Quote from: Laurie on September 09, 2017, 12:41:12 AM
When I visited Portsmouth, England many many moons ago I would see signs advertising Roasted ->-bleeped-<-gots. I new the British called cigarettes ->-bleeped-<-s but was pretty sure that was not it. There was a second possibility going round in my head but I was Positive it wasn't that one either. I'm pretty sure that one would have been illegal.
No, I never did buy any to find out what they actually were.
I think that someone else told you what roasted ->-bleeped-<-gots are, but I think that you were too quick to rule out the second possibility. Tom Brown's Schooldays is a classic about the adventures of a young ->-bleeped-<- (servant to older boys) at Rugby School. This is what happened to him because he refused to sell a lottery ticket (courtesy of Project Gutenberg):
"Very well then; let's roast him," cried Flashman, and catches hold of Tom by the collar. One or two boys hesitate, but the rest join in. East seizes Tom's arm, and tries to pull him away, but is knocked back by one of the boys, and Tom is dragged along struggling. His shoulders are pushed against the mantelpiece, and he is held by main force before the fire, Flashman drawing his trousers tight by way of extra torture. Poor East, in more pain even than Tom, suddenly thinks of Diggs, and darts off to find him. "Will you sell now for ten shillings?" says one boy who is relenting.
Tom only answers by groans and struggles.
"I say, Flashey, he has had enough," says the same boy, dropping the arm he holds.
"No, no; another turn'll do it," answers Flashman. But poor Tom is done already, turns deadly pale, and his head falls forward on his breast, just as Diggs, in frantic excitement, rushes into the hall with East at his heels.
"You cowardly brutes!" is all he can say, as he catches Tom from them and supports him to the hall table. "Good God! he's dying. Here, get some cold water—run for the housekeeper."
