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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
"The Commonwealth honours bestowed by Buckingham Palace did not create good families. The abandonment of gongs in most countries reveals how mingy the British were."
Can someone please explain the reference to gongs? [riffled hair e, from the breeze as the meaning of this sailed right over my head]
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
A gong means a medal, but out of context I can't tell what this extract is getting at. Suppose ICLIU.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
As found here: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=33729&dict=CALD it seems to be used for the awarding of medals. It sounds like the minginess of the British led to the discontinuing of the practice of awarding medals to (possibly?) civilians.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
>It sounds like the minginess of the British led to the discontinuing of the practice of awarding medals to (possibly?) civilians.
or another interpretation might be that, as the colonies drifted away from Mother England, they themselves discontinued the practice as it was deemed to be of such small merit.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
the colonies … themselves discontinued the practice
That wouldn't square with the quote's The abandonment … reveals how mingy the British were.
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
The television cartoon show "The Wacky Races" spun off a derivative television cartoon show called "Dastardly and Muttley" in 1969. Set in WWI, the premise was that Dick Dastardly, his faithful dog Muttley and the members of the Vulture Squadron were responsible for capturing Yankee Doodle Pigeon, who delivered messages to their enemies. Muttley's motivation was entirely that he might be awarded a medal. This rarely happened, as his complex plans came a cropper and his designs were foiled by the wiley pigeon. So Muttley was left to utter that immortal line: "ASSAFRASSARICKARETS."
Ah, sweet nostalgia!
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
yeahbut® that's just the way I'm reading it: The abandonment (by the colonies) reveals how mingy the British were.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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Wellbut®, if I were to barge into your house and institute a policy of rewarding your family members for telling me what a great guy I am and then I finally decided you were more trouble than you were worth so I left and you stopped giving out the brownie awards, that would prove that *I was mingy?
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
...and I might well start wearing a lovely bronze medal, which upon closer inspection reads ".. and all the Queen gave me is this Stupid Gong".
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Mebbe you could get on The Gong Show.
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