From: jclarke.usenet@cox.net   
      
   David Friedman wrote:   
   > In article ,   
   >  Bill Swears  wrote:   
   >   
   >> Zeborah wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>> OTOH, my distinct impression is that "back in the time etc" it was   
   >>> also the norm to ask "Do you mind if I smoke?"   
   >>   
   >> But the clear expectation was that you would not mind, or you'd   
   >> have   
   >> a specific excuse to mind.  I knew of a guy in the seventies who   
   >> was   
   >> quite allergic to cigarette smoke.  His skin would go red and   
   >> blotchy, and he'd weep.  A lot of people still presumed he was   
   >> putting on an act.   
   >   
   > I'm not sure, but "Do you mind if I smoke" suggests to me a man   
   > asking a woman's permission. I associate with the idea, at some   
   > point   
   > in the past, that smoking was a male vice.   
      
   I'm reminded of a description of the offices of the Christian Science   
   Monitor that I read somewhere.  The author said to the editor "I'm   
   surprised that there are no 'no smoking' signs".  The editor replied   
   "Well that's because smoking is allowed here.  Nobody ever HAS, but   
   it's allowed."   
      
   --   
   --   
   --John   
   to email, dial "usenet" and validate   
   (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)