Friday, October 28, 2016

Britishers

Another excerpt from newsman H. Allen Smith’s autobiography Low Man On A Totem Pole, ©1941:

During the years I've been in New York I've interviewed many Britishers.  Once I went to a small luncheon for H.G. Wells and chiseled into a chair two seats removed from the great man.  I sat in rapt silence, scarcely daring to lift a fork for fear I would miss a few words of his casual discourse.  All through that luncheon he spoke of only one thing.  He said he didn't like green peas; he could not remember ever having liked green peas and he was confident he would go to his grave disliking green peas.


I don't like green peas, either.  It's nice to have something in common with H.G. Wells.

I looked up the word "Britishers," and it's a real word.  It used to be pejorative, but now it's considered jocular.  It's probably safer not to use it, in case the person you are talking with is old-school and takes it the wrong way.

2 comments:

  1. ...to think that he was so near someone he admired and all he could do was listen to a rant about legumes...

    ReplyDelete