Bill: Obviously, you are not an aficionado of Monty Python. "My hovercraft is full of eels" is a line from a sketch in which John Cleese plays a central European character who is trying to make himself understood, in an English shop, using a very cheap tourist's phrase book (which was obviously written with malice aforethought). Another of the lines is something like, "My nipples are bursting with desire."
I grew up with British English and I disagree with the weight you give to the second meaning of rasher. As a small child, I remember assuming that meaning. However, as I got older, I learned that it referred to a single slice. I'm not sure how one could justify setting a price on some undefined portion. Bill Potts, CMS Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Barbara and/or Bill Hooper Sent: Saturday, September 29, 2001 13:29 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:15430] RE: letter in Irish Times Scott contributed to the "rasher" discussion with: > My hovercraft is full of eels! > > Originally I thought it (rasher) may have been Irish slang for "ration" My dictionary gives two meanings for rasher: (1) a slice of bacon or ham, etc.; or (2) a portion or serving of such slices. I had been familiar with the word but had always thought it had something like the second meaning. It seems more reasonable that the Irish newspaper reference referred to the second meaning (portion) rather than the first (single slice). It referred to pricing by the rasher. I can imagine pricing something by the portion (even though that is an admittedly vague term), but it seems more likely than pricing bacon by the slice. But, what do I know? I don't understand what Scott meant by eels in his hovercraft either! Regards, Bill Hooper ============ Keep It Simple! Make It Metric! ============
