When he is offered a drink.
Since the phrase is always used in my experience to mean “You have got to be joking!” – as in, “Lilian a virgin? I should cocoa!” – I was very surprised at his suddenly not being thirsty.
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The Tin Ear strikes again. It did jar somewhat.
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I thought it meant ‘I should think so’ - as in rhyming slang.
Soo
It does, but only in the utterly ironic sense. As in, yeah, right, of course.
It’s funny rhyming slang, at that, because all the other examples I know, you say “apples” meaning apples and pears, stairs; titfer, =tit fer tat, hat; barnet = Barnet fair, hair; and so on. Cocoa rhymes with say so, and that’s not how it usually works, because you don’t ever say the actual rhyme.
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So: were you to ask me if I’d like a G&T, I’d happily say, ‘I should coco.’ As in, yeah, right, what do you think?
Soo
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If you did, Soo, I’m afraid I would assume that for excellent reasons about which I ought to have known, you were off the sauce for the time being and I was a fool to have suggested it.
I have never heard the phrase used to mean “yes please”; it has only ever turned up in my life in a sarcastic “and if you believe that I have a bridge to sell you” way. As in the example I gave upthread: someone makes a suggestion which is known to be absurd by the person to whom the remark is made, and they reply, “Yeah, I should cocoa.” Meaning, “you expect me to believe that?” (I got it a fair bit from my elder brothers, to indicate that I was being stupid again.)
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That’s my interpretation/understanding of it too, O Fanta Fish
Erm
Not that Soo doesn’t drink Gin, you understand…
Carinthia.xx
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Drink gin?
I should coco!
Soo
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I’m in the Fanta/Carinthia camp on this one, but I haven’t heard it said by an actual living person for at least forty years.
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I think Eddie is meant to be an old-fashioned wide boy
For once in my life I find that I agree with the Urban Dictionary: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=I%20should%20coco
"British phrase originating from the 30’s. Rhyming slang for I should
think so or I should say so. Used sarcastically so the literal
translation is I should think not. Also spelled I should co-co and I
should cocoa."
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Oh, well, never mind. I remember Dad saying it, in a not ironical way.
I am trying to apply an avatar to my profile with singular lack of success, but shall return to this problem tomorrow.
Soo
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Direct upload isn’t working, as far as I’m aware; you have to go through Gravatar. At least, that was how it was a few days ago; @Feral_Techie will probably know the current state of play.
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That’s how I’ve heard it Soo. It’s similar in response to Do bears shit in the woods? meaning of course, need you ask?
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It seems to me that it may have been an unwise phrase to put into Eddie’s mouth when it has two so diametrically opposed meanings; it was bound to sound wrong to much of the listening audience, in that case.
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It certainly sounded wrong to some of the listening audience.
Gravatar is as Klingon, to me, joe. I shall attempt a pic stick, tomorrow.
Soo
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Will stick a “how-to” in the “What’s Gone Wrong” thread - watch this space!
Edited to add: @Feral_Techie has already done so: Profile pictures
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How about, “I’ll Coco a pint of Shires,” via the Coco who was once Chief Clown at Bertram Mills’ Circus…?
That dates from May 2017 BTW.
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Considering that the people of Ambridge sound half asleep at the best of times. I thought a pint of Shires, was probably a pint of cocoa.
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The bit at the top right of a post tells you when it dated from, doesn’t it? So long as you can count backwards from the present date. Yours says “1d” so one day ago from now, Useders’ says “1h” (ago understood), but Joe’s says “Mar 9”.
Well really. If you’re going to complain about me doing the odd spot of time-travelling at weekends…
http://images.yuku.com/image/gif/02416583d07613d35d3fd008647caa3aedc35a16_s.gif
