Taking the Fun Out of Pot

[Drachir]

Originally Posted by Peter Graham

This hits the proverbial nail firmly on the head. Nebulous concepts of "cool" have tortured the young adult ever since teenagers were first forged on Bill Haley's anvil. It is only when one gets a little older that these concepts become utterly laughable. Unfortunately, uncontrolled ear hair, nascent interest in campanology and morris dancing and a desire to shout at the television all tend to develop at the same time.

So let us define "cool". To my mind, a politicised and rebellious youth clad in groovy kaftans and spouting nonsensical but nonetheless exciting claptrap has been progressively diluted into a 21st drone who, by and large, equates being cool with:-

1. Like, not giving a ****, yeah? Like, about anything, yeah?

2. Getting wrecked and bragging about getting wrecked.

3. Idolising stick-thin halfwits and sociopathic keyboard twiddlers.

4. Aspiring to be famous for doing anything, including behaving like a prize turnip on a reality show or shagging a footballer.

5. Demanding respeck (sic), whilst being unable to either give respeck or to define quite what it means (apparently, it equates to inspiring fear in others).



If you have seen that advert which compares an urban, junk-food eating, telly-watching mong with an enormously enthewed highlander in a crisp white vest, you'll know that the latter cuts a far finer dash from the lustrous feather point of view. The day that someone like that numpty from the Libertines is seen as a better example of desirable masculinity than (for example) Amir Khan, is the day that we really will hear the barbarians banging on the gates.

Yours only partially in jest,

Peter

Nicely stated. Although I am not quite sure what a mong or a numpty is. Probably the Canadian equivalent of a hoser.

[Peter Graham]

Hi Drachir,

Thanks for that.

In turn, I'm not sure what a hoser is. But I'm guessing that hosers and numpties would find that they had a fair amount in common!

Regards,

Peter

[Drachir]

Originally Posted by Peter Graham

Hi Drachir,

Thanks for that.

In turn, I'm not sure what a hoser is. But I'm guessing that hosers and numpties would find that they had a fair amount in common!

Regards,

Peter

Hoser:
slang. 1. noun: (deragatory) an oaf, or simpleton. 2. noun: (friendly) a friend, brother or faithful companion. 3. verb: hose-off; a put-off; go away, leave me; I doubt what you are saying. History: The term originates from a syndicated television comedy about a fictional television station: 'Second City Television Station' or 'SCTV.' Comedy skits on the show were presented as actual programs. One such skit was a program entitled "the Great White North" - the hosts, comedians Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas (portraying Bob and Doug MacKenzie), embellished and exaggerated the stereotypical American image of how Canadians talk and act. The characters (Bob and Doug) drank beer, while bantering back and forth, inflecting their speech heavily with 'eh?' and the occasional 'hoser.'

In other words a hoser is a beer drinking moron who fries back bacon in his living room while dressed in winter garments (including a toque) and watching TV at the same time making inane comments regarding any thought that enters his head. The Great White North skit was originally created by Thomas and Moranis when the show was criticized for not having enough "Canadian Content." It was entirely add-lib and caught the imagination of the Canadian public.

This Youtube clip is typical of their humour.
YouTube - The Great White North : How to Get a Mouse in a Beer Bottle

[Peter Graham]

Hi Drachir,

Hoser:
slang. 1. noun: (deragatory) an oaf, or simpleton. 2. noun: (friendly) a friend, brother or faithful companion. 3. verb: hose-off; a put-off; go away, leave me; I doubt what you are saying.

In other words a hoser is a beer drinking moron who fries back bacon in his living room while dressed in winter garments (including a toque) and watching TV at the same time making inane comments regarding any thought that enters his head.

Thanks for that! South Park was always a little rude about the Canadian accent - they had you saying "oot" and "aboot" an awful lot. Then I saw an old Stan Rogers interview and he actually did it for real!

I was in the Maritimes last year and I very much liked the sing-song quality of the accent. People seemed to talk in fast iambic pentameters - a sort of "de dum de dum de dum" quality to the voice. A very pleasant accent.

A numpty is indeed fairly similar to a hoser. There is no redneck beer-drinking requirement, but there needs to be a definite dim-witted, trogolodytical quality of thought processes and decision making.

Regards,

Peter

[Drachir]

Originally Posted by Peter Graham

Thanks for that! South Park was always a little rude about the Canadian accent - they had you saying "oot" and "aboot" an awful lot. Then I saw an old Stan Rogers interview and he actually did it for real!

I was in the Maritimes last year and I very much liked the sing-song quality of the accent. People seemed to talk in fast iambic pentameters - a sort of "de dum de dum de dum" quality to the voice. A very pleasant accent.

Actually we are bit sensitive to the "oot" and "aboot" thing, since Canadians do not think that they sound like that. Instead we find the US accent amusing, especially the pronunciation or words like "roof," which to us sounds as if they are saying "ruff." Also to Canadians many Americans pronounce "out" like "awout."

The Maritimes accent is interesting in that there in no definable Maritime accent. It varies from place to place in the Atlantic Provinces in much the same way that accents in England change from place to place. The most proncounced is probably the accent in Newfoundland although even there it varies from one part of the island to another. Newfoundland, by-the-way is not considered part of the Maritimes, although it is one of the Atlantic provinces.

Interesting that you know about Stan Rogers, a man who would probably have become the greatest song-writer in Canadian history if he had not died so tragically young.

[Precision Grace]

The most fascinating thing about Canadians is not their accent but that they are so unbelievably laid back and cheerful. Mr PG and self had a serious fright on a last trip over until we talked ourselves around this unexpected cultural difference and started to enjoy it. But for a while there we were very scared, expecting the smiles to evaporate and be replaced by evil snares and what not. Never happened.
Americans, although polite, are quite rude about it, you see. Very different.

[Peter Graham]

Actually we are bit sensitive to the "oot" and "aboot" thing, since Canadians do not think that they sound like that.

I think it's quite a pleasant pronunciation, although you seem to do the whole "ou" or "uo" thing differently - I noticed a number of people talking abou "boo-ees" when referring to "buoys".

The Maritimes accent is interesting in that there in no definable Maritime accent. It varies from place to place in the Atlantic Provinces in much the same way that accents in England change from place to place. The most proncounced is probably the accent in Newfoundland although even there it varies from one part of the island to another. Newfoundland, by-the-way is not considered part of the Maritimes, although it is one of the Atlantic provinces.

I noticed that too! The Nova Scotians do always seem rather keen to let one know that "Newfie's" are different! They seem to accuse them of saying "boy" at the end of every sentence, and the "eh" (or "ay") is even more pronounced. But then again, I've heard people in BC talking about "the bways from the bway" when referring to their Maritime countrymen, suggesting perhaps that the differences shrink when you've got the prairies between you....

Interesting that you know about Stan Rogers, a man who would probably have become the greatest song-writer in Canadian history if he had not died so tragically young.

Yes, indeed. A fine songwriter!

How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now.

Peter