On Tue, 20 May 2003 17:35:12 +0100, James Hodson <
[email protected]> wrote:
>if someone who doesn't regularly swear suddenly comes out with a mouthful of expletives, well, it
>certainly make an impression.
<maunder type="offtopic"> Way back when, my dad had a friend and colleague called Mike Chrisp.
Anybody who reads Model Engineer magazine, yes, that Mike Chrisp. Mike is a gentle soul, a genuinely
nice man, builder of miniature steam locomotives (requiring the patience of Job) and brews first
class beer as well.
Dad and Mike were both lecturers, engineers, and professional men - they were also of an age where
one did not use "workshop language" except in extremis. Or, of course, the workshop. And then only
to mechanical objects.
Mike had a lab technician, let's call him John. Dad caught John giving Mike a load of verbal one
day, and Mike was visibly upset. So Dad, who at the time was 6'2" tall and powerfully built, took
John to one side for a quiet word. As I recall it went something along these lines:
"John, the fact that you are comletely useless is between you and your employers. But I just want
you to know that if you're rude to Mike again I shall F***ING KILL YOU. This is purely personal, you
understand. Got that?" All delivered in an absolutely level tone, with a completely straight face,
from a distance of about 1 1/2"
John resigned shortly thereafter
Oh, Dad's still in one piece by the way but strokes etc. have rendered him shorter and less imposing
than once he was. Still mad as a brush, though, if anyone here was ever at St Albans College and
remembers him. Curse of my formative years, that: went to Southampton Uni to escape it, first day in
the OTC and a bloke walks up and says "Chapman, ah! Know yer father!" and walks off... </maunder>
Guy
===
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