For those of us who will be here on the 22nd of December, we will be having the deeply extremely traditional picnic on Level 4 amongst the picture book collection.
Bring your lunch and join us at 12 midday on the 22nd of December.
For those of us who will be here on the 22nd of December, we will be having the deeply extremely traditional picnic on Level 4 amongst the picture book collection.
Bring your lunch and join us at 12 midday on the 22nd of December.
IMO, the Platonic form https://iep.utm.edu/plato/#SH6b) of a picnic – with walls, ceiling, windows, tables and proper chairs, but no sandflies – from which all lesser picnics are inferior approximations!
Platonism and personal preferences aside, the dictionary definition of a picnic always includes an outdoor element, as in the following example from Merriam-Webster:
(Having said that, however, I do concede that for certain individuals the secondary senses of the word in the definition below will be incompatible with the primary sense. So in our present circumstances perhaps an indoor picnic isn’t such a bad idea.)
1. an excursion or outing with food usually provided by members of the group and eaten in the open
also : the food provided for a picnic
2
a
: a pleasant or amusingly carefree experience
I don’t expect being married to be a picnic
—Josephine Pinckney
b
: an easy task or feat
OED in sense 1 of the noun says: Originally: †a fashionable social event at which each guest contributed a share of the food (obsolete).
Which indicates to me that the modern ‘picnic’ as is commonly suffered is indeed a degradation from the Platonic ideal 🙂
Urban Dictionary:
1. Acronym for “Problem in chair. Not in computer.”. Used by Sysadmins to covertly describe user error to each other. Some snickering usually involved.
2. a. Something you eat outdoors on the ground, as opposed to at a table
Sheldon: “Picnics are no picnic, either. Where should we go to lunch? Oh I know, the ground!”
b. A word that, if spoken increases the chance of rain by approximately 42%
I asked the AI chatbot what a picnic is and whether it was a good thing and this was its answer:
A picnic is a social gathering at which people bring their own food and enjoy a meal outdoors. It can be a fun and enjoyable experience, especially when the weather is nice and the company is good. Some people like to have picnics at parks or other natural settings, while others might have them in their own backyard. Overall, a picnic is a good thing because it provides an opportunity for people to relax and enjoy each other’s company in a natural setting.
I then asked it if one could have a picnic indoors and this is what it said:
Technically, you could have a picnic indoors if you wanted to. For example, you could lay out a blanket on the floor and bring in some food and drinks to enjoy. However, the traditional idea of a picnic is to have it outdoors, in a natural setting such as a park or the countryside. Enjoying a meal outdoors allows you to take in the fresh air and natural surroundings, which can be a nice change of pace from being indoors all the time. That being said, if you are unable to go outside for some reason, having a picnic indoors can still be a fun and enjoyable experience.
I asked it to explain why people do not like picnics:
There are many reasons why people may not like picnics. Some people may simply not enjoy eating outside or being in nature, while others may not like the idea of packing and carrying all of the necessary supplies. Additionally, the unpredictable nature of the weather can make picnics less enjoyable, as can the presence of bugs or other pests. Furthermore, if the picnic area is not clean or well-maintained, it can be unappealing and unenjoyable. Finally, if the food is not properly prepared or packed, it can spoil or become unsafe to eat, which can lead to illness. Overall, there are many factors that can make picnics unpleasant for some people.