye - it goes down
singing anthems) the pure water running off the glaciers into the
local, highly-oxygenated fast running streams, were absolutely perfect
for watering down whisky when drinking round a campfire.

We once found a mineral spring tasting mildly of soda about 40 miles
into a national park called Wells Gray and we bottled all we could and
had whisky and perfect soda every evening.

http://www.clearwatervalley.com/wells_gray.htm


DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Fortem Posce Animum



The Highlander

Faodaidh nach ionann na beachdan anns
an post seo agus beachdan a' Ghàidheil.
The views expressed in this post are
not necessarily those of The Highlander.

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 11 feb 2007 05:18:52

I also drink Talisker, we have two bottles -- but my wife and I both prefer
Lagavulin -- and I recently bought two cases for us -- which we plan to
drink slowly over the next year.

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Josiah Jenkins

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Josiah Jenkins » 11 feb 2007 06:17:07

Whilst perusing Usenet on Sun, 11 Feb 2007 01:13:13 +0000, I read
these words from Julian Richards <julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> :

On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a gill is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly -- limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?

Not in Scotland.

-- jjj

The Highlander

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av The Highlander » 11 feb 2007 09:34:48

On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 01:13:13 +0000, Julian Richards
<julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote:

On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a gill is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly -- limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?

Not that I've ever heard of in Scotland - the beer chases the whisky
down your throat.

Here is a list of Gaelic names for the time of day and sizes by which
whisky is drunk.

The generic name for a shot of whisky is a "dram".

It was usual for the guest in a house in Gaeldom to be served a series
of drinks before tackling breakfast; always oatmeal porridge

1. An sgailc-uide - a tumbler of whisky, the wakening drink.
2. Am friochd-ullinn - a half-tumbler; the making ready drink.
3. An deoch chas-ruisgte - the drink of the bare feet
4. An deoch bhlèth - the grinding drink. (I don't know why).

If a guest felt a little peaky, he might be offered a deoch-maidne; a
morning drink or restorative, consisting of an egg whipped in milk and
a splash of whisky added to help it all down.

After breakfast a gentleman might feel the need for a srùbag (strùbag
in our local Gaelic; a small dram to help himself calm down after the
stress of tackling breakfast.

Drams and strùbags were at hand thrughout the day.

When I was a child and the gàfair (foreman) came in to get his orders
for the day, a dram would be served all round. If all the workmen and
shepherds were summoned, all would get a dram.

A deoch-eòlas was sserved to any arriving visitor, with everyone
having one to keep him company. When he left a small ceremony called
deoch an dorus (lit. drink at the door, or parting glass/stirrup cup
was drunk by the parting guest and the host.

I have never eaten a traditional dessert which did not contain whisky.

A man who lives in a permanently smashed condition is usually
described as "fond of his dram". A women in like condition is "a bit
silly". Drunkenness and passing out because of drink are consodred
part of normal life and no stigma attaches; in fact there is usually
sympathy for the drunk lying unconscious on the floor or with (as
happened at one of my dinner parties) sprawled across the table with
his face buried in the Caesar salad, to my wife's well-concealed
annoyance.

Death from alcohol, usually around New Year when the victim feels the
need to lie down for a while on a road and is buried and later run
over by a passing car is commonplace. Death by falling while drunk
into a river has claimed at least three people I knew.

On the other hand, dimissing tjhereults of such an incident is
survival is considered quite macho, as with a friend of my grandfather
who fell off his horse while crossing a river and broke several ribs
but refused all help, saying, "My man will bind them up when I get
home and then sat for an hour chatting and drinking whisky until it
began to get dark and he he felt it was time he was getting going.

Drinking excessively is a national custom. I remember the steamer
which supplied our island running aground at 7:00 am. as the captain
draped himself over the bridge, beaming blearily and giving us a
casual wave as we circled his vessel in a launch, looking for a chance
to get our groceries off before the ship rolled over... It got opff on
the next tide...

The same captain once waved me up to the bridge when he saw me
boarding and had his steward bring me a dram "to take away the smell
of the train!" which I thought was as good an excuse for a dram as any
I'd ever heard, also at 7:00 am.

Not drinking, in the Highlands expecially, makes people think you must
have some sort of physical or mental problem. When my grandmother
warned my grandfather that a man expected to arrive shortly from the
governmtn was a known teetotaler; my frandfather roamed the house,
grumbling and asking if the visitor was a Communist or worse, a
"homy-sexual"! He was neither, but he was quite rude and officious,
which cut no ice with us.

New Year is the great Scottish festival and I think it would be fair
to say that 80% of the Scottish population spends the two-day holiday
smashed out of their skulls. Scots enjoy violence and cities which
normally ban public drinking, usually cave in to fear of the
consequences of trying to enforce a non-public drinking Hogmanay (New
Year's Eve) and lift the ban for the holiday.

The Minister of Health for Scotland says that teenage alcoholism is
the country's greatest health problem. I understand that the police
drive the streets at night with windows barred and stop only to drag
celebrants off the roadway onto the pavement/sidewalk.

So if you like to drink to excess, take your next holiday in Scotland!
Nobody will even blink.



The Highlander

Faodaidh nach ionann na beachdan anns
an post seo agus beachdan a' Ghàidheil.
The views expressed in this post are
not necessarily those of The Highlander.

Alan Crozier

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Alan Crozier » 11 feb 2007 10:41:37

"Julian Richards" <julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote in message
news:mbrss2ptm8q3r7mmha68os2vu7im7l3trv@4ax.com...
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a
"half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint
of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a
pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a gill
is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly --
limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?


That's just another English misunderstanding

Alan

Alan Crozier

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Alan Crozier » 11 feb 2007 10:50:37

"Alan Crozier" <name1.name2@telia.com> wrote in message
news:lxBzh.32792$E02.12949@newsb.telia.net...
"Julian Richards" <julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote in message
news:mbrss2ptm8q3r7mmha68os2vu7im7l3trv@4ax.com...
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a
"half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half
pint
of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be
"a
pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a
gill
is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly --
limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?


That's just another English misunderstanding

Alan

I just looked in the Concise Oxford and found a very diplomatic and
neutral definition of chaser: 'a drink taken after another of a
different kind'.

Then the dictionary spoils it all by adding 'e.g. spirits after beer'.

;-(

Alan

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 11 feb 2007 11:33:01

A fluid_DRAM_ is technically less than FOUR milliliters -- not much of a
drink of whisky.

I suspect the Scottish _DRAM_ of whisky is usually "enhanced" and is simply
"a small drink".

How many fluid ounces, usually, ONE or so?

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Josiah Jenkins

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Josiah Jenkins » 11 feb 2007 15:16:43

Whilst perusing Usenet on Sun, 11 Feb 2007 09:50:37 GMT, I read these
words from "Alan Crozier" <name1.name2@telia.com> :

"Alan Crozier" <name1.name2@telia.com> wrote in message
news:lxBzh.32792$E02.12949@newsb.telia.net...
"Julian Richards" <julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote in message
news:mbrss2ptm8q3r7mmha68os2vu7im7l3trv@4ax.com...
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a
"half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half
pint
of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be
"a
pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a
gill
is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly --
limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?

That's just another English misunderstanding

I just looked in the Concise Oxford and found a very diplomatic and
neutral definition of chaser: 'a drink taken after another of a
different kind'.

Then the dictionary spoils it all by adding 'e.g. spirits after beer'.

;-(

Take your pick !

Compact Oxford *glish Dictionary
'strong alcoholic drink taken after a weaker one'

whereas

UltraLingua *glish Dictionary
'a drink, such as beer, taken after a shot of hard liquor'

Similar to the American 'boilermaker' where the liquor
is drunk in one gulp and chased immediately by the beer.

-- jjj

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 11 feb 2007 15:55:52

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:vu1ts2lnu7rld4ha4ptitfq00ll8h6sfoi@4ax.com...

Chilling
Lagavulin (or any other great whisky) with ice means you lose a large
part of the 28 separate flavours some commoisseurs claim to be able to
detect.

Thanks for the tip - If ever I'm unfortunate enough to come into possesion
of the rot-gut I'll put it in the freezer for a week.

The mark of a great whisky is that if you add good quality water, the
quality of the taste remains constant and unpleasant tastes do not
intrude.

The late Lord Cromarty had a seperate tap for water just for adding to
whiskey.
It came from a burn spring a half mile or so up the Strath'.
Mind you, he only offered me decent whiskies that when one adds water the
flavours blossom - none of that west coast shite they use at the dentists
and in hospitals. The sort you seem to prefer.

A W-S

The Highlander

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av The Highlander » 11 feb 2007 18:44:10

On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 18:18:52 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
<poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

I also drink Talisker, we have two bottles -- but my wife and I both prefer
Lagavulin -- and I recently bought two cases for us -- which we plan to
drink slowly over the next year.

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas


It sounds like a wonderful plan! My congratulations!!

The next step is to learn the phrase: "Slàinte Mhath!"

(say "Slaahn tcheh vah" - Gaelic for "Good Health!" (lit. Health
good). A fast way to win hearts and minds in the Highlands!

The "L" in Slàinte is pronounced the way that a southern Scot says the
"L" in "Glasgow"; a thick "L".

The first group of words in this link is a Gaelic speaker pronouncing
words using the thick L - http://www.akerbeltz.org/gloraich01.mp3

the second word, "Loch" is a perfect example. Gaelic, rather
confusingly, has three ways to say "L". Not the world's easiest
language.

"Mhath" is said nasally, the way the French say "vin" (wine) but
slightly lengthened. "vaah".

The Highlander

Faodaidh nach ionann na beachdan anns
an post seo agus beachdan a' Ghàidheil.
The views expressed in this post are
not necessarily those of The Highlander.

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 11 feb 2007 19:30:57

Good, Informative Summary & Well Presented.

Scots are fine people.

DSH

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:6afts25mblelh88lbqh0o173ee8cgnui6d@4ax.com...

On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 01:13:13 +0000, Julian Richards
julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote:

On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a gill is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly -- limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?

Not that I've ever heard of in Scotland - the beer chases the whisky
down your throat.

Here is a list of Gaelic names for the time of day and sizes by which
whisky is drunk.

The generic name for a shot of whisky is a "dram".

It was usual for the guest in a house in Gaeldom to be served a series
of drinks before tackling breakfast; always oatmeal porridge

1. An sgailc-uide - a tumbler of whisky, the wakening drink.
2. Am friochd-ullinn - a half-tumbler; the making ready drink.
3. An deoch chas-ruisgte - the drink of the bare feet
4. An deoch bhlèth - the grinding drink. (I don't know why).

If a guest felt a little peaky, he might be offered a deoch-maidne; a
morning drink or restorative, consisting of an egg whipped in milk and
a splash of whisky added to help it all down.

After breakfast a gentleman might feel the need for a srùbag (strùbag
in our local Gaelic; a small dram to help himself calm down after the
stress of tackling breakfast.

Drams and strùbags were at hand thrughout the day.

When I was a child and the gàfair (foreman) came in to get his orders
for the day, a dram would be served all round. If all the workmen and
shepherds were summoned, all would get a dram.

A deoch-eòlas was sserved to any arriving visitor, with everyone
having one to keep him company. When he left a small ceremony called
deoch an dorus (lit. drink at the door, or parting glass/stirrup cup
was drunk by the parting guest and the host.

I have never eaten a traditional dessert which did not contain whisky.

A man who lives in a permanently smashed condition is usually
described as "fond of his dram". A women in like condition is "a bit
silly". Drunkenness and passing out because of drink are consodred
part of normal life and no stigma attaches; in fact there is usually
sympathy for the drunk lying unconscious on the floor or with (as
happened at one of my dinner parties) sprawled across the table with
his face buried in the Caesar salad, to my wife's well-concealed
annoyance.

Death from alcohol, usually around New Year when the victim feels the
need to lie down for a while on a road and is buried and later run
over by a passing car is commonplace. Death by falling while drunk
into a river has claimed at least three people I knew.

On the other hand, dimissing tjhereults of such an incident is
survival is considered quite macho, as with a friend of my grandfather
who fell off his horse while crossing a river and broke several ribs
but refused all help, saying, "My man will bind them up when I get
home and then sat for an hour chatting and drinking whisky until it
began to get dark and he he felt it was time he was getting going.

Drinking excessively is a national custom. I remember the steamer
which supplied our island running aground at 7:00 am. as the captain
draped himself over the bridge, beaming blearily and giving us a
casual wave as we circled his vessel in a launch, looking for a chance
to get our groceries off before the ship rolled over... It got opff on
the next tide...

The same captain once waved me up to the bridge when he saw me
boarding and had his steward bring me a dram "to take away the smell
of the train!" which I thought was as good an excuse for a dram as any
I'd ever heard, also at 7:00 am.

Not drinking, in the Highlands expecially, makes people think you must
have some sort of physical or mental problem. When my grandmother
warned my grandfather that a man expected to arrive shortly from the
governmtn was a known teetotaler; my frandfather roamed the house,
grumbling and asking if the visitor was a Communist or worse, a
"homy-sexual"! He was neither, but he was quite rude and officious,
which cut no ice with us.

New Year is the great Scottish festival and I think it would be fair
to say that 80% of the Scottish population spends the two-day holiday
smashed out of their skulls. Scots enjoy violence and cities which
normally ban public drinking, usually cave in to fear of the
consequences of trying to enforce a non-public drinking Hogmanay (New
Year's Eve) and lift the ban for the holiday.

The Minister of Health for Scotland says that teenage alcoholism is
the country's greatest health problem. I understand that the police
drive the streets at night with windows barred and stop only to drag
celebrants off the roadway onto the pavement/sidewalk.

So if you like to drink to excess, take your next holiday in Scotland!
Nobody will even blink.

The Highlander

Faodaidh nach ionann na beachdan anns
an post seo agus beachdan a' Ghàidheil.
The views expressed in this post are
not necessarily those of The Highlander.

Mary Jane Battaglia

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Mary Jane Battaglia » 11 feb 2007 20:04:41

If breakfast in Gaeldom always consisted of "oatmeal Porridge," it seems to
me that a "series of drinks before breakfast" is quite reasonable!
mjbattaglia


----- Original Message -----
From: "The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca>
Newsgroups: alt.history.british, soc.culture.irish,
soc.culture.scottish,soc.genealogy.medieval, soc.history.medieval
To: <gen-medieval@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2007 12:34 AM
Subject: Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs


On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 01:13:13 +0000, Julian Richards
<julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote:

On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a gill is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly -- limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?

Not that I've ever heard of in Scotland - the beer chases the whisky
down your throat.

Here is a list of Gaelic names for the time of day and sizes by which
whisky is drunk.

The generic name for a shot of whisky is a "dram".

It was usual for the guest in a house in Gaeldom to be served a series
of drinks before tackling breakfast; always oatmeal porridge

1. An sgailc-uide - a tumbler of whisky, the wakening drink.
2. Am friochd-ullinn - a half-tumbler; the making ready drink.
3. An deoch chas-ruisgte - the drink of the bare feet
4. An deoch bhlèth - the grinding drink. (I don't know why).

If a guest felt a little peaky, he might be offered a deoch-maidne; a
morning drink or restorative, consisting of an egg whipped in milk and
a splash of whisky added to help it all down.

After breakfast a gentleman might feel the need for a srùbag (strùbag
in our local Gaelic; a small dram to help himself calm down after the
stress of tackling breakfast.

Drams and strùbags were at hand thrughout the day.

When I was a child and the gàfair (foreman) came in to get his orders
for the day, a dram would be served all round. If all the workmen and
shepherds were summoned, all would get a dram.

A deoch-eòlas was sserved to any arriving visitor, with everyone
having one to keep him company. When he left a small ceremony called
deoch an dorus (lit. drink at the door, or parting glass/stirrup cup
was drunk by the parting guest and the host.

I have never eaten a traditional dessert which did not contain whisky.

A man who lives in a permanently smashed condition is usually
described as "fond of his dram". A women in like condition is "a bit
silly". Drunkenness and passing out because of drink are consodred
part of normal life and no stigma attaches; in fact there is usually
sympathy for the drunk lying unconscious on the floor or with (as
happened at one of my dinner parties) sprawled across the table with
his face buried in the Caesar salad, to my wife's well-concealed
annoyance.

Death from alcohol, usually around New Year when the victim feels the
need to lie down for a while on a road and is buried and later run
over by a passing car is commonplace. Death by falling while drunk
into a river has claimed at least three people I knew.

On the other hand, dimissing tjhereults of such an incident is
survival is considered quite macho, as with a friend of my grandfather
who fell off his horse while crossing a river and broke several ribs
but refused all help, saying, "My man will bind them up when I get
home and then sat for an hour chatting and drinking whisky until it
began to get dark and he he felt it was time he was getting going.

Drinking excessively is a national custom. I remember the steamer
which supplied our island running aground at 7:00 am. as the captain
draped himself over the bridge, beaming blearily and giving us a
casual wave as we circled his vessel in a launch, looking for a chance
to get our groceries off before the ship rolled over... It got opff on
the next tide...

The same captain once waved me up to the bridge when he saw me
boarding and had his steward bring me a dram "to take away the smell
of the train!" which I thought was as good an excuse for a dram as any
I'd ever heard, also at 7:00 am.

Not drinking, in the Highlands expecially, makes people think you must
have some sort of physical or mental problem. When my grandmother
warned my grandfather that a man expected to arrive shortly from the
governmtn was a known teetotaler; my frandfather roamed the house,
grumbling and asking if the visitor was a Communist or worse, a
"homy-sexual"! He was neither, but he was quite rude and officious,
which cut no ice with us.

New Year is the great Scottish festival and I think it would be fair
to say that 80% of the Scottish population spends the two-day holiday
smashed out of their skulls. Scots enjoy violence and cities which
normally ban public drinking, usually cave in to fear of the
consequences of trying to enforce a non-public drinking Hogmanay (New
Year's Eve) and lift the ban for the holiday.

The Minister of Health for Scotland says that teenage alcoholism is
the country's greatest health problem. I understand that the police
drive the streets at night with windows barred and stop only to drag
celebrants off the roadway onto the pavement/sidewalk.

So if you like to drink to excess, take your next holiday in Scotland!
Nobody will even blink.



The Highlander

Faodaidh nach ionann na beachdan anns
an post seo agus beachdan a' Ghàidheil.
The views expressed in this post are
not necessarily those of The Highlander.

