It can also have negative consequences. Yesterday I looked at an apartment that didn’t sound very promising at all; it was on a busy road with a tramline outside and a little on the small side. After having a good look from the outside I somewhat forlornly pressed the doorbell with the intention of getting the scheduled meeting out of the way as quickly as possible and was greeted by the gayest man in the world (sorry for stealing the phrase Ryan). Although I didn’t actually ask, “So, you’re queer, aren’t you?” I took it as a given when he described the colour of the chiffon curtains as being cerise (the fact that he had a decidedly undressed boyfriend in the bedroom was mere confirmation). The problem is that it was a flat decorated by a gay man – it was fucking gorgeous. If I moved there, furnished and decorated it, it would probably look like a hovel – I might have chiffon curtains, but they’re terracotta.
He showed me the flat and the various storage and cellar rooms associated with it until we arrived at the last small storage room.
“I’d rather you didn’t look in there” he said, “It’s a bit cluttered.”
Eventually, after explaining that I need lots of storage space, he reluctantly opened the room – it contained a vacuum cleaner and a mop and bucket. Cluttered? I mean, really – although it gives you some indication of how the actual apartment looked.
I might not get the flat, but at least I have the mobile phone number of someone to act as my interior designer.
Word For Today: “cerise” - Red. Light red. What are a stupid word
Song playing as this was published: Travis - “City In The Rain”
I love your positive generalisations.
I might have chiffon curtains, but they’re terracotta
Real, working class, men who drink instant coffee and beer in one liter glasses call that colour ‘orange’.
Who’s Terry Cotta then? and what’s chiffon??
Matron! Bona post. I’d love to have a vada at those jolly old chiffons. Ciao ciao.
Oh la la. What fun. And if you want to know what’s ‘in’ just ask a gay man - cerise is the new terracotta, don’t you know.
Stairs: Sweeping generalisations? Me?
EasyJetsetter: Real, working class, men call that colour “same as flowerpots at t’allotment”. I’m not sure that they drink instant coffee from one liter glasses either.
BiB: Okay, I admit it you’ve lost me…
Bugger, it was my attempt at camping it up and using a spot of polari, or old gay slang. We can revel in the fact that a) you are too young to know what it is and b) I am too young also and am only pretending to know what it is (but Julian and Sandy on Round the Horne are well worth a listen).
Sorry to be a prissy queen, EJ, but don’t (working class) men, both here in Deutschland and in the UK, drink their beer in half-litre/pint glasses? And far be it from me to hazard guesses at the social station of people I’ve never met, but I’ve got a feeling our host here at this blog may not be working class at all…
My gay guy is gayer then YOUR gay guy!
Ah, I was referring more to the germans with the one litre glasses thing.
Of course, nobody actually uses the term working class anymore, just as nobody uses the term upper class. I’m a big fan of the fact that we’re all middle class now.
I only know a few ex-coal not dole badge wearers who still insist they’re working class despite having been to private school and driving an alfa romeo.
Between you and me, EJ (sorry, IAF, for abusing your hospitality), I’ve never majorly understood that people-pretending-to-be-working-class thing. But, yes, I agree, the term’s gone out. Is this why new, derogatory words like chav have come in galore, or are they a different phenomenon altogether? (Sorry, been away from the UK too long.) Anyway, I’m going out to play in the first snow of the winter. Hurrah!
Please. Cerise CHIFFON? Ugh. Looks pretty, fades fast. Obviously, you’re dealing with an amateur.
You scored there. When I went flathunting all I got was a man who was determined to show us the flat AND how to play the accordion.
And it’s strange what German’s consider “clutter”. They’re so obsessed with ordnung here. I’ll be damned if I sweep the sidewalk.
Ryan: I didn’t want to overdo the positive generalisations but my gay man works in/for a musical, had an inexplicable Madonna obsession and (and I liked this the best) a rainbow flag shower curtain, which he pointed out was his and he definetly wouldn’t be leaving it.
Sin: Well, he was quite young.
Belinda: That’s not scored in the British sense of the word is it? I’m sure his boyfriend would have been a tad aggrieved.
BiB, EasyJetsetter: “Pretending to be working class” is a noble family tradition. It’s also a valuable survival tool if you find yourself in the wrong kind of pub in Glasgow and your flatmate from Wokingham orders a half pint of cider in his best RP.
i love gay guyz