It's official - Gordon Brown has completely lost his marbles

[Captain Seafort]

Meh, it could be worse - unless you're a Spurs fan.

[Mikey]

I assume that you're not referring to San Antonio?

[Captain Seafort]

Nope - Tottenham Hotspur. Who are currently propping up the Premiership, having had their worst start to a season for almost a century.

[Sionnach Glic]

Heh, hate that.

[Mikey]

I don't know what confuses me more - your vernacular or your sports. How are they "propping up" the league if they're doing so poorly?

[Tsukiyumi]

I don't know what confuses me more - your vernacular or your sports...

I was thinking something similar.

[Captain Seafort]

It makes sense if you think of the league in terms of a physical structure - a building is "propped up", as it were, by its foundations. Hence, the team at the bottom of the league table is said to be propping it up.

[Mikey]

Around me, at least, we'd use that term to indicate some sort of positive support - a team that was succesful and making decent income would be said to be "propping up" a failing league, for example.

[Captain Seafort]

Around me, at least, we'd use that term to indicate some sort of positive support - a team that was succesful and making decent income would be said to be "propping up" a failing league, for example.

Indeed - it makes sense in financial and literal physical terms. It does not, however, make sense in a country where irony and piss-taking are national pastimes.

[Mikey]

piss-taking

see above.

[Captain Seafort]

Hmm, tricky. Consider it a form of mockery (at least in this context), although that word implies something harsher than simply taking the piss.

[Mikey]

Good-natured ribbing, then?

[Captain Seafort]

Good-natured ribbing, then?

More or less - good natured, but pointed.

[Mikey]

Ah - as in, "Most of the DITL forum exchanges involve a good deal of taking the piss?"

[Captain Seafort]

Exactly.