-------------------------------
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Julian Richards

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Julian Richards » 11 feb 2007 23:06:28

On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 09:50:37 GMT, "Alan Crozier"
<name1.name2@telia.com> wrote:

"Alan Crozier" <name1.name2@telia.com> wrote in message
news:lxBzh.32792$E02.12949@newsb.telia.net...
"Julian Richards" <julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote in message
news:mbrss2ptm8q3r7mmha68os2vu7im7l3trv@4ax.com...
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a
"half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half
pint
of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be
"a
pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a
gill
is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly --
limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?


That's just another English misunderstanding

Alan

I just looked in the Concise Oxford and found a very diplomatic and
neutral definition of chaser: 'a drink taken after another of a
different kind'.

Then the dictionary spoils it all by adding 'e.g. spirits after beer'.

;-(

I have lived a very sheltered life and the only time I have seen
someone drink a beer with a spirit, he tended to alternate drinking
one then the other.

I have found

"A chaser is not actually a measure of spirit drank with beer. When
the term chaser is used, it usually consists of a beer and a shot
glass of either whiskey or tequila. You drink one of them first,
quickly followed by the other. The second drink is the chaser in the
sense that it is chasing the first drink down your throat. So you can
a have a beer with a whiskey chaser (shot of whiskey) or you can have
a whiskey with a beer chaser (pint or mug of beer)"
--

Julian Richards

http://www.richardsuk.f9.co.uk
Website of "Robot Wars" middleweight "Broadsword IV"

THIS MESSAGE WAS POSTED FROM SOC.HISTORY.MEDIEVAL

The Highlander

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av The Highlander » 11 feb 2007 23:13:17

On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 09:50:37 GMT, "Alan Crozier"
<name1.name2@telia.com> wrote:

"Alan Crozier" <name1.name2@telia.com> wrote in message
news:lxBzh.32792$E02.12949@newsb.telia.net...
"Julian Richards" <julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote in message
news:mbrss2ptm8q3r7mmha68os2vu7im7l3trv@4ax.com...
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a
"half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half
pint
of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be
"a
pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a
gill
is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly --
limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?


That's just another English misunderstanding

Alan

I just looked in the Concise Oxford and found a very diplomatic and
neutral definition of chaser: 'a drink taken after another of a
different kind'.

Then the dictionary spoils it all by adding 'e.g. spirits after beer'.

;-(

Alan

Yet another Gaelic proverb:

Òlaidh na fir an t-uisge-beatha; òlaidh na boireannaich leann.
(Men drink whisky, women drink beer.)

Maybe so, but I have seen drams vanish in one gulp down Highland
ladies' throats after a few moments of polite refusal...

The Highlander

Faodaidh nach ionann na beachdan anns
an post seo agus beachdan a' Ghàidheil.
The views expressed in this post are
not necessarily those of The Highlander.

Alan Crozier

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Alan Crozier » 11 feb 2007 23:24:10

"Julian Richards" <julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1f4vs2tss984g5pgft0ni324kvivuh2hcc@4ax.com...
On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 09:50:37 GMT, "Alan Crozier"
name1.name2@telia.com> wrote:

"Alan Crozier" <name1.name2@telia.com> wrote in message
news:lxBzh.32792$E02.12949@newsb.telia.net...
"Julian Richards" <julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote in message
news:mbrss2ptm8q3r7mmha68os2vu7im7l3trv@4ax.com...
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known
as a
"half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half
pint
of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to
be
"a
pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a
gill
is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly --
limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?


That's just another English misunderstanding

Alan

I just looked in the Concise Oxford and found a very diplomatic and
neutral definition of chaser: 'a drink taken after another of a
different kind'.

Then the dictionary spoils it all by adding 'e.g. spirits after
beer'.

;-(

I have lived a very sheltered life and the only time I have seen
someone drink a beer with a spirit, he tended to alternate drinking
one then the other.

That's the way I do it too

Alan

The Highlander

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av The Highlander » 12 feb 2007 00:16:57

On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 00:33:01 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
<poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

A fluid_DRAM_ is technically less than FOUR milliliters -- not much of a
drink of whisky.

I suspect the Scottish _DRAM_ of whisky is usually "enhanced" and is simply
"a small drink".

How many fluid ounces, usually, ONE or so?

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot

of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

My Great Aunt Effie's drams usually demanded advanced sensory
perception to locate the droplet of whisky allegedly moistening the
bottom of the glass before it evaporated.

One of my uncles had the quaint habit of pouring half-full tumblers of
whisky for the guests and then returning to the drink cabinet "to add
a drop of ginger ale to mine to water it down". When I spoke up as a
child and asked why the ginger ale wasn't making his whisky fizz, I
was sent to bed immediately while the company tried to conceal their
amusement.

If you examine most whisky half bottles, you will notice that they are
curved. This is to allows the owner to carry it in his back pocket.

The standard equipment for any Highland outdoor activity is a half
bottle, two packs of cigarettes and a tube of midge repellent.

An old Highland joke concerns a man who fell over on ice and felt a
wet sensation where his whisky bottle was stashed in his back pocket.
Tremblingly, he tasted the liquid and then exclaimed, "Öh thank God -
it's only blood!"

My children once asked their mother why I called whisky
"uisge-beatha." (Water of Life; say OOSH-keh BAY-ah). My wife, in her
usual smart-assed Nova Scotian manner explained that their father
couldn't imagine life without it... I put it down to her taste for
Bailey's Irish cream - anyone who drinks anything with Irish whiskey
in it is heading for severe brain cell damage...

(Well, I suppose I could make an exception for Bushmills, but many
years ago when my mother and I sat drinking Paddy's Cork Whiskey one
evening in the Station Hotel in Inverness, we both had hangovers the
next morning like a mule kick. Over breakfast (a plateful of lightly
boiled aspirin), we swore a solemn vow never to drink Irish Whiskey
again...)

Which brings up the subject of mules. A fellow on the Isle of Barra
bought a mule and the very next morning it kicked his mother-in-law to
death!

Looking at the crowd around the church, the priest said to him.
"Knowing your mother-in-law as I did, I'd never have thought that
three hundred and fifty men from all over the Hebrides would come to
her funeral!"

"No, no, Father," said the mule owner; "They haven't come for the
funeral - they've come to buy the mule..."



The Highlander

Faodaidh nach ionann na beachdan anns
an post seo agus beachdan a' Ghàidheil.
The views expressed in this post are
not necessarily those of The Highlander.

Julian Richards

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Julian Richards » 12 feb 2007 00:18:17

On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 22:24:10 GMT, "Alan Crozier"
<name1.name2@telia.com> wrote:

"Julian Richards" <julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1f4vs2tss984g5pgft0ni324kvivuh2hcc@4ax.com...

I have lived a very sheltered life and the only time I have seen
someone drink a beer with a spirit, he tended to alternate drinking
one then the other.

That's the way I do it too

But you do it with a pint glass of beer and a pint glass of whiskey.
--

Julian Richards

http://www.richardsuk.f9.co.uk
Website of "Robot Wars" middleweight "Broadsword IV"

THIS MESSAGE WAS POSTED FROM SOC.HISTORY.MEDIEVAL

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 12 feb 2007 00:32:39

How much whisky is the normal Scottish dram -- on average?...

And the Irish dram?

DSH

The Highlander

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av The Highlander » 12 feb 2007 01:07:51

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:55:52 +1000, "Adam Whyte-Settlar"
<grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote:

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:vu1ts2lnu7rld4ha4ptitfq00ll8h6sfoi@4ax.com...

Chilling
Lagavulin (or any other great whisky) with ice means you lose a large
part of the 28 separate flavours some commoisseurs claim to be able to
detect.

Thanks for the tip - If ever I'm unfortunate enough to come into possesion
of the rot-gut I'll put it in the freezer for a week.

The mark of a great whisky is that if you add good quality water, the
quality of the taste remains constant and unpleasant tastes do not
intrude.

The late Lord Cromarty had a seperate tap for water just for adding to
whiskey.
It came from a burn spring a half mile or so up the Strath'.
Mind you, he only offered me decent whiskies that when one adds water the
flavours blossom - none of that west coast shite they use at the dentists
and in hospitals. The sort you seem to prefer.

A W-S

I knew him a lot better than you - his son, the present Earl and my

brother went to school together and his sister, the Lady Jean was my
mum's best friend - and if you got a dram out of him, you did more
than I ever did!

Mind you, one of the best nights I ever spent was at the Highland
Ball, held in Castle Leod. Everyone dressed to the nines in full
Highland dress, the pipers playing and a pretty girl who was staying
the night with us whispering in my ear as we danced that she couldn't
wait to get me home... Highland women are so controlling... That's all
I've ever been - a toy for women on the prowl - if you only knew how I
fought to keep myself pure for marriage...

Now let's get down to facts - the only whiskies made in the eastern
Highlands are starter kits for Whyte-Settlars - oops, sorry, White
Settlers. When you look at us handsome west Coast, half-Irish,
half-Viking men, naturally you have to concede that only a fiery
whisky like Talisker will do for us, who modestly style ourselves "The
Lords of Creation!"

Sitting around in Blairgowrie or wherever it was that you were
flogging diseased spruce seedlings to unsuspecting landowners, I can
just see you sitting down to your half-yoking with a cheesy sandwich
and your wee carton of East Coast whisky and a straw to sook it up!

REAL MEN (aka Hebrideans) use that sort of weeny stuff for back rubs.
Don't give me your crac about west coast shite and dentists'
mouthwash; there are too many connoisseurs readng these posts to take
you seriously. By God, if my mother was still alive, I'd put her round
to you to straighten out your attitude!

Tell you what - you send me a bottle of whatever it is you're killing
yourself with and I will guarantee to send you an honest,
straighforward, impartial appraisal based on years of experience
sucking back the finest whiskies! Lagavulin, Ardbe, Bowmore, Talisker
- what more could you want from one whom you know to be a Highland
gentleman who would never steer you wrong? What could be fairer than
that? And don't try to weasel out of it by sending me their mere label
names - put your whisky where my mouth is!

BTW, have you put in your application to the EU for reforestation
grants. They have several trillions to give out, and it has to be all
taken up before the year-end. Several trillions should keep us in
whisky until our livers finally call it quits! I'm thinking of putting
the kitchen down to a couple of Scots pines - I haven't cleaned the
floor in years so the base layer of food spills, etc. must be just
bulging with composted goodies!

The Highlander

Faodaidh nach ionann na beachdan anns
an post seo agus beachdan a' Ghàidheil.
The views expressed in this post are
not necessarily those of The Highlander.

Josiah Jenkins

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Josiah Jenkins » 12 feb 2007 03:12:19

Whilst perusing Usenet on Sun, 11 Feb 2007 22:06:28 +0000, I read
these words from Julian Richards <julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> :

On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 09:50:37 GMT, "Alan Crozier"
name1.name2@telia.com> wrote:

"Alan Crozier" <name1.name2@telia.com> wrote in message
news:lxBzh.32792$E02.12949@newsb.telia.net...
"Julian Richards" <julian@spam-me-not.co.uk> wrote in message
news:mbrss2ptm8q3r7mmha68os2vu7im7l3trv@4ax.com...
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"
poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote:

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a
"half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half
pint
of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be
"a
pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier
--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a
gill
is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly --
limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Isn't the spirit typically called the chaser and not the beer?


That's just another English misunderstanding

Alan

I just looked in the Concise Oxford and found a very diplomatic and
neutral definition of chaser: 'a drink taken after another of a
different kind'.

Then the dictionary spoils it all by adding 'e.g. spirits after beer'.

;-(

I have lived a very sheltered life and the only time I have seen
someone drink a beer with a spirit, he tended to alternate drinking
one then the other.

I have found

"A chaser is not actually a measure of spirit drank with beer. When
the term chaser is used, it usually consists of a beer and a shot
glass of either whiskey or tequila. You drink one of them first,
quickly followed by the other. The second drink is the chaser in the
sense that it is chasing the first drink down your throat. So you can
a have a beer with a whiskey chaser (shot of whiskey) or you can have
a whiskey with a beer chaser (pint or mug of beer)"


A whole Pint !!!!!!!
Even with the Irish Whiskey you refer to, that's wimpy stuff.

I belive it's now illegal, but at one time there was a measure
in Scottish pubs known as a 'Pony' (1/4 pint).

So it was a 'half' (actually 1/4 gill) and a 'pony'.

-- jjj

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 12 feb 2007 14:13:19

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:l39vs29o7r3pae9e6f9282l8k7252n3gta@4ax.com...
On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:55:52 +1000, "Adam Whyte-Settlar"
grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote:


"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:vu1ts2lnu7rld4ha4ptitfq00ll8h6sfoi@4ax.com...

Chilling
Lagavulin (or any other great whisky) with ice means you lose a large
part of the 28 separate flavours some commoisseurs claim to be able to
detect.

Thanks for the tip - If ever I'm unfortunate enough to come into possesion
of the rot-gut I'll put it in the freezer for a week.

The mark of a great whisky is that if you add good quality water, the
quality of the taste remains constant and unpleasant tastes do not
intrude.

The late Lord Cromarty had a seperate tap for water just for adding to
whiskey.
It came from a burn spring a half mile or so up the Strath'.
Mind you, he only offered me decent whiskies that when one adds water the
flavours blossom - none of that west coast shite they use at the dentists
and in hospitals. The sort you seem to prefer.

A W-S

I knew him a lot better than you - his son, the present Earl and my
brother went to school together and his sister, the Lady Jean was my
mum's best friend - and if you got a dram out of him, you did more
than I ever did!

I know the present Earl better than I knew the old one unfortunately.
I got plenty of drams out of the late Earl I can assure you - usually in
Castle Leod when the Countess was out somewhere.
I was his nearest neighbour and we shared a fascination with trees and
woodlands. He often spoke on the subject in the Lords if you recall. I also
landscaped a fair part of the Castle Grounds over the years.
His step-son was a member of our mafiosa of failed Fettes rejects and
bitterly disapointing landed gentry's off-spring - there were dozens as
victims of the 60's back then.
I never got a dram out of John, his real son and the new Earl, though we got
along well enough I suppose. My ex of the time was (and still is I believe)
his PA as it happens, and his factor was my oldest friend whom I have known
from my days at Inverewe Gardens. Did you know Lady McConnachie (sp?) by the
way? She lived in the 'big house' at Inverewe and her nephew (now dead) used
to (allegedly) drop acid with me. : )
It was all a weirdly interconnected and quasi-incestuous community of
interests and bizzare family connections. All my aquaintances seemed to be
either Hippies or County and sometimes both.

Mind you, one of the best nights I ever spent was at the Highland
Ball, held in Castle Leod. Everyone dressed to the nines in full
Highland dress, the pipers playing and a pretty girl who was staying
the night with us whispering in my ear as we danced that she couldn't
wait to get me home... Highland women are so controlling... That's all
I've ever been - a toy for women on the prowl - if you only knew how I
fought to keep myself pure for marriage...

Now let's get down to facts - the only whiskies made in the eastern
Highlands are starter kits for Whyte-Settlars - oops, sorry, White
Settlers. When you look at us handsome west Coast, half-Irish,
half-Viking men, naturally you have to concede that only a fiery
whisky like Talisker will do for us, who modestly style ourselves "The
Lords of Creation!"

I like 10 year old Macallan myself - better than the 18 year old IMO.
The Glenlivets and their derivatives and OK too - bit too easy to drink and
generally regarded as a ladies whiskey I'm aware but bear in mind I'm partly
from Hampshire not the Cuillins.

Sitting around in Blairgowrie or wherever it was that you were
flogging diseased spruce seedlings to unsuspecting landowners,

It was at Duffus Castle eckshully, and it was mainly hardwoods.

I can
just see you sitting down to your half-yoking with a cheesy sandwich
and your wee carton of East Coast whisky and a straw to sook it up!

Not at all - in fact it was a company joke that I used to carry a picnic
table and chair, a little gas cooker, kettle and all the ecoutraments for a
decent lunch in the back of the Disco when out on my rounds.

REAL MEN (aka Hebrideans) use that sort of weeny stuff for back rubs.
Don't give me your crac about west coast shite and dentists'
mouthwash; there are too many connoisseurs readng these posts to take
you seriously. By God, if my mother was still alive, I'd put her round
to you to straighten out your attitude!

Tell you what - you send me a bottle of whatever it is you're killing
yourself with and I will guarantee to send you an honest,
straighforward, impartial appraisal based on years of experience
sucking back the finest whiskies! Lagavulin, Ardbe, Bowmore, Talisker
- what more could you want from one whom you know to be a Highland
gentleman who would never steer you wrong? What could be fairer than
that? And don't try to weasel out of it by sending me their mere label
names - put your whisky where my mouth is!

BTW, have you put in your application to the EU for reforestation
grants. They have several trillions to give out, and it has to be all
taken up before the year-end.

Been there - done that. About 100 applications in all.
I'm more into lazing about in the tropics and making a fortune property
speculating these days - it's a full time job in this heat.

By the way - I had my first life and death struggle with a ****ing Taipan
the other day.
Damn thing was in the kitchen first thing in the morning!
It was under the fridge and as I walked towards it to get the milk it
slithered out and took up a defensive posture in front of it.
BIG mistake.
I hadn't had my first cup of coffee yet, let alone my second!
Anyway, I considered if it was worth risking my life in order to get the
milk for all of two seconds before deciding that - yes - of course it was, I
can't stand black coffee first thing.
I decided on my trusty spade as a weapon. Not ideal for tackling a 3' snake
but it's the weapon I am most familar with as a result of all my lethal
battles with baby rabbits in the Market Garden years ago. It made me feel
more confident than anything else I could find in the shed at short notice.
Anyway, as I edged towards it the bastard made a dive at my leg at precisely
the same instant as I tried to cut it's ****ing head off with the spade so I
actually caught it about halfway down it's back. It was wriggling like a
chopped worm but I managed to keep it pinned down and eventually cut it in
half. There's a surprising volume of blood in a snake - I hadn't expected
that.
It was a bit of a shock to discover that being cut in half merely slowed it
down a bit and this time it was *really* pissed off. I took a fair bit of
frantic Highland dancing and another well aimed jab to just behind it's head
to kill it.
Three peices of still squirming dead snake stayed where they were (more or
less) til I'd had my two cups of coffee then I scooped up the peices out of
the back veranda door.
Strangely enough, apart from my blood running cold and every hair standing
on end when it first came out from under the fridge, I was icy calm until it
was actually dead. Then my hands started shaking so much I didn't even have
to stir in the sugar. What a start to the day - fair wakes you up having yet
another near-death experience before breakfast.

