In the UK parliament the party whips try to ensure that every member from their party turns out to vote. In Ecuador they appear to take the term literally. A congressman was "was stripped to his underwear, doused with cold water and lashed with nettles", for not toeing the party line. I bet Tony Blair wishes he had the same powers in the UK sometimes.
Posted by Joe at August 19, 2003 09:47 AMIn my high-school polisci class we had a visiting Brit student. During a discussion of voter turn-out rates, we asked him why Britain has such excellent turn-outs.
He said, 'During the election the parties pay college students to go 'round and knock up all the housewives.'
Well, given the obvious cross-Atlantic differences in the meaning of 'to knock up', we were all curious as to which party this would make the housewives vote for!
Posted by: DJ at August 20, 2003 05:08 AMLOL! I think 'to knock up' has the same meaning in the UK now. Looking at recent voter turn-outs at General Elections, students obviously don't need the job anymore. Turn-outs have plummeted to near Japanese levels.
Posted by: Joe at August 20, 2003 06:28 AMLess of this knock up stuff... what really needs to be investigated here is, did the brutish school of my early long-trouser days invent and pass on nettle whipping to the world?
Posted by: martin at August 20, 2003 05:09 PMVery probably Martin. The Ecuadorian politician will probably be coming to sue your pants off you!
Posted by: Joe at August 20, 2003 07:17 PM