Merry Christmas Fellas!

[Jerry_Atrick]

OK - I am not being PC by saying happy festive season or trying to recall all the possible other religions' events around this time to include in my festive wishes. But, I'm not a believer anyway, and I use this time to wish the all the best and goodwill..

 

And I would like to say thanks to you all.. firstly, for tolerating me; secondly, for engaging in some though provoking and educative discussion and debate; and thirdly, for providing me (and I hope all of us) some great learning - smattered with just enough humour to keep us sane. We haven't agreed amongst outselves with everything said, but it has been, on the whole, a very enjoyable journey.

 

So, take it easy, enjoy the company of those around you, and have plenty of merriment!

 

[Yenn]

I will mirror that, it is good to be able to cross swords in many ways with people who can take it as well as dish it out.

[Marty_d]

Merry christmas Jerry - and everyone else!

 

(I'm not a believer either, but it's just easier than saying "Happy midwinter festival!")

 

Hope you're all staying safe during the holidays.

[nomadpete]

Peace and goodwill to all.

 

To all youse picky, argumentative, pedantic and generally good all round mates. You can take credit (or the blame, if you prefer) for keeping me relatively sane all through this challenging year. May the coming new year bring good things to you all.

 

Thank you all.

[old man emu]

Is it wrong to use a word simply because it is associated with one religion? The Hebrew faith celebrates Hanukkah at the same time, but it is believed that what is celebrated at Hanukkah, the victory of a small Jewish army over their Macedonian overlords about 200 BC, is a reuse of a long time mid-winter festival. The mid-winter festival seems ubiquitous in the Northern Hemisphere as that marks the beginning of lengthening days and a return of more pleasant temperatures. Islam doesn't have a mid-winter festival, simply because there is a strong prohibition, dating from the establishment of Islam, on observing non-Islamic festivals. Also, the seasonal differences experienced where Islam arose are not as extreme as in parts to the North, so a festival was not required to celebrate things getting better. The ancient peoples of the North African world, notably the Pharaonic Egyptians, celebrated the solstice as the birth of the god, Ra. One would think that a long history of that celebration would carry over in some way into the modern religion of Islam, but that prohibition is pretty strong.

 

So, if you live in a country where Christianity is dominant, then you should use the greeting associated with that dominance. Likewise, in Tel Aviv, it will always be "Happy Hanukkah". As for our Islamic friends, is it any wonder that they always look miserable?

 

 

[spacesailor]

HAPPY FESTIVE SEASON. 

TO ALL.

And have a great 2022.

spacesailor

[onetrack]

Happy Birthday, Jesus! - and to all you unbelievers and hypocrites, I trust you simply enjoy your highly-commercialised, materialistically-oriented, holidays!!  

 

I am currently a leper, locked away in quarantine with SWMBO, so both our Christmas and New Year are going to be very solitary, at home arrangements.  

 

Even the Coles delivery bloke ran away with fear on his face, when I advised him we were quarantined. 

[Marty_d]

4 hours ago, nomadpete said:

...for keeping me relatively sane ...

What were you like before???

[nomadpete]

You didn't know me before. No terms of reference.

 

Come to think of it, I wonder, would you have even wanted to know me then???

 

This forum has done a lot by teasing my mind and expanding my thinking.

That's why I said 'thank you all'.

[old man emu]

 

 

[old man emu]

If the etymology of the verb "to wish" is from the Old English "wyscan - to wish, cherish a desire", doesn't that imply that a wish is a personal thing, and that if you wish someone good fortune, it only makes the wisher happy if the good fortune eventuates?  So wishing for something for another person is selfish because you are not giving anything of any sort of value away.

 

So I will use the words of Charles Lamb, which can be found in The Compete Works of Charles Lamb, Volume 4, "The compliment of the season to you, Mr. Hogsflesh".

[nomadpete]

Well maybe, sir.

But even so, I'm confused. What is the entymology of 'Mr Hogsflesh' and can you still buy some at the butchers? It doesn't sound very kosher to me.

 

And is Mortein any good at controlling rampant entymologies anyway?

