What does my US colleague mean?

March 19, 2007 1:37 PM

My US colleague wants to take me out for a few drinks, see the local establishments, and maybe some 'pure gold'.

Whatever does he mean? I'm a Brit, I'm working in the US for a week or 2, a regular occurance. I get the drinky bit, but I don't know what 'pure gold' is. The whole quote is "maybe we can go out and visit some bars, and if you're up for it, some pure gold."

Should i be scared?

posted by daveyt to society & culture (22 answers total)

This isn't typical US slang...it's got a single entry in Urban Dictionary that's not really descriptive of what your friend seems to be implying.
posted by mullingitover at 1:42 PM on March 19, 2007

Could it be the name of a strip bar or something like that?
posted by hollygoheavy at 1:45 PM on March 19, 2007

First thing that popped into this American's mind was a strip club; second, dancing (i.e. Solid Gold). FWIW both Pure Gold and Solid Gold are names for regional strip club chains (seriously, google them).
posted by 2bucksplus at 1:45 PM on March 19, 2007

French fries or pie? Donuts? I bet it's either local or personal slang for a tasty golden treat. mmm
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:46 PM on March 19, 2007

Do a Google search, put "pure gold" in quotes, it's the first hit.

Strip club.
posted by mr_roboto at 1:47 PM on March 19, 2007

This strip club chain? (on preview, what everyone else said)
posted by lemuria at 1:48 PM on March 19, 2007

You should check your city against the Pure Gold locations. I'd offer to do it, but I'm at work!
posted by 2bucksplus at 1:59 PM on March 19, 2007

first thing that popped into my head was weed. maybe a variation of acapulco gold. second thing that popped in was cocaine, variation of pure white.

or maybe this guy likes to tie his co-workers down on the bed and pee on them.
posted by phaedon at 2:17 PM on March 19, 2007

My first thought was a strip club. I've seen several strip clubs with a variation on the "gold" theme in the name. Pure Gold, Solid Gold, etc.
posted by necessitas at 2:18 PM on March 19, 2007

I think the "and if you're up for it" disclaimer makes it certain he meant a nudie bar.
posted by birdherder at 2:44 PM on March 19, 2007

Either way, he sounds like a classy guy & I'm pleased as punch to hear that he's taken it upon himself to be such an elegant host during your brief time here in this great country of ours.

Or not. Dude's taking you to a titty bar & quite possibly thinks that people in England have never seen boobs.
posted by miss lynnster at 3:07 PM on March 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

Is this in the South, or more specifically, Texas? Whenever I go down to Texas they are really big into titty bars. I've never had the same proposition from other parts of the country.
posted by geoff. at 3:13 PM on March 19, 2007

More than likey its a strip club if you have any doubts check the phonebook

http://www.superpages.com/
posted by tke248 at 3:15 PM on March 19, 2007

I vaguely recall one of the US sales guys with whom I used to work using that term. For some reason, our sales people seemed to think it was appropriate to take clients and business partner to such venues, both here and in the US. Ick.
posted by acoutu at 3:59 PM on March 19, 2007

All very plausible. But don't rule out that this guy is much meeker, and wants a karaoke buddy.

http://rateyourmusic.com/release/comp/various_artists___singers_and_songwriters/pure_gold_hits___volume_1/
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 4:11 PM on March 19, 2007

maybe he means tequila? as in, Cuervo Gold?
posted by aquanaut at 4:40 PM on March 19, 2007

another vote for strip club
posted by Mr. Gunn at 6:16 PM on March 19, 2007

I think the "and if you're up for it" disclaimer makes it certain he meant a nudie bar.

Could just as easily mean drugs.

Or some nasty sex.

But probably a strip bar.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:30 PM on March 19, 2007

Isn't that like totally inappropriate? maybe some of us are jsut prudes, but if anyone professionally suggested that as appropriate entertainment I would be a bit shocked.
posted by wilful at 10:18 PM on March 19, 2007

Well, I thought it was a dorky/creepy way of speaking of marijuana, but after reading the thread I'm leaning toward strip club. Perhaps it'll be both.
posted by oneirodynia at 11:08 PM on March 19, 2007

Umm, now that we have your colleague either wanting to take you to a strip club or give you drugs, perhaps you might reconsider the popular analysis route.

Instead, why not just ask him what he meant? It's neither unprofessional nor discourteous to clarify a casual business communication: quite the opposite. I used to work on a project with a programmer who lived in England. During our telephone calls occasionally we would use terms or phrases unfamiliar to the other. For example, he didn't know what comp'ing a copy of software to a vendor meant. And to me, he said fortnight during scheduling -- which I did kind of know was two weeks, but had never heard in actual conversation or read outside of musty novels -- so I clarified the actual date to eliminate any possibility of confusion. If you already feel too reserved to ask about a simple phrase, it doesn't bode well for business when you two interact more extensively.

Here you're wondering whether you should be scared of what's to come and you are getting responses feeding into that idea -- and frankly, it does sound a lot like a proposed strip club outing -- but the fact is, you don't know that is what he meant and neither do we. Better to simply respond along the lines of "Sounds great, but what is this 'pure gold' I should try to be up for?" Adjust tone to match the original conversation and you'll be gold. Pure.
posted by mdevore at 1:06 AM on March 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

Boy, contrary to mdevore, this is one instance in which I would make an educated guess -- perhaps based on another indirect exchange, perhaps not -- and avoid seeking true clarification. Odds favor this being a strip club; the OP can determine whether there is one of these chain locations in his area (ah, the power of Google). So the strategy is likely to elicit some red-faced admission that the colleague wants to take him to a strip club (a question the colleague wanted to pose only when both were drunk). If the OP wants to go, no problem. But if he doesn't, he's elicited an invitation that both would prefer hadn't been made.

I'd be tempted to say nothing but preempt. Bring the album, and after some drinks at the bar whip it out (so to speak) and say "Okay, now I'm ready for some PURE GOLD!"

Or maybe force the colleague to clarify and say, "Rather not. My ex was a stripper."

Or wait until he asks at the bar and say, sounding kind of disappointed, "Oh. I thought you'd said 'some of YOUR MOLD.' Anyway, here you go. Cheers."
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 6:02 AM on March 20, 2007