RichA
Well-known member
Andy Murray. What a graceless twit.
Random Irritations
- Thread starter Blue in Munich
- Start date
It’ll flash if it’s in front of me. If not, I’ll get back to them.
I had a particularly niche conversation last night where a young barman claimed that you don’t have to pronounce Moët (as in Moët and Chandon) with a hard t at the end because most people who do that are doing it for the wrong reason and it actually makes more sense to assume it’s a French name and say it as Moway to show you’ve at least thought about it.
No. Just no.
No. Just no.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
The debasement of Halloween by the commercial ugliness of Trick or Treat, when the guising that i did when a child was generally great fun for all - children and neighbours - their being no actual or perceived malicious undercurrent.
Indeed the Americanisation even seems to somewhat misunderstand that a ‘trick or treat’ in the context of guising was not a threat or blackmail…it was often what the guiser would offer - the ‘trick’ could be a little simple piece of ‘magic‘; the ‘treat’ would be a song or a poem recited or some jokes told - the neighbour to choose.
So my younger brother and I would sing such as Edelweiss from the Sound of Music (ages me), or sing or recite something by Burns. The neighbour would feign not knowing who we were under our disguises and would ‘guess‘ after we’d done our little piece - getting it wrong of course before guessing correctly. And only then would we get our gift in return - we didn’t think of it as a treat - by tradition it was a gift to the guiser to keep the household safe from the malevolent spirits who were out and about that Halloween evening…though as guisers, actually doing anything wasn’t part of the deal…we always got something.
Such a pity England adopted the American version and it’s been so commercialised - and I’m rather guessing that these days even in Scotland it’s TorT rather than traditional guising. I’d love to be proved wrong.
ETA: But it’s not all negativity from a curmudgeon, as I know that the young children in our road will have a lot of fun dressing up and coming round the houses…best get making some tablet and buying some monkey nuts and a box of sweets
Indeed the Americanisation even seems to somewhat misunderstand that a ‘trick or treat’ in the context of guising was not a threat or blackmail…it was often what the guiser would offer - the ‘trick’ could be a little simple piece of ‘magic‘; the ‘treat’ would be a song or a poem recited or some jokes told - the neighbour to choose.
So my younger brother and I would sing such as Edelweiss from the Sound of Music (ages me), or sing or recite something by Burns. The neighbour would feign not knowing who we were under our disguises and would ‘guess‘ after we’d done our little piece - getting it wrong of course before guessing correctly. And only then would we get our gift in return - we didn’t think of it as a treat - by tradition it was a gift to the guiser to keep the household safe from the malevolent spirits who were out and about that Halloween evening…though as guisers, actually doing anything wasn’t part of the deal…we always got something.
Such a pity England adopted the American version and it’s been so commercialised - and I’m rather guessing that these days even in Scotland it’s TorT rather than traditional guising. I’d love to be proved wrong.
ETA: But it’s not all negativity from a curmudgeon, as I know that the young children in our road will have a lot of fun dressing up and coming round the houses…best get making some tablet and buying some monkey nuts and a box of sweets
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I’ve arranged to do an evening of paperwork in the back office of the house. I’ll have some music playing and I won’t entertain the idea of opening the door to any kids.
bobmac
Major Champion
It's a bit like Christmas.
In the old days, it used to be a tree in the window with a few fairy lights.
Now it's all about copying America and out doing next door.
In the old days, it used to be a tree in the window with a few fairy lights.
Now it's all about copying America and out doing next door.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Which is the pity…
I’m just a middle aged curmudgeon and unapologetic about it.Which is the pity…
Neilds
Assistant Pro
Getting a refund from Wessex Water and then finding out they have put our DD up by 50p a month. If the previous amount resulted in an overpayment, then surely the new amount will just increase this overpayment for the next year (charges are still the same)
Neilds
Assistant Pro
Surely the rules are “no decorations out, no visits”?
It’s my first Halloween in this house so not sure if the locals obey said rule!
AmandaJR
Money List Winner
You'd hope so but...
We leave a tub of sweets out with a note to say please don't knock as the dogs will bark! Once they're gone they're gone. One year some teenagers took the lot in one go I think but usually there are groups of little ones with their parents and I don't mind so much.
cliveb
Head Pro
Surely the correct pronunciation of Moët et Chandon is "Cat's P*ss"?
RichA
Well-known member
I don't remember doing Halloween as a child.
I do remember it becoming known as "mischief night" in the 80s.
It seems to go in phases. We've been in the same house for over 20 years. It started out with little kids and a responsible adult. 10 years ago there was a phase for a couple of years when it was teenage yoofs out for aggro with eggs, flour and fireworks. More recently it's more civilised - decorations out means please knock; no decorations means don't bother. We take option 2 and hope for heavy rain.
I do remember it becoming known as "mischief night" in the 80s.
It seems to go in phases. We've been in the same house for over 20 years. It started out with little kids and a responsible adult. 10 years ago there was a phase for a couple of years when it was teenage yoofs out for aggro with eggs, flour and fireworks. More recently it's more civilised - decorations out means please knock; no decorations means don't bother. We take option 2 and hope for heavy rain.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
I don't think I ever went trick or treating once as a kid. At least, I don't remember doing it. Not sure why, don't think I was bothered. Perhaps my parents weren't keen on me begging for sweets, I don't know. They would always buy a bag of sweets for anyone that came knocking though - that 'no decorations, don't knock' rule wasn't a thing back then. We'd still wake up on the odd year and found someone had smashed an egg on my dad's car or something.
Nowadays I live on a cul-de-sac so it's 50-50 whether anyone knocks or not. One year we bought a bag of sweets and nobody came so we ended up eating them ourselves.
Back in the day, Halloween didn't register but penny for the guy was a big thing. Now it has reversed. Penny for the guy is not really a great deal different to trick or treat when you think about it, you are still knocking on a door and asking for something . The good thing, on the whole, about ToT is that the pumpkin / decorations rule tends to be fairly well observed where I live.
. The good thing, on the whole, about ToT is that the pumpkin / decorations rule tends to be fairly well observed where I live.
Beezerk
Money List Winner
Epic fail with my new sous vide stick at the weekend, cooked them for waaaay too long and totally ruined the wife’s fillet steak 
my ribeye was superb though 
Need to experiment with times to get them dialled in
my ribeye was superb though Need to experiment with times to get them dialled in
What’s the longest you’ve done so far? I once had cowboy steak that had been done at 54 degrees for three days and then finished with a cooking grade blowtorch. It was superb.Epic fail with my new sous vide stick at the weekend, cooked them for waaaay too long and totally ruined the wife’s fillet steak
Need to experiment with times to get them dialled in
Beezerk
Money List Winner
It was my first attempt, did Ribeye, Bavette and Fillet all at 54c for 8 hours, Bavette and Ribeye were amazing but the Fillet was horrible, no texture or taste. I’m putting it down to a lack of fat content in the fillet. May pick up a couple tonight and try 2 hours at 54c as lot of websites say that’s a much better amount of time.
Yea fillet just doesn’t have the fatty structure to stand up to extended sous vide. I’d reverse sear them instead. Let us know how it turns out at the shorter time.
