Michael wrote:
In England the word was, at one time, used as a mild swear word. So, a
person might, for example, say: "Keep your flaming mouth shut". It's
interesting that an "old" word is now being used in a modern technology
context.
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Man, you make me feel old... Bloody H**l, I remember "flaming this" and
"flaming that"... I seem to remember we said "keep your flaming gob shut",
but I may be wrong - that was a very long time ago! I was in England when
everyone knew who the "Fab Four" were, every good thing was "fab"... then it
was "Smashing", then "Ace" - quadrophenia era. I got chased by a mob of
"Mods" when I mistakenly turned up to a dance on my BSA 650... "Get the
greaser" was the war cry. My BSA was faster than their scooters, I am happy
to say. Maybe all these mirrors they had fitted slowed them down. I had the
advantage of engine size anyway! I outrun them another day with an Ariel
(single cylinder, 500 cc). I have fond memories of both my motorcyle and
Spridget days in England. My last bike there was a small BSA C15 (250 cc).
The first thing my supposed friends taught me to say in English was to go to
the teacher at the local Grammar School and say "Giz a fag" to a teacher,
which I thought was a greeting. No, it does not mean that! By the way, the
first time I was in England in the Spring of 1964, everyday I went to school
(a Grammar School in the Midlands), I saw a Bugeye for sale at a local
service station in Shelfield (near Walsall- and it is Shelfield, not
Sheffield - different localities). I dreamed about that car! It would take
me another ten years to buy my first Spridget - I bought it in March 1970
from my Karate instructor, and I paid him 500 pounds for it. That was a 1970
Austin Healey Sprite.
I don't have Lee Enfields. I am partial to Martinis myself (the guns, not
the drink), and I have a small collection of large and small frame rifles
and carbines made at Enfield and by BSA - including one Martini Enfield
carbine in 303 - kicks like a mule with factory ammo. The first Martini I
bought was in Belper, Derbyshire, in 1982. I still have it, and it's a
Bonehill conversion from a MKll Martini Henry to a small bore target rifle.
JLC
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