Thread: I like this, but clearly not everybody does Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
This is for agingjb who likes the concept of the 'unpopular opinions' thread but would rather just read about things people LIKE and not things they DON'T LIKE. And it's hard to argue with him. That thread seems to have descended into "this thing that everybody likes really sucks." So let's keep it positive! What are some apparently unpopular things that you like? What about them appeals to you (if applicable)?

I'll start. I like "Never Gonna Give You Up." I think it has a nice message, decent singing, and excellent instrumentation/production. It's a solid 1980's pop song.
 
Posted by sharkshooter (# 1589) on :
 
I like eggnog.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I really like sprouts [Smile]
 
Posted by Nick Tamen (# 15164) on :
 
I like—no, I love—liver.
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
Eggnog, sprouts and liver (fried, with bacon and onions) -- [Axe murder]

And a ham sandwich with mayonnaise, not mustard.
 
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
I like both haggis and black pudding.

I am a medium to hot curry person (I do not enjoy mild ones)

100% chocolate in small doses.

Oh and I like both Marmite and Vegemite but have been known to draw the line at low salt yeast extract (actually I do not know anyone who hasn't).

Jengie

[ 22. November 2017, 20:10: Message edited by: Jengie jon ]
 
Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
Another member of Club Sprout here.

On another note, I rather like Danny Boyle's Sunshine, in spite of it being regarded as one of his lessgood films.
 
Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 
I am in complete agreement, for once, with our dear old Miz Amanda (although I am now vegetarian).

I do object about ham sammiches. Real mayonnaise on one side, hot English mustard on the other.

And Jengie: Marry me and take me away from my miserable existence. [Biased]
 
Posted by GreyFace (# 4682) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
I'll start. I like "Never Gonna Give You Up."

Just sayin' ...
 
Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by GreyFace:
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
I'll start. I like "Never Gonna Give You Up."

Just sayin' ...
That's fabulous.
 
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
OK, I like 1960's bubblegum. Some of it anyway, like "Quick Joey Small" and "Na Na, Hey Hey, Kiss Him Goodbye".
 
Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
I believe that a cricket tea is not complete without egg sandwiches.

Mostly because the after-effects are the only thing that gives me enough velocity to get the ball to the other end...

AG
 
Posted by Diomedes (# 13482) on :
 
Takes a deep breath - I like playing the banjo.
 
Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
I loved Assassins Creed Unity, the environments were beautiful, especially the sunsets.
 
Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Another lover of sprouts here! Yum. Roasted. Yum. Buttered.

I love okra! I love it boiled and slimy better than fried!

And grits! Yummy!
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Oh, I love brussels sprouts too. We should probably all post our recipes on the Recipes topic.
I am a hopeless fan of Breaking Cat News, which is an entirely silly comic strip about, yes you guessed it, cats.
 
Posted by Ohher (# 18607) on :
 
I like -- no, I adore -- fruitcake.

Sprouts are OK. Properly cooked.
 
Posted by sharkshooter (# 1589) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ohher:
...
Sprouts are OK. Properly cooked.

So are cats. Oops, wrong thread.
 
Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Ohher:
I like -- no, I adore -- fruitcake.

Doesn't everybody?
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
Agree with Sipech about Sunshine, especially the 2001esque denoument(not a spoiler, since the allusion is mostly visual, not plot related). Though having seen it twice, I'm not in a hurry to see it again.

As I mentioned on the other thread, I preferred Three's Company with Furley as the landlord rather than the Ropers, and Terri as the blonde rather than Chrissy. I was a teenager when the show was in its heyday, and the Ropers seemed aimed at an older audience(what with all the sexless marriage jokes), and Chrissy, by contrast, seemed aimed at people with a juvenile sense of humour. Neither had much appeal to me.
 
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on :
 
I'm incredibly delighted that we have someone around these parts who cares so deeply about "Three's Company" that it gets two posts.

On the bad old sitcom front, I'm a 36 year old man, and I enjoy watching "Full House." There, I said it.

My wife owned two seasons when we got married, and I always made fun of her. But then the daughter came along, and one day, my wife put it on for her, and she was hooked (she likes seeing other little girls on TV). It wasn't long before I was watching here and there.

And you know what? You will get a good, sincere laugh at least once during any episode. Yeah, it's still totally cheesy, and I still cringe every time Dave Coulier launches into one of his impressions. But especially given some stuff that the girl wants to watch, I'm always down for Full House.
 
Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
I enjoy fall and winter. Rain, Snow bring it on.
Love fruitcake, sprouts, and dark chocolate.
 
Posted by Nick Tamen (# 15164) on :
 
Necco wafers are my favorite candy. Really.
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Tamen:
Necco wafers are my favorite candy. Really.

When as kids we "played church," we always used the white ones as communion wafers.
 
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on :
 
I love Necco wafers, too! The wintergreen ones are my favorite!
 
Posted by Nick Tamen (# 15164) on :
 
I like the clove ones best.

And Miss Amanda, I’ve known of Catholic parishes that use them to practice for First Communion. I’ve always figured that the “taste” of actual communion wafers must be a real let- down after that.
 
Posted by Kaplan Corday (# 16119) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Diomedes:
Takes a deep breath - I like playing the banjo.

Isn't the definition of a gentleman someone who could play the banjo, but doesn't?

Or is that the saxophone?

When I was a child I loved brains and cod liver oil.

I haven't been game to try either since.
 
Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I like broad (fava) beans. My neighbour kindly passed on some that she had been given [Yipee] She had been planning to compost them if I didn't like them.

Huia
 
Posted by MaryLouise (# 18697) on :
 
I like every song from David Cassidy and the Partridge Family and learned the (undemanding) lyrics off by heart in the '70s. As a teenager I was less keen on David Cassidy himself, because he was so much prettier than me.

