Just as the US mining prospectors of the 19C were dubbed "forty-niners", could we call y2k survivalists "ninety-niners". To refer on particular to those who seek refuge away from the cities. Perhaps this time they will take gold with them to hide back in the ground. Those who have already moved out can still have this accolade.

What did you do in the y2k war daddy, "son I was a ninety-niner under commander Yourdon"..

-- Richard Dale (rdale@figroup.co.uk), December 09, 1998

Answers

I understand the logic. But when I hear "ninety-niner" I just can't shake the image of someone eating an ice cream cone with a flake sticking out of it. No quite the image that captures the real picture.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), December 09, 1998.

Yes that occurred to me after i hit the submit button. I suppose I thought choc flakes might be a Brit invention and not known to you yanks.

"Brit invention" what am I taking about. Seem to be plagued by oxymorons today, (having got over the Daletics).

-- Richard Dale (rdale@figroup.co.uk), December 09, 1998.

Richard, welcome back from your personal Daletics crisis.

Prefer to be a Beyond 2000 type. Maybe a triple "0" as in, O-o-o, made it!

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 09, 1998.

Seems to me that "ninety-niner" would refer to a DGI, whereas a GI Y2K survivalist would be a "nineteen-ninety-niner".

-- No Spam Please (anon@ymous.com), December 09, 1998.

Richard,

I'm not a Yank. I'm a Canadian born in England. Been back on a few holidays and consumed my share of 99's.

You must have missed my periodic off-topic rambles about Sheffield Wednesday........not a complete fanatic although my daughter's middle name is Wednesday.

Of course, it's still a lot more sensible than a SanFranFan naming their kid "FortyNiner".

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), December 09, 1998.