re: Lexicographic Capitalization page 7

As I said, if a restaurant serves Coke, it can't ... many Democrats want to dine in the vicinity of Repubs?

What?

Surveys have shown that Democrats tend to prefer Coke, whereas Republicans prefer Pepsi. Democrats are safe from having to argue with Republicans in restaurants serving Coke since the Coca-Cola company doesn't allow them to sell Pepsi if they do. One more reason to go to McDonald's, ha-ha.
This is not as strange as it sounds. It has happened, in the past, with both the Budweiser and Guinness brands. I wonder how many companies have used strong-arm techniques when pushing their products. Anheuser-Busch has refused delivery to bars that won't take the number of barrels per week A-B considered the minimum for them. Here, the Guinness lads would 'prefer' a publican doesn't sell a similar brew. Some of their signs made that clear.
By the way, I believe they are no longer allowed to distribute the signs that read 'Guinness is Good for You'. Doesn't matter: the idea is so ingrained in the Irish psyche, they don't need to be reminded. Some hospitals once gave a pint of the Wine of the Land, as some publicans call it, to recovering patients each day. Guinness, you see, is good for you.
Charles Riggs
There are no accented letters in my email address.

You've gotta be joking me.

"Joking me" seems odd. "Kidding me," sure, or "You've gotta be joking." Is "joking me" common usage?

Since this is AUE, I used a phrase meant to shock people unused to Englishes other than AmE, but I'm surprised it surprised you, Maria, a long term RR.
'Are you joking me?' is a popular expression in Hibernian English, more often heard than the American 'Are you joking?' I'm not sure if it is even used in Britain. I don't recall hearing in Edinburgh, the city there I'm most familiar with. The only city there I'm familiar with, I should have said, having only peeked into London.

Charles Riggs
There are no accented letters in my email address.

"Joking me" seems odd. "Kidding me," sure, or "You've gotta be joking." Is "joking me" common usage? Maria Conlon

Not bloody likely. Remember this was Riggs.

David G making a fool of himself, as usual.
By the way, Davy Boy, whatever prompted you to pick that asinine pseudonym 'Aokay'? If you're not a pissant (BrE: wanker), I'd be highly surprised.
Charles Riggs
There are no accented letters in my email address.

Has nothing at all to do telling the two brands ... a generic use as a synonym for carbonated beverage, quite

In a VERY, very limited dialect area. I could go all the way upstairs to check DARE and find out where, but I won't.

Of course not. You'd see that its use is pretty common on the south.

apart from its otherwise more specific use as a term for "Coca Cola".

(And whoever has the discrimination problem was referring to the flavor, not the packaging.)

Colas all taste alike, so no worries there either. Unless they're diet or "New" or have some additional flavoring.
Padraic.
la cieurgeourea provoer mal trasfu
ast meiyoer ke 'l andrext ben trasfu.

Did you happen to notice the word 'restaurant' in your rush to dispute me?

I can't imagine a real restaurant selling any brand of this foul drink, whether Pepsi, Coca, Afri or whatever.

Rob Bannister

And if you can't tell Coke from Pepsi, we pity you.

Who would want to know. They're both undrinkable.

Rob Bannister

Did you happen to notice the word 'restaurant' in your rush to dispute me?

I can't imagine a real restaurant selling any brand of this foul drink, whether Pepsi, Coca, Afri or whatever.

In the US, colas are available as alcohol-free bar drinks in dining establishments of all degrees of swankiness. I make it a point of never ordering such things in such places, but it goes on all around me.
I myself am a big fan of orange soda/pop/coke/whatever. I'm also a big fan of orange juice. And of many other things besides.

Liebs

(5) Many decades later, Bayer bought back the rights to their own name in the US and Canada (and the Aspirin trademark with the latter).

So does this mean that aspirin is still not a trademark in Britain and other countries?

Rob Bannister

Did you happen to notice the word 'restaurant' in your rush todispute me?

I can't imagine a real restaurant selling any brand of this fouldrink, whether Pepsi, Coca, Afri or whatever. Rob Bannister

I would be curious to know if there are any Americans reading this who know of a restaurant where colas are not available, limiting "restaurant" to "sit-down restaurant" for the purposes of the discussion. I would expect even the fanciest American restaurant to serve carbonated soft drinks, and colas are among the most popular.

From a personal point of view, while I will occasionally drink lemonadeor sweetened iced coffee or sweetened iced tea, colas are a better-tasting beverage than any of them.

Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com