I Think I Love You

Daydreamer

[ 23. November 2017, 03:54: Message edited by: MaryLouise ]
 
Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
I like candy corn, especially the good stuff that's made with honey.

I like some fruitcake, if it's moist, and I love egg nog.
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
No. 1 sprout fan here.

Christmas cake with Wensleydale cheese is traditional, but it's much better with Stilton.
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
Absolutely (my wife doesn't like blue cheeses though).
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Nicole--

quote:
Originally posted by Nicolemr:
I like candy corn, especially the good stuff that's made with honey.

I like it, too. Do you eat it piece by piece, or section by section? I prefer the latter.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Tamen:
And Miss Amanda, I’ve known of Catholic parishes that use them to practice for First Communion. I’ve always figured that the “taste” of actual communion wafers must be a real let- down after that.

Just about anything would be better than those styrofoam-like wafers some churches use.
 
Posted by Higgs Bosun (# 16582) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Kaplan Corday:


When I was a child I loved brains and cod liver oil.

I haven't been game to try either since.

When I was a child we had halibut liver oil capsules - loved them. Now I have to make do with cod liver oil capsules. I like to bite into them - lovely.

Oh, and I like to munch on uncooked dried pasta.
 
Posted by fletcher christian (# 13919) on :
 
I actually really like durian......providing I remember not to breath in through my nose.
 
Posted by MaryLouise (# 18697) on :
 
Ditto, durian is delicious even if you feel as if you're eating ambrosia with your head stuck down an unflushed toilet.
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
I really like horseradish. And Shelley Duvall's performance in The Shining.
 
Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
{tangent alert}

Many years ago I knew an elderly man who was one of the engineers that designed the machinery to make Necco wafers.

{/tangent alert}

Moo
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by fletcher christian:
I actually really like durian......providing I remember not to breath in through my nose.

Had to Google it -- never heard of it. From what Wikipedia says about it, I don't think I'd like it.

I was especially intrigued by this quote:

quote:
This strong odour can be detected half a mile away by animals, thus luring them. In addition, the fruit is extremely appetising to a variety of animals, including squirrels, mouse deer, pigs, orangutan, elephants, and even carnivorous tigers.
Not anyone I'd care to invite to my table. Well, maybe an orangutan or two might be interesting.
 
Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :
 
I like fish and everything about fishiness. I want stinky and messy fish. Oysters are my favourite. Straight up chew 'em up savour it all. Sardines for breakfast as I write this.
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I eat apples core and all, always have done [Smile]
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
You and me both Boogie, the pips, cyanide and all, have a nice almondy taste.

I had wondered about adding sardines as something I like, also whitebait, most fish and shellfish, but I don't like oysters raw.
 
Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Graven Image:
I enjoy fall and winter. Rain, Snow bring it on.
Love fruitcake, sprouts, and dark chocolate.

Me too. In fact seeing this I might try them together.

Fruitcake and cheese together is great, especially Wensleydale.

{Spel chekk thinks there's a Wesleyan cheese. Silly spel chekk.}
 
Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Tamen:
I like—no, I love—liver.

Yes. LRP's liver bacon and pea risotto is to die from...

Cough cough... I did not mean that ...cough cough.

I mean to die FOR.
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
I actually think The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran is a nice little piece of writing. And no, this is not because of some general weakness for inspirational literature, as I really hate The Little Prince.
 
Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
Golden Key, I eat it whole piece at a time, sometimes multiple pieces. Yum!
 
Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :
 
Bergkaese, or Mountain Cheese, from Southern Germany, or Austria (I think that's what it's called).

It smells like freshly-dumped dog-poo, but tastes wonderful, and goes down well with PORT. It can, IIRC, be obtained in Ukland sometimes, by those with strong constitutions, from specialist cheese shops.

(I recall travelling on a rush-hour bus into Innsbruck with Mrs. BF. We wondered where on earth the vile smell was coming from, until we realised that it was from the freshly-filled cheese rolls in our bags on the luggage rack. The entire bus-load of locals ignored the smell completely, AFAIK).

IJ
 
Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :
 
I agree. I like sprouts. And liver, especially pigs liver fried with onions. I also think quite a lot of soups are improved by adding a bit of yoghurt, and some by adding marmite. Toasted cheese is particularly nice toasted with marmite and pickle.

Porridge is the best thing to have for breakfast, but it's best eaten with milk and some form of brown sugar - I prefer Demerara. Nothing arcane and spartan. But it really sets you up for the day.

I also like quite a lot of folk and folk-crossover, particularly our more indigenous sorts, and particularly if the instruments used aren't guitars. Some of it tries to sing about more complex issues than ordinary pop.

I also like Kate Bush, partly for the same reason and partly because she's got a good voice. I also think Karen Carpenter had a good voice.

Are those embarrassing enough admissions for this thread?
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
quote:
I also think Karen Carpenter had a good voice.

I'm take-it-or-leave-it on Karen's voice, but I think the Carpenters had some pretty good songs, eg. Yesterday Once More and Top Of The World. Granted, this might owe at least as much to the writers as to the performers.
 
Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :
 
Oh yes, MARMITE is indeed Food of the Gods!

Tomato SOUP with a teaspoonful of MARMITE is proof that Life is sometimes Worth It.

So there.

[Razz]

IJ
 
Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :
 
I suspect not many shipmates may know what I'm talking about. You've probably got to be both British and well over sixty for this to mean anything. But I've often thought that Karen Carpenter's voice had quite a lot in common with Helen Shapiro's.
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Enoch:
Porridge is the best thing to have for breakfast, but it's best eaten with milk and some form of brown sugar.

Made with milk, not water. And served with maple syrup or just a few drops of molasses, not brown sugar or any other sugar. There is no justification for humans consuming refined sugar in any form.
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
Enoch
I always thought Karen Carpenter was a soundalike for Alma Cogan.
 
Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
I too like Karen Carpenter's voice. Like a gold brick wrapped round with velvet.
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
I think the Carpenters might have been a case of musicians getting tarred with some of the cultural trappings that came to be attached to them. They were seen as personally square(Nixon publically endorsed them, which was pretty much the kiss-of-death for any street cred they might have had), and Karen Carpenter died of a condition which, fairly or not, many people regard as a flaky neurosis(if not an outright punch-line) rather than a serious pathology.

Plus, the whole thing of a brother-sister combo performing together in a way more commonly associated with boyfriend-girlfriend or husband-wife probably pushed a lot of peoples' "ick" button.

So, as often happens, a bunch of factors came together to ensure that they'd get judged by who they were and what they represented, rather than by the music itself.
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
And since we're on the subject of misunderstood 70s music, I think the line about the New York Times in the Bee Gees song Stayin' Alive works just fine. It actually is a reference to the film(that newspaper is read by one of the characters, in a deliberate contrast to Travolta's blue-collar persona), and even if it wasn't, I think listeners could probably work out the general idea from the rest of the lyrics.
 
Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:
Enoch
I always thought Karen Carpenter was a soundalike for Alma Cogan.

Now there's a voice from the past, the soundtrack to my childhood, Two Way Family Favourites and Sunday lunchtime.
 
Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :
 
Another sprout lover here, I like them plain boiled and not buggered about with additions

I love broccoli as well

And Marmite

And I really enjoy folk music
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I love rats and have kept them as pets 🐀
 
Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I love rats and have kept them as pets 🐀

Likewise!
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
Gerbils. Cute, don't bite and intelligent.

Keep them in a transparent tank (with grids across the top) and watch them tunnel - kept my children fascinated for hours.
 
Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :
 
Rats make amazing pets, the only reason I no longer have any is they would not mix with my cats in an open plan house
 
Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
I had a pet rat in college, he was quite cute and kept me company.
 
Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I like milk puddings. Semolina, tapioca, rice pudding - all gorgeous. The stodgier the better. I also love ths skin that forms on the top. Just don't mess them up by adding sultanas.
 
Posted by ACK (# 16756) on :
 
Dark chocolate and fruit cake, but not at the same time.
Peanut butter and cheese sandwiches.
Tinned tomatoes on toast spread in peanut butter. (The peanut butter soaks up the abundance of liquid in the tomatoes).
Cold stewed black tea.
Mushy peas with cheese melted into them, on toast.
Fish-finger and mayonaise sandwiches.

Last of the Summer Wine, especially the really early ones with Blamire, where the emphasis was more on the dialog than the antics.
 
Posted by LRP (# 5013) on :
 
Hmmm Balaam watch what your saying might surprise you with a secret ingredient in my risotto that you might not like.
 
Posted by Ohher (# 18607) on :
 
Peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches. Aside from my father, who introduced me to these when I was a small child, I've never met anyone who didn't respond with an "EEWW!!" when hearing about these. I love them. Much better than peanut butter and jam or jelly.
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I like peanut butter and beansprout sandwiches. Also peanut butter and banana - often eat that one for breakfast, but have never liked peanut butter and jelly/jam.
 
Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Also peanut butter and banana -

Elvis, is this you?
 
Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
quote:
Originally posted by GreyFace:
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
I'll start. I like "Never Gonna Give You Up."

Just sayin' ...
That's fabulous.
Some background on that. Dave Grohl is awesome.
 
Posted by Pancho (# 13533) on :
 
I like anchovies. I like anchovies on pizza. I like Velveeta. I like melted Velveeta. I like Velveeta quesadillas. I love honest-to-goodness Real Cheddar Cheese but I still like Velveeta. I like mowing the lawn (it relaxes me.) I like using a manual push lawn mower (it gives me a workout and is cheaper than joining a gym.) I like ties and I like wearing them (lots of guys don't.) I like suits and enjoy the chance to wear them. I like the idea of a Hobbit movie trilogy and I still think there's enough material in the book to turn it into a trilogy (even if it didn't turn out so well in practice last time.) I like cats.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cottontail:
I like milk puddings. Semolina, tapioca, rice pudding - all gorgeous. The stodgier the better. I also love ths skin that forms on the top. Just don't mess them up by adding sultanas.

...whereas, for me, rice pudding MUST have raisins.
[Smile]
 
Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by lilBuddha:
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
quote:
Originally posted by GreyFace:
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
I'll start. I like "Never Gonna Give You Up."

Just sayin' ...
That's fabulous.
Some background on that. Dave Grohl is awesome.
That is the SHIZZZ! [Yipee]
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
You have reminded me that I have some leftover sprouts and some left over mash, but not enough to serve up to anyone else, who probably wouldn't like it anyway. I like bubble and squeak. with a runny egg.
 
Posted by leo (# 1458) on :
 
Black pudding - but only from the recipe used by Waitrose.
 
Posted by Cathscats (# 17827) on :
 
Peanut butter and cheese! Yes! Peanut butter and mayonnaise - and I thought I was the only one! Peanut butter and mayonnaise and cheese, the best of all!
 
Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
Peanut butter and bacon on crunchily-toasted English muffin. Heaven!
 
Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Diomedes:
Takes a deep breath - I like playing the banjo.

I like listening to someone playing the banjo!

quote:
Originally posted by MaryLouise:
Ditto, durian is delicious even if you feel as if you're eating ambrosia with your head stuck down an unflushed toilet.

This description reminded me of the way I've described Sen-Sens before: They kinda taste like soapy dirt, but delicious! For those unfamiliar, they were tiny, flat, square, black confections composed of licorice and spices, invented in the 1800s as a breath freshener. I don't like black licorice, but I love Sen-Sens.

