Bottled Water

[Sasha]

Not sure how that can be if it comes out of the tap ok.  How can water go 'stale'?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sorry Cret, only just spotted this. Stale is probably the wrong word, although I'm not sure of the right one! What I mean is the water becomes unpalatable, it dvelops bubbles and tastes awful. Try it. fill a half pint glass with water, taste it, then leave it for a hour, come back and taste it again. You'll soon see what I'm getting at!

[germann]

Not sure how that can be if it comes out of the tap ok.  How can water go 'stale'?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sorry Cret, only just spotted this. Stale is probably the wrong word, although I'm not sure of the right one! What I mean is the water becomes unpalatable, it dvelops bubbles and tastes awful. Try it. fill a half pint glass with water, taste it, then leave it for a hour, come back and taste it again. You'll soon see what I'm getting at!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The word is 'stagnant'

 

stag·nant

adj.

 

1. Not moving or flowing; motionless.

2. Foul or stale from standing: stagnant ponds.

3.

1. Showing little or no sign of activity or advancement; not developing or progressing; inactive: a stagnant economy.

2. Lacking vitality or briskness; sluggish or dull: a stagnant mind.

[Sasha]

Aha! Many thanks polskimann, I believe you're right.

 

PS Little need to quote a post directly above I always find.

[germann]

PS Little need to quote a post directly above I always find.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Good tip. I'll take heed of that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

D'oh

[Fatty Fatty Toad Boy]

Hardly local "News" I know, but we were in Shoprite today and I was amazed at the stacks and stacks of bottled water for sale. (Not flavoured stuff - just plain water).

 

Now if it was Inner London for example, I could understand, but the Isle of Man. . . .

 

If I was the boss of the Water Authority I would be asking myself serious questions.

 

Or am I missing something? Perhaps someone could enlightem me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the phrase that you're looking for is "selling sand to the Arabs"

[lisner]

"selling sand to the Arabs"

 

There's a lot more to that phrase than is realised. You imply we have quality water and someone is selling water back to us.

 

Sand in the desert - Arab type sand - is made up of little round balls of stone. Probably as a result of some nuclear event, but possibly because it is very old - aeons old - well ground down little pieces of stone. In other words NOT good for making buildings or mortar. (The soft roundness makes its coefficient of friction quite poor for such matters).

 

Now, if you go up to Bonny Geordieland, the sand is mostly made of ground down sea shells. That is to say , spikey, jaggy hard stuff. Most EXCELLENT for making top quality concrete and mortar that will last for ever and ever and not collapse.

 

So . . . . and this is where the phrase came from . . . . an enterprising Geordie sold the rich Arabs sand.

 

Proper, high quality quality sand.

 

And they paid for it.

 

And the wise and very rich Arabs knew exactly what they were doing.

 

 

Selling coals to Newcastle? That is another story.