Re:Off Topic Language

Tim, et. al.,

Actually I find (non-racist,non-sexist,non-homophobic-in other words
non-hurtful) idiomatic language fascinating which is why I often privately ask
for explanations of words or phrases which I can't quite puzzle out. Language
without idioms or dialects would be like food without spices. So Tim now that
you've awakened my admittedly insatiable curiousity just how is "nap" used in
horse racing and gambling? I'm afraid that cards, racing and gambling were not
part of my particular misspent youth, I had other vices...


My message to Tim follows and will make sense of his post:

Hi Tim. You wrote:

"So that makes THREE 'Coppershines.' Can we run to a nap hand, even?"

Besides the Coprosma and the Corokia what's the third? And what is a "nap hand"
(she asks plaintively thinking of napkins of various sorts and naps
for which she longs of a summer afternoon but not making sense of a nap hand...)

Deborah



____________________Reply Separator____________________
Subject:    Off Topic Language
Author: tim@eddy.u-net.com (Tim Longville)
Date:       3/8/99 8:53 PM

Off topic, about language. But brief and uncontroversial. I hope...

Deborah: Whoops. Sorry. My fault. Using idiom and feeling like an
idiot - again. When someone a while ago said we should all stick to
standard (American?!) English, I thought quietly to myself (as someone
who loves the weird games and variations people play with the stuff)
how boring it would be to just stick to the basics that we're all more
or less guaranteed to understand. This'll larn me. I promise to (try
to) do better.

As for nap hand. My use of the phrase is a sign of a misspent youth.
It comes from the card game, nap. A winning hand is one which will
take five tricks. Hence 'a nap hand' or 'going nap'  is five of
anything good. In this case, it would be five different plants all
called 'Coppershine.' Now the thing is, I now realise (but didn't
think of it when I first wrote) that I don't know if the game is even
played in America or, if it is, if 'a nap hand' as a phrase has come
to have the same extended meaning. And I should have thought about
that before using it.

So mea culpa. And I won't even THINK about using 'nap' in the
horseracing and gambling sense...!

Let me exculpate my crime by asking a question about a genus and a
particular species within it. Does anyone here grow any Macrozamia spp
- in particular Macrozamia communis? And if so do they have any
notions about hardiness levels, cultural requirements? I'm somehow
acquired (I don't know how it happened, honestly, your honour) not
just one but two of'em and now realise I've no idea what they're going
to do or need. All I know is that whatever they do they do ve-e-e-ery
slowly. And that they're not VERY hardy. But how hardy is not very?

Off to take an embarrassed nap,
Tim
on the cold but bright and clear Solway Firth, Cumbria, UK
Tim Longville
 
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>Subject: Off Topic Language 
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