I'm really sad they've discontinued Sen-Sens. I still have a pack or two. They remind me of my dad, who grew up loving them, and introduced me to them. Dad's breath generally smelled of Sen Sens or Pepsi or peanuts. Sadly, now that his Alzheimer's is advanced, his taste has dramatically changed, and he no longer likes Sen Sens (or peanuts, or pistachios - which we always gave him at Christmas).
 
Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
I'm sorta sorry they've discontinued Sen-Sen. Sorry because I really liked them at one time, and they were something my mother would get for me when I was small. But only sorta, because I grew out of my taste for licorice years (decades) ago.
 
Posted by Ohher (# 18607) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cathscats:
Peanut butter and mayonnaise - and I thought I was the only one!

I wonder if this is a genetic thing, like hate-it-or-love-it cilantro, and we're somehow related?
 
Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
A +1 from me for Karen Carpenter. It happened a couple of years ago, about the time I started needing reading glasses. I'm also no longer averse to looking up garden birds in a bird book.
 
Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
I like New Age music when I'm shopping. It's pleasant and unobtrusive ( Just heard some Enya today for the first time in years.)
 
Posted by Ferdzy (# 8702) on :
 
A present for ye banjo-lovers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CNB5OLUPM0

As for me, I love sprouts, and while I am not keen on pork liver, I am more than happy to eat beef, chicken, duck, or best of all, lamb liver.

Ditto stodgy puddings with plenty of raisins.
 
Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
I'm sorta sorry they've discontinued Sen-Sen. Sorry because I really liked them at one time, and they were something my mother would get for me when I was small. But only sorta, because I grew out of my taste for licorice years (decades) ago.

We used to have them here under the name Vigroids, I was introduced to them when I started singing in our church choir! I believe they have been discontinued here too.
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
What about Melloids? Sound much the same, don't know if they still exist.
 
Posted by Gill H (# 68) on :
 
My dad called them Little Black Bombers.
 
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
Well being NonConformists we had Mighty Imps. Ages since I had any, fine in small doses.

Jengie
 
Posted by Tree Bee (# 4033) on :
 
I’m afraid I knew them as Nigroids. My Dad usually had a tin of them in his pocket. Useful for choir. I have Imps now but my choir leader frowns on them.
 
Posted by Gracious rebel (# 3523) on :
 
My Dad always had a little tin of Nigroids in his pocket. Horrible things.

According to Wikipedia they were renamed as Vigroids, I guess because anything beginning with 'Nig-' has unfortunate connotations. Mind you I don't much care for the '-oids' ending either - it reminds me of Haemorrhoids!

[ 26. November 2017, 18:26: Message edited by: Gracious rebel ]
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Re Sen-Sen:

I'm not a licorice fan, except for the grape "licorice" whips/vines. They were the same size and shape as the licorice ones, but contained no actual licorice. There were red vines, too, but I'm not sure what flavor they were meant to be. Raspberry, maybe?

Anyway, I did some poking around online, and found a couple of things that might be of use:

--Wikipedia mentions something called "pontefract cake" which evidently has a similar flavor. (The Sen-Sen article linked to it.) Maybe there's a recipe somewhere?

--I looked to see if there was a knock-off Sen-Sen recipe online, but didn't find one. I may have missed something.

--Vermont Country Store has a variety of old-timey products. Here's what they have in the way of licorice.

Horehound drops are at the bottom of the page. I wonder if they might be a halfway-decent substitute? Some people like them. I tried them once, and won't again. [Biased]

--VCS has brought old products back from the dead. (See "Brands From The Past" in the top menu.) Customers can request the resurrection of a particular item. If you go to the bottom menu and select "Suggest A Product", in the Customer Service column, you can ask them to try to bring back Sen-Sen. And they take your contact info, so you're not just throwing your suggestion into the corporate darkness. [Biased]

FWIW, YMMV.

ETA: I think Trader Joe's grocery stores may have some sort of licorice bits or lozenges. Unfortunately, TJ doesn't sell online.

[ 27. November 2017, 06:37: Message edited by: Golden Key ]
 
Posted by M. (# 3291) on :
 
Pontefract cakes are round flat liquorice sweets, about an inch diameter, like a coin.

They have something indecipherable stamped on them. All liquorice sweets are lovely, but pontefract cakes are not my favourite.

Pontefract in Yorkshire is where liquorice grows/grew.

M.
 
Posted by Gill H (# 68) on :
 
Imps were the ones my dad had. I think Vocalzones do a similar job for singers now and taste strongly of licquorice.
 
Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
I like (liked) Star Trek Voyager, I still watch the reruns. I don't understand why people sneer at it.

It was tons better than Deep Space Nine which was dire.
 
Posted by Hugal (# 2734) on :
 
I like cities and prefer them to the country.
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
I much prefer the old auditorium style cinemas and absolutely loathe stadium seating. Almost impossible to find the former anymore, which has changed my moviegoing habits.
 
Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Nig/Vigroids and Mighty Imps are no longer made, due to some issue with the sourcing of morally acceptable licorice or something. I think this may have affected my sister's favourite licorice/blackcurrant bonbons, once manufactured in the same Devon town.
There are some things called Nipits which are similar, but NOT THE SAME.

Once, during a school design and technology project on torches, while the children were doing their ideas, I managed to make a light which fitted into a Nigroid flip top box and came on when it was flipped open. Still have it somewhere.

[ 27. November 2017, 10:46: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by M.:
Pontefract in Yorkshire is where liquorice grows/grew.

https://allpoetry.com/The-Licorice-Fields-At-Pontefract
 
Posted by Kaplan Corday (# 16119) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Hugal:
I like cities and prefer them to the country.

Certainly when it comes to where you live, as opposed to where you go for holidays.

Marx nailed it in the Communist Manifesto with "the idiocy of rural life".
 
