Do you ever travel east?
August 30, 2008 3:51 PM Subscribe
What does it mean to "travel east"?
At work, a male student in his fifties asked a male co-worker (also in his fifties), "Do you ever travel east?" When co-worker looked puzzled, the student said, "The look on your face tells me you don't know what I mean" and walked out. We've been asking, googling, scratching our heads, thought of everything from freemasonry to heroin and have no idea what this means.
At work, a male student in his fifties asked a male co-worker (also in his fifties), "Do you ever travel east?" When co-worker looked puzzled, the student said, "The look on your face tells me you don't know what I mean" and walked out. We've been asking, googling, scratching our heads, thought of everything from freemasonry to heroin and have no idea what this means.
To go to Asia, maybe? This is what the Geography geek in me is saying. Perhaps there's a much more cool meaning.
posted by nitsuj at 3:59 PM on August 30, 2008
posted by nitsuj at 3:59 PM on August 30, 2008
Best answer: I'd guess Freemasonry. It's an old (often parodied, e.g. in The Mummy Returns) verbal handshake.
posted by j.edwards at 4:02 PM on August 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by j.edwards at 4:02 PM on August 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
Local slang of a particular subculture/in-group? Something like "travel east [to the closest larger town with a real gay bar]" or "hang out at the place with the Asian hookers?"
posted by tyllwin at 4:03 PM on August 30, 2008
posted by tyllwin at 4:03 PM on August 30, 2008
Best answer: Jumping on j.edwards Freemasonry clue, I found this:
"For a Freemason to ‘propagate the knowledge he has gained’, said MacNulty, he must, in the words of the ritual, travel east in search of knowledge, and west to propagate that knowledge. In Rees’ words this means finding his Centre in order then to relate to the world around him: for Kokochak the unity at the centre mirrored the unity of humankind."
posted by nitsuj at 4:06 PM on August 30, 2008
"For a Freemason to ‘propagate the knowledge he has gained’, said MacNulty, he must, in the words of the ritual, travel east in search of knowledge, and west to propagate that knowledge. In Rees’ words this means finding his Centre in order then to relate to the world around him: for Kokochak the unity at the centre mirrored the unity of humankind."
posted by nitsuj at 4:06 PM on August 30, 2008
Response by poster: Dang, y'all do move fast. Thank you. We thought it might have something to do with this.
posted by frances1972 at 4:17 PM on August 30, 2008
posted by frances1972 at 4:17 PM on August 30, 2008
Ummm as a freemason, I would consider that a pretty cryptic shout-out . There are handshakes and other more obvious signals can use to recognize each other.... it is masonic-sounding but the references to the "east" are not secrets (no mason would discuss secret matters based on a reference in coversation to the east without more authentication).
You will see masonic references to the "east" in public... a proper masonic cornerstone for example is always in the NE.
posted by Deep Dish at 5:37 PM on August 30, 2008
You will see masonic references to the "east" in public... a proper masonic cornerstone for example is always in the NE.
posted by Deep Dish at 5:37 PM on August 30, 2008
The Eastward Traveler. You do need to click through a hilarious javascript pop-up box to enter, but I guess its not really more hilarious than grown men walking about speaking in code.
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:17 PM on August 30, 2008
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:17 PM on August 30, 2008
Was it not a piece of dialogue in "The Man Who Would Be King"?
posted by DickStock at 8:18 PM on August 30, 2008
posted by DickStock at 8:18 PM on August 30, 2008
Why don't you ask him?
He sounds arrogant anyway, but I would guess he's been to Nepal or India, thinks he's a zen guru.
Ignore all that attitude. Actually, don't ask him, blow him off, he is a jerk.
posted by cvoixjames at 11:56 AM on August 31, 2008
He sounds arrogant anyway, but I would guess he's been to Nepal or India, thinks he's a zen guru.
Ignore all that attitude. Actually, don't ask him, blow him off, he is a jerk.
posted by cvoixjames at 11:56 AM on August 31, 2008
I met a Mason once, they have a lodge in my town. He had that arrogance thing going that all religious freaks have. Never knew it was a compass thing in the code, anyway, cults are dangerous
posted by cvoixjames at 12:09 PM on August 31, 2008
posted by cvoixjames at 12:09 PM on August 31, 2008
I came in here to say it was an attempt at a Freemason shout out, delivered very clumsily. And reading the thread, Deep Dish has it exactly right. Word to my brother :-)
It's entirely possible that the student asking the question is not, in fact, a Mason, and is just asking this nonsense based on something he thinks he learned on the Discovery Channel or some YouTube video.
posted by edverb at 9:52 PM on August 31, 2008
It's entirely possible that the student asking the question is not, in fact, a Mason, and is just asking this nonsense based on something he thinks he learned on the Discovery Channel or some YouTube video.
posted by edverb at 9:52 PM on August 31, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Sonic_Molson at 3:54 PM on August 30, 2008