sheila

I was about to post something very sarcastic, like "very funny- not" (witty or what?) when I found myself laughing my head off....

RufusTFirefly

Porter is a strong flavored beer--similar to shellac in flavor. All Scottish schools provide kegs of porter in the dorms and classrooms part of the tuition. This is an old custom from the days when Haggis (the first King of Scotland) attended the first Scottish University--Aberdeen A&M. Between the bracing climate during the school year and the boring lectures, good King Haggis proclaimed that all Scottish schools must provide free porter to promote warmth and amusement. Aberdeen A&M's nickname was the Fighting Sheepmen.

Each student is allowed one gill of porter 4 times a day. NOTE: A gill is a Scottish measure equivalent to two hands over the yardarm--or 7/8 of a Viking drinking horn (see The Long Ships starring Richard Widmark as Rolfe, Sidney Portier as Aly Mansuh, and Russ Tamblyn as Orm).

Russ Tamblyn, you might remember, played Gideon Pontipee in 7 Brides for 7 Brothers.

kybourbon

RufusTFirefly - When have you been drinking shellac?

Neil_Oz

Rex, at the risk of lowering the tone of this thread, my introduction to the term was by way of a limerick that perhaps illustrated the academic class divide if nothing else:

A dashing young student of John's
Attempted to fondle the swans
Said the aged hall porter,
"Sir, please take my daughter!
Them birds is reserved for the dons!"

cigalechanta

This is weird, I'm reading rex's thread and all are repeated.

Neil_Oz

I believe that happens when someone spills a glass of red over the computer and it develops a fit of the hiccups.

CaymanSue

Rex,
My son (now 31) spent the first semester of his junior year at Stirling and loved it! I was his first time abroad, so we let him extend his trip through Christmas break so he and some friends could travel through Europe. He's seen more of the continent that I have!
Sue

RufusTFirefly

kybourbon--In China. It's a basic alcoholic beverage there. They call it Maotai.

travelbunny

..a funny porter story..when i was at school we had porters whose official job description was as outlined above. one porter was (and i think everyones) favorite. when a date arrived he would call up to our rooms ..he would say "a gentleman" is here, a "young man" is here, or"someone" is here to see you...his manner of address was his "rating" of our date..in fact it was almost always correct.

SB_Travlr

Rex, your daughter will have a blast. My English-major daughter did her junior year at University of York, and loved it. And we loved it too, made 2 visits to York while she was there.

Not sure if this has changed now that everyone has a "mobile", but back in those days of the early 90's, the porter was my phone link/message collector when daughter was, um, studying or not in her room.

By the way, one of daughter's favorite memories was a great deal on a 2-week trip to Crete for Spring break!