A thing I feel I should know

[slemslempike]

The phrase "UK PLC". At first I thought it was a way of moaning about the way the country is run like a business instead of a country (sort of like people saying Bliar instead of Blair), and then I got the impression that UK PLC was an actual thing, like the business arm of the UK, and now I am just confused. It's not a real thing, is it? Googling says that UK PLC is a company that specialises in web domains. I would like to know what people mean when they say it, and also the sort of people that do say it so I can form ill-judged opinions more readily.

Comments

[gair.livejournal.com]

Completely irrelevant, sorry, but did you see this comment on the gendered use of 'fun' in children's advertising over on steepholm's LJ?

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I hadn't! I had vaguely noticed the fun on the girls' section and lack thereof on the boys', but hadn't thought about it very much. I think the commenter's (can't remember her username and can't check as am at work) idea of boys' play being more serious than girls is interesting. From my work, I think that it may also partly be that girls' fun is more commercialised, so that it is encouraged to buy fun rather than just have it. Also that the work of femininity is couched as fun, whereas I think the work of masculinity operates rather differently. Thanks for pointing it out!

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

the work of femininity is couched as fun

I had never thought of it this way before but it is SO TRUE. Hence the, er, spread of things like pole-dancing lessons or getting a facial and your colours done as a suitable activity for a hen weekend. I haven't had anyone suggest that I celebrate their imminent nuptuals by going and getting waxed together yet, but I do wonder if it's only a matter of time.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I think I remember someone on my flist having to go to a burlesque lesson for a hen night. Though that may have been a sadly not too unlikely nightmare.