I've also had *four* huge poisonous spiders in the house in the last five
days. Only had one up to this point but the rain seems to have brought them
all out. There is still one in the house somewhere as the last one I missed
with my patent spider swatter and it hit the ground and (I swear) disapeared
into thin air before my very eyes. They can shift when they need to. They
can jump as well as sprint you see. I'ts really nerve-wracking knowing it's
inhere somewhere and you have to be constantly vigilant - no reaching into a
dark room and flicking a light switch for instance - you have to check that
there is no spider on it first. Nearly got caught out like that already. You
only do it once.

Another little surprise this afternoon was when I put on my shoe at the back
door. I *always* check for spiders and there never is one but of course this
time I didn't check for some reason and when I put my foot in a felt this
huge lump in the toe of the shoe.
Freaked out.
Pulled it off rapid style.
Shook it and this huge 'Rhino Beetle' about 3 inches long fell out and went
scurrying off in a huff.
Hope I'm not boring you too much with all this crap.
Better go.

A W-S

A W-S

Elaine

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Elaine » 12 feb 2007 16:02:21

On Feb 12, 6:13 am, "Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawill...@westnet.com.au>
wrote:
"The Highlander" <mich...@shaw.ca> wrote in message

news:l39vs29o7r3pae9e6f9282l8k7252n3gta@4ax.com...





On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:55:52 +1000, "Adam Whyte-Settlar"
grawill...@westnet.com.au> wrote:

"The Highlander" <mich...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:vu1ts2lnu7rld4ha4ptitfq00ll8h6sfoi@4ax.com...

Chilling
Lagavulin (or any other great whisky) with ice means you lose a large
part of the 28 separate flavours some commoisseurs claim to be able to
detect.

Thanks for the tip - If ever I'm unfortunate enough to come into possesion
of the rot-gut I'll put it in the freezer for a week.

The mark of a great whisky is that if you add good quality water, the
quality of the taste remains constant and unpleasant tastes do not
intrude.

The late Lord Cromarty had a seperate tap for water just for adding to
whiskey.
It came from a burn spring a half mile or so up the Strath'.
Mind you, he only offered me decent whiskies that when one adds water the
flavours blossom - none of that west coast shite they use at the dentists
and in hospitals. The sort you seem to prefer.

A W-S

I knew him a lot better than you - his son, the present Earl and my
brother went to school together and his sister, the Lady Jean was my
mum's best friend - and if you got a dram out of him, you did more
than I ever did!

I know the present Earl better than I knew the old one unfortunately.
I got plenty of drams out of the late Earl I can assure you - usually in
Castle Leod when the Countess was out somewhere.
I was his nearest neighbour and we shared a fascination with trees and
woodlands. He often spoke on the subject in the Lords if you recall. I also
landscaped a fair part of the Castle Grounds over the years.
His step-son was a member of our mafiosa of failed Fettes rejects and
bitterly disapointing landed gentry's off-spring - there were dozens as
victims of the 60's back then.
I never got a dram out of John, his real son and the new Earl, though we got
along well enough I suppose. My ex of the time was (and still is I believe)
his PA as it happens, and his factor was my oldest friend whom I have known
from my days at Inverewe Gardens. Did you know Lady McConnachie (sp?) by the
way? She lived in the 'big house' at Inverewe and her nephew (now dead) used
to (allegedly) drop acid with me. : )
It was all a weirdly interconnected and quasi-incestuous community of
interests and bizzare family connections. All my aquaintances seemed to be
either Hippies or County and sometimes both.



Mind you, one of the best nights I ever spent was at the Highland
Ball, held in Castle Leod. Everyone dressed to the nines in full
Highland dress, the pipers playing and a pretty girl who was staying
the night with us whispering in my ear as we danced that she couldn't
wait to get me home... Highland women are so controlling... That's all
I've ever been - a toy for women on the prowl - if you only knew how I
fought to keep myself pure for marriage...

Now let's get down to facts - the only whiskies made in the eastern
Highlands are starter kits for Whyte-Settlars - oops, sorry, White
Settlers. When you look at us handsome west Coast, half-Irish,
half-Viking men, naturally you have to concede that only a fiery
whisky like Talisker will do for us, who modestly style ourselves "The
Lords of Creation!"

I like 10 year old Macallan myself - better than the 18 year old IMO.
The Glenlivets and their derivatives and OK too - bit too easy to drink and
generally regarded as a ladies whiskey I'm aware but bear in mind I'm partly
from Hampshire not the Cuillins.

Sitting around in Blairgowrie or wherever it was that you were
flogging diseased spruce seedlings to unsuspecting landowners,

It was at Duffus Castle eckshully, and it was mainly hardwoods.

I can

just see you sitting down to your half-yoking with a cheesy sandwich
and your wee carton of East Coast whisky and a straw to sook it up!

Not at all - in fact it was a company joke that I used to carry a picnic
table and chair, a little gas cooker, kettle and all the ecoutraments for a
decent lunch in the back of the Disco when out on my rounds.







REAL MEN (aka Hebrideans) use that sort of weeny stuff for back rubs.
Don't give me your crac about west coast shite and dentists'
mouthwash; there are too many connoisseurs readng these posts to take
you seriously. By God, if my mother was still alive, I'd put her round
to you to straighten out your attitude!

Tell you what - you send me a bottle of whatever it is you're killing
yourself with and I will guarantee to send you an honest,
straighforward, impartial appraisal based on years of experience
sucking back the finest whiskies! Lagavulin, Ardbe, Bowmore, Talisker
- what more could you want from one whom you know to be a Highland
gentleman who would never steer you wrong? What could be fairer than
that? And don't try to weasel out of it by sending me their mere label
names - put your whisky where my mouth is!

BTW, have you put in your application to the EU for reforestation
grants. They have several trillions to give out, and it has to be all
taken up before the year-end.

Been there - done that. About 100 applications in all.
I'm more into lazing about in the tropics and making a fortune property
speculating these days - it's a full time job in this heat.

By the way - I had my first life and death struggle with a ****ing Taipan
the other day.
Damn thing was in the kitchen first thing in the morning!
It was under the fridge and as I walked towards it to get the milk it
slithered out and took up a defensive posture in front of it.
BIG mistake.
I hadn't had my first cup of coffee yet, let alone my second!
Anyway, I considered if it was worth risking my life in order to get the
milk for all of two seconds before deciding that - yes - of course it was, I
can't stand black coffee first thing.
I decided on my trusty spade as a weapon. Not ideal for tackling a 3' snake
but it's the weapon I am most familar with as a result of all my lethal
battles with baby rabbits in the Market Garden years ago. It made me feel
more confident than anything else I could find in the shed at short notice.
Anyway, as I edged towards it the bastard made a dive at my leg at precisely
the same instant as I tried to cut it's ****ing head off with the spade so I
actually caught it about halfway down it's back. It was wriggling like a
chopped worm but I managed to keep it pinned down and eventually cut it in
half. There's a surprising volume of blood in a snake - I hadn't expected
that.
It was a bit of a shock to discover that being cut in half merely slowed it
down a bit and this time it was *really* pissed off. I took a fair bit of
frantic Highland dancing and another well aimed jab to just behind it's head
to kill it.
Three peices of still squirming dead snake stayed where they were (more or
less) til I'd had my two cups of coffee then I scooped up the peices out of
the back veranda door.
Strangely enough, apart from my blood running cold and every hair standing
on end when it first came out from under the fridge, I was icy calm until it
was actually dead. Then my hands started shaking so much I didn't even have
to stir in the sugar. What a start to the day - fair wakes you up having yet
another near-death experience before breakfast.

I've also had *four* huge poisonous spiders in the house in the last five
days. Only had one up to this point but the rain seems to have brought them
all out. There is still one in the house somewhere as the last one I missed
with my patent spider swatter and it hit the ground and (I swear) disapeared
into thin air before my very eyes. They can shift when they need to. They
can jump as well as sprint you see. I'ts really nerve-wracking knowing it's
inhere somewhere and you have to be constantly vigilant - no reaching into a
dark room and flicking a light switch for instance - you have to check that
there is no spider on it first. Nearly got caught out like that already. You
only do it once.

Another little surprise this afternoon was when I put on my shoe at the back
door. I *always* check for spiders and there never is one but of course this
time I didn't check for some reason and when I put my foot in a felt this
huge lump in the toe of the shoe.
Freaked out.
Pulled it off rapid style.
Shook it and this huge 'Rhino Beetle' about 3 inches long fell out and went
scurrying off in a huff.
Hope I'm not boring you too much with all this crap.
Better go.

A W-S

A W-S- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'm just starting my day, after a night of insomnia, and all I want to
do after reading about your skirmish with the snake.......is to go
back to bed, and pull the covers over my head. Unfortunately, I'm
babysitting a sick grandson today, so I probably won't get much rest.
Your posts are sometimes sickening, but _never_ boring! :)

Elaine

Thunderbird

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Thunderbird » 12 feb 2007 16:38:55

On Feb 10, 7:55 pm, The Highlander <mich...@shaw.ca> wrote:
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"

poguemid...@hotmail.com> wrote:
In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier

That's because you're all piss-up artists.

I'll bet you never seen the phrase "a sober Irishman" in print.

Its antithesis on the other hand...

--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a gill is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly -- limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Ah. so we have taught you something after all! Cleansing the palate
and tongue between glasses lets you start afresh with each new glass.
Three is also a good number to stop at, as the tastebuds tend to close
down at that point and all the balance and subtle aromas are lost.

There can be nothing more déclassé than gulping down a fine whisky -
except for adding 7-Up or ginger ale, at which point, one puts the
decanter away and offers the guests something cheap and nasty, like
Queen Anne, or Paddy's Cork Whisky (Ireland); the choice of culchies.

Fine malts should also be drunk at room temperature. Chilling
Lagavulin (or any other great whisky) with ice means you lose a large
part of the 28 separate flavours some commoisseurs claim to be able to
detect.

The mark of a great whisky is that if you add good quality water, the
quality of the taste remains constant and unpleasant tastes do not
intrude. A cheap whisky will rarely remain constant once watered, and
some fade away completely into tastes more reminiscent of the inferior
poteen, where the only desirable factor is high alcohol content. In
other words, an unpleasant vodka sensation with oak and tannin
flavours.

I must say that when my wife and I went camping in the Rockies, (we
usually drank Talisker malt from the Isle of Skye - it goes down
singing anthems) the pure water running off the glaciers into the
local, highly-oxygenated fast running streams, were absolutely perfect
for watering down whisky when drinking round a campfire.

We once found a mineral spring tasting mildly of soda about 40 miles
into a national park called Wells Gray and we bottled all we could and
had whisky and perfect soda every evening.

http://www.clearwatervalley.com/wells_gray.htm

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Fortem Posce Animum

The Highlander

Faodaidh nach ionann na beachdan anns
an post seo agus beachdan a' Ghàidheil.
The views expressed in this post are
not necessarily those of The Highlander.

Watering your scotch? Shocking! Too watery as it is.
Should be sipped.
As for those who do the boilermaker thing, they might as well be
drinking the Japanese version of scotch.

Veering slightly off topic, do any of you recall a 1940's movie called
"Tight Little Island"? I believe its original title was "Whiskey
Galore" and was based (loosely) upon an actual case (no pun intended)
of a ship laden with whiskey being grounded off one of the western
isles. All those years ago, but I still recall it as one of the
funniest I've ever seen.

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 12 feb 2007 16:47:13

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...

Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once again
that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I was
often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.
The best dainty china tea cups of course, but filled to within a half inch
of the top as though it were a cup of tea without milk as it were.
No-one else in the company seemed to think this was at all unusual - even
though it was often around lunch time when it was served and in otherwise
perfectly respectable households too.
Who was I to argue? I don't take milk in tea either.

A W-S

Frank

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Frank » 12 feb 2007 16:57:08

"Thunderbird" <donmarion@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:1171294735.766799.132540@v45g2000cwv.googlegroups.com...
On Feb 10, 7:55 pm, The Highlander <mich...@shaw.ca> wrote:
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"

poguemid...@hotmail.com> wrote:
In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier

That's because you're all piss-up artists.

I'll bet you never seen the phrase "a sober Irishman" in print.

Its antithesis on the other hand...

--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a gill is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly -- limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Ah. so we have taught you something after all! Cleansing the palate
and tongue between glasses lets you start afresh with each new glass.
Three is also a good number to stop at, as the tastebuds tend to close
down at that point and all the balance and subtle aromas are lost.

There can be nothing more déclassé than gulping down a fine whisky -
except for adding 7-Up or ginger ale, at which point, one puts the
decanter away and offers the guests something cheap and nasty, like
Queen Anne, or Paddy's Cork Whisky (Ireland); the choice of culchies.

Fine malts should also be drunk at room temperature. Chilling
Lagavulin (or any other great whisky) with ice means you lose a large
part of the 28 separate flavours some commoisseurs claim to be able to
detect.

The mark of a great whisky is that if you add good quality water, the
quality of the taste remains constant and unpleasant tastes do not
intrude. A cheap whisky will rarely remain constant once watered, and
some fade away completely into tastes more reminiscent of the inferior
poteen, where the only desirable factor is high alcohol content. In
other words, an unpleasant vodka sensation with oak and tannin
flavours.

I must say that when my wife and I went camping in the Rockies, (we
usually drank Talisker malt from the Isle of Skye - it goes down
singing anthems) the pure water running off the glaciers into the
local, highly-oxygenated fast running streams, were absolutely perfect
for watering down whisky when drinking round a campfire.

We once found a mineral spring tasting mildly of soda about 40 miles
into a national park called Wells Gray and we bottled all we could and
had whisky and perfect soda every evening.

http://www.clearwatervalley.com/wells_gray.htm

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Fortem Posce Animum

The Highlander

Faodaidh nach ionann na beachdan anns
an post seo agus beachdan a' Ghàidheil.
The views expressed in this post are
not necessarily those of The Highlander.

Watering your scotch? Shocking! Too watery as it is.
Should be sipped.
As for those who do the boilermaker thing, they might as well be
drinking the Japanese version of scotch.

Boilermakers are looking for the effect, not the taste...........What ever
gets you there does the job..........

Veering slightly off topic, do any of you recall a 1940's movie called
"Tight Little Island"? I believe its original title was "Whiskey
Galore" and was based (loosely) upon an actual case (no pun intended)
of a ship laden with whiskey being grounded off one of the western
isles. All those years ago, but I still recall it as one of the
funniest I've ever seen.

a.spencer3

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av a.spencer3 » 12 feb 2007 16:58:32

"Thunderbird" <donmarion@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:1171294735.766799.132540@v45g2000cwv.googlegroups.com...
On Feb 10, 7:55 pm, The Highlander <mich...@shaw.ca> wrote:
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:29:55 -1000, "D. Spencer Hines"

poguemid...@hotmail.com> wrote:
In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

Alan Crozier

That's because you're all piss-up artists.

I'll bet you never seen the phrase "a sober Irishman" in print.

Its antithesis on the other hand...

--------------------------------

That makes Good Sense.

A GILL is FOUR fluid ounces, or 118.294 milliliters -- so half a gill is
just right for the shots of Lagavulin I enjoy sipping slowly -- limiting
myself to no more than three.

But I follow up with water, rather than beer, after each one.

Ah. so we have taught you something after all! Cleansing the palate
and tongue between glasses lets you start afresh with each new glass.
Three is also a good number to stop at, as the tastebuds tend to close
down at that point and all the balance and subtle aromas are lost.

There can be nothing more déclassé than gulping down a fine whisky -
except for adding 7-Up or ginger ale, at which point, one puts the
decanter away and offers the guests something cheap and nasty, like
Queen Anne, or Paddy's Cork Whisky (Ireland); the choice of culchies.

Fine malts should also be drunk at room temperature. Chilling
Lagavulin (or any other great whisky) with ice means you lose a large
part of the 28 separate flavours some commoisseurs claim to be able to
detect.

The mark of a great whisky is that if you add good quality water, the
quality of the taste remains constant and unpleasant tastes do not
intrude. A cheap whisky will rarely remain constant once watered, and
some fade away completely into tastes more reminiscent of the inferior
poteen, where the only desirable factor is high alcohol content. In
other words, an unpleasant vodka sensation with oak and tannin
flavours.

I must say that when my wife and I went camping in the Rockies, (we
usually drank Talisker malt from the Isle of Skye - it goes down
singing anthems) the pure water running off the glaciers into the
local, highly-oxygenated fast running streams, were absolutely perfect
for watering down whisky when drinking round a campfire.

We once found a mineral spring tasting mildly of soda about 40 miles
into a national park called Wells Gray and we bottled all we could and
had whisky and perfect soda every evening.

http://www.clearwatervalley.com/wells_gray.htm

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Fortem Posce Animum

The Highlander

Faodaidh nach ionann na beachdan anns
an post seo agus beachdan a' Ghàidheil.
The views expressed in this post are
not necessarily those of The Highlander.

Watering your scotch? Shocking! Too watery as it is.
Should be sipped.
As for those who do the boilermaker thing, they might as well be
drinking the Japanese version of scotch.

Veering slightly off topic, do any of you recall a 1940's movie called
"Tight Little Island"? I believe its original title was "Whiskey
Galore" and was based (loosely) upon an actual case (no pun intended)
of a ship laden with whiskey being grounded off one of the western
isles. All those years ago, but I still recall it as one of the
funniest I've ever seen.

Oh yes! Great little film! Black & white and very young Gordon Jackson,
James Robertson Justice 'n' all! 1940s wasn't it?

'Politician' was the real ship, I think, off South Uist?

Surreyman

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 12 feb 2007 17:04:15

"Elaine" <elainefromdrake@isp.com> wrote in message
news:1171292541.856990.300970@l53g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

Anyway, as I edged towards it the bastard made a dive at my leg at
precisely
the same instant as I tried to cut it's ****ing head off with the spade -
so I
actually caught it about halfway down it's back. It was wriggling like a
chopped worm but I managed to keep it pinned down and eventually cut it
in
half. There's a surprising volume of blood in a snake - I hadn't expected
that.
It was a bit of a shock to discover that being cut in half merely slowed
it
down a bit and this time it was *really* pissed off. I took a fair bit
of
frantic Highland dancing and another well aimed jab to just behind it's
head
to kill it.
Three peices of still squirming dead snake stayed where they were (more
or
less) til I'd had my two cups of coffee then I scooped up the peices out
of
the back veranda door.


