Amina Sopwith

I'm a very typical millennial. I'm in my 30s with a mortgage, child, partner, occasional lumbago and a shaky knowledge of the origins of a crap meme from a couple of years ago. Confession time: in discussions, I have sometimes let it be known that I'm a millennial just to see if someone will take the bait. They always have.

Hmm, seems to be the case, yes. All I ever saw about it was horrible online dating experiences (even a book) but a quick Google now shows that does appear to be the origin. I don't remember seeing any of that when I first came across it a few years ago, but I didn't spend a lot of time on it. Thank you all.

No, it came from Bye Felipe, which itself came from online messages in which men become abusive after women turn them down. There was a particularly famous one from some plank called Felipe, if memory serves. And they say millennials don't know anything useful.

I do and unfortunately they fit the stereotype. Which obviously doesn't make it true or ok. But it's kind of funny because I don't like either of them.

Snorkers Imaginarium sells knitting and crochet patterns for pin cushions of Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove etc. ETA: Ha, she's got some new stuff since I Iast looked. Might get the Greta Thunberg Christmas tree topper...

Yes, it is largely bollocks.

Definitions vary but millennials are generally classed as being born in the 80s to the mid 90s. After that it's Gen Z and they're the ones everyone should be berating for being young right now and however it is they are supposed to have destroyed everything during the five minutes or so that they've been here. Though there is a micro-generation, the Xennials, born in the mid 70s to the mid 80s. They're said to have had an analogue childhood and digital adulthood. I remember being called a millennial when I was younger and there was nothing derogatory about it. Round about the time I turned 30, I thought the meaning must have changed because it now seemed to be used as an insult for anyone in their 20s. But no, the official definition hasn't changed. My generation is just Peter Pan.

And when I am, people will STILL be berating the millennials for being the entitled, irresponsible, feckless youth of today.

Did you ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?

I'm finna get some central heating for my chilblains once lockdown is over.

No, I don't. I'm a veggie. But it's nice knowing that it's there if I ever want to join the civilised , epicurean world.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that one.

Stir fry with egg rice/noodles. Or stuffed peppers. Or if you have butter, milk and flour, you could do broccoli cheese (like cauliflower or macaroni cheese but with broccoli).

Hm. I had no idea central heating wasn't the norm in the mid 80s. Then again, Hounslow.

What have you got in?

Whoa. When was that?

Yes, but I have to ride my horse over the cornfield and past the cows to get to the cycle-powered generator that powers it. (Frost on the sheets indoors? Where were you? How many decades ago?)

We get Netflix and McDonalds too.

One year when the EdExcel examination board messed up even more than usual, the victims were students who had been sitting their biology A Level. Private Eye ran something like this: THAT EDEXCEL BIOLOGY A LEVEL EXAM IN FULL 1) Write a detailed essay describing the difference between these two body parts: a) The arse. b) The elbow. 2) If you could not answer Question 1, would you like a job at EdExcel?

Not heard that one. I've heard "arse over tip". But that means something else.

Have to say, I'm not aware of a British equivalent for "ass backwards". Best I can think of is "topsy turvy" which is dated and doesn't quite hit the same note. It's a brilliant phrase and I'm happy to adopt it. You have to pronounce it "ass" rather than "arse" otherwise it doesn't work.

Do you feel lucky, punk? (Although I was referring to my ability to rise from the grave, as demonstrated a little while back. Think I gave you a beer.)

You must admit I managed it quite well.

I looked it up. Apparently it's an abbreviation of "fixing to", as in "intending to" or "going to". "Y’all really finna pick a fight out of no where" roughly translates to, "You people are trying to cause trouble for no reason." Now I'm off to have a cup of char.

I guess it was a mixture of seeing how children treat toys (love having them, love playing with them, often don't really like looking after them properly and putting them away nicely), the very concept of a toy (something to entertain and benefit you) and the fact that the box holding Batman and Spiderman looks a bit like a bin. What seems even cleverer to me, though, is that even though the piece sparked those thoughts in me, it did still also spark the "frontline staff are the true superheroes of the world that children want to emulate" message as well. Obviously I've no idea if Banksy was thinking any of that. It's just what the piece prompted in me. I like it very much. I've seen a lot of superhero-themed artworks dedicated to the NHS lately. That's another reason why I wondered if Banksy was saying something more. I thought he might be responding in some way to all of that, without in any way detracting from the message of gratitude and respect. ETA: Hmm. It definitely looks like a bin, but maybe the point is that the boy has thrown away Spiderman and Batman because the NHS nurse is the best superhero of all. I don't know.