Georgie Girl, dear,
re: Why does 80-year-old guy prefer pints to litres?

I fear you have completely missed my point, so I will quote from the novel here:

"'E could 'a drawed me off a pint," grumbled the old man as he settled down behind a glass. "A 'alf litre ain't enough. It don't satisfy. And a 'ole litre's too much. It starts my bladder running. Let alone the price."

Either Mr. Blair has his math completely wrong, or ???????? The old man says, "A 'alf litre (17.something ounces!!!) ain't enough. It don't satisfy." A Pint is, and always has been SIXTEEN OUNCES, so, either the ol' prole is too danged old, or Mr. Blair fouled up in his Imperial/Metric math conversions. UNLESS........the Imperial Pint is LARGER(?) than the U.S 16 Ounce Pint. THAT was the point of my complaint, NOT a fight with the Metric System vs. the Imperial (don't you just Love 'that' name?) System!

-Alexander Franklin Mutter

Greetings again Alexander,

My husband's a Brit and he says that in the old days when they filled a pint glass they filled it right to the top, with the barman pulling on the pump handle. Now, with the metric system, a measured "half-litre" is automatically done by controlled settings and the glass is not filled up to the top. There is always a gap between the top of the liquid and the top of the glass, making it appear as though a person is getting shafted.

Also, the old man misses the flavour and character of the beer of his youth which you don't get with the new Victory beer.

I think this "prole pub" scenario is more of Orwell's sense of humour. Winston knew that a half-litre was bigger than a pint (just didn't bother trying to tell the old man). Afterall, it isn't long before the old prole's bladder IS running, which gives Winston his chance to get away:

"Winston sat back against the window-sill. It was no use going on. He was about to buy some more beer when the old man suddenly got up and shuffled rapidly into the stinking urinal at the side of the room. The extra half-litre was already working on him. Winston sat for a minute or two gazing at his empty glass, and hardly noticed when his feet carried him out into the street again."

I hope I've grasped the point this time.

"Last Call",
Jackie Jura

23.The Proles

Jackie dear,

It's only 8:10pm here on the "right coast" in Portsmouth, Virginia, USA, so it's far from "Last Call". I'm sitting here blogging with you and the rest of the "Small, Small World" with a US made (in Williamsburg, VA) Busch (Presidential?) beer which is Exactly 12.0000 ounces US. I believe that I "finally" got the point that Winston knew better, but chose to keep quiet about it. It makes sense, given all that we know about him, and probably needed to remain unsaid. However, No One knows everything, but all of us together know "most things". I thank you for that last opinion, with which I heartily concur. I just couldn't see the forest for the trees. Must have been studying my "Newspeak" too closely.

I really enjoyed the photos you posted from "Ol' George's" favourite pub. Only wish I could have been there with you all!!! It's okay, though, as we still have a few pubs here in 254-year-old "New" Portsmouth which are just as much fun. The only difference is that here, we call them Redneck Bars!! :) It's where "we" proles like to hang out and socialize, just like in the old country, or in the frozen north, from where you hail.

God Speed in Your Journey of Life,
Saint Alex the Foolish, circa Third Millennium, a.D.