I'm just starting my day, after a night of insomnia, and all I want to
do after reading about your skirmish with the snake.......is to go
back to bed, and pull the covers over my head. Unfortunately, I'm
babysitting a sick grandson today, so I probably won't get much rest.
Your posts are sometimes sickening, but _never_ boring! :)

*Sickening*?
Hmm. Another natural talent I was blissfully unaware of.
Thanks.

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 12 feb 2007 17:27:52

1949

DSH

"a.spencer3" <a.spencer3@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:I80Ah.2216$Fg4.783@newsfe5-win.ntli.net...

Veering slightly off topic, do any of you recall a 1940's movie called
"Tight Little Island"? I believe its original title was "Whiskey
Galore" and was based (loosely) upon an actual case (no pun intended)
of a ship laden with whiskey being grounded off one of the western
isles. All those years ago, but I still recall it as one of the
funniest I've ever seen.

Oh yes! Great little film! Black & white and very young Gordon Jackson,
James Robertson Justice 'n' all! 1940s wasn't it?

Pogue Surreyman

Deirdre Sholto Douglas

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Deirdre Sholto Douglas » 12 feb 2007 18:39:42

Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:
"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...

Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once again
that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I was
often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.

Gad, I remember seeing that a _lot_...particularly
if those doing the serving were Wee Frees. I
suppose, if you're trying to disguise your tippling,
whisky and tea are close enough to the same
colour...might be hard to explain why you're
reeling and singing after a cup of tea, but one
can always blame "allergies". :-)

Deirdre

Frank

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Frank » 12 feb 2007 18:51:05

"Deirdre Sholto Douglas" <finch.enteract@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:45D0A65F.1AE82F88@rcn.com...

Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...

Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once
again
that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I was
often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.

Gad, I remember seeing that a _lot_...particularly
if those doing the serving were Wee Frees. I
suppose, if you're trying to disguise your tippling,
whisky and tea are close enough to the same
colour...might be hard to explain why you're
reeling and singing after a cup of tea, but one
can always blame "allergies". :-)

Deirdre


I can remember my Mom and her friends sitting down to have a special pot of
tea. When they all left, they apeared to be a lot happier then when they
came. i was only a boy of about 10 years old...............It sure seemed
funny to me.

Deirdre Sholto Douglas

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Deirdre Sholto Douglas » 12 feb 2007 19:02:22

Frank wrote:
"Deirdre Sholto Douglas" <finch.enteract@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:45D0A65F.1AE82F88@rcn.com...


Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...

Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once
again
that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I was
often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.

Gad, I remember seeing that a _lot_...particularly
if those doing the serving were Wee Frees. I
suppose, if you're trying to disguise your tippling,
whisky and tea are close enough to the same
colour...might be hard to explain why you're
reeling and singing after a cup of tea, but one
can always blame "allergies". :-)

Deirdre

I can remember my Mom and her friends sitting down to have a special pot of
tea. When they all left, they apeared to be a lot happier then when they
came. i was only a boy of about 10 years old...............It sure seemed
funny to me.

I once had a piano teacher who had a special
pitcher of "pure water" which no one else was
allowed to drink from...at the time, I thought
she was afraid of germs, now I suspect she
was simply disinclined to share her gin/vodka
with her students. :-(

Deirdre

Thunderbird

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Thunderbird » 12 feb 2007 19:17:47

On Feb 12, 10:02 am, Deirdre Sholto Douglas <finch.enter...@rcn.com>
wrote:
Frank wrote:

"Deirdre Sholto Douglas" <finch.enter...@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:45D0A65F.1AE82F88@rcn.com...

Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:

"The Highlander" <mich...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...

Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once
again
that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I was
often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.

Gad, I remember seeing that a _lot_...particularly
if those doing the serving were Wee Frees. I
suppose, if you're trying to disguise your tippling,
whisky and tea are close enough to the same
colour...might be hard to explain why you're
reeling and singing after a cup of tea, but one
can always blame "allergies". :-)

Deirdre

I can remember my Mom and her friends sitting down to have a special pot of
tea. When they all left, they apeared to be a lot happier then when they
came. i was only a boy of about 10 years old...............It sure seemed
funny to me.

I once had a piano teacher who had a special
pitcher of "pure water" which no one else was
allowed to drink from...at the time, I thought
she was afraid of germs, now I suspect she
was simply disinclined to share her gin/vodka
with her students. :-(

Deirdre- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Once read a biography of the late W.C. Fields and it recounted one of
the many attempts by his movie studio to dry him out so that he could
complete a film. Sent him off for a while and he seemed pretty well
under control. Filming continued but the producers were very
suspicious of the fact he insisted on having a shaker of orange juice
when he needed refreshment.
Suspicions confirmed when he had to answer the call of nature and
they discovered, in his absence, it was full of booze. So, they dumped
it out and filled it with the citric stuff. All watched with interest
when he returned and, eventually, declared he need a drink, took a
large gulp and, in red-faced rage bellowed, "who the hell put orange
juice in my orange juice!?"

David J. Hughes

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av David J. Hughes » 12 feb 2007 20:21:47

Thunderbird wrote:

Watering your scotch? Shocking! Too watery as it is.
Should be sipped.
As for those who do the boilermaker thing, they might as well be
drinking the Japanese version of scotch.

Veering slightly off topic, do any of you recall a 1940's movie called
"Tight Little Island"? I believe its original title was "Whiskey
Galore" and was based (loosely) upon an actual case (no pun intended)
of a ship laden with whiskey being grounded off one of the western
isles. All those years ago, but I still recall it as one of the
funniest I've ever seen.


Set during those cruel, hard days when Whiskey was being rationed, the
ship was loaded with "export only" spirits, intended for the US market.


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Cory Bhreckan

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Cory Bhreckan » 12 feb 2007 21:55:41

Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:
"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:l39vs29o7r3pae9e6f9282l8k7252n3gta@4ax.com...



I like 10 year old Macallan myself - better than the 18 year old IMO.
The Glenlivets and their derivatives and OK too - bit too easy to drink and
generally regarded as a ladies whiskey I'm aware but bear in mind I'm partly
from Hampshire not the Cuillins.

I keep a bottle of Macallan 12 around for variety. Aberlour 15 isn't bad
either, I grab it when it's on sale. I suppose Glenlivets aren't too bad
in time of drought or when someone else is buying but they certainly
aren't worth the price IMHO.


--
"For the stronger we our houses do build,
The less chance we have of being killed." - William Topaz McGonagall

Eric Stevens

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Eric Stevens » 12 feb 2007 22:11:50

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:13:19 +1000, "Adam Whyte-Settlar"
<grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote:

--- snip ----

By the way - I had my first life and death struggle with a ****ing Taipan
the other day.
Damn thing was in the kitchen first thing in the morning!
It was under the fridge and as I walked towards it to get the milk it
slithered out and took up a defensive posture in front of it.
BIG mistake.
I hadn't had my first cup of coffee yet, let alone my second!
Anyway, I considered if it was worth risking my life in order to get the
milk for all of two seconds before deciding that - yes - of course it was, I
can't stand black coffee first thing.
I decided on my trusty spade as a weapon. Not ideal for tackling a 3' snake
but it's the weapon I am most familar with as a result of all my lethal
battles with baby rabbits in the Market Garden years ago. It made me feel
more confident than anything else I could find in the shed at short notice.
Anyway, as I edged towards it the bastard made a dive at my leg at precisely
the same instant as I tried to cut it's ****ing head off with the spade so I
actually caught it about halfway down it's back. It was wriggling like a
chopped worm but I managed to keep it pinned down and eventually cut it in
half. There's a surprising volume of blood in a snake - I hadn't expected
that.

I once knew someone who woke up to find his Siamese cat playing with a
very pissed off Tiger snake on the foot of his bed. Fortunately he had
a loaded shotgun by the side of his bed and managed to do for the
snake while avoiding the cat and his feet. It didn't do much for the
bed clothes though and I think it was about two days before the cat
came back home.



Eric Stevens

The Count of Baldoni

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av The Count of Baldoni » 12 feb 2007 22:30:00

D. Spencer Hines wrote:
|||| In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
|||| whisky and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known
|||| as a "half and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a
|||| half pint of beer.
||

What comes next then mumbled speech and bruising to the head and lying face
down in a pile of vomit on the last tube to Cockfosters.

--
"A horse a horse, my kingdom for a horse".

I haven't had a winner for six months.

The Count

Josiah Jenkins

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Josiah Jenkins » 12 feb 2007 23:12:42

Whilst perusing Usenet on 12 Feb 2007 07:38:55 -0800, I read these
words from "Thunderbird" <donmarion@shaw.ca> :

<snip>
Veering slightly off topic, do any of you recall a 1940's movie called
"Tight Little Island"? I believe its original title was "Whiskey
Galore" and was based (loosely) upon an actual case (no pun intended)
of a ship laden with whiskey being grounded off one of the western
isles. All those years ago, but I still recall it as one of the
funniest I've ever seen.

The SS Politician
http://heritage.scotsman.com/timelines. ... d=40422005

Josiah Jenkins

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Josiah Jenkins » 12 feb 2007 23:15:24

Whilst perusing Usenet on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:21:47 -0600, I read
these words from "David J. Hughes" <davidjhughes.tx@netzero.net> :

Thunderbird wrote:


Watering your scotch? Shocking! Too watery as it is.
Should be sipped.
As for those who do the boilermaker thing, they might as well be
drinking the Japanese version of scotch.

Veering slightly off topic, do any of you recall a 1940's movie called
"Tight Little Island"? I believe its original title was "Whiskey
Galore" and was based (loosely) upon an actual case (no pun intended)
of a ship laden with whiskey being grounded off one of the western
isles. All those years ago, but I still recall it as one of the
funniest I've ever seen.


Set during those cruel, hard days when Whiskey was being rationed, the
ship was loaded with "export only" spirits, intended for the US market.

Not just whisky !

Official files released recently by the Public Records Office show
that it was not just spirits that disappeared - but a substantial sum
of hard cash.

The SS Politician sank off the Scottish Island of Eriskay in 1941.
But as well as whisky, the Politician was carrying eight cases of
currency to the West Indies and the United States.

In all, there were nearly 290,000 ten-shilling notes, which would be
worth the equivalent of several million pounds at today's prices.

Although the Crown Agents, who were supplying the notes to the
colonial administration in Jamaica, were confident they would not get
into circulation, for years they kept turning up at banks around the
world.

-- jjj

Josiah Jenkins

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Josiah Jenkins » 12 feb 2007 23:16:38

Whilst perusing Usenet on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:47:13 +1000, I read
these words from "Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> :

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...

Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once again
that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I was
often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.
------------------------------^^^^^^--------

*nglish illiterate !

-- jjj

Cory Bhreckan

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Cory Bhreckan » 12 feb 2007 23:45:50

Josiah Jenkins wrote:
Whilst perusing Usenet on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:47:13 +1000, I read
these words from "Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> :


"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...


Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once again
that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I was
often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.

------------------------------^^^^^^--------
*nglish illiterate !

-- jjj

A miss! Wide to the right. When flaming Whyte-Settlars make sure your
aim is true.

--
"For the stronger we our houses do build,
The less chance we have of being killed." - William Topaz McGonagall

Martin

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Martin » 13 feb 2007 01:02:07

"D. Spencer Hines" <poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:vstzh.257$T25.512@eagle.america.net...
In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

In England, the standard order is a pint and a large one...

Diogenes

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Diogenes » 13 feb 2007 01:07:04

On 12 Feb 2007 10:17:47 -0800, "Thunderbird" <donmarion@shaw.ca>
wrote:

On Feb 12, 10:02 am, Deirdre Sholto Douglas <finch.enter...@rcn.com
wrote:
Frank wrote:

"Deirdre Sholto Douglas" <finch.enter...@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:45D0A65F.1AE82F88@rcn.com...

Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:

"The Highlander" <mich...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...

Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once
again
that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I was
often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.

Gad, I remember seeing that a _lot_...particularly
if those doing the serving were Wee Frees. I
suppose, if you're trying to disguise your tippling,
whisky and tea are close enough to the same
colour...might be hard to explain why you're
reeling and singing after a cup of tea, but one
can always blame "allergies". :-)

Deirdre

I can remember my Mom and her friends sitting down to have a special pot of
tea. When they all left, they apeared to be a lot happier then when they
came. i was only a boy of about 10 years old...............It sure seemed
funny to me.

I once had a piano teacher who had a special
pitcher of "pure water" which no one else was
allowed to drink from...at the time, I thought
she was afraid of germs, now I suspect she
was simply disinclined to share her gin/vodka
with her students. :-(

Deirdre- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Once read a biography of the late W.C. Fields and it recounted one of
the many attempts by his movie studio to dry him out so that he could
complete a film. Sent him off for a while and he seemed pretty well
under control. Filming continued but the producers were very
suspicious of the fact he insisted on having a shaker of orange juice
when he needed refreshment.
Suspicions confirmed when he had to answer the call of nature and
they discovered, in his absence, it was full of booze. So, they dumped
it out and filled it with the citric stuff. All watched with interest
when he returned and, eventually, declared he need a drink, took a
large gulp and, in red-faced rage bellowed, "who the hell put orange
juice in my orange juice!?"

When asked if he'd ever had the DT's, W.C. Fields replied
"I don't know; it's hard to tell where Hollywood leaves off and the
DT's begin."
----
Diogenes (cdhoran@hotmail.com)

The wars are long, the peace is frail
The madmen come again . . . .

Julian Richards

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Julian Richards » 13 feb 2007 01:59:18

On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:02:07 -0000, "Martin"
<martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> wrote:

"D. Spencer Hines" <poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:vstzh.257$T25.512@eagle.america.net...
In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

In England, the standard order is a pint and a large one...

To which the barmaid says, " Are you ordering or boasting?"
--

Julian Richards

http://www.richardsuk.f9.co.uk
Website of "Robot Wars" middleweight "Broadsword IV"

THIS MESSAGE WAS POSTED FROM SOC.HISTORY.MEDIEVAL

Josiah Jenkins

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Josiah Jenkins » 13 feb 2007 02:07:37

Whilst perusing Usenet on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:02:07 -0000, I read
these words from "Martin" <martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> :

"D. Spencer Hines" <poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:vstzh.257$T25.512@eagle.america.net...
In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader

Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

In England, the standard order is a pint and a large one...

At 1/5th of a gill (whatever the metric equivalent is) you need
a large one to dampen the glass !

"A 15 year old ? It's awful small for it's age !"
(Copyright of McP)

-- jjj

David J. Hughes

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av David J. Hughes » 13 feb 2007 03:09:29

Josiah Jenkins wrote:
Whilst perusing Usenet on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:02:07 -0000, I read
these words from "Martin" <martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> :


"D. Spencer Hines" <poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:vstzh.257$T25.512@eagle.america.net...

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader


Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

In England, the standard order is a pint and a large one...


At 1/5th of a gill (whatever the metric equivalent is) you need
a large one to dampen the glass !

4 gills to a pint, 1/5 gill is one ounce (UK), or 28.41 ml.

"A 15 year old ? It's awful small for it's age !"
(Copyright of McP)

-- jjj


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D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 13 feb 2007 04:14:53

Whisky was often served in a coffee or tea cup during Prohibition in the
United States -- and even after, in some venues.

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once
again that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and
Bernerey - I was often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.

Gad, I remember seeing that a _lot_...particularly
if those doing the serving were Wee Frees. I
suppose, if you're trying to disguise your tippling,
whisky and tea are close enough to the same
colour...might be hard to explain why you're
reeling and singing after a cup of tea, but one
can always blame "allergies". :-)

Deirdre

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 13 feb 2007 05:57:22

That's indeed a small dose of medicinal spirits, Ian. <g>

So, I was correct in my guess that, in Scotland, it might be about an
ounce....

A fluid ounce is 29.573 milliliters.

The Scots [and the Irish] do indeed think of whisky/whiskey [as well as
other distilled spirits] as MEDICINAL spirits, "the water of life", do they
not -- in the Mediaeval Period and beyond -- and even today?

And the Welsh & English?

<http://www.whisky-heritage.co.uk/information/frequentaskedquestions.html>

We also saw brandy used as an anaesthetic in Hitchcock's _Lifeboat_, which
has recently been released on DVD -- and in many other films.

Whisky often, in proper dosage, also increases the LIBIDO and therefore has
important GENEALOGICAL ramifications. <g>

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Deus Vult

"Ian Smith" <ianinhoose@btinternet.naespam.com> wrote in message
news:1171326749.68607.0@despina.uk.clara.net...

In post OINzh.306$T25.84@eagle.america.net,

"D. Spencer Hines" (poguemidden@hotmail.com) shared this wisdom:

How much whisky is the normal Scottish dram -- on average?...

And the Irish dram?

DSH

If you're being served in a pub in Scotland, it's either 25ml or 35ml (and
multiples thereoff), as displayed on the gantry dispensers. Elsewhere,
it's usually dependent on the host. ;-)

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 13 feb 2007 07:34:23

Sounds quite reasonable for a piano teacher who was teaching young
students...

She no doubt needed something to anesthetize herself from their poor
playing -- and GIN/VODKA was an excellent choice.

DSH

"Deirdre Sholto Douglas" <finch.enteract@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:45D0ABAF.DC1FBF3D@rcn.com...

I once had a piano teacher who had a special
pitcher of "pure water" which no one else was
allowed to drink from...at the time, I thought
she was afraid of germs, now I suspect she
was simply disinclined to share her gin/vodka
with her students. :-(

Deirdre

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 13 feb 2007 07:38:11

The Glenlivet 12 is ALSO better than the Glenlivet 18.

DSH

"Cory Bhreckan" <coryvreckan@NO_SPAM.verizon.net> wrote in message
news:hv4Ah.3040$ov2.1113@trndny06...

Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:l39vs29o7r3pae9e6f9282l8k7252n3gta@4ax.com...

I like 10 year old Macallan myself - better than the 18 year old IMO.
The Glenlivets and their derivatives and OK too - bit too easy to drink
and generally regarded as a ladies whiskey I'm aware but bear in mind I'm
partly from Hampshire not the Cuillins.

I keep a bottle of Macallan 12 around for variety. Aberlour 15 isn't bad
either, I grab it when it's on sale. I suppose Glenlivets aren't too bad
in time of drought or when someone else is buying but they certainly
aren't worth the price IMHO.

