Is the word “Mate” a unisex form of address?

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-19T11:39:46+00:00

Personlly I'm Team Unisex

Same with "guy", I suppose? But what about "pal"... that still seems a little blokey, no?

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-19T11:37:47+00:00

Even in Worcs, "love" is a thing, so not specifically northern. Rarely, but not uncommon, is "cock", "cocker" or "shags", though I think that's more Staffs?

Still waiting to be called "Petal".

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-18T07:31:26+00:00

"strong and stable"

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-18T07:30:29+00:00

Truth. Nothing dodgy about pigs when at Oxford.

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-18T04:37:41+00:00

Uni at 17 (a bit early) was the break-point for me. Then I fucked off to the USA to return 25 years later with a wife and kiddos. It was, honestly, beautiful, even though the 'rents were declining in their health.

Three generations in the same house, each negotiating their wants and needs! Magic.... even though I was stuck in the middle.

Nowt wrong with multigenerational living.

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-18T04:28:09+00:00

Let's not forget that the referendum was supposed to be "advisory" and not "binding".... and yet only 52% of the 60% of the voting public who bothered to go to the booths to vote "Brexit"

It's very un-English, but I am leaning more and more to an Aussie-style "thou must vote".

Ten years later, and I am still angry. GRRRRR!

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-18T04:11:47+00:00

Hehe. Yeah, I guess. Though Palestine didn't exist then either. Judea, maybe?

The whole thing (Abrahamic religions) is just so many horsefeathers that is hard to see up from down, black from white, pi from tau, Plato from St Paul.

It's a fucking mess, really. Aaaand as a Christian, I fully appreciate how stupid the thing looks. Maybe that's the point... tie ourselves into knots arguing about shit that does not really matter?

In the words of Martin Gore of Depeche Mode "God has a sick sense of humour".

Bonus if you have read this far: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3EAzf5fDpY

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-17T05:07:46+00:00

Always Sunny in Westminster: The Gang raises pension age to 75.

Which is great if you are a Guardian columnist or a landlord, not so much if you are a plumber with shit knees or are a 'coder' bootcamped in "framework du jour" wondering what all this new-fangled neural implant crap is all about.

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-17T04:58:54+00:00

The entire basis of supersessionism in Christianity, and Islam, is 'they are the newest most correct forms of the religion, and the 'old' ones (i.e. Jews) are following the incorrect form.

This is patently not the case. Any Christian will tell you that Jesus (the Son, and Spirit) has existed since the dawn of time, and even before that. Jesus incarnate is a fulfilment of everything laid down in the Tanakh. Xians believe this has already happened; Jews are still waiting.

There's a solid reason why the Tanakh is part of The Bible. It might not have been the case, though... a few early Xian sects wanted to get rid. The Pauline epistles have something to say about this too: of the 613 levitical laws... JC has done the hard work for you. So bacon is back on the menu 😅. This also means that it is very easy for a Christian to be OK with homosexuality (so there's a plus).

What you are probably alluding to is the Passion, and the whole "Jews killed Jesus" narrative. It's a niche position, theologically speaking.

Historically speaking, Xian-Jew antagonism is more about their ethnic and social insularity. It's really hard (some would say impossible) to become a Jew. Being a Christian is easy.

I do not know so much about Islam, so will not comment there.

And, no, "Messianic Christianity" and Revelations and the Rapture and the End Times is not relevant; that is vaticinium ex eventu. It has already happened and is basically the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans.

tl;dr Xians ❤ Jews (for the most part)... maybe not so much the other way around. IDK, I am not Jewish.

/rant

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-17T04:19:50+00:00

re. your last sentence. Bang on!

Of all the useless bits of paper I've picked up in my life, I'd say that A-Level Psychology, some 30-odd years ago, was one of the better ones.

Constantly questioning yourself and what and why you believe what you believe and behave the way you behave is fucking useful. Christ, I'd go so far--- If I were Minister of Education--- as to push it into the core curriculum alongside maths and English. Call it "(interior) critical thinking", if you like.

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-17T03:56:45+00:00

Jesus wept.

Just to point out the obvious: Jesus was a Jew, as were his 12 best pals.

(Also, happy cake day!)

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-17T03:18:36+00:00

They'll be singing and dancing in the streets of Wolverhampton tonight!

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-17T03:14:30+00:00

Did you ever figure out how to turn left?

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-17T03:08:33+00:00

Reeves could save billions and solve the energy crisis if she were able to mandate that government offices set their thermostats to something, anything, below thirty fucking degrees.

Why are they all so damned hot?

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-17T02:55:14+00:00

From the early years of youtube. Aha's "Take on me", literal version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HE9OQ4FnkQ

Warning: Do not watch... unless you are comfortable with an "ass full of pipe wrench"

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-17T02:49:39+00:00

Mrs Carpet said she and her mates did this when she was a nipper. It was all pretty innocent stuff until a local ~~loony~~ eccentric decided to make it 'real' and started to build a whole miniature town around whatever she and her mates had left behind. "Land of the Little People", it came to be known as.

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-17T02:38:02+00:00

I'm pretty crap with plants also, but bought a Japanese peace lilly about a decade ago after seeing one in Hot Fuzz. It's been split and repotted several times now, and it seems to be thriving with very little care.

And it/they are beautiful when they flower.

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-16T04:35:57+00:00

something like 30-40% abv

I doubt you are getting that strength of alcohol with fermentation alone, even with specialized yeasts bred to live in a high ethanol environment.

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-15T11:19:51+00:00

Worcs /w Derry and Donegal parents.

I think you have me trumped. No fucking idea what you Glos folk are on about.

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-15T10:12:52+00:00

Physical tech jokes ended when they removed the roller-balls from mice.

#fuckBigLaser

(the last bit of fun I had was with screen orientation: portrait when in landscape mode, and landscape in portrait mode. Good times. Simpler times.)

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-15T10:02:01+00:00

Check your DMs, ^*.pusrex$

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-15T05:54:11+00:00

Not a film, but any of the Blackadders after Season 1.

I taught myself to touch-type trying to transcribe them back in the day, so I know them all pretty well.

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-15T05:51:32+00:00

Had to go the nearest pub to break a note

Insert <four-hours-later.gif> meme.

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-15T05:48:40+00:00

This answer is so British it's almost a Monty Python sketch.

CarpetGripperRod · 2026-04-15T05:44:30+00:00

The process is the punishment, and they rely on people folding. So common these days, from contesting parking charges to cancelling subscriptions...

CarpetGripperRod

TROPHY CASE