Alex wanted to go to our local play park today. Usually, we take the bus to play parks further in town, where there’s rather less broken glass and rather more takeaway coffee.
And rather less grafitti. Our local playpark is a hangout for teenagers after the little kids go away. I have some sympathy – there really isn’t a lot else to do in Gilmerton – but I do wish they’d leave the permanent markers at home. (Not to mention not wrapping the swings over the top bar of the swing set .)
As Alex was playing, I was idly reading the grafitti. There was a lot of “love” stuff (RM + KS 4EVR and its ilk), and some “fan” writing (EMINEM, HFC). The third class of inscription, the “insult” inscription, was also well represented. (name obscured) is a fat geek who muckz around wi an even bigger geek and Jonathan is a fat pie eater, for instance.
But among what I presume to be insults was REECE IS TIDY. There was also, just to be confusing, REECE IS UNTIDY. Two or three other people were also labeled as “tidy”, though only Reece seems to be untidy.
Tidy?
Hmm. Well I grew up in London (UK), and tidy is slang for someone who looks good. Also ‘fit’ is used in the same way. A nice package.
Whatever!
james
ps I’ve never heard of untidy used in this sense, although I like the concept!
Wow…maybe the usage has spread north (we’re in Edinburgh). Thanks for the suggestion, because I was truly baffled.
I’ve heard that in Aberdeen when I was young. Tidy and Fit – same meanings there.