No one talks about the generation gap any more, why is that?
Had a lovely night out to a show this week with the family, which we all enjoyed – The Play That Goes Wrong, highly recommended – so a decent sense of humour is something we all share. Even so, there were still differences on display. One of the characters mentions at one point that an item of furniture was a chaise longue, not a sofa, and that we were all Philistines for not knowing it. Both of these terms were met with bafflement by the junior members of our party.
Similarly, when I expressed disquiet at my fruity cough, I was met with blank looks. No, it was amusement really: they’d never heard of the phrase but thought it sounded pleasingly queer friendly. So disbelieving were they that they had to google it to believe it was a real phrase I was using. They couldn’t tell me what term they’d use for a productive cough either. I suspect they’re all so disgustingly healthy that they have never needed a word for it.
However, there is a clear understanding from the younger generation that the best defence is a good offense. It seems my inability to distinguish between two tall, handsome, muscly, famous Polynesian gentlemen is evidence of racism that it would well behove me to delete ASAP.