UKC

I'll admit that in one post, once many years ago, it was funny, but it hasn't been so since then.

Seems that with this phrase getting a lot of dislikes other people are finally in agreeance!

And, to answer the inevitable: not a lot, unless you count tps.

In reply to jezb1:

It's like fingernails on a blackboard. Was it ever funny? If it was, it was well before my time.
It's also almost always churned out by someone who has done nowt on grit.
In the Nalle example he rocked up and pissed up an E6 on a damp day at Stanage. Nothing groundbreaking for him, but a world away from the sort of person who comes out with 'what's he done on grit?'.

In reply to deacondeacon:
I always thought it was adolescently ironic (ie grit is not the big deal its cracked up to be) and mostly harmless, or mildly sad when a user didn't realise. Fingernails on blackboards to me is the really nasty edge on some UKC posts that push the boundaries on site rules (don't pick fights etc) and make the place less of a community.

In reply to Offwidth:


I try and only post on climbing related topics. This tends to whittle away most of the nasty moronic comments. Sometimes the odd one gets through though.
I'm probably guilty of coming across rude myself too, although I never troll.

In reply to jezb1:


There are a few others that also grate

You are Spartacus and I claim my £5

I call you troll

Owl and tapir related references

"Ironic" spellings of The Guardian

Or when people put up a statement then ask everyone to "discuss", like we are there for their enjoyment.

Be happy.

In reply to jezb1:

I prefer to think of them as the catchphrases of this site. A little like that recurring "Wouldn't like his commute to work..." video.

Now, it was quite frosty when I came out this morning. Is Kinder in yet?

In reply to jezb1:

I always thought it was just the arrogance of the peak centric climbers who basically decided that climbing on grit stone is the only climbing which matters and trumps all other forms. So if so and so does some hard non grit route it's like "well okay, but what's he done on the real stuff?" As if it only counts when in peak currency.

I don't know why it gets used these days though, even by people who don't climb on grit much. Just one of those phrases I guess.

Personally, having done most of my climbing in the lakes I don't really like grit. It's all faffing about and shuffling, give me some edges to pull down on any day.

In reply to deacondeacon:

I can't recall a single post of yours that is even mildly aggresive. Your climbing posts are certainly much appreciated.

In reply to subtle:

I agree, "be happy" is the worse. If I want to sit here being sad then I damn well will.

In reply to jezb1:

What has a Narwhal on a treadmill ever done on grit?

In reply to deacondeacon:



Eh? How do you work that one out?

Anyway, what have you etc etc?

In reply to The Ivanator:


I liked your post, and you really made me smile, Ivanator...

In reply to jezb1:

I used to be guilty of repeatedly posting a link to Dan Osman's speed climb (sometimes hidden under a tinyurl), as well as asking if anyone still plays The Game then stating that they'd just lost... again.

In reply to jezb1:

So letting my bad temper get the better of me had positive consequences?

First time for everything I suppose.

In reply to subtle:


There must be at least, ooh, 12 people on the site who remember tapirs. And Nevis-the-cat.

You may have to allow the old folk some random burbling in their dotage. After all I can remember when all this was fields....



B

In reply to ben b:

The universe is all fields. Just ask a particle physicist.

In reply to Lord_ash2000:



I'd always assumed that any use of it these days was an ironic poke at the predictability and myopia of English climbers, either because a) the climb that being reported is so obviously groundbreaking that most things that anyone's done on grit would look insignificant next to it or b) they actually have done something quite impressive on grit - possibly even the climb that's being reported.

Not that this makes it particularly original or funny, though.

In reply to jezb1:

You do realise people only say it now because it winds people up!

In reply to deacondeacon:


Bear in mind that it predates the internet, UKC, Hard Grit and maybe even Stone Monkey, to a time when lycra and limestone were in vogue and it was pretty unusual for anyone to travel to the UK to climb anything, let alone grit. So along comes some french hotshot - Antione or Marc le Menstrual or whatever - and solos the prow at Raven Tor and the reaction is a classic British climbers riposte - don't get too cocky lad !

It may of course pre-date that, but that's when I first heard it, and I'd put it in the same category as the "I am Greater Ranges Man myself" excuse (Tom Patey?) - it's only a game, don't take it too seriously !

In reply to jezb1:

Its a pretty harmless expression. The meaning has shifted though. Once 'what have they ever done on grit' was a put down to visiting climbers based on us Brit's (actually Peak's) superiority complex. At some point the joke shifted back to us as we realised that people were more than capable of our hardest grit offerings. From then on it seems to be more a kind of self depracation (for those that realise that cutting edge climbing is not UK centric, and getting less so every day). For those that don't realise it, of course, the jokes on them.

In reply to jezb1:

The phrase has been said to me a few times and makes my blood boil. One time it was said to me by a bunch of Sheffield based climbers to which I politely replied "I've never climbed on grit." I was then basically told that any climbing I've ever done is pointless and I don't have the right to talk about trad climbing. They were actually serious and made me feel uncomfortable and awkward. So to me I now get the impression that its said to put down non British trad climbers and that they think the best climbing in the world is on grit. Is this the case? Not that I take it too personally, its just annoying and I'm just curious where the phrase comes from. Its nice to see the majority of UKC climbers hate the phrase too!

In reply to jezb1:


You mean, what's he/she done on coarse grained sandstone.

Sorry. Had to

In reply to jezb1:

Humour is subjective and we all have things that make us want to sandpaper our eyeballs.

Personally the phrase "hollibobs".

In reply to Chris H:


Never heard that, what's it in reference to?

In reply to Lord_ash2000:




I thought it was mostly people being sarcastic and taking the piss out of those who think the grit is the be-all and end-all.

Spoiler: I still chuckle when I see it.

In reply to The Ivanator:


NO HOOFS ON THAT MOFO!

In reply to Tony the Blade:

Its a "humorous" version of holidays. I find it irrationally enraging.

'what've you done on grit?'

Overgrown V0 boulder problems with a few cams in, like most other punters

personally I am of the opinion that any non-bolted route short enough to see what gear you need from the ground without squinting isn't 'proper' climbing :P

In reply to andrewmcleod:


So 3 Friends and a #1 hex on 20 Foot Crack (S 4b) is bad form?

In reply to jezb1:

Thank goodness for this.

I hate jokes and humour of all kinds.