re: Idiom ? In The Song "No Milk Today"? page 2

Hi, Nona.

I was puzzled by the casual use of the expression "terraced house." In the US, it's usually a landscaping feature, in which a natural slope is converted to steps, as, for example, a terraced garden.

We also use the expression, "out on the terrace" to refer to a patio, or a balcony, which is not a usual feature of a four room, two story, working family dwelling built by the thousands.

To say that the house itself is terraced brings to my mind a luxurious dwelling in which the natural slope of the land is used to set different portions of the house at somewhat different levels.

What does a "terraced house" mean in GB?

Thanks, - A.

From what I understand, a terraced house is what Americans would call a row house.

Thanks, Zerox. That fits the song, but I'll definitely need to revamp my idea of "terraced."

I guess, then, it refers to the relationship between the individual houses.

Would you say it could apply to "row houses" built on a perfectly level tract of land?

please !! tell me .... it talks (the song) about two lovers ... they might be GAY ? ? tell me ... tell me... what do you think ?

Your interpretation makes sense. However, what about the line "behind the door where my love reigned as queen" ?
This line is more favourable to the idea that the narrator IS the milkman, since he is talking from the perspective of the other side of the door. I think both interpretations are possible. There are still flaws in the interpretation :

1) in my interpretation : why would there be a bottle of milk if the milkman's lover had put her sign "no milk today" ?
2) in yours : why would there be a sign "no milk today ?", no milk at all, and not "just one bottle ?"

It's not very likely :
"Behind the door, where my love reigned as queen" --> queen is female. "Gay" also means "happy", "joyful"

"Queen" is ambiguous, but "gay" has always been a favorite in songs, because it rhymes with so many words. The sexual use is very unlikely here.

Gay lovers? This song was released in 1966. I very much doubt it.The word 'gay' then didn't really have the meaning of 'homosexual', if it's use in the song makes you wonder about that. There's nothing else in the song to suggest that.

Terraced house - I can see why you got confused as we also have terraces in the landscaping meaning, but it's just a description of a type of housing where a row of houses all join on to each other with no gap in between - I suspect that the suggestion of 'row houses' is correct. It is the cheapest type of housing and very common. I live in an 'end-terrace', which means that my house is at the end of the row, only joined on to a house on one side. The houses are just normal 'on the flat' ones. For the type you were thinking of, we'd use something like 'split level' or 'multi level'.

A 2 up 2 down needn't be part of a terrace I suppose, but that's the mental image I get from the song.