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
I like the remoteness and loneliness of the countryside. The place I live in is too busy and noisy and full of strangers for me with a population of 2000; a house up on the moors a mile or so from a village of perhaps 500 with the nearest town a good ten miles away would suit me perfectly. There'd be inconveniences, of course, but the overall benefit would be massive.

[ 27. November 2017, 14:55: Message edited by: Karl: Liberal Backslider ]
 
Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 
As I said on the other thread, I like the Star Wars prequels. All of them.

I also greatly enjoy watching cartoons. You can shove your gritty, deep and/or meaningful dramas somewhere dark; an evening of The Simpsons, Phineas and Ferb, Teen Titans Go, Futurama, Family Guy, We Bare Bears and so on suits me just fine [Big Grin]
 
Posted by agingjb (# 16555) on :
 
Cambozola cheese.

Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde".

T.S.Eliot's "Four Quartets".
 
Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
As I said on the other thread, I like the Star Wars prequels. All of them.

I also greatly enjoy watching cartoons. You can shove your gritty, deep and/or meaningful dramas somewhere dark; an evening of The Simpsons, Phineas and Ferb, Teen Titans Go, Futurama, Family Guy, We Bare Bears and so on suits me just fine [Big Grin]

I love animated films. I can't wait to see "Coco". I've enjoyed "The Incredibles", "Up!", "The Red Turtle", "The Book of Life", Tim Burton animation, and I even got a kick out of the Lego movies. My best movie bud likes movies adult and indie so I see a lot of serious stuff, but I go with a friend who likes simple pleasures to see my animated features.

[ 27. November 2017, 16:33: Message edited by: Lyda*Rose ]
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
I actually don't mind the smell of mothballs.
 
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
I love cartoons. I'm also a sucker for - struggling for the apposite adjective - comedies, the ones that are sort of the opposite of things like Friends - Bottom, Peep Show, Lead Balloon, Outnumbered, Inbetweeners. It probably comes as no surprise that I spend much of Christmas morning reading the Viz annual I traditionally get.
 
Posted by Kaplan Corday (# 16119) on :
 
I enjoy The Three Stooges.

Also A A Milne's children's poems - dated, twee and precious though they might be.

Who hasn't wondered "how God began"?

Asserting aseity, and telling you that it is a meaningless question (like "What was there before the Big Bang?"), sounds like a cop out.
 
Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
AA Milne fought in World War 1 and came back with shell-shock. A number of recent commentators have suggested that the poems and stories are his attempts to relate to his son. Just knowing he was a WW1 survivor makes his writings far more poignant.
 
Posted by Kaplan Corday (# 16119) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
AA Milne fought in World War 1 and came back with shell-shock. A number of recent commentators have suggested that the poems and stories are his attempts to relate to his son. Just knowing he was a WW1 survivor makes his writings far more poignant.

A couple of days ago I saw the current film which concerns itself with some of these issues.

It's what got me thinking about Milne.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Penny--

quote:
Originally posted by Penny S:
Once, during a school design and technology project on torches, while the children were doing their ideas, I managed to make a light which fitted into a Nigroid flip top box and came on when it was flipped open. Still have it somewhere.

Look up "Altoids tin DIY projects". People do all sorts of things. You might also like Instructables how-to site and Make zine.
 
Posted by Latchkey Kid (# 12444) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Kaplan Corday:

When I was a child I loved brains and cod liver oil.

I haven't been game to try either since. [/QB]

My mother gave us Halibut Liver oil. I liked that and sweetbreads (pancreas).
 
Posted by Latchkey Kid (# 12444) on :
 
I like Blossom Dearie.

I also like Disney's Fantasia, especially the Night on a Bare Mountain/Ave Maria section. A shame the music tape was reused by the audio engineers. Leopold Stowkowski is my favourite conductor.
 
Posted by Gill H (# 68) on :
 
I only really know ‘Bruce’ but that’s hilarious.

Fantasia is my favourite film. I sat silent and transfixed by it in the cinema aged 4, and then asked for years if we could see ‘the dancing mushrooms film’ (pre-video age!)

To make this a real UO, can I add that I also love Fantasia 2000, particularly the ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ section.
 
Posted by wild haggis (# 15555) on :
 
Enoch - you have something there.

Music: anything except C&W. I like singing folk. The Celtic folk scene is really good now with Celtic Connection s in Glasgow, Lorient in Brittany etc. But then I also like Schostakovitch, Tchaikovshy, Copeland, Bernstein, Bartok and Kaodaly and opera - especially Russian; early music - big yes. Klezmer, especially the group "She'koya" You can keep Beethovan, Elger and Wagner though.

Brussels sprouts: not overcooked and served with butter and mashed up nuts.
Red cabbage (German style) with venison, roatsies, chestnut puree and the works (our Christmas dinner).
Fish but not oysters (yuck). Nothing beats good fresh fish & chips.
Haggis, neeps and tatties. Tomorrow night. Anyone know where I can buy a proper haggis in Cardiff - not a plastic wrapped sausage one?
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I am a fan of musical theater.
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
I am a fan of musical theater.

I like a lot of the songs from musical theatre, though not so much the performances themselves.

And I like the taste of flat soda-pop, especially coke.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Latchkey Kid:
Leopold Stowkowski is my favourite conductor.

[tangent] I saw him live -- conducting Beethoven's Ninth! [Yipee] I was expecting Mickey Mouse to climb the steps to the podium and shake his hand. [/tangent]
 
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I like the ‘like’ button [Smile] [Razz]

It’s good for acknowledging that you’ve read and appreciated a comment but don’t have anything further to say.
 
Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
I like romantic comedies.
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
I like romantic comedies.

Me too, especially the smart, sassy ones set in hip urban centres(to quote the movie ads). I don't really care for straightforward romance. I think it needs a good splash of comedy to chase it down.
 
