The following appears in the Guardian today by Zoe Williams. I just hadn't realised, and I guess most of us hadn't. I now intend to throw myself into the canal far more often than I have, especially when there are attractive women about. I recognise this may well cause problems cruising with Mrs Steve, but since she is in the habit of throwing herself in the canal at regular intervals anyway, and for reasons I can never fathom, my behaviour should at least level things out.
'Aficionados have long been familiar with the "Wet Dog" concept, where the lovely smell of dog is intensified by its being wet. It's amazing how recent was the discovery of the "Wet Man" concept. You take an existing man, in clothes, and devise some reason why he is wet in his clothes. And despite the low probability of this event actually happening in the world, what with few water-based activities being so sudden that you don't have time to take your shirt off, the loveliness of man is so intensified by his being wet that almost all films with any romantic element will also include some hydra-romance.' Steve
