DOHA AIRPORT, QATAR — “No cuts, no buts, no coconuts.”
Ever heard that one?
Unless you were a kid in the U.S., probably not.
So when exactly do American kids say it?
And what does it mean?
I could tell you.
But I’d rather show you…
VACLAV HAVEL AIRPORT
I’m traveling to Bangkok today.
Every October, I go to Thailand for a business conference.
And then I stay a little longer to work and explore.
It’s always a long day of waiting, sitting, and standing in lines.
I started the day standing in the security line in Prague.
Ahead of me, I could see the monitor flashing “Last Call.”
“Why do I always wait till the last minute?’ I asked myself for the millionth time.
Then I noticed a man join the line in back of me.
Except he wasn’t IN the line.
He was standing next to the line.
And as the line moved, he moved a little faster.
First he was in back of me.
Then next to me.
Finally, as he passed me, I had to say something.
I couldn’t allow this guy to cut in line.
So I spoke to him.
He told me to relax.
But he also got in the back of the line.
No cuts, not buts, no coconuts.
And I made my flight!
Tomorrow: First day in Bangkok
Cheers,
Mr. Vig
P.S.
Today’s Atomic Word is “allow.”
What’s the noun?
What else can you allow?
Why do buts and coconuts have to do with cutting in line?
And how can you politely tell a stranger not to cut in line?
That’s what we’ll talk about in today’s lesson.
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