The Dish Difference

A few months ago I had a conversation with my 7 year old niece, Madison, about playing mums and dads. She told me that when she and her brother, Sam, play mums and dads she is always the dad and makes Sam be the mum. When I asked her why she told me it's because the mum has to go to the toilet a lot and do all the work and the dad just gets to sit on the couch and drink beer. I had to agree with her. It's true. In most homes anyway. I do know of a few, well one really, where this is not true. That woman is a very lucky woman. I would love nothing more than to sit on the couch all day and drink beer.

I guess I am telling you this because I have a problem with the way men ( my husband) do the dishes. I know a lot of men who do it the same way so I'll be general in my description. If he reads this I'll be sorry but I'll live through it.

It starts with them saying. "Honey, leave the dishes. I'll do them. I'll just finish this beer and I'll do it". Of course this makes us feel wrapped up in love. Happy that our dear ones are offering to take care of the one job we hate with a passion. They understand! So they fill the sink with water, wash some of the dishes and put them on the drainer but leave the rest to soak. They leave it until you come along and take care of the rest. The ones they couldn't quite do. I love that I only had to do the hard part and not the beginning part which is a little tedious.

I HATE doing dishes but I hate dirty dishes all over the kitchen more and he knows this which is why he knows it's only a matter of time before I come along and finish the job off.

Douglas Adams and John Lloyd have a word for this type of dishwasherupper:

Abinger (n): One who washes up everything except the frying pan, the cheese grater and the saucepan which the chocolate sauce has been made in.

They have lots of great words for things, all derived from spare words which were found lounging around on signposts.

I'm off to have a beer and sit on the couch.