Edited December 24, 2021 by nomadpete

[willedoo]

34 minutes ago, nomadpete said:

And is Mortein any good at controlling rampant entymologies anyway?

I whack them with the newspaper.

[old man emu]

52 minutes ago, nomadpete said:

What is the etymology of 'Mr Hogsflesh'

The surname “Hogsflesh” is derived from a nickname. This is a Sussex surname, and may originate in Arundel. It was very familiar at one time in Worthing and the surrounding district. A local jingle dated 1805 which says:

'Worthing is a pretty place,

And if I'm not mistaken,

If you can't get butcher's meat.

There's Hogsflesh and Bacon.'

 

In the case of the Hogsflesh family of Hungerford. Berks, genealogical records  indicate that the Hogsflesh’s originally came from Sussex and the first parish record concerns a Jhon (sic) Hogsflesh who was christened on 3 July 1588 in West Wittering, Sussex.

 

Like many English place names that raise a chuckle, surnames also can raise a titter. Cocks come from Truro. Willys hail from Taunton and Bottoms came from Huddersfield. Glasgow was the home of the most Smellies in 1881, while Nottingham was home to the Dafts. Jellys were based in Guildford and Piggs in Newcastle upon Tyne.

 

1 hour ago, nomadpete said:

And is Mortein any good at controlling rampant entymologies anyway?

Well. if you're on a good thing, stick to it.

 

Just some advice to those who might consume a couple of crook ice cubes over the next few days, rampant enterology can be slowed with  a couple of 2 mg loperamide hydrochloride capsules.

[nomadpete]

Well at least I gave you a new rabbit hole to go down.

 

I honestly didn't think you would go there.

 

Personally I don't care about the difference between entamology an enterololgy.

 

I was just playing with the words

 

 

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, nomadpete said:

I was just playing with the words

But that was something I often entendre entendre to do. 

[onetrack]

Just checked, and Santa is on his way, for all the good girls and boys. That cuts out a few from this forum! - so Santa will have less stops now! 

 

https://www.farmonlineweather.com.au/radar

[nomadpete]

I stopped being a good little girl a long time ago. I know, 'cos Santa hasn't left my anything since I turned eight.

[nomadpete]

Well Xmas day has come and gone. I sincerely desire (wish is officially out, thanks to OME), that you all had a good time.

 

Here comes 2022!

 

I know most readers are of 'advanced years' And I'd bet that like me, you have never thought about the mind boggling date - years with numbers starting with twenty something! It's amazing! Bring it on!

Edited December 25, 2021 by nomadpete

[Marty_d]

Hey all,

 

Here's a true Xmas day story - and with my atheistical leanings I found it funny.

 

So we have 24 eggs in an incubator, placed on 5th December, so they're due tomorrow 26/12.  Chooks are pretty exact with their 21 days, right?

 

This morning I did joke with my wife that if one hatched today, we'd call it "Jesus".  We had a bit of a laugh, but apparently the kids heard and took notice for once in their lives.

 

The family's arriving, I have 10 people here, the turkey and pork roast are resting out of the oven and I'm beginning to get the table ready - and what happens?  A chick decides to make an appearance.  So the kids are racing around yelling "His name is baby Jesus!  Jesus is born!  Dad, can we keep Jesus even if he's a rooster?"

 

So now we have a chicken called Jesus.  Or Jesusina if she lays eggs.

[nomadpete]

Christ!

That's scarey

[red750]

I have to stop eating turkey. It puts me to sleep quicker than a politicians speech, and I'm out like a light. BTW, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all.

[willedoo]

Ho Ho Ho. This is a genuine photo (caption excluded). 49th. Tactical Fighter Wing Phantoms from Holloman Air Force Base back in the day.

 

 

[nomadpete]

Merry Summer Solstice festival to you all!

 

We are making the most of social catchup with friends and various family.

 

After that, we plan an afternoon in front of A/C...... sipping shiraz, nibbling leftovers, and avoiding chores.

[facthunter]

You should know "no drinking within 50 feet of the aircraft". Ho HO HO. Have a NOT TOO merry one. There's been some colossal thunder and rain about and my lowest alcohol intake ever..    Nev