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 13 feb 2007 07:41:29

I didn't write that.

DSH

"The Count of Baldoni" <anthony.baldone.@notinhere...> wrote in message
news:s%4Ah.9511$Zl6.6346@newsfe3-win.ntli.net...

D. Spencer Hines wrote:
|||| In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
|||| whisky and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known
|||| as a "half and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a
|||| half pint of beer.
||

What comes next then mumbled speech and bruising to the head and lying
face down in a pile of vomit on the last tube to Cockfosters.

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 13 feb 2007 07:48:40

28.4132 ml, in Britain.

DSH

"Josiah Jenkins" <josiah-jenkins@dsl.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:fm32t29f1lebb3tnj9o5252c058dj3h7l6@4ax.com...

At 1/5th of a gill (whatever the metric equivalent is) you need
a large one to dampen the glass !

a.spencer3

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av a.spencer3 » 13 feb 2007 11:10:35

"Deirdre Sholto Douglas" <finch.enteract@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:45D0A65F.1AE82F88@rcn.com...

Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...

Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once
again
that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I was
often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.

Gad, I remember seeing that a _lot_...particularly
if those doing the serving were Wee Frees. I
suppose, if you're trying to disguise your tippling,
whisky and tea are close enough to the same
colour...might be hard to explain why you're
reeling and singing after a cup of tea, but one
can always blame "allergies". :-)


I was once at a Welsh 'chapel' funeral and was astonished but very grateful
to be given a cup of whisky.
It was tea.

Surreyman

The Count of Baldoni

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av The Count of Baldoni » 13 feb 2007 11:17:02

Martin wrote:
|| "D. Spencer Hines" <poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote in message
|| news:vstzh.257$T25.512@eagle.america.net...
||||| In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
||||| whisky and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is
||||| known as a "half and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of
||||| whisky and a half pint of beer.
|||
||| Pogue Highgonader
|||
|||| Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a
|||| pint an a wee one".
||
|| In England, the standard order is a pint and a large one...

I was say "a pint please and can I have a look at your Black Bush" !

--
"A horse a horse, my kingdom for a horse".

I haven't had a winner for six months.

The Count

Alan Crozier

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Alan Crozier » 13 feb 2007 11:26:56

"The Count of Baldoni" <anthony.baldone.@notinhere...> wrote in message
news:yegAh.5823$mn2.148@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
Martin wrote:
|| "D. Spencer Hines" <poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote in message
|| news:vstzh.257$T25.512@eagle.america.net...
||||| In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
||||| whisky and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is
||||| known as a "half and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of
||||| whisky and a half pint of beer.
|||
||| Pogue Highgonader
|||
|||| Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be
"a
|||| pint an a wee one".
||
|| In England, the standard order is a pint and a large one...

I was say "a pint please and can I have a look at your Black Bush" !

Some barmen don't take too kindly to that.

Alan

Gjest

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Gjest » 13 feb 2007 12:23:01

I would argue that Ireland's modern cultural self-image image of
itself is that of a classic alcoholic.

The drunkards narcessism: "You'll never beat the Irish"..."Sure they
all Love us Paddies!" and the whole victim complex "poor me, we have
suffered as a people" as if the Irish are the only country in the
world to ave had a hard time is all classic dipso behaviour. This
whole professional charity culture the Irish have is also classic
alkie carry on. They can't sort themselves out, but they make sure the
rest of the world knows the Paddies are saving them all. "Sure aren't
we great!"

Like drunks in a pub looking for sympathy, Irish are also the biggest
whingers and moaners when something goes wrong - we have no
perspective of ourselves really beyond our self-centered drunkard
national self-image. Even our view of our own history is classic
alcoholic mindset. The Irish did everything right and it's everybody
else who let us down... We Irish were ALWAYS blameless victims. This
is just how Irish history is percieved by Irish people and is the same
way an alcoholic would view his own life. "They did the dirty on
me..."

Speaking as an Irish person, I would have to say that we completley
deserve our reputation as a nation of drunks because our culture is
essentially a classic alcholic mindset. It's a shocking realisation
when it hits you and then you begin to see it echoed in every aspect
of Irish life.

Even when budget time comes around TV news graphic always show a
cigarette and a pint as if every other aspect of Irish fiscal and
socio-economic policy is secondary to feeding our addiciton mindset -
it's first and foremost how much will our national addiction culture
cost us this year.

When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a pint of Guinness in their
hands. Ireland has 10,000 years of rich culture and history and all
our nation can project of ourselves to the rest of the world is "the
drunk Paddy up for the craic!"

Deirdre Sholto Douglas

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Deirdre Sholto Douglas » 13 feb 2007 16:13:32

"D. Spencer Hines" wrote:
Sounds quite reasonable for a piano teacher who was teaching young
students...

She no doubt needed something to anesthetize herself from their poor
playing -- and GIN/VODKA was an excellent choice.

I don't doubt her reasons or question her choice,
but the students, who were having to contend
with _her_, could have also benefited from an
alcoholic jolt as well...the more she drank the
harder she hit.

Deirdre

DSH

"Deirdre Sholto Douglas" <finch.enteract@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:45D0ABAF.DC1FBF3D@rcn.com...

I once had a piano teacher who had a special
pitcher of "pure water" which no one else was
allowed to drink from...at the time, I thought
she was afraid of germs, now I suspect she
was simply disinclined to share her gin/vodka
with her students. :-(

Deirdre

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 13 feb 2007 17:23:58

"Eric Stevens" <eric.stevens@sum.co.nz> wrote in message
news:nol1t29trk8t18g18a4gccpq516mpqnlbj@4ax.com...
On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:13:19 +1000, "Adam Whyte-Settlar"
grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote:

--- snip ----

By the way - I had my first life and death struggle with a ****ing Taipan
the other day.
Damn thing was in the kitchen first thing in the morning!
It was under the fridge and as I walked towards it to get the milk it
slithered out and took up a defensive posture in front of it.
BIG mistake.
I hadn't had my first cup of coffee yet, let alone my second!
Anyway, I considered if it was worth risking my life in order to get the
milk for all of two seconds before deciding that - yes - of course it was,
I
can't stand black coffee first thing.
I decided on my trusty spade as a weapon. Not ideal for tackling a 3'
snake
but it's the weapon I am most familar with as a result of all my lethal
battles with baby rabbits in the Market Garden years ago. It made me feel
more confident than anything else I could find in the shed at short
notice.
Anyway, as I edged towards it the bastard made a dive at my leg at
precisely
the same instant as I tried to cut it's ****ing head off with the spade so
I
actually caught it about halfway down it's back. It was wriggling like a
chopped worm but I managed to keep it pinned down and eventually cut it in
half. There's a surprising volume of blood in a snake - I hadn't expected
that.

I once knew someone who woke up to find his Siamese cat playing with a
very pissed off Tiger snake on the foot of his bed. Fortunately he had
a loaded shotgun by the side of his bed and managed to do for the
snake while avoiding the cat and his feet. It didn't do much for the
bed clothes though and I think it was about two days before the cat
came back home.


I like the loaded shotgun by the bed idea - though I would have shot the cat
too.
According to a local chap that visited the next day it's illegal to kill
them! I was supposed to call the 'snake-man' at *my* expense and have it
captured and removed.
That'll be shining bright.
If they stay out of my way in the garden I won't bother them either, but any
lethal snake that has the cheek to enter the house uninvited - it's life is
forfeit no messing.
I wonder if I can get a shotgun licence here - the spade made several deep
chip marks in the floor tiles and I got into trouble from the bidey-in over
that. Typical - she can deal with the next one herself.

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 13 feb 2007 17:30:04

"Deirdre Sholto Douglas" <finch.enteract@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:45D0A65F.1AE82F88@rcn.com...

Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...

Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once
again
that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I was
often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.

Gad, I remember seeing that a _lot_...particularly
if those doing the serving were Wee Frees.

These *were* mainly Wee Frees now that you come to mention it.
It changes abruptly to Catholic as you go over the little causeway into
South Uist.
Maybe they serve coffee down there.

A W-S

I
suppose, if you're trying to disguise your tippling,
whisky and tea are close enough to the same
colour...might be hard to explain why you're
reeling and singing after a cup of tea, but one
can always blame "allergies". :-)

Deirdre

The Real Fifeshire Bimbo

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av The Real Fifeshire Bimbo » 13 feb 2007 17:49:47

"Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:45d067de@quokka.wn.com.au...
HUGE snip:


Another little surprise this afternoon was when I put on my shoe at the
back door. I *always* check for spiders and there never is one but of
course this time I didn't check for some reason and when I put my foot
in a felt this huge lump in the toe of the shoe.
Freaked out.
Pulled it off rapid style.
Shook it and this huge 'Rhino Beetle' about 3 inches long fell out and
went scurrying off in a huff.

Snakes, spiders and rhino beetles! You can have your tropics. We're
looking forward to 30 cms of snow and nary a critter in sight!

Hope I'm not boring you too much with all this crap.

Not at all! Only grateful I don't have to deal with all those exotic
creatures!

Cheers, Helen

Cory Bhreckan

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Cory Bhreckan » 13 feb 2007 18:18:14

Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:
"Deirdre Sholto Douglas" <finch.enteract@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:45D0A65F.1AE82F88@rcn.com...


Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:

"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...


Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once
again
that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I was
often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.

Gad, I remember seeing that a _lot_...particularly
if those doing the serving were Wee Frees.


These *were* mainly Wee Frees now that you come to mention it.
It changes abruptly to Catholic as you go over the little causeway into
South Uist.
Maybe they serve coffee down there.

Catholics? Not bloody likely. They wouldn't hide their whisky in a tea
cup though.

A W-S

I

suppose, if you're trying to disguise your tippling,
whisky and tea are close enough to the same
colour...might be hard to explain why you're
reeling and singing after a cup of tea, but one
can always blame "allergies". :-)

Deirdre





--
"For the stronger we our houses do build,
The less chance we have of being killed." - William Topaz McGonagall

Cory Bhreckan

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Cory Bhreckan » 13 feb 2007 18:22:10

Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:
"Eric Stevens" <eric.stevens@sum.co.nz> wrote in message
news:nol1t29trk8t18g18a4gccpq516mpqnlbj@4ax.com...

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:13:19 +1000, "Adam Whyte-Settlar"
grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote:

--- snip ----


By the way - I had my first life and death struggle with a ****ing Taipan
the other day.
Damn thing was in the kitchen first thing in the morning!
It was under the fridge and as I walked towards it to get the milk it
slithered out and took up a defensive posture in front of it.
BIG mistake.
I hadn't had my first cup of coffee yet, let alone my second!
Anyway, I considered if it was worth risking my life in order to get the
milk for all of two seconds before deciding that - yes - of course it was,
I
can't stand black coffee first thing.
I decided on my trusty spade as a weapon. Not ideal for tackling a 3'
snake
but it's the weapon I am most familar with as a result of all my lethal
battles with baby rabbits in the Market Garden years ago. It made me feel
more confident than anything else I could find in the shed at short
notice.
Anyway, as I edged towards it the bastard made a dive at my leg at
precisely
the same instant as I tried to cut it's ****ing head off with the spade so
I
actually caught it about halfway down it's back. It was wriggling like a
chopped worm but I managed to keep it pinned down and eventually cut it in
half. There's a surprising volume of blood in a snake - I hadn't expected
that.

I once knew someone who woke up to find his Siamese cat playing with a
very pissed off Tiger snake on the foot of his bed. Fortunately he had
a loaded shotgun by the side of his bed and managed to do for the
snake while avoiding the cat and his feet. It didn't do much for the
bed clothes though and I think it was about two days before the cat
came back home.



I like the loaded shotgun by the bed idea - though I would have shot the cat
too.
According to a local chap that visited the next day it's illegal to kill
them! I was supposed to call the 'snake-man' at *my* expense and have it
captured and removed.
That'll be shining bright.
If they stay out of my way in the garden I won't bother them either, but any
lethal snake that has the cheek to enter the house uninvited - it's life is
forfeit no messing.
I wonder if I can get a shotgun licence here - the spade made several deep
chip marks in the floor tiles and I got into trouble from the bidey-in over
that. Typical - she can deal with the next one herself.

Do you think a shotgun blast will be better for the floor tiles (not to
mention the rest of the room when the shot ricochets)?



--
"For the stronger we our houses do build,
The less chance we have of being killed." - William Topaz McGonagall

Cory Bhreckan

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Cory Bhreckan » 13 feb 2007 18:29:48

The Real Fifeshire Bimbo wrote:
"Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:45d067de@quokka.wn.com.au...

HUGE snip:

Another little surprise this afternoon was when I put on my shoe at the
back door. I *always* check for spiders and there never is one but of
course this time I didn't check for some reason and when I put my foot
in a felt this huge lump in the toe of the shoe.
Freaked out.
Pulled it off rapid style.
Shook it and this huge 'Rhino Beetle' about 3 inches long fell out and
went scurrying off in a huff.


Snakes, spiders and rhino beetles! You can have your tropics. We're
looking forward to 30 cms of snow and nary a critter in sight!


Hope I'm not boring you too much with all this crap.


Not at all! Only grateful I don't have to deal with all those exotic
creatures!

Cheers, Helen

And to think that Adam expects to find fifteen suckers to move into the

snake pits that he plans to build.





--
"For the stronger we our houses do build,
The less chance we have of being killed." - William Topaz McGonagall

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 13 feb 2007 19:08:15

Excellent Point!

DSH

"Deirdre Sholto Douglas" <finch.enteract@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:45D1D59C.ECC1FD4@rcn.com...

"D. Spencer Hines" wrote:

Sounds quite reasonable for a piano teacher who was teaching young
students...

She no doubt needed something to anesthetize herself from their poor
playing -- and GIN/VODKA was an excellent choice.

I don't doubt her reasons or question her choice,
but the students, who were having to contend
with _her_, could have also benefited from an
alcoholic jolt as well...the more she drank the
harder she hit.

Deirdre


DSH

"Deirdre Sholto Douglas" <finch.enteract@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:45D0ABAF.DC1FBF3D@rcn.com...

I once had a piano teacher who had a special
pitcher of "pure water" which no one else was
allowed to drink from...at the time, I thought
she was afraid of germs, now I suspect she
was simply disinclined to share her gin/vodka
with her students. :-(

Deirdre

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 13 feb 2007 20:00:47

VERY WELL STATED!

Further, Pogue Brannigan of the University of Maryland, College Park is the
Perfect Poster Boy, Icon and Sterling Epitome of this characterization of
the CLASSIC NARCISSIST ALCOHOLIC IRISHMAN.

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas.

Deus Vult
-----------------------------------------------

<kfuzzbox@tinet.ie> wrote in message
news:1171365781.275095.324470@h3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

I would argue that Ireland's modern cultural self-image of
itself is that of a classic alcoholic.

The drunkards narcissism: "You'll never beat the Irish"..."Sure they
all Love us Paddies!" and the whole victim complex "poor me, we have
suffered as a people" as if the Irish are the only country in the
world to have had a hard time is all classic dipso behaviour. This
whole professional charity culture the Irish have is also classic
alkie carry on. They can't sort themselves out, but they make sure the
rest of the world knows the Paddies are saving them all. "Sure aren't
we great!"

Like drunks in a pub looking for sympathy, Irish are also the biggest
whingers and moaners when something goes wrong - we have no
perspective of ourselves really beyond our self-centered drunkard
national self-image. Even our view of our own history is classic
alcoholic mindset. The Irish did everything right and it's everybody
else who let us down... We Irish were ALWAYS blameless victims. This
is just how Irish history is perceived by Irish people and is the same
way an alcoholic would view his own life. "They did the dirty on
me..."

Speaking as an Irish person, I would have to say that we completely
deserve our reputation as a nation of drunks because our culture is
essentially a classic alcoholic mindset. It's a shocking realisation
when it hits you and then you begin to see it echoed in every aspect
of Irish life.

Even when budget time comes around TV news graphic always show a
cigarette and a pint as if every other aspect of Irish fiscal and
socio-economic policy is secondary to feeding our addiction mindset -
it's first and foremost how much will our national addiction culture
cost us this year.

When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a pint of Guinness in their
hands. Ireland has 10,000 years of rich culture and history and all
our nation can project of ourselves to the rest of the world is "the
drunk Paddy up for the craic!"

Robert Peffers.

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Robert Peffers. » 13 feb 2007 21:27:59

"The Real Fifeshire Bimbo" <htr@AwaAnBileYirHeid.com> wrote in message
news:53e8gsF1saob7U1@mid.individual.net...
"Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:45d067de@quokka.wn.com.au...

HUGE snip:

Another little surprise this afternoon was when I put on my shoe at the
back door. I *always* check for spiders and there never is one but of
course this time I didn't check for some reason and when I put my foot in
a felt this huge lump in the toe of the shoe.
Freaked out.
Pulled it off rapid style.
Shook it and this huge 'Rhino Beetle' about 3 inches long fell out and
went scurrying off in a huff.

Snakes, spiders and rhino beetles! You can have your tropics. We're
looking forward to 30 cms of snow and nary a critter in sight!

Hope I'm not boring you too much with all this crap.

Not at all! Only grateful I don't have to deal with all those exotic
creatures!

Cheers, Helen




The nearest thing to an exotic creature we get in Kelty is Wee Maggie who is

one of those anorexic like girls who has dreams of the catwalk.
--

Robert Peffers,
Kelty,
Fife,
Scotland, (UK).

Martin

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Martin » 14 feb 2007 00:49:47

"David J. Hughes" <davidjhughes.tx@netzero.net> wrote in message
news:1171332593_23961@sp6iad.superfeed.net...
Josiah Jenkins wrote:
Whilst perusing Usenet on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:02:07 -0000, I read
these words from "Martin" <martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> :


"D. Spencer Hines" <poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:vstzh.257$T25.512@eagle.america.net...

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a "half
and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half pint of
beer.

Pogue Highgonader


Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a pint
an a wee one".

In England, the standard order is a pint and a large one...


At 1/5th of a gill (whatever the metric equivalent is) you need
a large one to dampen the glass !

4 gills to a pint, 1/5 gill is one ounce (UK), or 28.41 ml.

..... and an ounce is a small swig. Shamefully small measures, we are in danger
of being a laughing stock even in Europe. Especially in Europe...

It may seem impressive downing a dozen large scotches at lunchtime and remaining
sober, but when you add up the actual amount of alcohol, it is quite laughable.
Bloody expensive, but laughable...