Posted by Trudy Scrumptious (# 5647) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
I like the ‘like’ button [Smile] [Razz]

It’s good for acknowledging that you’ve read and appreciated a comment but don’t have anything further to say.

I actually looked for a "like" button to respond to this post.
 
Posted by Nick Tamen (# 15164) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
I am a fan of musical theater.

Me too. And opera.
 
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Tamen:
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
I am a fan of musical theater.

Me too. And opera.
The songs are OK but I find an evening of either a bit much. I do like ballet though.
 
Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
I do like ballet though.

Me too.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I love classical music, and opera, and live theater (Shakespeare, musicals, whatever)... but please don't drag me to a ballet. Many people assume that since I enjoy the other performing arts I must be a ballet lover too. Nope.
 
Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Hugal:
I like cities and prefer them to the country.

Oh, me too - absolutely. My family all would move further and further into the country if they could. I want noise and concrete.


A note re: Sen-Sens (I didn't expect my post to generate so much discussion!) - they were more than licorice. They have some kind of spices, too. I'm pretty sure they contain patchouli, in fact, and the fact that as a kid, my dad ate Sen-Sens and I smelled them on him probably accounts for the fact that I wear patchouli oil every day now. (My tag-line on my facebook profile is "Patchouli-scented".) In fact, I hate black licorice; I love Sen-Sens despite their being licorice-based. So, sadly, most licorice drops or similar candy won't do as a substitute.

Re: Horehound, I love it. It tastes more like rootbeer than licorice to me, and I don't care for rootbeer.
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
quote:
Originally posted by Latchkey Kid:
Leopold Stowkowski is my favourite conductor.

[tangent] I saw him live -- conducting Beethoven's Ninth! [Yipee] I was expecting Mickey Mouse to climb the steps to the podium and shake his hand. [/tangent]
Well, as long as Minnie Mouse wasn't the soprano soloist.
 
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
I like beer. Amber to dark beers with lots of malt and fragrant but subdued hop character, preferably a good old Goldings or Fuggles. None of these modern IPAs that taste like an infusion of grapefruit pith. Much prefer beer to wine. Had Christmas dinner once with a range of beers matched to each course. Wonderful.

Oh, and beer goes much better with cheese than wine does.

[ 29. November 2017, 19:30: Message edited by: Karl: Liberal Backslider ]
 
Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
I like beer.

This is an unpopular opinion? [Confused]
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
I like beer.

This is an unpopular opinion? [Confused]
I was about to ask the same thing!

I also like Amber to dark beers with lots of malt and fragrant but subdued hop character, not the yellow stuff most Americans seem to think is beer. (Budweiser? Really?)
 
Posted by Nick Tamen (# 15164) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Many people assume that since I enjoy the other performing arts I must be a ballet lover too. Nope.

Ditto.
 
Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Tamen:
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Many people assume that since I enjoy the other performing arts I must be a ballet lover too. Nope.

Ditto.
I love ballet, live theatre, symphonic and chamber music, but not opera.
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
Opera is difficult because (for many) of the language barrier. And even if you do know the language, it's hard to understand the lyrics because to the untrained ear it sounds like everyone is screeching.

But opera is the culmination of all the arts rolled together. Those operas I have attended in person, I have enjoyed very much. But I do find it hard to listen to recordings of opera.

I've only ever been to one live ballet, and I did find that interesting.

But I hate beer in any form. I've never understood what people see in it.
 
Posted by simontoad (# 18096) on :
 
I like traffic lights.
 
Posted by Nick Tamen (# 15164) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by simontoad:
I like traffic lights.

No matter where they’ve been?
 
Posted by Stejjie (# 13941) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Tamen:
quote:
Originally posted by simontoad:
I like traffic lights.

No matter where they’ve been?
My soup nearly went all over my computer keyboard then...
 
Posted by wild haggis (# 15555) on :
 
I love opera but not many of the modern productions. So often historical stries or settings are wrenched out of their original time and don't work, making the whole thing jar and hard to belief.Eg Khovanchina set in modern times, Don Giovani set in 1980s with drug taking!!!! Ballo Masquera opening with men sitting on toilets - what's that about!As to the sex................! No wonder we can't get kids into classical music at an early age.

I first saw Madama Butterfly (Scottish Opera) when I was 9 and loved it. It was done traditionally, beautifully and was mezmorising. Our son had sections of Rigeletto done by Touring Opera at school when he was 9 and loved it. But when we watched a production from ROH on TV at family viewing time, it opened with a sex scene!! And poor old Rigeletto was dressed like a spider! What was that about? As to historical Handel operas set in classical Roman times with Roman stories being dressed as if they have stepped out of a Sci-Fi movie! Audiences aren't stupid. They can understand historical stories. The directors are full of their own importance, charging huge fees for rubbish production that just titilate the sex drive of people and forget the whole point the composer is making. All they want to do is shock.They don't even appear to read the liberetti and don't care about what the opera is saying. They only want their often warped opinions aired. They can keep it especially at the prices charged in London!(end of rant)

Nowadays I prefer to listen on radio or CD. Mind you Welsh National Opera's Rosenkavalier this year in Cardiff was brilliant. Die Fleadermouse was fun but why did they dress Hungarian dancers as Ottoman courtiers and have them dancing Greek steps. I couldn't help giggling. Still the rest was good.

For those who don't like ballet: have you watched any of Kenneth MacMillan's works (eg Romeo & Juliet, The Invitation, Elite Synocopations, Manon etc)? Try modern ballet or contemporary dance (Yasmin Vardemon, Carolin Finn, Arthur Pita, Merse Cunningham, etc). What about Wayne MacGregor's stuff. Not all all prizzy any of it. Give it a go - check bits on YouTube. You might get hooked.
 
