A new meaning?

[Alan]

Hi,

Since smoking has been banned in the UK since the summer of this year in all enclosed public places, people who want to smoke now have to go outside to do this. As a result a certain camaraderie has developed among smokers as they gather outside and talk to each other and also flirt with one another. Smoking and flirting have now produced this 'new' word - smirking.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Only Three Letters

[Prezbucky]

I thought "smirking" was already a word.
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Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.

[Prezbucky]

There's soon going to be a fight between definitions 1 and 2 for "smirking".

(or "smirk")
_________________
Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.

[Prezbucky]

(of course... the word itself is a clever one)
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Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.

[Jamie (K)]

"Smirk" is already a word. It's a small, sarcastic smile.

The British could have invented instead the word "smirting", which would be similar to the Czech word "smrt", which means death. I think that's a better word for flirting while smoking.

And hey, Prezbucky, my brother, my compatriot, did you know that when you post a different message for each portion of each of your thoughts, the rest of us get that many e-mails in our box? The other day I felt very popular, because I had more than 20 messages in one of my boxes. Half of them turned out to be portions of various things you had to say.

[Alan]

Hi,

As I thought I explained but the message seems to have disappeared, a better heading would be: a new meaning.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
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[Torsten]

I'm just thinking of two people smirking at each other because they have been able to sneak out of that restaurant where nobody is allowed to smoke. It's not quite clear what they are so happy about -- the fact that they can flirt or the freedom to smoke a cigarette.

Early this year a nationwide smoking ban was introduced in Germany and now all public places should be smoke-free. To me this still sounds too good to be true and really look forward to my next visit to a pub or restaurant because I hate that smell of stale cigarette smoke.

What about you -- do you think it is right to ban smokers from pubs, bars and other places?
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[Jamie (K)]

[Alan]

Hi Torsten,

It adds a whole new pleasure to eating out when there is no smoking allowed. We used to cower in no smoking areas in eating places before the ban but of course the smoke took no notice and permeated the whole place. Hope you enjoy your first smoke free meal out soon!

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story In short

[Prezbucky]

I think it makes far more sense (the ban) in restaurants than it does in bars/pubs.

I wonder what pubs/bars think about it -- how much business will it cost them?

A goodly percentage of pub denizens here in the States are smokers. Down here it might not be such a huge deal to step outside to smoke, but imagine the plight of the smoker in Wisconsin. hehe

Seriously, I think that the decision should be up to business owners.

Nobody forces workers to work at establishments that allow smoking, nor is anyone forced to drink/dine at them. The market will tell the owner if his/her decision to ban or allow smoking was a good one.
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Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.

[Jamie (K)]

In Michigan, the business owners even balked at having to provide no-smoking sections at all, back when they were first required. Of course, they claimed they'd lose business. At the beginning, nonsmokers had the same experience that Alan describes -- cowering in the no-smoking section and having the smoke home in on you.

Over the years, evidently due to popular demand, the no-smoking sections in most restaurants got bigger and bigger until some proprietors just decided, "To hell with it!" and made their entire restaurants smoke-free. The few smoke-free bars are really packed, and I seldom smell any smoke at all in a restaurant anymore.

[Boke]

I don't smoke but I know salespeople and playboys who use cigarettes and lighters as a way to break the ice and get a good sale or connection

[Ralf]

[Jamie (K)]

[Ralf]