Passing the port

[watervole]

I'm still reading 'Watching the English' which is pretty interesting, though I think occasionally overstates its case.

Her suggestions as to which mannerisms come from which social class is interesting as it makes me aware of what I picked up from each of my parents (who came from fairly different backgrounds).

She comments on the custom of passing the bottle of port to the left around a table and says that no one has any idea where this custom originated. Well, my family never followed that particular custome, but I should have thought it was blindingly obvious where it originates.

It's got to be a pun. It it was called 'starboard' then we'd pass it to the right.

Comments

[hawkeye7.livejournal.com]

Do you have the custom where you can't have the port until after the Loyal toast?

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Haven't a clue. I don't move in port-drinking circles. I'd guess you need to ask a military person for that one.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

I'll take that as one for me, then...

Yes, at formal functions in an Officers' Mess, what happens after the final course has been finished and cleared away is as follows:

- Decanters of port are brought out and placed at table. Traditionally, one is placed in front of the presiding officer (the President of the Mess Committee, or PMC*) and the most junior officer present (technically the Vice-PMC, but always referred to as 'Mr Vice'**,***). At large functions, extra decanters are placed at intervals around the table (which will be set up as a 'top table' with 'legs', like an 'E' on its side).

- The PMC and Mr Vice (and anyone else with a decanter in front of them) pass the decanter to the officer to their left, who charges his or her glass and passes the decanter on.

- Eventually, the PMC and Mr Vice are passed a decanter, and charge their own glasses.

- The PMC stands, and says "Mr Vice, The Queen". Everyone then stands****.

- If there is a band, it will play the first verse of the National Anthem.

- Once the band has stopped, Mr Vice will raise his or her glass and say "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Queen".

- Everyone says "The Queen", and drinks a toast.

Further toasts may follow, especially if there are guests from other nations, whose Heads of State will be toasted*****. Once toasts have finished, coffee is served; the port continues to circulate during any after-dinner speeches.

MC

* PMC is a 'secondary duty', an extra job an officer gets for say six months or so. It involves a lot of other work beside presiding at social functions.

** 'Mr Vice' by contrast is always the most junior officer present at the time.

*** Even if female - 'Miss Vice' or worse still, 'Madam Vice' sounds too silly...

**** Unless this is a Royal Navy Wardroom, in which case they drink the Loyal Toast sitting down. After all, if they stood up they would bang their heads on the deck above, wouldn't they?

***** I was once at a dinner attended by officers from 24 different nations. We drank a toast to 'Heads of State here represented'.

[kerravonsen]

Thanks for that. Interestingly enough, I was just reading some of the stories from the 4th "Honor Harrington" anthology recently, and one of the stories had "the most junior officer toasting the Queen" in it -- though the Manticoran tradition seemed to be slightly different, since it had just the junior officer initiating the toast, rather than being the respondent to an initial toast by the PMC.

It didn't occur to me that it was based on an actual tradition.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

Checking up on one part of my answer, I'm reminded that RN officers do stand if the National Anthem is played. (Of course, on a ship there generally isn't a band to do this, and a tape would be considered a bit naff). This snippet, and theories on the origin of the custom, can be found here.

MC

[alphekka-alpha.livejournal.com]

It's got to be a pun. It it was called 'starboard' then we'd pass it to the right

Nice one! AIUI, the name comes from Oporto where it was shipped from.

Don't know if you're interested in mannerisms in speech, but when I was teaching in Barnsley, many years ago, ::shudder:: I heard children talk about "t'coil 'oil". (This is a cellar or bunker in which coal is stored, m'lud.) {g}

P.S. Icon specially selected so as not to disturb FF. 8-)
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[watervole.livejournal.com]

"The coal hole"

I remember I gave Frostfox a copy of my zines once in exchange for an old computer. She collapsed from shock when she realised they were gen/het and never managed to get to the end.

Should you fancy reading my Harry fic, ask her if she'd like to pass them onto you.

From the Home for Unrequited Harry Fics. 8-)

[alphekka-alpha.livejournal.com]

LMAO! Poor FF.

Fancy reading your Harry fic.? Well d'uh. That's a no brainer. 8-) Course I do!

Please, FF. {engaging smile}

Love the rogue and love RP-ing him too. He's even managed to creep into the current fic. I'm writing. I didn't plan it that way; it just sorta - happened... {g}
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