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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Operate rotas, playing mine host
Hi,
Could someone, please, explain to me what that means:
Sentient Poles operate rotas at parties. If playing mine host, they always lay on a supply of soft drinks for those who have drawn the short, sober, straw.
to operate rotas = ???
to play mine host = ???
draw the short sober straw = ???
There is the full context, just in case:
Drunk driving, although viewed by the police and the law with extreme displeasure, is on the increase. Penalties start with a heavy fine escalating to imprisonment, and Polish prisons are no guest houses. Sentient Poles operate rotas at parties. If playing mine host, they always lay on a supply of soft drinks for those who have drawn the short, sober, straw. Even so, the statistics show that the number of cars and accidents are up a third, year on year.
Thanks!
latet
Could someone, please, explain to me what that means:
Sentient Poles operate rotas at parties. If playing mine host, they always lay on a supply of soft drinks for those who have drawn the short, sober, straw.
to operate rotas = ???
to play mine host = ???
draw the short sober straw = ???
There is the full context, just in case:
Drunk driving, although viewed by the police and the law with extreme displeasure, is on the increase. Penalties start with a heavy fine escalating to imprisonment, and Polish prisons are no guest houses. Sentient Poles operate rotas at parties. If playing mine host, they always lay on a supply of soft drinks for those who have drawn the short, sober, straw. Even so, the statistics show that the number of cars and accidents are up a third, year on year.
Thanks!
latet
Top answer
latet typed thus: [nq:1]Hi, Could someone, please, explain to me what that means: Sentient Poles operate rotas at parties. If playing mine host, they always lay on a supply of soft drinks for those who have drawn the short, sober, straw. [/nq] Take it in turns.
- latet typed thus: [nq:1]Hi, Could someone, please, explain to me what that means: Sentient Poles operate rotas at parties.
- If playing mine host, they always lay on a supply of soft drinks for those who have drawn the short, sober, straw.
- [/nq] Take it in turns.
- A rota is a chart showing whose turn it is to do something (but there doesn't have to be a real chart).
- [/nq] They take it in turns to be the host of the party.
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9 Answers
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latet typed thus:
[nq:1]Hi, Could someone, please, explain to me what that means: Sentient Poles operate rotas at parties. If playing mine host, they always lay on a supply of soft drinks for those who have drawn the short, sober, straw. to operate rotas = ???[/nq]
Take it in turns.
A rota is a chart showing whose turn it is to do something (but there doesn't have to be a real chart).
[nq:1]Hi, Could someone, please, explain to me what that means: Sentient Poles operate rotas at parties. If playing mine host, they always lay on a supply of soft drinks for those who have drawn the short, sober, straw. to operate rotas = ???[/nq]
Take it in turns.
A rota is a chart showing whose turn it is to do something (but there doesn't have to be a real chart).
00
[nq:1]latet typed thus:[/nq]
[nq:2]Hi, Could someone, please, explain to me what that means: ... drawn the short, sober, straw. to operate rotas = ???[/nq]
There's a Magic Square in there somewhere
ROTAS
OPERA
TENET
AREPO
SATOR
[nq:2]to play mine host = ???[/nq]
[nq:1]They take it in turns to be the host of the party. "Mine Host" is a supposed old-fashioned Engl
[nq:2]Hi, Could someone, please, explain to me what that means: ... drawn the short, sober, straw. to operate rotas = ???[/nq]
There's a Magic Square in there somewhere
ROTAS
OPERA
TENET
AREPO
SATOR
[nq:2]to play mine host = ???[/nq]
[nq:1]They take it in turns to be the host of the party. "Mine Host" is a supposed old-fashioned Engl
00
John Dean typed thus:
[nq:2]latet typed thus: They take it in turns to be ... but I suspect it was invented about 50 years ago.[/nq]
[nq:1]Nope, it actually *is* old fashioned. It's all over Shakespeare like a rash: http://www.rhymezone.com/r/ss.cgi?q=mine+host&mode=k[/nq]
I think that's
