Here's a letter I received this morning. I don't know whether to be amused or worried!

Chris

Around here TNT is the nick-name for dynamite....

fjb

Concertina Fag... I rather like it. Why it's worthy to be printed on a tee-shirt...or some whacky comic book hero!

We've a bluegrass gig next week and I'm toying with being introduced as "Concertina Fag". I think with the right crowd it might just be a great addition to the nick names used by my Obi's Boys bretheren: Concertina Fats, Button Box Bingo and Professor Roly-Poly and his Tarty Tina. This could require a whole new ensemble!

With your permission Chris.

Isn't a cigarette refered to as a fag in England? Maybe somebody has fitted their concertina with a tube and extra button valve to blow smoke into their tracheotomy because they no longer have the strength in their diaphragm. I'm sure they've been used for worse. Or, maybe somebody just thinks you're smokin' hot.

If so, then how about "Fantastic Awesome Gent"
Could be a "Finely Aged Geriatric"
Or maybe just a "Fine Average Guy"

Thanks
Leo

when reading the thread title I thought it said Concertina FAQ. lol!

Under the old English Public School system a 'Fag' was of course a junior boy to whom was allocated the thankless task of acting as a general dogsbody (or slave) to a more senior boy. I believe that all new boys were obliged to conform to the well established tradition. Only Chris Timpson will know if his present lifestyle bears any comparison.

Sorry....no 'p' in Timson

a fag is also a homosexual.bit difficult being a concertina homosexual,since they normally not of any gender.

I'm not sure I resemble that remark!... but then, I don't resemble a concertina...or even a concertinist for that matter. I'm not even sure I spelled that right!
Anyways, I'm sure mine are all females...at least It makes me feel better to think so......
Sooooo, How 'bout them Dallas Cowboys?

Why hasn't anyone asked the obvious question....what was the content of the letter?

James

Well, I don't know about everybody else, but I was afraid to ask.

I actually typed out that question, but bailed before I hit "Add Reply". Thought the answer might be anti-climatic, and less fun than the speculation this post is generating!

Seems there's always one who wants to confuse the issue with facts!

Its from your neighbor.

or your wife.

be very worried.


I'm sure Elton got called "piano fag" alot.

Isn't it time we pedants stuck together? If yer gonna carve up the English language with brutal logic shouldn't "neighbor" be spelled 'naybor' or 'naybur'?

Oh, sorry, you're called 'Hooves' so that'll be 'neigh, lad, neigh'

Would that be Al Gore? Oops, no, he's anti-climatic change!

Reading these posts it's very comforting to know that concertina players are as sick a group as my Old Time fiddling friends seem to be.

Regardless of which instrument I pick up...I'm surrounded by loonies!

Thank you one and all!!!

James

Chris,

I bet you that the sender of the letter has hardly any friends at all. It is usually a case of..."hurt people, hurt people." That writer needs psychological counselling.

You have a lot of friends on this forum! Let's out live the misguided person...let's out laugh him/her ... and out play that person with our favourite instrument...the concertina. (Perhaps we could just ignore that person's action altogether).

Me thinks it's a bit late for that now that we're on the second page of responses.
Nay, considering the subject of this string, we must get to the bottom of this matter.
I refuse to turn my back on a fellow concertinist whilst coming under personal attack through the post.

Well, I've been down in Swanage for a couple of days innocently playing in the rain, and look what's been happening while I've had my back turned.


But of course.


Sounds about right!


Um, thanks, I think ...


Oh it's a hard life, this.




The letter wanted to know if the Concertina Fag wanted to update his details in a business directory. What the business was, wasn't entirely clear ...


Welcome to the asylum!

Chris

Move to Canada, and you'll never want for cash.