Job Discussion Forums

johnslat · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2003 12:40 pm Post subject: O. Henry, perhaps?

Dear scot47,
" Damon Runyon penned a nice story about a horrible child who was kidnapped. His father (or was it stepfather ?) told the kidnappers to keep him.

My question :"What was the name of that story ?"

Does anyone still read Damon Runyon ? "

To answer your last question first - Yup, I do. But I'm afraid you got the author wrong. I believe the story you're thinking of is -

" The Ransom of Red Chief " by O. Henry ( the pen name of William Sidney Porter )

http://eserver.org/fiction/the-ransom-of-red-chief.html

Regards,
John

ohman · Joined: 09 Sep 2003 Posts: 239 Location: B' Um Fouk, Egypt

My avatar is a scene from a Coen brother's movie, Miller's Crossing. In this film, as well as in an earlier Coen Bros. movie, Raising Arizona, the dialogue owes a lot to Damon Runyon and O'Henry. Low lifes, grifters and gangsters speak (and often mangle) an elevated language. The latter film, like Ransom of Red Chief, is also about a kidnapped child who brings nothing but trouble upon the kidnappers until, in the end, they admit defeat and return the child.

Ohman says, "Check 'em out"

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

ok, I hereby take charge of the Japan meting, hereafter referred to as the Japan Boink. Why boink, I hear you ask? It is an ancient word in ENglish, fully ten years, but possibly fewer, and with a remote chance of being older, old. First contact with the thing was made in the usenet group alt.usage.english, where I was responsible for organising one boink near London once. Somewhere on the net the evidence still stands.

Anyhow, I suggested Nagoya because it is geographically the most central place in Japan. If you want a different city, you may also find it usefult o have a different organiser, as I know very little of other cities within, say, a thousand miles of here.

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

I agree Wolf. It would be difficult to write off a trip from my school if it was called a BOINK. Embarassed

Maybe we should go to Okinawa, so if our company is terrible, at least we'd be warm.

Capergirl · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2003 2:31 pm Post subject: Re: Japan Boink!

R · Joined: 07 May 2003 Posts: 277 Location: United Kingdom

How about February 14th? That way everybody who can't get a date for valentine's day can pretend it's because they "have to go to this ESL thing anyway"

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Do you have more chance of getting a boink on February the 14th?

biffinbridge · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 701 Location: Frank's Wild Years

I know dmb and slaqdog and i can honestly say that they are fine upstanding(not on friday nights) men.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

Um, I assume there will be some weighty intellectual intercourse at this "boink"?

d

Capergirl · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2003 9:43 pm Post subject:

You guys slay me. Laughing

Hey R, I'm still gonna be in Canada on V-Day, buddy. Confused

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

http://alt-usage-english.org/newsgroup.html

That link has an explanation of what a boink is. All quite innocent, I assure you. Except for the alcohol and setting, it is exactly the same kind of oral intercourse you'd find in any business meeting.

R · Joined: 07 May 2003 Posts: 277 Location: United Kingdom

Of course, Denise. A boink isn't the same without weighty intellectual, er, intercourse.

Capergirl: Ok, ok, end of Feb. Weekend or midweek? What's best for people? If we leave it until March 10 you could all bring me a birthday present...

FGT · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 762 Location: Turkey

Bonk or boink? The former, I know, has sexual overtones, the latter???

Sadly I won't be able to join you in London or whichever place you decide on in Japan for the aforesaid B word.

- Turkey?? Istanbul? Ankara? Izmir?