We get ripped off hand over fist in the UK for booze, not only by the greedy
government, but by the even more avaricious breweries. Then they moan and whinge
when we go to Calais... scandalous!

Falcon

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Falcon » 14 feb 2007 00:57:32

Martin wrote:

"David J. Hughes" <davidjhughes.tx@netzero.net> wrote in message
news:1171332593_23961@sp6iad.superfeed.net...
Josiah Jenkins wrote:
Whilst perusing Usenet on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:02:07 -0000, I read
these words from "Martin" <martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> :


"D. Spencer Hines" <poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:vstzh.257$T25.512@eagle.america.net...

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a
"half and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half
pint of beer.

Pogue Highgonader


Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a
pint an a wee one".

In England, the standard order is a pint and a large one...


At 1/5th of a gill (whatever the metric equivalent is) you need
a large one to dampen the glass !

4 gills to a pint, 1/5 gill is one ounce (UK), or 28.41 ml.

.... and an ounce is a small swig. Shamefully small measures, we are in
danger of being a laughing stock even in Europe. Especially in Europe...

It may seem impressive downing a dozen large scotches at lunchtime and
remaining sober, but when you add up the actual amount of alcohol, it is
quite laughable. Bloody expensive, but laughable...

A dozen large ones at lunchtime *and* stay sober? Yeah, right. That's half a
bottle. I assume to travel to work by train.

--
Falcon:
fide, sed cui vide. (L)
What is Spyware?
http://xrl.us/unzb (Link to geekvideo.blogspot.com)

Falcon

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Falcon » 14 feb 2007 01:04:34

Falcon wrote:

Martin wrote:

"David J. Hughes" <davidjhughes.tx@netzero.net> wrote in message
news:1171332593_23961@sp6iad.superfeed.net...
Josiah Jenkins wrote:
Whilst perusing Usenet on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:02:07 -0000, I read
these words from "Martin" <martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> :


"D. Spencer Hines" <poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:vstzh.257$T25.512@eagle.america.net...

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
whisky and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known
as a "half and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a
half pint of beer.

Pogue Highgonader


Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a
pint an a wee one".

In England, the standard order is a pint and a large one...


At 1/5th of a gill (whatever the metric equivalent is) you need
a large one to dampen the glass !

4 gills to a pint, 1/5 gill is one ounce (UK), or 28.41 ml.

.... and an ounce is a small swig. Shamefully small measures, we are in
danger of being a laughing stock even in Europe. Especially in Europe...

It may seem impressive downing a dozen large scotches at lunchtime and
remaining sober, but when you add up the actual amount of alcohol, it is
quite laughable. Bloody expensive, but laughable...

A dozen large ones at lunchtime *and* stay sober? Yeah, right. That's
half a bottle. I assume to travel to work by train.

Strike that - a dozen large ones is almost a full bottle.

What's the word I'm looking for?

Oh yes; bollocks.

--
Falcon:
fide, sed cui vide. (L)
What is Spyware?
http://xrl.us/unzb (Link to geekvideo.blogspot.com)

Martin

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Martin » 14 feb 2007 01:23:00

"Falcon" <falcon@invalid.net> wrote in message
news:MfsAh.6951$tz6.1567@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...
Martin wrote:

"David J. Hughes" <davidjhughes.tx@netzero.net> wrote in message
news:1171332593_23961@sp6iad.superfeed.net...
Josiah Jenkins wrote:
Whilst perusing Usenet on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:02:07 -0000, I read
these words from "Martin" <martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> :


"D. Spencer Hines" <poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:vstzh.257$T25.512@eagle.america.net...

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a
"half and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half
pint of beer.

Pogue Highgonader


Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a
pint an a wee one".

In England, the standard order is a pint and a large one...


At 1/5th of a gill (whatever the metric equivalent is) you need
a large one to dampen the glass !

4 gills to a pint, 1/5 gill is one ounce (UK), or 28.41 ml.

.... and an ounce is a small swig. Shamefully small measures, we are in
danger of being a laughing stock even in Europe. Especially in Europe...

It may seem impressive downing a dozen large scotches at lunchtime and
remaining sober, but when you add up the actual amount of alcohol, it is
quite laughable. Bloody expensive, but laughable...

A dozen large ones at lunchtime *and* stay sober? Yeah, right. That's half a
bottle. I assume to travel to work by train.

Of course... when the coachman takes a day off. I will be glad to demonstrate
(if you wish to pay, ahem..)

A 'proper' lunchtime I should have said, not fifty desperate minutes... I am
somewhat 'traditional'.... food optional.

And no more than a quarter of a dozen at breakfast - one has to draw the line
somewhere.

This absurd, puritanical obsession with reguard to alcohol, taobacco and drugs
is very irritating sometimes. Churchill drank (according to my estimate) more
than twenty times thw daiy limit reccomended by the BMA, which didn't stop him
leading the country through WWII or living to a ripe old age. He did make
mistekes, true, but not because he was pissed..

A remarkable man, but fairly small in stature and certainly no 'superman'. His
intake was nothing compared to many great men who preceded him, something
ignored by the so-called authorities these days.

They used to say "if you drink less than your doctor, you'll be fine", and there
was wisdom.... unless your GP happened to be Harold Shipman (he preferred
morphine).

Cheers
Martin

Martin

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Martin » 14 feb 2007 01:46:26

<kfuzzbox@tinet.ie> wrote in message
news:1171365781.275095.324470@h3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
I would argue that Ireland's modern cultural self-image image of
itself is that of a classic alcoholic.

The drunkards narcessism: "You'll never beat the Irish"..."Sure they
all Love us Paddies!" and the whole victim complex "poor me, we have
suffered as a people" as if the Irish are the only country in the
world to ave had a hard time is all classic dipso behaviour. This
whole professional charity culture the Irish have is also classic
alkie carry on. They can't sort themselves out, but they make sure the
rest of the world knows the Paddies are saving them all. "Sure aren't
we great!"

Like drunks in a pub looking for sympathy, Irish are also the biggest
whingers and moaners when something goes wrong - we have no
perspective of ourselves really beyond our self-centered drunkard
national self-image. Even our view of our own history is classic
alcoholic mindset. The Irish did everything right and it's everybody
else who let us down... We Irish were ALWAYS blameless victims. This
is just how Irish history is percieved by Irish people and is the same
way an alcoholic would view his own life. "They did the dirty on
me..."

Speaking as an Irish person, I would have to say that we completley
deserve our reputation as a nation of drunks because our culture is
essentially a classic alcholic mindset. It's a shocking realisation
when it hits you and then you begin to see it echoed in every aspect
of Irish life.

Even when budget time comes around TV news graphic always show a
cigarette and a pint as if every other aspect of Irish fiscal and
socio-economic policy is secondary to feeding our addiciton mindset -
it's first and foremost how much will our national addiction culture
cost us this year.

When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a pint of Guinness in their
hands. Ireland has 10,000 years of rich culture and history and all
our nation can project of ourselves to the rest of the world is "the
drunk Paddy up for the craic!"

Very honest... and from my own extensive observations, not unfair for the most
part. Even so, I must say (as an Englishman) we are just as bad, and can be a
lot worse when it comes to closing time. Having drunk (and been drunk) in plenty
of 'London Irish' pubs, the only criticism I'd have of Irish drinkers - the
serious kind - is a tendency to become gloomy, insular and morbid when they
overdo it. That is better (IMO) than the English who tend to start trouble, the
Scots who almost always start trouble if they haven't passed out, and the Welsh
(worst of all) who start singing.

I really like my 'late night local' in fact, which is very 'Irish' (a 'theme
joint', which attracts anyone from the Emerald Isle from miles around), and has
a good, friendly atmosphere almost always... apart from St Patrick's Day of
course. The girls are rather lovely, the blokes friendly (providing the rugby
goes the right way), and everyone has a ball.

That could be because Guinness has been supplemented by ecstasy, though I'm not
sure... whatever, far more cheerful than the grisly, charnel house style
grimness of the Old Bell (Kilburn) or the Cricklewood Hotel... where I used to
fix the fruit machines and pool tables.

I suppose you must have read 'Angela's Ashes'? That explains a lot...
Cheers
Martin

Robert Peffers.

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Robert Peffers. » 14 feb 2007 01:54:38

"Falcon" <falcon@invalid.net> wrote in message
news:MfsAh.6951$tz6.1567@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...
Martin wrote:

"David J. Hughes" <davidjhughes.tx@netzero.net> wrote in message
news:1171332593_23961@sp6iad.superfeed.net...
Josiah Jenkins wrote:
Whilst perusing Usenet on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:02:07 -0000, I read
these words from "Martin" <martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> :


"D. Spencer Hines" <poguemidden@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:vstzh.257$T25.512@eagle.america.net...

In Scotland, the drinking custom is toss down a shot glass of
whisky
and follow it with a beer "chaser" Typically, this is known as a
"half and a half" - a half gill (old measure) of whisky and a half
pint of beer.

Pogue Highgonader


Only half a pint? Back in Ulster, the standard order used to be "a
pint an a wee one".

In England, the standard order is a pint and a large one...


At 1/5th of a gill (whatever the metric equivalent is) you need
a large one to dampen the glass !

4 gills to a pint, 1/5 gill is one ounce (UK), or 28.41 ml.

.... and an ounce is a small swig. Shamefully small measures, we are in
danger of being a laughing stock even in Europe. Especially in Europe...

It may seem impressive downing a dozen large scotches at lunchtime and
remaining sober, but when you add up the actual amount of alcohol, it is
quite laughable. Bloody expensive, but laughable...

A dozen large ones at lunchtime *and* stay sober? Yeah, right. That's half
a bottle. I assume to travel to work by train.

--
Falcon:
fide, sed cui vide. (L)
What is Spyware?
http://xrl.us/unzb (Link to geekvideo.blogspot.com)


Well they will have a hard job ripping this guy off. I don't drink the stuff

anymore.
--

Robert Peffers,
Kelty,
Fife,
Scotland, (UK).

Custos Custodum

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Custos Custodum » 14 feb 2007 02:24:56

On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:46:26 -0000, "Martin"
<martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> wrote:

kfuzzbox@tinet.ie> wrote in message
news:1171365781.275095.324470@h3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
I would argue that Ireland's modern cultural self-image image of
itself is that of a classic alcoholic.

The drunkards narcessism: "You'll never beat the Irish"..."Sure they
all Love us Paddies!" and the whole victim complex "poor me, we have
suffered as a people" as if the Irish are the only country in the
world to ave had a hard time is all classic dipso behaviour. This
whole professional charity culture the Irish have is also classic
alkie carry on. They can't sort themselves out, but they make sure the
rest of the world knows the Paddies are saving them all. "Sure aren't
we great!"

Like drunks in a pub looking for sympathy, Irish are also the biggest
whingers and moaners when something goes wrong - we have no
perspective of ourselves really beyond our self-centered drunkard
national self-image. Even our view of our own history is classic
alcoholic mindset. The Irish did everything right and it's everybody
else who let us down... We Irish were ALWAYS blameless victims. This
is just how Irish history is percieved by Irish people and is the same
way an alcoholic would view his own life. "They did the dirty on
me..."

Speaking as an Irish person, I would have to say that we completley
deserve our reputation as a nation of drunks because our culture is
essentially a classic alcholic mindset. It's a shocking realisation
when it hits you and then you begin to see it echoed in every aspect
of Irish life.

Even when budget time comes around TV news graphic always show a
cigarette and a pint as if every other aspect of Irish fiscal and
socio-economic policy is secondary to feeding our addiciton mindset -
it's first and foremost how much will our national addiction culture
cost us this year.

When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a pint of Guinness in their
hands. Ireland has 10,000 years of rich culture and history and all
our nation can project of ourselves to the rest of the world is "the
drunk Paddy up for the craic!"

Very honest... and from my own extensive observations, not unfair for the most
part. Even so, I must say (as an Englishman) we are just as bad, and can be a
lot worse when it comes to closing time. Having drunk (and been drunk) in plenty
of 'London Irish' pubs, the only criticism I'd have of Irish drinkers - the
serious kind - is a tendency to become gloomy, insular and morbid when they
overdo it. That is better (IMO) than the English who tend to start trouble, the
Scots who almost always start trouble if they haven't passed out, and the Welsh
(worst of all) who start singing.

I really like my 'late night local' in fact, which is very 'Irish' (a 'theme
joint', which attracts anyone from the Emerald Isle from miles around), and has
a good, friendly atmosphere almost always... apart from St Patrick's Day of
course. The girls are rather lovely, the blokes friendly (providing the rugby
goes the right way), and everyone has a ball.

That could be because Guinness has been supplemented by ecstasy, though I'm not
sure... whatever, far more cheerful than the grisly, charnel house style
grimness of the Old Bell (Kilburn) or the Cricklewood Hotel... where I used to
fix the fruit machines and pool tables.

I suppose you must have read 'Angela's Ashes'? That explains a lot...

Read the book, saw the film, drank in the pub. (Kavanagh's in
Glasnevin, also known as "The Gravedigger's", owing to its proximity
to the cemetery gates.)

Eric Stevens

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Eric Stevens » 14 feb 2007 04:43:04

On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:46:26 -0000, "Martin"
<martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> wrote:

kfuzzbox@tinet.ie> wrote in message
news:1171365781.275095.324470@h3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
I would argue that Ireland's modern cultural self-image image of
itself is that of a classic alcoholic.

The drunkards narcessism: "You'll never beat the Irish"..."Sure they
all Love us Paddies!" and the whole victim complex "poor me, we have
suffered as a people" as if the Irish are the only country in the
world to ave had a hard time is all classic dipso behaviour. This
whole professional charity culture the Irish have is also classic
alkie carry on. They can't sort themselves out, but they make sure the
rest of the world knows the Paddies are saving them all. "Sure aren't
we great!"

Like drunks in a pub looking for sympathy, Irish are also the biggest
whingers and moaners when something goes wrong - we have no
perspective of ourselves really beyond our self-centered drunkard
national self-image. Even our view of our own history is classic
alcoholic mindset. The Irish did everything right and it's everybody
else who let us down... We Irish were ALWAYS blameless victims. This
is just how Irish history is percieved by Irish people and is the same
way an alcoholic would view his own life. "They did the dirty on
me..."

Speaking as an Irish person, I would have to say that we completley
deserve our reputation as a nation of drunks because our culture is
essentially a classic alcholic mindset. It's a shocking realisation
when it hits you and then you begin to see it echoed in every aspect
of Irish life.

Even when budget time comes around TV news graphic always show a
cigarette and a pint as if every other aspect of Irish fiscal and
socio-economic policy is secondary to feeding our addiciton mindset -
it's first and foremost how much will our national addiction culture
cost us this year.

When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a pint of Guinness in their
hands. Ireland has 10,000 years of rich culture and history and all
our nation can project of ourselves to the rest of the world is "the
drunk Paddy up for the craic!"

Very honest... and from my own extensive observations, not unfair for the most
part. Even so, I must say (as an Englishman) we are just as bad, and can be a
lot worse when it comes to closing time. Having drunk (and been drunk) in plenty
of 'London Irish' pubs, the only criticism I'd have of Irish drinkers - the
serious kind - is a tendency to become gloomy, insular and morbid when they
overdo it. That is better (IMO) than the English who tend to start trouble, the
Scots who almost always start trouble if they haven't passed out, and the Welsh
(worst of all) who start singing.

I really like my 'late night local' in fact, which is very 'Irish' (a 'theme
joint', which attracts anyone from the Emerald Isle from miles around), and has
a good, friendly atmosphere almost always... apart from St Patrick's Day of
course. The girls are rather lovely, the blokes friendly (providing the rugby
goes the right way), and everyone has a ball.

That could be because Guinness has been supplemented by ecstasy, though I'm not
sure... whatever, far more cheerful than the grisly, charnel house style
grimness of the Old Bell (Kilburn) or the Cricklewood Hotel... where I used to
fix the fruit machines and pool tables.

I suppose you must have read 'Angela's Ashes'? That explains a lot...


In the 19th century there was a real problem in Ireland with the
drinking of Ether. See
http://www.ndc.hrb.ie/attached/2183-His ... reland.pdf



Eric Stevens

Peter Jason

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Peter Jason » 14 feb 2007 07:17:57

"Eric Stevens" <eric.stevens@sum.co.nz> wrote
in message
news:6v05t29lhodipf97vogda27dn0kvtqf7ht@4ax.com...
On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:46:26 -0000,
"Martin"
martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> wrote:


kfuzzbox@tinet.ie> wrote in message
news:1171365781.275095.324470@h3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
I would argue that Ireland's modern
cultural self-image image of
itself is that of a classic alcoholic.

The drunkards narcessism: "You'll never
beat the Irish"..."Sure they
all Love us Paddies!" and the whole
victim complex "poor me, we have
suffered as a people" as if the Irish are
the only country in the
world to ave had a hard time is all
classic dipso behaviour. This
whole professional charity culture the
Irish have is also classic
alkie carry on. They can't sort
themselves out, but they make sure the
rest of the world knows the Paddies are
saving them all. "Sure aren't
we great!"

Like drunks in a pub looking for
sympathy, Irish are also the biggest
whingers and moaners when something goes
wrong - we have no
perspective of ourselves really beyond
our self-centered drunkard
national self-image. Even our view of our
own history is classic
alcoholic mindset. The Irish did
everything right and it's everybody
else who let us down... We Irish were
ALWAYS blameless victims. This
is just how Irish history is percieved by
Irish people and is the same
way an alcoholic would view his own life.
"They did the dirty on
me..."

Speaking as an Irish person, I would have
to say that we completley
deserve our reputation as a nation of
drunks because our culture is
essentially a classic alcholic mindset.
It's a shocking realisation
when it hits you and then you begin to
see it echoed in every aspect
of Irish life.

Even when budget time comes around TV
news graphic always show a
cigarette and a pint as if every other
aspect of Irish fiscal and
socio-economic policy is secondary to
feeding our addiciton mindset -
it's first and foremost how much will our
national addiction culture
cost us this year.

When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland
the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a
pint of Guinness in their
hands. Ireland has 10,000 years of rich
culture and history and all
our nation can project of ourselves to
the rest of the world is "the
drunk Paddy up for the craic!"

Very honest... and from my own extensive
observations, not unfair for the most
part. Even so, I must say (as an
Englishman) we are just as bad, and can be
a
lot worse when it comes to closing time.
Having drunk (and been drunk) in plenty
of 'London Irish' pubs, the only criticism
I'd have of Irish drinkers - the
serious kind - is a tendency to become
gloomy, insular and morbid when they
overdo it. That is better (IMO) than the
English who tend to start trouble, the
Scots who almost always start trouble if
they haven't passed out, and the Welsh
(worst of all) who start singing.

