Well, Andy Burnham has got himself elected again as Mayor of Manchester and Sadiq Khan is once again Mayor of London. Some people are hailing these as great victories for Labour. I suspect it’s more to do with the personality of the Mayors concerned. Here in Oldham, local council control has slipped away from Labour. Pundits say this is because the Muslim voters were discouraged by Labour’s position on Gaza and the failure to stand up and openly oppose the genocide. So they didn’t vote Labour, probably voting Independent instead.
Pundits also say that the Conservatives are even more on the way out than before these local council and mayoral elections. How soon we’ll have a general election remains to be seen.
Now for bit of linguistic stuff. The Tories’ election slump is being described as “tanking”. Why do we call it “tanking”? I looked it up.
“Tank came from Tennis jargon, by way of boxing jargon. Originally, it meant to lose on purpose to gain an advantage. You could tank a set to get a rest or tank a boxing match so your backers could make money gambling against you.”
One source says that in the 19th century, Americans called swimming pools "tanks" and thus "go into the tank" was synonymous with "to dive." There you go!
The weekend Guardian runs a feature called Blind Date. Two strangers are sent on a date in a restaurant , answer a range of questions afterwards and award each other points. They’re always asked if they think they might meet again. Most people say not, except as friends. Many don’t bother to exchange contact details. Occasionally, just occasionally, romance blooms. I suppose it was loosely based on the old TV show with Cilla Black.
Anyway, this weekend it featured Scott, 26, a teacher, and Maria, 30, a freelance graphic designer. What did you talk about? Is a regular question. The first of the pair, probably Scott, replied as follows:
“Fizzy water. Em and en dashes. How orange wine is made. Not being able to do outdoor PE due to prowling wild bears.”
“Em and en dashes”? What is that? I asked myself. Is it some kind of charity running event?
The other, probably Maria, replied:
“Stuff we both geek out over, like the nuanced difference between a hyphen, an en and em dash. Teaching students. Moving to London. Our families. Stand-up comedy. Performing. Music.”
Ah, so this en and em (or em and en) dash business is all to do with punctuation. I looked that up too and found this:
“Em Dash (—) vs. En Dash (–) | How to Use in Sentences
There are two types of dash. The en dash is approximately the length of the letter N, and the em dash the length of the letter M.
- The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing.”
- The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence.
The en dash is sometimes also used in the same way as an em dash, especially in UK English; in this case, it takes a space on either side.
Make sure not to confuse dashes with shorter hyphens (-), which are used to combine words (as in well-behaved or long-running). A hyphen should not be used in place of a dash.”
Goodness! How ridiculous! It is so silly that I am rather surprised nobody, not even Mr Gove, has included it in the nonsense that 7 year olds are supposed to know (and be tested on) about punctuation!
My iPad, by the way, seems only to have one kind of -. So it goes.
Then there’s the matter of “small plates”, which is increasingly a feature of restaurants these days. At some point in the slow release from lockdown, when we began to be able to eat with friends but in an outdoor setting, the pub next door to us set up a wood-fired pizza oven at the ned of their carpark right next to our garden. Occasionally we had to complain about smoke drifting into our house if we left windows open. In compensation, by way of an apology, maybe hoping to persuade us not to make an official complaint to the local council, the landlord sent us a selection of “small plates”free of charge. Tasty! A bit like a sel tion of “tapas”. So what’s the difference? Experts tell me this:
“Tapas, in its essence, refers to a Spanish style of dining where small plates of food are served. These plates can range from simple dishes like olives and cheese to more elaborate creations like patatas bravas or croquettes. The key characteristic of tapas is that they are served as standalone snacks or appetizers. They are not meant to be a precursor to a larger meal, but rather enjoyed on their own or in combination with other tapas to create a complete meal.
Small plates, on the other hand, encompass a broader concept and are not limited to the Spanish tradition of tapas. Small plates can be found in various cuisines and cultures, each with their own unique twists and flavors. Unlike tapas, small plates can be served as a precursor to a larger meal, or they can be enjoyed as a complete meal in themselves. They provide the opportunity to sample a variety of dishes and flavors, often shared among a group of people.”
Okay! Not very different then, except that having spent a lot of time in Galicia we have grown used to getting a selection free tapas as a matter of course with a drink. Here in the UK “tapas” and “small plates” are both rather over-priced!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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