OT: My city is pants

gitchel · Post by **gitchel** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 12:24 pm

I'm originally from northern Illinois. We got a bit of snow sometimes. In fact, "winter" meant snow measured in yards, and temperatures that were just as cold in Celsius as they were in Fahrenheit.

When I was stationed at Sumter AFB in South Carolina, I remember driving to base one day. There were at least three cars in the ditch - within two miles! I got to work and waited for an hour for someone to unlock the door before I gave up and went home. I turned on the TV to see if aliens had abducted everyone but me. Turns out we'd had a "snow storm" and everything was closed down.

I hadn't seen a single flake - in the air OR on the ground! No melted water! No ice! Dry as a bone! Looked (as it usually did) just like summer.

Near as I can gather, they must have looked up at the flakes falling, got mesmerized, and drove off the road.

Sumter is seriously pants.

_________________

Jeff Gitchel
jeff@trainorphans.org
trainorphans.org

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: gitchel on 2003-01-31 13:25 ]</font>

fatveg · Post by **fatveg** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 2:40 pm

On 2003-01-31 12:24, Walden wrote:
On 2003-01-31 08:59, OutOfBreath wrote:

Everything's bigger in Texas, ya know, including driver stupidity!

My sister drove down to the DFW area not too long ago. The driving, out there, rather traumatized her.

I learned to drive on those East Texas red clay backroads
And I mean to tell you my friend
They weren't no easy roads
You had to watch out for all the curves
Down by Kelsey Creek
And detour through the Lindsay's pasture
When the water ran too deep

(Double marks for anyone recognizing the quote)
(It's not true, I learned to drive on the Isle of Wight -- "Every summer we could rent a cottage...")

HDSarah · Post by **HDSarah** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 3:00 pm

Here in Alaska, life pretty much goes on regardless of the weather. I can't remember snow ever stopping anything from happening, although this year the LACK of snow caused lots of snow-dependent events to be cancelled early in the winter. Most groups I've belonged to have a cold-weather cutoff, below which they don't meet. The public elementary schools don't let the kids have outdoor recess if it's colder than -20 F (that's -29 C).

Earlier this winter the public schools were closed for a day due to weather. Not for snow, not for cold, but for RAIN! We got freezing rain that turned the roads to ice, and the school buses couldn't get through. That was a truly bizarre weather event for here.

Sarah

jeffmiester · Post by **jeffmiester** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 3:31 pm

Gawd, we can get a foot and a half of snow and all they'll do (if you're lucky), is delay the schools for fourty-five minutes!

I guess we minnesotans are made of hardier stock.

Celtoid · Post by **Celtoid** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 3:59 pm

When it comes to snow, northern New York is MUCH pantsier than London. In fact we are due for a pant-load of snow at any time.
Ok, I'm a new guy, here. I've only been playing for a couple of years, but practice every day. I play a Sindt, and yes, the C natural makes me crazy, so on some songs I just play my fat Walton, or my Clarks (it is so quiet). I am totally addicted to the whistle. I love your posts everybody.

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 4:06 pm

Hi Celtoid! Welcome. Have you considered putting say a Gen or Feadog body on your Sindt head?

Walton Mellow Ds are pants.

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 5:31 pm

On 2003-01-31 13:13, burnsbyrne wrote:
Martin,
Thanks for the translation. It sounds very logical now that I know the origin. I think you-all on that side of the pond are more versed in N American slang than we are in British slang because of the influence of American movies and TV. However, I have picked up "brilliant" from watching Premier League football on the telly.
Mike

Mike and Zoob,

You're right, we get a lot of American slang through TV. Item 17c on my secret life agenda is to spread British slang into American usage through the medium of the C&F board - and I have full Crystal People support in this.

Beware though, sometimes I make up my own expressions and slip them into posts, so you may re-use a 'well known' British Phrase and get blank looks.

All part of the service.

gitchel · Post by **gitchel** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 5:34 pm

I'm still enjoying "he's all mouth and trousers!"

I picked that up on another bulletin board.

Celtoid · Post by **Celtoid** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 8:43 pm

I do have a Feadog, and maybe I will...just a bit uncomfortable about messing with the Sindt, since otherwise I like it a lot. Waltons may be pants, but it was my first whistle, and so its an old friend. I have a very bad generation that is truly pants even my cat hates it and puts her ears back.
Even I put my ears back.

tuaz · Post by **tuaz** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 9:40 pm

On 2003-01-31 13:13, burnsbyrne wrote:
...However, I have picked up "brilliant" from watching Premier League football on the telly.
Mike

I learnt the "pants" usage from English football websites. As in, "so-and-so (team or player) was pants".

spittin_in_the_wind · Post by **spittin_in_the_wind** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 9:49 pm

On 2003-01-31 12:24, Walden wrote:

My sister drove down to the DFW area not too long ago. The driving, out there, rather traumatized her.

[/quote]

Try driving through Tennessee sometime....now THAT'S trauma! No offense of course to anybody here from Tenn., but I've had more crazy encounters, people trying to run me off the road, people mooning me through the passenger window (yes, this did happen, outside of Nashville), in Tennessee than anywhere else in the US, and I've done a lot of driving in my day. And yes, the DFW area is nuts too.

R.

johnz · Post by **johnz** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 11:07 pm

[/quote]
I learned to drive on those East Texas red clay backroads
And I mean to tell you my friend
They weren't no easy roads
You had to watch out for all the curves
Down by Kelsey Creek
And detour through the Lindsay's pasture
When the water ran too deep

(Double marks for anyone recognizing the quote)
(It's not true, I learned to drive on the Isle of Wight -- "Every summer we could rent a cottage...")

[/quote]
Michelle Shocked, though I don't remember the song title.
Take care, Johnz

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Sat Feb 01, 2003 1:39 am

On 2003-01-31 12:16, Martin Milner wrote:

In Britain we call pants trousers, and underpants (shorts?) are called pants (for short). Golly, now I'm confused. So in a roundabout way my city is a pair of underpants, i.e. a load of rubbish.

Puts the term 'pants man' in quite a different light, doesn't it?

I forget who first coined the expression.

No you don't Martin. You did.

kevin m. · Post by **kevin m.** » Sat Feb 01, 2003 7:47 am

On 2003-01-31 13:21, Zubivka wrote:
Martin, thanks for the translation and.. background.

I feel smarter to-night. I learnt why London is pants... with skidmarks.

YEAH,skid marks like Marsbars!

PS-there was a British pop/punk band in the late 70's called 'The Skids'...I think they went down the pan though.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: kevin m. on 2003-02-01 08:51 ]</font>

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Sat Feb 01, 2003 7:56 am

London britches,
Falling snow,
Falling snow,
Falling snow,
London britches,
Falling snow,
My fair lady?