I really like my 'late night local' in
fact, which is very 'Irish' (a 'theme
joint', which attracts anyone from the
Emerald Isle from miles around), and has
a good, friendly atmosphere almost
always... apart from St Patrick's Day of
course. The girls are rather lovely, the
blokes friendly (providing the rugby
goes the right way), and everyone has a
ball.

That could be because Guinness has been
supplemented by ecstasy, though I'm not
sure... whatever, far more cheerful than
the grisly, charnel house style
grimness of the Old Bell (Kilburn) or the
Cricklewood Hotel... where I used to
fix the fruit machines and pool tables.

I suppose you must have read 'Angela's
Ashes'? That explains a lot...


In the 19th century there was a real
problem in Ireland with the
drinking of Ether. See
http://www.ndc.hrb.ie/attached/2183-His ... reland.pdf



Eric Stevens

I tried that link, and Firefox crashed!

Eric Stevens

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Eric Stevens » 14 feb 2007 08:48:40

On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:17:57 +1100, "Peter Jason" <pj@jostle.com>
wrote:

"Eric Stevens" <eric.stevens@sum.co.nz> wrote
in message
news:6v05t29lhodipf97vogda27dn0kvtqf7ht@4ax.com...
On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:46:26 -0000,
"Martin"
martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> wrote:


kfuzzbox@tinet.ie> wrote in message
news:1171365781.275095.324470@h3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
I would argue that Ireland's modern
cultural self-image image of
itself is that of a classic alcoholic.

The drunkards narcessism: "You'll never
beat the Irish"..."Sure they
all Love us Paddies!" and the whole
victim complex "poor me, we have
suffered as a people" as if the Irish are
the only country in the
world to ave had a hard time is all
classic dipso behaviour. This
whole professional charity culture the
Irish have is also classic
alkie carry on. They can't sort
themselves out, but they make sure the
rest of the world knows the Paddies are
saving them all. "Sure aren't
we great!"

Like drunks in a pub looking for
sympathy, Irish are also the biggest
whingers and moaners when something goes
wrong - we have no
perspective of ourselves really beyond
our self-centered drunkard
national self-image. Even our view of our
own history is classic
alcoholic mindset. The Irish did
everything right and it's everybody
else who let us down... We Irish were
ALWAYS blameless victims. This
is just how Irish history is percieved by
Irish people and is the same
way an alcoholic would view his own life.
"They did the dirty on
me..."

Speaking as an Irish person, I would have
to say that we completley
deserve our reputation as a nation of
drunks because our culture is
essentially a classic alcholic mindset.
It's a shocking realisation
when it hits you and then you begin to
see it echoed in every aspect
of Irish life.

Even when budget time comes around TV
news graphic always show a
cigarette and a pint as if every other
aspect of Irish fiscal and
socio-economic policy is secondary to
feeding our addiciton mindset -
it's first and foremost how much will our
national addiction culture
cost us this year.

When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland
the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a
pint of Guinness in their
hands. Ireland has 10,000 years of rich
culture and history and all
our nation can project of ourselves to
the rest of the world is "the
drunk Paddy up for the craic!"

Very honest... and from my own extensive
observations, not unfair for the most
part. Even so, I must say (as an
Englishman) we are just as bad, and can be
a
lot worse when it comes to closing time.
Having drunk (and been drunk) in plenty
of 'London Irish' pubs, the only criticism
I'd have of Irish drinkers - the
serious kind - is a tendency to become
gloomy, insular and morbid when they
overdo it. That is better (IMO) than the
English who tend to start trouble, the
Scots who almost always start trouble if
they haven't passed out, and the Welsh
(worst of all) who start singing.

I really like my 'late night local' in
fact, which is very 'Irish' (a 'theme
joint', which attracts anyone from the
Emerald Isle from miles around), and has
a good, friendly atmosphere almost
always... apart from St Patrick's Day of
course. The girls are rather lovely, the
blokes friendly (providing the rugby
goes the right way), and everyone has a
ball.

That could be because Guinness has been
supplemented by ecstasy, though I'm not
sure... whatever, far more cheerful than
the grisly, charnel house style
grimness of the Old Bell (Kilburn) or the
Cricklewood Hotel... where I used to
fix the fruit machines and pool tables.

I suppose you must have read 'Angela's
Ashes'? That explains a lot...


In the 19th century there was a real
problem in Ireland with the
drinking of Ether. See
http://www.ndc.hrb.ie/attached/2183-His ... reland.pdf



Eric Stevens

I tried that link, and Firefox crashed!


I use Firefox and it worked OK when I read my article again.


Try http://tinyurl.com/2j8hga



Eric Stevens

a.spencer3

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av a.spencer3 » 14 feb 2007 09:20:49

"Martin" <martin.reboul@spamfuktiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:45d25be1_3@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
kfuzzbox@tinet.ie> wrote in message
news:1171365781.275095.324470@h3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
I would argue that Ireland's modern cultural self-image image of
itself is that of a classic alcoholic.

The drunkards narcessism: "You'll never beat the Irish"..."Sure they
all Love us Paddies!" and the whole victim complex "poor me, we have
suffered as a people" as if the Irish are the only country in the
world to ave had a hard time is all classic dipso behaviour. This
whole professional charity culture the Irish have is also classic
alkie carry on. They can't sort themselves out, but they make sure the
rest of the world knows the Paddies are saving them all. "Sure aren't
we great!"

Like drunks in a pub looking for sympathy, Irish are also the biggest
whingers and moaners when something goes wrong - we have no
perspective of ourselves really beyond our self-centered drunkard
national self-image. Even our view of our own history is classic
alcoholic mindset. The Irish did everything right and it's everybody
else who let us down... We Irish were ALWAYS blameless victims. This
is just how Irish history is percieved by Irish people and is the same
way an alcoholic would view his own life. "They did the dirty on
me..."

Speaking as an Irish person, I would have to say that we completley
deserve our reputation as a nation of drunks because our culture is
essentially a classic alcholic mindset. It's a shocking realisation
when it hits you and then you begin to see it echoed in every aspect
of Irish life.

Even when budget time comes around TV news graphic always show a
cigarette and a pint as if every other aspect of Irish fiscal and
socio-economic policy is secondary to feeding our addiciton mindset -
it's first and foremost how much will our national addiction culture
cost us this year.

When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a pint of Guinness in their
hands. Ireland has 10,000 years of rich culture and history and all
our nation can project of ourselves to the rest of the world is "the
drunk Paddy up for the craic!"

Very honest... and from my own extensive observations, not unfair for the
most
part. Even so, I must say (as an Englishman) we are just as bad, and can
be a
lot worse when it comes to closing time. Having drunk (and been drunk) in
plenty
of 'London Irish' pubs, the only criticism I'd have of Irish drinkers -
the
serious kind - is a tendency to become gloomy, insular and morbid when
they
overdo it. That is better (IMO) than the English who tend to start
trouble, the
Scots who almost always start trouble if they haven't passed out, and the
Welsh
(worst of all) who start singing.

I really like my 'late night local' in fact, which is very 'Irish' (a
'theme
joint', which attracts anyone from the Emerald Isle from miles around),
and has
a good, friendly atmosphere almost always... apart from St Patrick's Day
of
course. The girls are rather lovely, the blokes friendly (providing the
rugby
goes the right way), and everyone has a ball.

That could be because Guinness has been supplemented by ecstasy, though
I'm not
sure... whatever, far more cheerful than the grisly, charnel house style
grimness of the Old Bell (Kilburn) or the Cricklewood Hotel... where I
used to
fix the fruit machines and pool tables.

I suppose you must have read 'Angela's Ashes'? That explains a lot...

But it's when they then try to sing Danny Boy .....

Surreyman

Féachadóir

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Féachadóir » 14 feb 2007 09:46:55

Scríobh kfuzzbox@tinet.ie:
When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a pint of Guinness in their
hands.

When was the last time this actually happened?

I know Reagan wanted a photo op in the pub in the old home town,
though the Secret Service handlers decided he wouldn't be fit for a
Guinness and made sure he was served a Smithwicks. But I don't
remember lots of shots of EU leaders downing dirty big pints whenever
there's an Irish EU presidency, for example. The politician with a
pint seems to be a phenomenon limited to visiting Americans, and
usually organised at their request to look good on the election
literature back home for the I-Am voters.

--
'Donegal: Up Here It's Different'
© Féachadóir

Westprog

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Westprog » 14 feb 2007 11:07:17

"Féachadóir" <Féach@d.óir> wrote in message
news:4ui5t2dulkc3drtpc08i79fm44k5tn3tsd@4ax.com...
Scríobh kfuzzbox@tinet.ie:
When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a pint of Guinness in their
hands.

When was the last time this actually happened?

I know Reagan wanted a photo op in the pub in the old home town,
though the Secret Service handlers decided he wouldn't be fit for a
Guinness and made sure he was served a Smithwicks.

IIRC the owner of the pub deliberately left the pint half an inch short to
make it look as if Reagan had taken a gulp.

But I don't
remember lots of shots of EU leaders downing dirty big pints whenever
there's an Irish EU presidency, for example. The politician with a
pint seems to be a phenomenon limited to visiting Americans, and
usually organised at their request to look good on the election
literature back home for the I-Am voters.

--

J/

SOTW: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division

http://www.azcars.eu/wdfdi/index.htm

Gjest

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Gjest » 14 feb 2007 13:22:03

On Feb 14, 8:46 am, Féachadóir <Féach@d.óir> wrote:
Scríobh kfuzz...@tinet.ie:

When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a pint of Guinness in their
hands.

When was the last time this actually happened?

I know Reagan wanted a photo op in the pub in the old home town,
though the Secret Service handlers decided he wouldn't be fit for a
Guinness and made sure he was served a Smithwicks. But I don't
remember lots of shots of EU leaders downing dirty big pints whenever
there's an Irish EU presidency, for example. The politician with a
pint seems to be a phenomenon limited to visiting Americans, and
usually organised at their request to look good on the election
literature back home for the I-Am voters.


Clinton didn't have a drink cos he can't for some medical reason, but
they made sure the Saint James Gate logo was everywhere and half drunk
pints of stout behind him. But now that you mention it, it's been a
while since I have last seen. Still should have never happened in the
first place. Gorby was already pissed when he got here.

But my point still stands, the modern Irish person is most commonly
represented by some pink face tub of lard in a British soccer Jersey
with a goofy smile on his face walking waddling around foreign holiday
resorts looking for an Oirish pub and a bit of the oul craic. I was in
Florida last spring and there were armies of Paddies in Celtic, Man U
and Liverpool jerseys walking around "looking for a decent pint". If
it wasn't so funny, it would be tragic.

This is the image the vast majority of the world have of us and it's
one that our government and society is not only content with, but
eager to promote.

Personally I can't wait till Al Queada wins and takes over Ireland. I
have a fez and a copy of the koran in the warddrobe at the standby.

Westprog

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Westprog » 14 feb 2007 13:27:43

<kfuzzbox@tinet.ie> wrote in message
news:1171455723.659726.90150@v45g2000cwv.googlegroups.com...
Gorby was already pissed when he got here.

Yeltsin.
--

J/

SOTW: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division

http://www.azcars.eu/wdfdi/index.htm

Féachadóir

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Féachadóir » 14 feb 2007 14:07:08

Scríobh "Westprog" <westprog@hottmail.com>:
kfuzzbox@tinet.ie> wrote in message
news:1171455723.659726.90150@v45g2000cwv.googlegroups.com...
Gorby was already pissed when he got here.

Yeltsin.

Since he never got off the plane during the Shannon Sleepover, there
has never been any evidence of this. Officially at the time, he was
'jet-lagged'. As a newt, apparently.

Then again, there was a report in a red-top a few years ago that he
suffered a heart attack on the plane.

--
'Donegal: Up Here It's Different'
© Féachadóir

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 14 feb 2007 16:28:37

"Cory Bhreckan" <coryvreckan@NO_SPAM.verizon.net> wrote in message
news:6tmAh.3925$7s2.279@trndny07...
Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:
"Eric Stevens" <eric.stevens@sum.co.nz> wrote in message
news:nol1t29trk8t18g18a4gccpq516mpqnlbj@4ax.com...

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:13:19 +1000, "Adam Whyte-Settlar"
grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote:

--- snip ----


By the way - I had my first life and death struggle with a ****ing
Taipan
the other day.
Damn thing was in the kitchen first thing in the morning!
It was under the fridge and as I walked towards it to get the milk it
slithered out and took up a defensive posture in front of it.
BIG mistake.
I hadn't had my first cup of coffee yet, let alone my second!
Anyway, I considered if it was worth risking my life in order to get the
milk for all of two seconds before deciding that - yes - of course it
was, I
can't stand black coffee first thing.
I decided on my trusty spade as a weapon. Not ideal for tackling a 3'
snake
but it's the weapon I am most familar with as a result of all my lethal
battles with baby rabbits in the Market Garden years ago. It made me
feel
more confident than anything else I could find in the shed at short
notice.
Anyway, as I edged towards it the bastard made a dive at my leg at
precisely
the same instant as I tried to cut it's ****ing head off with the spade
so I
actually caught it about halfway down it's back. It was wriggling like a
chopped worm but I managed to keep it pinned down and eventually cut it
in
half. There's a surprising volume of blood in a snake - I hadn't
expected
that.

I once knew someone who woke up to find his Siamese cat playing with a
very pissed off Tiger snake on the foot of his bed. Fortunately he had
a loaded shotgun by the side of his bed and managed to do for the
snake while avoiding the cat and his feet. It didn't do much for the
bed clothes though and I think it was about two days before the cat
came back home.



I like the loaded shotgun by the bed idea - though I would have shot the
cat too.
According to a local chap that visited the next day it's illegal to kill
them! I was supposed to call the 'snake-man' at *my* expense and have it
captured and removed.
That'll be shining bright.
If they stay out of my way in the garden I won't bother them either, but
any lethal snake that has the cheek to enter the house uninvited - it's
life is forfeit no messing.
I wonder if I can get a shotgun licence here - the spade made several
deep chip marks in the floor tiles and I got into trouble from the
bidey-in over that. Typical - she can deal with the next one herself.

Do you think a shotgun blast will be better for the floor tiles (not to
mention the rest of the room when the shot ricochets)?

Hmmm - I guess I didn't really think it through.

Like the Bernerey drunk who shot his own crowing cockeral very early one
Sunday morning.
It was on the windowsill giving it laldy, he was badly hung over and the
loaded shot-gun was kept on the rack above his head in the old style
'box-bed'.
He shut the cockeral up right enough but blew out half the wooden window
frame and two panes of glass at the same time.
Then he turned over and went back to sleep.
One simply has to admit it - they've got a certain style about them those
Hebrideans.

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 14 feb 2007 17:01:04

"The Real Fifeshire Bimbo" <htr@AwaAnBileYirHeid.com> wrote in message
news:53e8gsF1saob7U1@mid.individual.net...
"Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:45d067de@quokka.wn.com.au...

HUGE snip:

Another little surprise this afternoon was when I put on my shoe at the
back door. I *always* check for spiders and there never is one but of
course this time I didn't check for some reason and when I put my foot in
a felt this huge lump in the toe of the shoe.
Freaked out.
Pulled it off rapid style.
Shook it and this huge 'Rhino Beetle' about 3 inches long fell out and
went scurrying off in a huff.

Snakes, spiders and rhino beetles! You can have your tropics.

It's the spiders and the humidity that get to me. At least you can have a
square go with a snake but the spiders are sneaky wee b******.
Or rather sneaky BIG b******. We have fine-mesh insect screens on every
door and window in the house but I swear the spiders can walk through walls.
I can't figure out how they are getting in. There's been five in the last
couple of weeks which is seriously not funny.
I've always had this irrational fear of spiders anyway but here it's
different. Here I have a perfectly *rational* fear of spiders.
Irrational is better.

The rhino beetles are great - just amazing creatures - but in a curry not in
your shoe.
In fact the other night there was a thing that looked like a big mange-tout
on legs, a giant stick insect about 7 inches long, ( just a baby) some
enormous greenish purple beetle that I've never seen before and a big
praying mantis all within about a couple of feet of each other on the garage
wall.
So long as they stay out of the house we all get along just fine.

We're looking forward to 30 cms of snow and nary a critter in sight!

I've been reading about you all disapearing under ten feet of snow over
there.
Lucky sods. It peaks at about 34C here almost every day.
We've got A/C in the bedroom but it's going outside that's the killer.
What is hard to get used to is when it rains and one drives down the hill
2500 ft to Cairns for the weekly shopping, with the A/C on max, and it looks
and feels like a dreech day in a Scottish February - and then you stop and
get out in the coastal mango swamp hell of summer in tropical Cairns.
GEeeeeeeez! 38C and 98%.
It nearly floors me every time. It's like opening the oven door - glasses
steam up and one is instantly weak-kneed, drenched in sweat and totally
knackered after ten steps.
What's worse is I smoke ciggies so I have to sit *outside* the pub in the
beer garden for up to 2 hours - sans A/C obviously - while the PFD lugs the
tatties and stuff back from the various open-air veggy markets.
I tell you it's a killer.

Only about a month to go before it starts cooling down again though.
Gets as low as to peak at 24C in the winter up here - I'll have to dig out
the old warm T-shirts again.

A W-S

a.spencer3

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av a.spencer3 » 14 feb 2007 17:26:32

"Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:45d33231@quokka.wn.com.au...
"The Real Fifeshire Bimbo" <htr@AwaAnBileYirHeid.com> wrote in message
news:53e8gsF1saob7U1@mid.individual.net...
"Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:45d067de@quokka.wn.com.au...

HUGE snip:

Another little surprise this afternoon was when I put on my shoe at the
back door. I *always* check for spiders and there never is one but of
course this time I didn't check for some reason and when I put my foot
in
a felt this huge lump in the toe of the shoe.
Freaked out.
Pulled it off rapid style.
Shook it and this huge 'Rhino Beetle' about 3 inches long fell out and
went scurrying off in a huff.

Snakes, spiders and rhino beetles! You can have your tropics.