Posted by betjemaniac (# 17618) on :
 
I agree with the (presumable slip of the tongue of the) radio presenter who said "Joni Mitchell is the American Sandy Denny."
[Big Grin]
 
Posted by Higgs Bosun (# 16582) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
AA Milne fought in World War 1 and came back with shell-shock. A number of recent commentators have suggested that the poems and stories are his attempts to relate to his son. Just knowing he was a WW1 survivor makes his writings far more poignant.

I have always been a fan. At my school we had to learn a poem by heart each year. Mine were normally drawn from Milne. When my sister and I split up the family home on the death of our father, she got the Milne. I had to make do with the Lewis Carroll.
 
Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by betjemaniac:
I agree with the (presumable slip of the tongue of the) radio presenter who said "Joni Mitchell is the American Sandy Denny."
[Big Grin]

Whether one agrees with that assessment - I'm not really all that struck by Joni Mitchell - why should that be a slip of the tongue? [Razz]

[ 30. November 2017, 13:31: Message edited by: Enoch ]
 
Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :
 
She's Canadian, from Saskatoon.
 
Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
I like beer. Not so strange expect I live in an area that is famous for it's wine. [Hot and Hormonal]
 
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
I like my coffee strong but I can't stand "strong" tea.
 
Posted by simontoad (# 18096) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Tamen:
quote:
Originally posted by simontoad:
I like traffic lights.

No matter where they’ve been?
especially when they're green?

I like having a short black at a 7/11 in Taylors Lakes. They keep me awake when I'm driving home for another 45 minutes... at least until I get to the hidden-in-plain-sight military testing site/ spy substation about 10 minutes from where I live, when I suddenly feel tired again. I've often wondered whether its the terrible coffee or the orange zest muffin I choose as the least sugary option while still having a muffin that keeps me awake to that point. It might be an emanation from the said secret military/spy base, but I don't experience the effect at other times, so I'm calling it a coffee come-down.

Also, I embarrassed myself at the 7/11 by referring to the owner's son's late-model Mercedes as a BMW. I didn't have the heart to explain that I call all luxury cars BMWs.
 
Posted by MaryLouise (# 18697) on :
 
*shamefaced* I call cars 'black and shiny' or 'small red car' or 'possibly 4x4'. I can recognise an old VW Beetle, a Ford Prefect and a red Lamborghini. If it has no roof it is a cabriolet.


I like the idea of Advent more than the reality because it coincides with festive toxicity.
 
Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
I like my coffee strong but I can't stand "strong" tea.

Snap but I drink both black. I known a few black drinkers who like weak coffee but think I have only ever met one who liked strong tea. So for a subset of the populous that is normal.

Jengie
 
Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
The coffee thing is cultural or possibly even doctrinal. I am informed (by my brother-in-law the Lutheran pastor) that Lutherans water their coffee to ensure that it's weak enough. Could this be heresy?
 
Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jengie jon:
quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
I like my coffee strong but I can't stand "strong" tea.

Snap but I drink both black.
Me too. Both black, both strong.
 
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
The coffee thing is cultural or possibly even doctrinal. I am informed (by my brother-in-law the Lutheran pastor) that Lutherans water their coffee to ensure that it's weak enough. Could this be heresy?

That would be what I call "church strength". I Fight the Good Fight for strong coffee in church.
 
Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
The coffee thing is cultural or possibly even doctrinal. I am informed (by my brother-in-law the Lutheran pastor) that Lutherans water their coffee to ensure that it's weak enough. Could this be heresy?

That would be what I call "church strength". I Fight the Good Fight for strong coffee in church.
I find that in Anglican circles the good coffee is at the top of the candle. Unfortunately for me my Anglicanism is subterranean.

Our church coffee is on the weak side for me, although it is coffee, not that fake stuff marked "instant." I am told that it is weak because some have complained it was too strong. The words, "add water," seem to have no meaning there.
 
Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
Gibson's best solid body electric guitars, and therefore the best in the world, are the Firebird and SG.

Clearly some would not agree, going by the sales of an overweight, overcomplicated, thing designed by a 1950s Jazz player.
 
Posted by simontoad (# 18096) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
The coffee thing is cultural or possibly even doctrinal. I am informed (by my brother-in-law the Lutheran pastor) that Lutherans water their coffee to ensure that it's weak enough. Could this be heresy?

triggered
 
Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by MaryLouise:
*shamefaced* I call cars 'black and shiny' or 'small red car' or 'possibly 4x4'. I can recognise an old VW Beetle, a Ford Prefect and a red Lamborghini. If it has no roof it is a cabriolet.

Ha! You should try being from the Motor City and having no real interest in cars. I'm fairly clueless about different car models. I really only know the ones I've driven or someone close to me has driven, although sometimes I know only that my parents have a Chrysler, e.g.
 
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by balaam:
quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
The coffee thing is cultural or possibly even doctrinal. I am informed (by my brother-in-law the Lutheran pastor) that Lutherans water their coffee to ensure that it's weak enough. Could this be heresy?

That would be what I call "church strength". I Fight the Good Fight for strong coffee in church.
I find that in Anglican circles the good coffee is at the top of the candle. Unfortunately for me my Anglicanism is subterranean.

Our church coffee is on the weak side for me, although it is coffee, not that fake stuff marked "instant." I am told that it is weak because some have complained it was too strong. The words, "add water," seem to have no meaning there.

I have concluded that the British only think they like coffee. How else can we explain the preponderance of instant, so often further diluted by the addition of milk in varying quantities and forms? Give most people in this country who say they like coffee a half decent real coffee, black, unsweetened, of reasonable strength, and they'll run a mile. It's like claiming to be a beer lover but only ever drinking shandy, and that made from Carling.

[ 02. December 2017, 17:05: Message edited by: Karl: Liberal Backslider ]
 
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by churchgeek:
quote:
Originally posted by MaryLouise:
*shamefaced* I call cars 'black and shiny' or 'small red car' or 'possibly 4x4'. I can recognise an old VW Beetle, a Ford Prefect and a red Lamborghini. If it has no roof it is a cabriolet.

