Martin Amis and a quote of the week
I was most amused by most of Martin Amis‘s contributions on BBC1′s Question Time last night, particularly the question “where’s the piss and vinegar in that?”. He was referring to a policy of David Cameron’s.
What is disappointing about this fantastic phrase is that it doesn’t mean what one might first think. It is attributed to Steinbeck and is defined by Phrases.org as “Rowdy, boisterous, full of youthful energy” (the latter part of that definition tying in with the Cameron comments).
One might expect there to be a slightly more bite or vitriol to the phrase, but there you have it.
Word enthusiasts out there, be sure to check out a new Web 2.0 app: Wordie; “like Flickr but without the photos”.
Oh, and by the way – it doesn’t surprise me to see the domain for my phrase du jour having been bought up: piss ‘n’ vinegar. Hmm, don’t think I fancy that on my crisps.
he also said, as an analogy to the futility of trying to prevent the onset of global warming/next ice age: “if you wet your pants before a blizzard, it won’t keep you warm for long”. Another tumbleweed moment!