Wednesday 20 August 2014

Save me from Gobby Women.

Is "gobby" a word?  I don't think it was when I studied English grammar and language at school but it is apt for a breed of woman I encounter more and more on my air travels.  They are anything from 20 to 45 years in age and usually have a few kids in tow though motherhood is not a criteria for the breed,  travelling in packs is.  They seem to think that anyone within 200 metres of them is lucky to be the recipient of their bon mots on life, love and sex and raise their voices accordingly so that even those with heads plugged into noise cancelling headphones  (me) will not miss a golden word uttered from their lips. They are also lucky enough to find everything they say screechingly hillarious and they fire out blasts of laughter worthy of a coven every few seconds.  Their children, also in packs, usually sit several rows away from their mothers but are then encouraged to run back and forth, grabbing each seatback and arm rest as they go.  When Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister issued forth on women not laughing in public, he was universally ridiculed,  but I am coming around to his way of thinking....

Remember the song "Silence is Golden" .... Time for a re-release I think. 

(Written on a Monarch Luton to Bodrum Charter flight,  the 31st plane trip of the year which proved to be one too many for middle-aged bordering on getting-on-a-bit me.)
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26 comments:

  1. Idskesminis20 August 2014 at 12:36

    I've encountered them too... They also seem to think they can jump queues, talk over anyone in charge and are really loudly offended if you quietly point out that it is not their turn, however many other witches and their brood they have in tow...

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    1. BacktoBodrum21 August 2014 at 22:13

      Glad we are still on the same wave length Idske, despite being on different continents

      Delete
  2. liz cakir20 August 2014 at 13:02

    sadly not restricted to air travel. Find them in Kipa - yelling about the difference between courgettes and cucumbers as though they'd discovered huge secret, and hooting at some 'in joke' which they wish to share with the rest of the store.

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  3. Alan20 August 2014 at 13:46

    'Gobby' has been in the lexicon of life for as long as I can remember! You'll be pleased to know, however, that 'Gobshite' is in the OED if you are really concerned to use 'Inglish like what she is spoke' properly! Don't know about the Deputy PM's views, but there are a few textbooks on eugenics that (according to WH Smith) have become quite popular with air travellers.

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    1. BacktoBodrum21 August 2014 at 22:15

      I don't think I came upon "gobby" in my youth.

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  4. April Ozbilgin20 August 2014 at 14:28

    Sad but true!

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  5. Helen Devries20 August 2014 at 15:26

    Thank goodness they are only to be found in up market supermarkets here....

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  6. Kathy20 August 2014 at 16:14

    Poor Annie. I do hope this is the last trip for a while. What’s this about children not sitting with their parents? Shouldn't be allowed!

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    1. BacktoBodrum21 August 2014 at 22:16

      Seems to be becoming more common. Im hoping to be at home for at least 6 weeks now. Fingers crossed

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  7. Senior Dogs Abroad21 August 2014 at 08:02

    B to B, Gee, I've been trying to translate 'gobby' into American English and can't quite come up with the right thing. 'Loudmouth', 'blabbermouth', come to mind but they don't quite capture the feeling of privilege that these women also feel. Hope you're home safe and sound soon.

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  8. annie21 August 2014 at 09:10

    What's that saying about empty vessels.....?

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  9. Jack Scott21 August 2014 at 11:16

    Love the word, hate its application. Great material, though :-)

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    1. BacktoBodrum21 August 2014 at 22:18

      If they had anything interesting to say, i wouldn't mind

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  10. Liam Brennan21 August 2014 at 21:23

    Very funny - had a good chuckle reading this, but I'm SO with you on this, Annie.

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    1. BacktoBodrum21 August 2014 at 22:18

      We were born to fly only on private planes I think.

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  11. Ayak22 August 2014 at 09:05

    Fortunately we don't get them much on Turkish Airlines. I have to use buses when I'm in England and it's full of them. Sets my teeth on edge. One reason to be grateful for living in this village

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  12. Anonymous24 August 2014 at 11:01

    I'm screeching with laughter from the safety of my bedroom. Hope you can't hear me in Bodrum. It's funny you should post about this as I am in the middle of writing a post (tirade) about the "laughing in public" issue.
    When I get away from home, I just look out of the window and enjoy the silence. The only times I get adopted, it's generally by over-talkative men with bad breath and a huge repertoire of stories about their car collection/conversion to Catholicism/world -famous buddies. I must be in the wrong row on the plane.

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    1. BacktoBodrum25 August 2014 at 11:39

      Sounds like you are in the right row. Those sort of guys fall into a snore fest after 20 minutes or so. Noise cancelling headphone are good at cancelling out that kind of rumbling

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  13. Jane and Lance Hattatt25 August 2014 at 22:52

    Hello,

    Gobby sounds to us to be the perfect description. Alas, this breed is not confined to aeroplanes, nor are their children. However, if one avoids supermarkets, public transport, chain stores, shopping centres, cinemas.........in short, if one becomes a hermit.......then they can be avoided. Are they multiplying at an exponential rate we ask ourselves?!

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  14. BacktoBodrum26 August 2014 at 00:05

    At least in most places one can walk away. Not possible on planes.

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