when two worlds collide

In the "most gratifying response" department:

Last October, after a successful (e.g., PASSED) tenure vote by faculty colleagues, I was on my regular Friday happy hour gig. Which is usually a time for a lot of people, not just me, to come down from the adrenaline and frustration of the week and transition into the weekend. This particular Friday, Very Many People were buying Very Many Congratulatory Drinks for yours truly.

Well, in such situations, you don't want to give offense by refusing, right? So I was throwing them down-including the shot of poitín the barmaid brought, saying "I don't know why everybody's congratulating you, but I thought I should buy you one too."

I didn't know what it was, but sniffed it, and said "Damn, that smells like the Quare Stuff". Teetotal Teenage Fiddler (who went with Professor Spouse and myself to Ireland two summers back) said, "You're right, it is."

Afterward, Fluter Friend thanked the barmaid and she said, "Why's he celebrating?" FF said "He just got tenure." Barmaid said, "He got TEN YEARS?!? What the hell was he arrested for?!?"

I love it when my worlds collide.