• LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Huh. first time I’ve heard the term meeting without biscuits. I will use context clues to deduce the meaning:

    A meeting with biscuits is probably a perquisite type of meeting with good news involved,

    So a meeting with no biscuits would not be a friendly meeting and is punitive in nature.

    • PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk
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      8 months ago

      Yes, your logic is pretty much spot on. Meetings that people are welcome at generally attract little sweeteners to make the meeting or conference more bearable - whether it’s sandwiches, cakes, teas, coffees, or biscuits.

      Generally, if you walk in to a room and nobody offers you a tea, coffee, or a biscuit - there’s a reasonable chance that you’re going to get your arse kicked for something.

      If you don’t mind me asking - have you not heard the phrase before because it’s an expression you’ve not come across before, or is English a second language and it’s meaning is implied rather than explicit? To me, your logical approach suggests the latter, and I’m asking out of sheer interest :)

      • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Maybe I have not heard the phrase because I live in USA and you seem to live in United Kingdom. then maybe that phrase is something that you guys use, but we don’t.

        also as a USA person, when I think of biscuit, this is a biscuit to us:

        I think when you say “biscuit,” you are talking about the sweet treats that we call cookies.

        • PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk
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          8 months ago

          Awesome, thank you - I am guilty of using a lot of British slang after all.

          Hope you have a good day!

          • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            Thank you.

            You’ve got me curious, if Americans call these things biscuits:

            flour

            baking powder

            sugar

            salt

            butter

            milk

            Bake in oven for 12 minutes or until tops turn lightly golden brown.

            What do UK people call these?

            • PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk
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              8 months ago

              My friend, I can write my entire knowledge of baking on the back of a postage stamp in black marker, but judging by the pictures, I’d call them scones - the pronunciation of which is a matter of controversy even in the UK.

              They would be small cakes though, speaking generically!

              • Thassodar@lemm.ee
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                8 months ago

                You’d probably like the video series where British guys try American fast food for the first time. Specifically the one where they go to Popeyes, they called the biscuit a scone but loved it.

      • halfwaythere@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        This is my first time hearing this saying as well being a yank and all. Anyways, I currently work for a company that had a meeting with biscuits (doughnuts) and pretty much everyone that showed up was let go. Those that by chance had something else to do, dodged the shady way to fire people. Legal issues insu no. Needless to say doughnuts are not common around here and when they do get brought in this event always gets brought up.

        Leave it to corporate America to pervert something that is supposed to be nice.

      • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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        8 months ago

        Seriously, I’ve lived in the UK for 35 years and I’ve never heard that expression either.

      • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        So in the UK, a biscuit is not an edible flour-based bread-type thing? It’s just the act of hospitality?