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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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All this talk of excarnation calls to mind the horrific practices of corte de corbata, corte de mica, and corte de franela which are detailed in the first of Louis de Bernieres' trilogy of tragicomic novels. I've been meaning to ask if anyone can shed some light on another method of torture referenced therein: "bocachiquiar". Google comes up empty, and I can only get as far in translation as to think that perhaps it has something to do with the mouth.
Can anyone help?
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Joined: Nov 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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gymkana, in her latest incarnation, seems fascinated with excarnation. I would have thought that an ex-carnation was a dead one. Never mind.
If'n y'all are interested in the Parsis - and they have an interesting culture - I suggest you read "The Crow Eaters" by Bapsi Sidhwa. It's a novel, and it's about the Homer Simpson of the Parsi world, one Faredoon (Freddy) Junglewallah and his family. Sidhwa is a Parsi herself and succeeds in taking the mickey out of her culture while at the same time leaving you sympathetic to it and a damned sight more knowledgeable about it than you were before you read the book. You laugh with the characters rather than at them.
I reviewed the book for the local newspaper many years ago, and it's one of about twenty hardbacked review books I didn't pass on to the local library immediately. Or sooner if possible in many cases.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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Joined: Apr 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
WintoGreen is just the marketing name for the white candy with the hole in it that is one of the many forms of LifeSavers.
So Lifesavers are USn Polo mints? But I've never noticed any strange optical phenomena from chewing a Polo mint, although admittedly I've never taken a hammer to one to crush it.
Bingley
Bingley
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Do Polo Mints have Prince Charles's royal warrant?
P.S. I don't think they are exactly the same as wintergreen Life Savers, but close. Send me an address in PM and I'll mail you a pack for Christmas!
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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fwiw, purloined from somewhere: You can actually(sic) get almost all crystal sugar candy to give you a bit of light when it is crushed. This was first noticed in Italy in the seventeenth century. But for most crystal candy it is a rather dim light. It takes wintergreen to really light up your life.
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385
veteran
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veteran
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The secular tradition of trick-or-treating has its roots in both the pagan and Christian holidays.
This is my first Hallowe'en on the West Coast in British Columbia, wwh. I experienced every other Hallowe'en in south-western Ontario where our traditions are the same as anything I have seen in Michigan. I was surprised to learn that Fireworks are a big deal out here on Hallowe'en. Not just sparklers but the whole 'works including community pyrotechnic displays. Is this a West Coast thing or just a British Columbia thing?
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
Is this a West Coast thing or just a British Columbia thing?
I can't quite answer that, but I can guess it has something to do with the weather. In Manitoba and northern Alberta (where I spent my childhood Hallowe'ens), it's usually cold enough that you need to wear your snowsuit under your costume. I can't see it being much fun to stand around outside playing with fireworks in such weather.
Then again, on New Years' Eve in Winnipeg there are always fireworks downtown, and the temperature is often -30°C, so maybe that's not a good argument at all. Oh well, I tried.
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
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And a concatenated coruscation of Catherine wheels, to celebrate plutarch's posting again.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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How does Jo pronounce forks?Ah kin guess itud be bout laik the forks who live on the hill 
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