Ha! You should try being from the Motor City and having no real interest in cars. I'm fairly clueless about different car models. I really only know the ones I've driven or someone close to me has driven, although sometimes I know only that my parents have a Chrysler, e.g.
So oft this sort of things happens. I went to public school*, and am a Dysgwr Cymraeg, as we say, a Welsh Learner, but - speak it not abroad, announce it not publically, I can't abide rugby**. Not too keen on male voice choirs either.

*i.e. private. If you're not from the UK don't ask, we don't understand it either.

**nothing to do with communal showers; I just hate it. I'm really not interested in how the sospan fach is berwi ar y dan.

[ 02. December 2017, 17:09: Message edited by: Karl: Liberal Backslider ]
 
Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :
 
When I left school, I vowed to myself that I would never play rugby again. I've kept that vow.
 
Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :
 
quote:
*i.e. private. If you're not from the UK don't ask, we don't understand it either.

In my experience, that odd terminology is something that's actually relatively well-known outside of the UK. I think I was aware of it by the time I had gotten to high school(in western Canada), in any case.

My own speculation is that the schools were originally "public" in the sense of not being church-run, and that this terminology continued after the establishment of publically-funded schools. Like I say, just speculation.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Re public schools in UK:

I thought they were public as opposed to private tutoring at home, which is what upper-crust folks would've had.
 
Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Re public schools in UK:

I thought they were public as opposed to private tutoring at home, which is what upper-crust folks would've had.

Eton isn't exactly lower-crust.
 
Posted by SvitlanaV2 (# 16967) on :
 
The public schools are almost all very posh and expensive now, but they started out by providing free education for 'poor boys', as is the case with Eton College. Over time their reputation grew, as did their reliance on wealthy benefactors, which changed their clientele. They retain their connection with 'poor boys' (or girls) by providing scholarships and bursaries for very bright children from less well-off families, and sometimes by forging connections with local state schools.

British public schools (and independent schools in general) are a good topic for this thread. Their alumni have played a key role in British public life for almost two centuries, so they're an entrenched part of the culture - but their very dominance is seen by some as a major pillar in the class system. Their pupils go on to fill the top universities and professions, leaving less space for bright children from less privileged backgrounds.

I'm sure there are folks here who are particularly proud of what independent schools have achieved, while others will be far less impressed. I don't have a dog in the fight, but in any case, I can't see the popularity of such schools fading among those (even on the left) who can get their children into them.
 
Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Stetson:

My own speculation is that the schools were originally "public" in the sense of not being church-run, and that this terminology continued after the establishment of publically-funded schools. Like I say, just speculation.

Plenty of public schools have religious foundations.

I always understood the "public" to indicate that the children of any member of the public with adequate funds would be educated there, as opposed to the guild schools which were restricted to the children of members of a particular guild or livery company.
 
Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
My own position is ambivalent. Basically I think it's wrong that there should be either "public" schools or private medical care (ie medical care which enables you to be seen more quickly/get better care than on the NHS).

But my father was a doctor, mostly in private practice. And I went to an independent school. So I am hardly qualified to throw stones!

The only mitigation I can offer - and it is a good one - is that I went to my school under the Direct Grant system under which my fees were paid by the State. This was true for quite a high percentage (?up to 50%) of my co-students. In my view, doing away with this system was a backward step which decreased social mobility.
 
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
Problem with it is it inefficiently channels limited resources to a small number of individuals. It also lets the state system off the hook; if it doesn't have to work for the most able then it won't and can acquiesce in mediocrity. The solution really is to get rid of the independent system; if the people with the money and power have to use the system they're motivated to improve it. Will never happen though.

[ 03. December 2017, 07:33: Message edited by: Karl: Liberal Backslider ]
 
Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Re public schools in UK:

I thought they were public as opposed to private tutoring at home, which is what upper-crust folks would've had.

Eton isn't exactly lower-crust.
Back in the day it was. It was founded as a charity school for the poor. I think most if not all of the public schools were.

[ 03. December 2017, 07:50: Message edited by: Dafyd ]
 
Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Dafyd:
Back in the day it was. It was founded as a charity school for the poor. I think most if not all of the public schools were.

There's some doubt about this. It is rather probable that even back in the fifteenth century or whenever, the bit about 'poor scholars' was already just a legal phrase that was necessary to create the medieval equivalent of what developed into the concept of a permanent charity.

[ 03. December 2017, 07:53: Message edited by: Enoch ]
 
Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Enoch:
When I left school, I vowed to myself that I would never play rugby again. I've kept that vow.

Ditto for hockey.
 
Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
mt--

quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Re public schools in UK:

I thought they were public as opposed to private tutoring at home, which is what upper-crust folks would've had.

Eton isn't exactly lower-crust.
What I meant was, AIUI, upper-crust kids of long ago had private tutoring, if they had any education at all. Bringing those kids together, and others of like rank, made for a public school--rather than having a private tutor at home.
 
Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
The reason for places like Eton, Harrow, etc, being termed "public" schools is that they were founded, or later converted, to be open to all, as opposed to those schools which had only been open either to those intending to become a religious or to those who fufilled a condition - for example orphans, children of deceased members of the armed forces, etc, etc, etc. The naming as "public" meant that anyone could apply to send their child (usually a boy) to that school provided they could afford the fees.

A private school, by contrast, is one which was originally only open to a specified group of children: the Royal Masonic Schools, for example, were originally private, being only for the children of deceased masons. Although the Head of the senior school was allowed to be a member of the HMC, it was only the Girls schools that were really public since they admitted fee-paying pupils without any masonic qualification.

Those Public schools which were originally founded by guilds are given away by their names: Haberdashers, Merchant Taylors, etc, etc, etc.
 


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