I may be something of an anitisocial loner but working with hundreds of people everyday I find I'm getting quite good at speed-evaluating them. I make rapid judgements on the way they look as they approach, lightning appraisals from the way they greet me - eye contact, handshake etc- breakneck conclusions from their voice, I analysis the way they talk to others, the way they stand, where they stand... I'm a people watcher - it's what I do.
But there is one man I cannot work out. I always seem to arrive to work at the same time, I pass him three or four times in the corridors and we eat lunch together. Everytime we meet, in whatever capacity, his side of the conversation is identical.
"Hi Sam, What's the craic? Keep er' lit boy"
No matter if we passed one another two minutes before he says the exact same thing. And he looks at me as if expecting a reply. He awaits my answer with interest.
At first I tried to come up with something erudite and original each time but, I have to tell you, after a few months I began to struggle. Now I manage something between a grumble and a murmur that I can tell, by his eyes, he finds disappointing.
I've watched a lot of 'Cheers'. If he asked 'What's up?' or 'What'cha up to?' or 'What's new?' or 'What's the story?' or 'How's the world been treating you?' I'd have any number of Norm-isms to fire off (the temperature under my collar; my ideal weight if I were eleven feet tall; terrorists, Sam they've taken over my stomach they're demanding beer; the Bobbsey twins go to the brewery... let's cut to the happy ending; like it caught me in bed with its wife - just for the record)
But how do you respond to "Keep er lit boy."
All answers welcome. I need all the help I can get.
3 comments:
now, i want you to know that i have consulted a number of my american friends about this and before we really begin brainstorming for you, they wanted me to ask you: (this must be one of those situations where two people are separated by a common language . . .) what, pray tell, does "keep 'er lit" mean? is that some sort of irishism?
clear that bit up for us and the floodgates will open. we'll have you stocked for a while . . . or so they tell me.
you mean to say you don't have 'keep 'er lit' over there? You must start it. I demand you introduce it to west coast slang immediately.
Yes, it is an irishism - more of a rural irishism though. It's a general kind of encouragement. I think it stems from farmers pushing their tractors and keeping the throttles open. You may picture it better as a long distance trucker. Keep 'er lit (Keep her lit) would mean 'Keep your foot on the gas' and has come to mean 'keep on pushing' in whatever it is you're doing - or life in general.
Of course it always works best when directly followed by a wink and a click of your tongue.
NOW BRING ON THE REST!
OH!!!
you mean, "keep on truckin'!"
we get it! we have it! we got it!
so, here are a few to help you get through tomorrow:
1) "keepin' my chrome up 'n my rubber down."
2) "we'll catch ya' on the flip-flop."
2) "big hole, motion lotion, and ready to go."
3) "bright lights, big city, comin' your way."
4) "watchin' out for the pole cat in the pickle park."
5) "10-4 'n 10-10."
6) "no bottle, all throttle."
and our collective favorite:
7) "drivin' it like i's stole it."
let me know if you need any translations . . .
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