[nq:2]latet typed thus: They take it in turns to be ... but I suspect it was invented about 50 years ago.[/nq]
[nq:1]Nope, it actually *is* old fashioned. It's all over Shakespeare like a rash: http://www.rhymezone.com/r/ss.cgi?q=mine+host&mode=k[/nq]
I think that's
00
[nq:1]John Dean typed thus:[/nq]
[nq:2]Nope, it actually *is* old fashioned. It's all over Shakespeare like a rash: http://www.rhymezone.com/r/ss.cgi?q=mine+host&mode=k[/nq]
[nq:1]I think that's different - every one of those hits is in the Vocative. "Playing Mine Host", or the use of "Mine H
[nq:2]Nope, it actually *is* old fashioned. It's all over Shakespeare like a rash: http://www.rhymezone.com/r/ss.cgi?q=mine+host&mode=k[/nq]
[nq:1]I think that's different - every one of those hits is in the Vocative. "Playing Mine Host", or the use of "Mine H
00
[nq:1]latet typed thus:[/nq]
[nq:2]Hi, Could someone, please, explain to me what that means: ... drawn the short, sober, straw. to operate rotas = ???[/nq]
[nq:1]Take it in turns. A rota is a chart showing whose turn it is to do something (but there doesn't have to be a real chart)..[/nq]
By the way, I think "rota" is much more common in Britain than in the U.S.
Jerry Friedman
[nq:2]Hi, Could someone, please, explain to me what that means: ... drawn the short, sober, straw. to operate rotas = ???[/nq]
[nq:1]Take it in turns. A rota is a chart showing whose turn it is to do something (but there doesn't have to be a real chart)..[/nq]
By the way, I think "rota" is much more common in Britain than in the U.S.
Jerry Friedman
00
[nq:1]By the way, I think "rota" is much more common in Britain than in the U.S.[/nq]
I can't say I've ever seen it used in the U.S. I doubt most people would know the word; we'd probably use say "take turns" as opposed to "operate a rota".
-=Eric
Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare. Blair Hought
I can't say I've ever seen it used in the U.S. I doubt most people would know the word; we'd probably use say "take turns" as opposed to "operate a rota".
-=Eric
Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare. Blair Hought
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Eric Schwartz typed thus:
[nq:2]By the way, I think "rota" is much more common in Britain than in the U.S.[/nq]
[nq:1]I can't say I've ever seen it used in the U.S. I doubt most people would know the word; we'd probably use say "take turns" as opposed to "operate a rota".[/nq]
I've always assumed there is some connection between "rota" and "roster", but I may be wrong.
David
[nq:2]By the way, I think "rota" is much more common in Britain than in the U.S.[/nq]
[nq:1]I can't say I've ever seen it used in the U.S. I doubt most people would know the word; we'd probably use say "take turns" as opposed to "operate a rota".[/nq]
I've always assumed there is some connection between "rota" and "roster", but I may be wrong.
David
00
[nq:1]I've always assumed there is some connection between "rota" and "roster", but I may be wrong.[/nq]
You are. Both "rota" and "roll" are derived from Latin "rota". "Roster" apparently comes from Dutch "rooster", which means "gridiron".
Evan Kirshenbaum + HP Laboratories >The mystery of government is not how
1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 >Washington works, but how to m
You are. Both "rota" and "roll" are derived from Latin "rota". "Roster" apparently comes from Dutch "rooster", which means "gridiron".
Evan Kirshenbaum + HP Laboratories >The mystery of government is not how
1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 >Washington works, but how to m
00
[nq:2]I've always assumed there is some connection between "rota" and "roster", but I may be wrong.[/nq]
[nq:1]You are. Both "rota" and "roll" are derived from Latin "rota". "Roster" apparently comes from Dutch "rooster", which means "gridiron".[/nq]
However, the rooster/roster got that name from its role in cooking. Partridge says it's from the Middle Dutch "rosten," to roast. Roast, rost
[nq:1]You are. Both "rota" and "roll" are derived from Latin "rota". "Roster" apparently comes from Dutch "rooster", which means "gridiron".[/nq]
However, the rooster/roster got that name from its role in cooking. Partridge says it's from the Middle Dutch "rosten," to roast. Roast, rost
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