Mugged Off

Posted on Dec 11, 2019 by TanGental

I was given this a while ago.

W

e’re an increasingly green household – not that the children leave us much choice. Thus single use takeaway cups for my copious coffees are verboten. Sitting, enjoying myself with a cappuccino I realised we have several mugs that percolate with family history.

This was decorated by the Lawyer as part of his then passion for insects. This he acquired from his grandfather mostly and was practically based. He loved turning over leaves, in the same way he anticipated Santa hoping for a present in the form of a caterpillar. Not so much of the technical or biological background though but give him a caterpillar or pupae and there was one happy bunny.

Mind you the crate of whistling cockroaches he kept in his bedroom for several years were probably at the extreme end of our tolerance for this hobby.

This was a retirement gift. Back in the day you got a clock. My dad was given a specially commissioned oil painting of his beloved New Forest. Those cheapskates I worked with gave me a mug.

But then it was carefully through, happily treated me as able to take a joke and lacked pretension. If that was a metaphor for how they viewed my time at work, I’ll take it.

Naturally I have this one. Some smart arse in the family thinks my love of words is something to sneer at, to scoff at. Ha! I may be a tad sequipedalian but that’s a burden I happily bear. I used to read dictionaries as a kid. Get used to it.

Do you have a set of objects that trigger memories thus?

About TanGental

My name is Geoff Le Pard. Once I was a lawyer; now I am a writer. I've published several books: a four book series following Harry Spittle as he grows from hapless student to hapless partner in a London law firm; four others in different genres; a book of poetry; four anthologies of short fiction; and a memoir of my mother. I have several more in the pipeline. I have been blogging regularly since 2014, on topic as diverse as: poetry based on famous poems; memories from my life; my garden; my dog; a whole variety of short fiction; my attempts at baking and food; travel and the consequent disasters; theatre, film and book reviews; and the occasional thought piece. Mostly it is whatever takes my fancy. I avoid politics, mostly, and religion, always. I don't mean to upset anyone but if I do, well, sorry and I suggest you go elsewhere. These are my thoughts and no one else is to blame. If you want to nab anything I post, please acknowledge where it came from.
This entry was posted in family, humour, memories, miscellany and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

41 Responses to Mugged Off

  1. bikerchick57 says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 1:15 pm

    You read dictionaries as a kid? Wow, you truly are a wordsmith and I’m kind of jealous. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • TanGental says:
      Dec 11, 2019 at 7:06 pm

      I did. Not sure how it began but we had a large brown Chambers I’d leaf through. My brother read the Encyclopaedia Encyclopaedia Britannica but he always did show off. Thanks for popping by

      Liked by 1 person

  2. derrickjknight says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 1:56 pm

    My set would be photographs or books. Congratulations on keeping those mugs intact.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Becky Ross Michael says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 2:04 pm

    Great mug collection to bring back memories! I have sets of books, teapots, china, pitchers, roosters, linens, pictures, bookmarks, etc. that all have strong memories attached, as well.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. John W. Howell says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 2:35 pm

    Great collection of mugs, Geoff. I have nothing that compares.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Elizabeth says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 3:22 pm

    I read dictionaries as a kid also. I was very excited when my mother bought an abridged O.E.D. I was insufferable with words like “crinkle-crankle.” I also became fascinated with regional vocabulary differences complete with maps of the U.S. with the various words. Before the national news standard, in the 1950’s words really still varied. I wouldn’t want to drink from a mug with my 1981 face on it!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Jacqui Murray says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 3:40 pm

    I do like the mug. Had to look up ‘sesquipedalian’. Now that’s a winner.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. willowdot21 says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 5:22 pm

    Do really Geoff and at this time of year they come out to haunt me. They are Christmas decorations made by the boys when they were young …lol old tatty and loved…a tad like me.
    I loved this post Geoff very erudite 💜

    Liked by 1 person

  8. thecontentedcrafter says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 5:45 pm

    Hello 🙂 I used to read dictionaries too and those ReadersDigest ‘Word of the day’ things. At age twelve I graduated to Shakespeare and peppered my language with his odd words, though often mispronouncing because I had never heard them used, only read. Now I mostly stick with simple or four letter words for brevity and ease of communication…… I don’t have any collections though and all my old mugs are broken.

    Liked by 1 person

    • TanGental says:
      Dec 11, 2019 at 7:21 pm

      Hi ‘waves’. I think i liked words because I was such a slow reader and the stories are short in dictionaries. And i can’t imagine you being classed as simple!

      Like

  9. Ritu says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 5:46 pm

    These are brilliant mugs!
    My cupboard consists of a mish mash of Best Teacher ones and random gifted ones with slogans on, as well as a Little Miss Chatterbox one…
    But I do have posh matching ones for guests!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Darlene says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 6:00 pm

    Great mugs. I still have the mug my very first employer gave me on my first day of work. It is, let’s say, quite old. Just has one tiny chip. It may outlast me!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Suzanne says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 6:36 pm

    Love the first and especially the last one. The family are great at delivering the most lasting sarcasm 🙂 We put baby photos of our nieces on a couple of mugs, both are now treasured [exggerated] family heirlooms and are still intact and regularly used by the family. That is two Christmas gifts that didn’t go to the Op Shop. Winning.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. gordon759 says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 7:36 pm

    I wouldn’t consider that you are, ‘an open drain of inordinate length’, which is my interpretation of sequipedalian (sequi+pedalian). Had you said sesquipedalian, then no one would have doubted the fact.

    Like

    • TanGental says:
      Dec 11, 2019 at 7:45 pm

      Are you suggesting an error was involved? Horrors!! I will have to submit to a suitable punishment and have my page corners turned over.

      Like

  13. Erika Kind says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 8:01 pm

    Mugs can truly keep special moments or times alive. I had so many mugs with special history… but almost all of them were broken by a clumsy husband… lol

    Liked by 1 person

  14. lydiaschoch says:
    Dec 11, 2019 at 8:49 pm

    You have some great mugs. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Widdershins says:
    Dec 13, 2019 at 2:19 am

    I too read dictionaries as a wee sproglet, and encyclopediae, back when both were tomes so heavy they required solid pedestals on which to read them. 😀 … it was the only way I could access the information that truly interested me. 😀
    None of my childhood treasures made it to adulthood with me, but I do have a crochet hook that is so well-used and beloved that I have worn off the enamel. It is at least 40 years old and still in use.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Gary A Wilson says:
    Dec 20, 2019 at 3:17 am

    I knew it! Had you pegged for not only a dictionary reader, but also oddly drawn to obscure dictionaries at that. I do have a few mugs with photos of my kids, but I still prefer the real items. As to things that trigger memories, I just had a story come together that does just this for me even to today. I think you may get a kick out of the distress my father accidentally put me into and how it all resolved. Finally, I could counter your question with one of my own, what was the most nuts thing your dad had you believing while your age was still a single digit?

    Here’s my story if you have 10 minutes for a grin.
    https://garyawilsonstories.wordpress.com/the-poppies-are-back/

    Like

Comments are closed.