The French Are Said To Drink A Lot Of Red Wine And Smoke Like Trains.

[sandyRoe]

Is there any evidence that their bibulousness protects them from the ravages of smoking?

[BlackadderV]

' bibulousness'

Have we been nibbling at the dictionary again?

[sandyRoe]

No. Just been having a bibulous evening. ☺

[BlackadderV]

I often used to ring my late friend, who was a lunchtime drinker, to ask if he would be in the pub for a 'pre-prandial libation', to which his answer was always, "Indubitably".

[sandyRoe]

He couldn't have been that much of a drinker if he could clearly say indubitably

[BlackadderV]

This was before we started on the morning session.

[Buenchico]

We were discussing, in the pub on Sunday evening, who might be behind the (non-cryptic) clues to the Times Jumbo Crossword on Saturdays. (It was 'consanguineous' being among the answers that started that discussion). Now we know; it's Sandy!
(We'll look out for 'bibulousness' appearing in the answers soon).

There are plenty of 'experts' (and websites) that will tell you that its the anti-oxidant resveratrol in red wine that helps to protect drinkers against both cancer and inflammatory problems (such as arthritis). However that view is challenged by the NHS:
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/05May/Pages/Resveratrol-red-wine-chemical-overhyped.aspx

[sandyRoe]

If it's a myth it's one I'd like to believe in.

[sandyRoe]

I'm just coming to the end of a bottle of Wild Pig. I wonder if it's kosher?

[gness]

♪♫ I'm a believer♫♪♫....☺

[BlackadderV]

Of course, the more bibulous you are, the more likely you are to end up crapulent.

[Buenchico]

Well I'm doing a good job of 'protecting myself' tonight (if the resveratrol theory is to believed). This Merlot is incredibly good for £4.00. (It would still be very good at three times that price - 'La Moneda', from Asda)

[sandyRoe]

I think a bottle of wine is about equal to three pints in alcohol content. That hardly seems anything at all. I used to regularly have three pints of Harp during lunchtime when I was working.

[BlackadderV]

Might as well light up a Gauloise, then, Chico, or, as we used to call them, Goolies.

[sandyRoe]

There used to be a drinking den in Belfast called The Bakers. We used to go after finishing a night shift. At 7 in the morning you'd have to fight your way to the bar.

[BlackadderV]

Harp?!!! That makes Fosters almost palatable!

[sandyRoe]

I know, it's dire but it was a pint you could drink all night without much effect.

[BlackadderV]

Long before the relaxation of licensing laws, there was a pub on the fish quay which was allowed to open at 4 a.m. for the benefit of returning trawlermen. Amazing the number of non-seagoers who managed to get up that early!

[Buenchico]

Harp Lager is 5% ABV. 3 pints of Harp = 8.5 units of alcohol.

A typical red wine is around 13% ABV, so a 0.75l bottle contains just under 10 units of alcohol.

The NHS recommends that men should not drink more than 3 to 4 units of alcohol per day on a regular basis (where 'regular' = 'most days of the week').

The foregoing is simply factual information and most definitely not 'preaching' (because I'm in no position to do so!)

[ummmm]

There's a pub where I live that used to open at 6am for the market traders.

[BlackadderV]

There is a market town 15 miles from me which allowed pubs to stay open all day on Wednesdays (market day). Many a good afternoon spent there.