It's the spiders and the humidity that get to me. At least you can have a
square go with a snake but the spiders are sneaky wee b******.
Or rather sneaky BIG b******. We have fine-mesh insect screens on every
door and window in the house but I swear the spiders can walk through
walls.
I can't figure out how they are getting in. There's been five in the last
couple of weeks which is seriously not funny.
I've always had this irrational fear of spiders anyway but here it's
different. Here I have a perfectly *rational* fear of spiders.
Irrational is better.

The rhino beetles are great - just amazing creatures - but in a curry not
in
your shoe.
In fact the other night there was a thing that looked like a big
mange-tout
on legs, a giant stick insect about 7 inches long, ( just a baby) some
enormous greenish purple beetle that I've never seen before and a big
praying mantis all within about a couple of feet of each other on the
garage
wall.
So long as they stay out of the house we all get along just fine.

We're looking forward to 30 cms of snow and nary a critter in sight!

I've been reading about you all disapearing under ten feet of snow over
there.
Lucky sods. It peaks at about 34C here almost every day.
We've got A/C in the bedroom but it's going outside that's the killer.
What is hard to get used to is when it rains and one drives down the hill
2500 ft to Cairns for the weekly shopping, with the A/C on max, and it
looks
and feels like a dreech day in a Scottish February - and then you stop and
get out in the coastal mango swamp hell of summer in tropical Cairns.
GEeeeeeeez! 38C and 98%.
It nearly floors me every time. It's like opening the oven door - glasses
steam up and one is instantly weak-kneed, drenched in sweat and totally
knackered after ten steps.
What's worse is I smoke ciggies so I have to sit *outside* the pub in the
beer garden for up to 2 hours - sans A/C obviously - while the PFD lugs
the
tatties and stuff back from the various open-air veggy markets.
I tell you it's a killer.

Only about a month to go before it starts cooling down again though.
Gets as low as to peak at 24C in the winter up here - I'll have to dig out
the old warm T-shirts again.


I didn't realise Cairns = Lagos in climate?

Impossible stuff.

Move.

Surreyman

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 14 feb 2007 17:53:05

"Cory Bhreckan" <coryvreckan@NO_SPAM.verizon.net> wrote in message
news:gAmAh.2639$g82.1214@trndny09...
The Real Fifeshire Bimbo wrote:
"Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:45d067de@quokka.wn.com.au...

HUGE snip:

Another little surprise this afternoon was when I put on my shoe at the
back door. I *always* check for spiders and there never is one but of
course this time I didn't check for some reason and when I put my foot in
a felt this huge lump in the toe of the shoe.
Freaked out.
Pulled it off rapid style.
Shook it and this huge 'Rhino Beetle' about 3 inches long fell out and
went scurrying off in a huff.


Snakes, spiders and rhino beetles! You can have your tropics. We're
looking forward to 30 cms of snow and nary a critter in sight!


Hope I'm not boring you too much with all this crap.


Not at all! Only grateful I don't have to deal with all those exotic
creatures!

Cheers, Helen

And to think that Adam expects to find fifteen suckers to move into the
snake pits that he plans to build.

I'm not doing the actual building - I'd get sued for sure.
I'm just dividing the land and putting in the services.
And even that's a real long shot. Being on Pacific time doesn't help
either - if you enquire why a certain council official hasn't returned one's
phone calls for over two months one is branded as a whinging Pom. "You're
not in Scotland now y'know - we do things differently here' etc.
Actually - I wouldn't mind so much if they *did* do things differently it's
that they *don't* do things differently that gets frustrating.

You're right about the land though - I only walked it once and was smacking
the grass and weeds in front of me with a big stick at every step. Theory is
the vibrations scare most of the snakes away under cover. Unfortunately some
species havn't heard about the theory yet and are 'very aggressive' (as the
books put it) and will stand their ground and even attack from some
distance. At least the hospitals and clinics are pretty much geared up for
rapid treatment - not many people actually die these days but I doubt it's
much fun either. This particular area is (literaly) crawling with all kinds
of them.
Oh! - reminds me - I heard a funny story a couple of weeks ago of a teenage
girl passing out pissed as a parrot on top of her bed late one saturday
night and waking up a couple of hours later to find her left arm already
down the throat of a 4 metre python.
Freaky or what?
It's hard to get your arm out of a python apparently, because it's teeth are
curved back the way like barbs (?). Whatever - her rescuers had to cut it's
head off and then cut it again along the side to it's mouth to get it off.
I don't think she was seriously hurt - just a little anxiety-induced
permanent psychosis I would suspect.
Some friends of mine saw a full grown python dead on the road recently - it
stretched from one side of the road to the other and was so thick they had
to drive partly on the verge to get over it. They grow to 23ft long and as
thick as a man's waist eventually. At that size they can swallow a man
whole.

The shark attacks get by far the most publicity as the gaping wounds make
for great colour TV and half the white kids just about live one the beach so
it's everyones nightmare. However, in reality it's not snakes, spiders or
sharks but the crocs that kill the most people.
The crocs tend to live in the rural areas up north (though there are still a
good few round Cairns too) and mostly they take only Aborigine kids from the
river banks at remote Abo' communities called Didgerigawogga or whatever so
no-one really gives a toss. In fact I've heard a few approving murmurs from
some of the less 'multicultural' locals at times. It makes the local papers
but they never send a TV crew like they do when young whitey gets his leg
bitten off at Surfers Paradise.

Anyway - that's your bedtime story for tonight - I'm off.

A W-S

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 14 feb 2007 17:56:14

"Cory Bhreckan" <coryvreckan@NO_SPAM.verizon.net> wrote in message
news:y66Ah.2472$H77.1007@trndny08...
Josiah Jenkins wrote:
Whilst perusing Usenet on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:47:13 +1000, I read
these words from "Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> :


"The Highlander" <micheil@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:i85vs25erqmt3t5olqen58dfmd4kg16phn@4ax.com...


Dram is actually the Highland-English word for Gaelic "Drama" a shot
of whisky. Depending on the company, the actual measure might vary
from a shot glass to a quarter tumblerful - or a full tumbler if you
were drinking with my Great-Uncle Walter and he mistakenly handed you
his glass... I can assure you that didn't happen too often!

Seeing as it's on topic for the thread it's worth my mentioning once
again that in the Western Isles - particularly in Harris and Bernerey - I
was often served straight whiskey in a tea cup.

------------------------------^^^^^^--------
*nglish illiterate !

-- jjj

A miss! Wide to the right. When flaming Whyte-Settlars make sure your aim
is true.

Too right - show a bit of respect.

I'm always getting that one wrong. Trying to hard I guess.
It's like I told youz before - after my first year in the Highlands I was
that nervous I was even pronouncing 'lock' as 'loch'.

a.spencer3

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av a.spencer3 » 14 feb 2007 18:06:32

"Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:45d33e61@quokka.wn.com.au...
Some friends of mine saw a full grown python dead on the road recently -
it
stretched from one side of the road to the other and was so thick they had
to drive partly on the verge to get over it. They grow to 23ft long and as
thick as a man's waist eventually. At that size they can swallow a man
whole.

True or not, I don't know, but the lads in Malaya during the Emergency
sometimes came back with dented vehicle roofs, and reckoned they'd run over
big 'uns, and their tails had whipped over across the roof in a reflex
action ..........

Or, of course, they'd been using the roof to 'entertain' and had to think up
something!

Surreyman

Jim Roberts

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Jim Roberts » 14 feb 2007 18:58:13

On 13 Feb, 11:23, kfuzz...@tinet.ie wrote:
I would argue that Ireland's modern cultural self-image image of
itself is that of a classic alcoholic.

The drunkards narcessism: "You'll never beat the Irish"..."Sure they
all Love us Paddies!" and the whole victim complex "poor me, we have
suffered as a people" as if the Irish are the only country in the
world to ave had a hard time is all classic dipso behaviour. This
whole professional charity culture the Irish have is also classic
alkie carry on. They can't sort themselves out, but they make sure the
rest of the world knows the Paddies are saving them all. "Sure aren't
we great!"

Like drunks in a pub looking for sympathy, Irish are also the biggest
whingers and moaners when something goes wrong - we have no
perspective of ourselves really beyond our self-centered drunkard
national self-image. Even our view of our own history is classic
alcoholic mindset. The Irish did everything right and it's everybody
else who let us down... We Irish were ALWAYS blameless victims. This
is just how Irish history is percieved by Irish people and is the same
way an alcoholic would view his own life. "They did the dirty on
me..."

Speaking as an Irish person, I would have to say that we completley
deserve our reputation as a nation of drunks because our culture is
essentially a classic alcholic mindset. It's a shocking realisation
when it hits you and then you begin to see it echoed in every aspect
of Irish life.

Even when budget time comes around TV news graphic always show a
cigarette and a pint as if every other aspect of Irish fiscal and
socio-economic policy is secondary to feeding our addiciton mindset -
it's first and foremost how much will our national addiction culture
cost us this year.

When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a pint of Guinness in their
hands. Ireland has 10,000 years of rich culture and history and all
our nation can project of ourselves to the rest of the world is "the
drunk Paddy up for the craic!"

And Guiness is not even Irish invention. It's a Welsh porter

http://www.rugbyfootball.com/guinness.html

Locals from Llanfairfechan, Wales, claim to have identified the site
of a tavern from where Arthur Guinness stole the recipe for his famous
stout in the 1750s.

For its part, the Guinness company is unable to discount the theory.

The company's official history says Arthur Guinness developed his
taste for dark ales on visits to London, where he drank a brew called
porter, named after the porters of Covent Garden.

Jim Roberts

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Jim Roberts » 14 feb 2007 18:58:57

On 13 Feb, 11:23, kfuzz...@tinet.ie wrote:
I would argue that Ireland's modern cultural self-image image of
itself is that of a classic alcoholic.

The drunkards narcessism: "You'll never beat the Irish"..."Sure they
all Love us Paddies!" and the whole victim complex "poor me, we have
suffered as a people" as if the Irish are the only country in the
world to ave had a hard time is all classic dipso behaviour. This
whole professional charity culture the Irish have is also classic
alkie carry on. They can't sort themselves out, but they make sure the
rest of the world knows the Paddies are saving them all. "Sure aren't
we great!"

Like drunks in a pub looking for sympathy, Irish are also the biggest
whingers and moaners when something goes wrong - we have no
perspective of ourselves really beyond our self-centered drunkard
national self-image. Even our view of our own history is classic
alcoholic mindset. The Irish did everything right and it's everybody
else who let us down... We Irish were ALWAYS blameless victims. This
is just how Irish history is percieved by Irish people and is the same
way an alcoholic would view his own life. "They did the dirty on
me..."

Speaking as an Irish person, I would have to say that we completley
deserve our reputation as a nation of drunks because our culture is
essentially a classic alcholic mindset. It's a shocking realisation
when it hits you and then you begin to see it echoed in every aspect
of Irish life.

Even when budget time comes around TV news graphic always show a
cigarette and a pint as if every other aspect of Irish fiscal and
socio-economic policy is secondary to feeding our addiciton mindset -
it's first and foremost how much will our national addiction culture
cost us this year.

When a foreign dignitary comes to Ireland the first thing the
Government does is find a pub and stick a pint of Guinness in their
hands. Ireland has 10,000 years of rich culture and history and all
our nation can project of ourselves to the rest of the world is "the
drunk Paddy up for the craic!"

And Guiness is not even Irish invention. It's a Welsh porter

http://www.rugbyfootball.com/guinness.html

Locals from Llanfairfechan, Wales, claim to have identified the site
of a tavern from where Arthur Guinness stole the recipe for his famous
stout in the 1750s.

For its part, the Guinness company is unable to discount the theory.

The company's official history says Arthur Guinness developed his
taste for dark ales on visits to London, where he drank a brew called
porter, named after the porters of Covent Garden.

Eric Stevens

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Eric Stevens » 14 feb 2007 20:50:21

On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:01:04 +1000, "Adam Whyte-Settlar"
<grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote:

GEeeeeeeez! 38C and 98%.

I've had that in in Sydney ... and it was raining and blowing 45 knots
(full gale). I was wearing a suit and trying to look professionally
respectable when I turned up at a meeting.



Eric Stevens

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 15 feb 2007 16:44:29

"a.spencer3" <a.spencer3@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:skHAh.6966$fa.137@newsfe1-win.ntli.net...
"Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:45d33e61@quokka.wn.com.au...

Some friends of mine saw a full grown python dead on the road recently -
it
stretched from one side of the road to the other and was so thick they
had
to drive partly on the verge to get over it. They grow to 23ft long and
as
thick as a man's waist eventually. At that size they can swallow a man
whole.

True or not, I don't know,

Would I lie to you?

"...Sherman Minton in Giant Reptiles cites a killed amethystine python near
Cairns, Australia measured at 28ft long..."
http://forums.waterwolves.com/index.php ... ode=linear

I was being conservative at a mere 23ft.

"...constrictors such as the Scrub Python of North Queensland - the longest
Australian snake known and one of the largest in the world..."
http://www.ga.gov.au/about/event/esw06_ ... ystate.jsp

They swallow full grown goats whole as a late morning snack.

A W-S

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 15 feb 2007 16:55:37

"a.spencer3" <a.spencer3@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:YKGAh.14196$OK6.630@newsfe4-win.ntli.net...

the coastal mango swamp hell of summer in tropical Cairns.
GEeeeeeeez! 38C and 98%.
It nearly floors me every time.

I didn't realise Cairns = Lagos in climate?

I did - in theory. But reading about it beforehand can't prepare you for the
reality.
I've been in Marrakech in a heat wave in August but summer in Cairns is
worse.

Impossible stuff.

Move.

Joking aside we are going to have to.
Not until I've made a million bucks though - it's become a point of honour
now.
We moved out of Cairns on to the plateau of the Atherton Tablelands, which
the Aussies tout as 'the best climate in the world'.
Obviously they've never travelled much outside of Alice Springs.
It's truly a beautifull and fabulous place here but from late November to
March it's uninhabitable in my opinion.
Might keep a small house here for the (southern) winter but in the (hot) wet
season I'm heading for Tasmania or Auckland in future.

A W-S

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 15 feb 2007 16:57:22

"Eric Stevens" <eric.stevens@sum.co.nz> wrote in message
news:pqp6t2dvqa0dnl5cnpaj2g00h7ejnb41ul@4ax.com...
On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:01:04 +1000, "Adam Whyte-Settlar"
grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote:

GEeeeeeeez! 38C and 98%.

I've had that in in Sydney ... and it was raining and blowing 45 knots
(full gale). I was wearing a suit and trying to look professionally
respectable when I turned up at a meeting.

Know what you mean. Anyone caught wearing a tie here gets carted off to the
dog pound pronto.

Cory Bhreckan

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Cory Bhreckan » 15 feb 2007 17:02:19

Adam Whyte-Settlar wrote:
"a.spencer3" <a.spencer3@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:skHAh.6966$fa.137@newsfe1-win.ntli.net...

"Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:45d33e61@quokka.wn.com.au...

Some friends of mine saw a full grown python dead on the road recently -

it

stretched from one side of the road to the other and was so thick they
had
to drive partly on the verge to get over it. They grow to 23ft long and
as
thick as a man's waist eventually. At that size they can swallow a man
whole.

A very small man.

True or not, I don't know,


Would I lie to you?

"...Sherman Minton in Giant Reptiles cites a killed amethystine python near
Cairns, Australia measured at 28ft long..."
http://forums.waterwolves.com/index.php ... ode=linear

I was being conservative at a mere 23ft.

"...constrictors such as the Scrub Python of North Queensland - the longest
Australian snake known and one of the largest in the world..."
http://www.ga.gov.au/about/event/esw06_ ... ystate.jsp

They swallow full grown goats whole as a late morning snack.

A W-S

The longest snakes in the world, Python reticulatis (Reticulated python.
SW Asia) do not eat the biggest prey. Nor does the largest, Unectes
murinus (Green anaconda, South America). That honour is held by the
African Rock python. I had a 4 meter reticulated python who wouldn't eat
anything bigger than a rat while my 3 meter Burmese python and my 3
meter African would eat full grown rabbits and chickens, my African once
ate two 4 pound rabbits in one go.



--
"For the stronger we our houses do build,
The less chance we have of being killed." - William Topaz McGonagall

Adam Whyte-Settlar

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Adam Whyte-Settlar » 15 feb 2007 17:10:19

"Jim Roberts" <cjdroberts@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1171475937.641644.314540@v33g2000cwv.googlegroups.com...


Speaking as an Irish person, I would have to say that we completley
deserve our reputation as a nation of drunks

It's all true. You put the Jocks to shame so you do.

"...Europeans heaviest drinkers in the world..."
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1 ... 426C580480

And..

"...Irish are Heaviest Drinkers in Europe.
Irish people drink more than double the average amount of alcohol than that
of our fellow Europeans..."
http://www.vhi.ie/news/n110304b.jsp

What chance does anyone have?

A W-S

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 15 feb 2007 17:42:16

They swallow randy goats whole?

Hmmmmmmm...

Well, then they should certainly have no problem at all in swallowing "La
Nilita".

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

"Adam Whyte-Settlar" <grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:45d47fcf@quokka.wn.com.au...

"...Sherman Minton in Giant Reptiles cites a killed amethystine python
near Cairns, Australia measured at 28ft long..."
http://forums.waterwolves.com/index.php ... ode=linear


They swallow full grown goats whole as a late morning snack.

A W-S

D. Spencer Hines

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av D. Spencer Hines » 15 feb 2007 17:45:06

What's Alice Springs like?

DSH

Obviously they've never travelled much outside of Alice Springs.

A W-S

Eric Stevens

Re: Scottish & Irish Drinking Customs

Legg inn av Eric Stevens » 15 feb 2007 22:10:06

On Fri, 16 Feb 2007 01:57:22 +1000, "Adam Whyte-Settlar"
<grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote:

"Eric Stevens" <eric.stevens@sum.co.nz> wrote in message
news:pqp6t2dvqa0dnl5cnpaj2g00h7ejnb41ul@4ax.com...
On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:01:04 +1000, "Adam Whyte-Settlar"
grawillers@westnet.com.au> wrote:

GEeeeeeeez! 38C and 98%.

I've had that in in Sydney ... and it was raining and blowing 45 knots
(full gale). I was wearing a suit and trying to look professionally
respectable when I turned up at a meeting.

Know what you mean. Anyone caught wearing a tie here gets carted off to the
dog pound pronto.


My problem was that the meeting was in an airconditioned multi-story
office building. Everyone else had turned up in air conditioned cars
and parked in the basement. None of them had exposed themselves to the
real climate going on outside.



Eric Stevens

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