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Quality Time - does this mean what I think?

GullyGully
edited July 2008 in - Writing Problems
Hi gang, I'm currently venturing out into the land of the free (guess!) and need some help with a certain phrase that I have often heard.

On certain american shows and in the movies you hear how yanks talk about Quality Time.
I always understood this to be 'meaningful time with the wife, children, family, dog, other member' that is not part of work. Basically enjoyment time.
Now someone has suggested that it actually means nothing more than ''sex'.

Having quality time with the wife is 'to have sex with her'.

Is this right, or can I use the phrase in the article I am writing for a pets magazine?

Comments

  • LizLiz
    Absolutely not. In fact I've only heard it in the context of having quality time with your children -where you spend time with them and concentrate on their needs.
  • davaarisdavaaris
    I agree with Liz. I have always taken this to mean uninterrupted time spent with family.
  • JennyJenny
    Maybe it's become a euphemism!
  • NephNeph
    Now I'm worried as I have said I like to spend quality time alone :P
  • Celtic CCeltic C
    Spending quality time with a pet would appear perfectly acceptable to me - would imply that instead of just feeding it and doing routine things you had taken time out to do something different that you would both enjoy such as a long walk in the woods or something.
    That said, I have come across the "Quality time with wife" concept but used in the same joking way as the concept of "Having an early night" where it is clear by the context what is meant.
    Good luck with the article :)
  • JennyJenny
    Gully - Perhaps there's a different phrase you could use!
  • GullyGully
    I'm thinking, Jenny, I'm thinking.
    I don't know enough A/Eng
  • CarolCarol
    Quality time as far as I've understood it is time spent with a wife/husband/girl/boyfrien/partner doing something meaningfull and special. So this could be curling up on the sofa with your other half and watching a DVD that you've both wanted to watch, and been waiting for time together to do, and a bottle of wine AND CHOCOLATES, TOGETHER.
  • Island GirlIsland Girl
    Writing about spending quality time with a pet will NOT be construed as anything other than what you mean, unless of course, you're writing an article for a New Zealand magazine and talk about spending quality time with your sheep - then some serious questions might be raised. ;-)
  • CarolCarol
    WHAT IS quality time with a pet? What does it mean to the pet? Does the pet appreciate your efforts, or are they saying, 'why the hell does he want to take me out now, just when I've got comfortable...'?
  • lexialexia
    whoever suggested that suggestion to you Gully, is just ....weird! ;)
  • GullyGully
    [quote=Island Girl]and talk about spending quality time with your sheep - then some serious questions might be raised.[/quote]

    That made me laugh out loud - and that doesn't happen so often, Island Girl. Thanks for that.

    The more you all talk about the definition of QT the more I tend to agree with you, Lexia.
  • mcbemusedmcbemused
    I can't see anything wrong with spending quality time with a pet, Gully - I would define quality time, as good, productive, satisfying time, be that with a good book, a game with the kids, or a ramble with the dog.
    Another word meaning the same thing would be 'bonding' (of course, that would refer to getting to know one's dog, not adhering oneself to it with superglue. Trust me, I have a large son who know about these things)
  • Celtic CCeltic C
    Your son glued himself to the dog Mcb? ;)
  • mcbemusedmcbemused
    My son is marvellous entertainment.
  • Celtic CCeltic C
    Can't you share him with us?
  • JanJan
    Perhaps quintessence or quintessential?
  • Stan2Stan2
    edited July 2008
    lexia is right in her definition of quality time.

    So if this evening, I say that I am going to have an early night - well, er - no, don't go down that road. ;)
  • LizLiz
    Maybe I'm going mad but I can't see a definition by Lexia...
  • Stan2Stan2
    Sorry, I mean by you LizB - I'd better go to specsavers today and let the optican spend some quality time with me eyes!
  • davaarisdavaaris
    Neph. It is perfectly acceptable to spend quality time alone. If you are pampering yourself and recharging the batteries then that counts as quality time in my book.
  • heatherheather
    I don't have a problem with a possible misinterpretation of 'quality time', but I do think it's an overused phrase and every time I hear it it makes me cringe. It's a bit like the word 'nice' - generic and not very descriptive.
    Sorry, Gully, but I wouldn't use it at all in the article!
  • salwritesalwrite
    Quality time with a pet sounds great, has no one ever heard of pet therapy, there was a donkey being hired out for pet therapy on the news the other day. Does no one else talk to their animals - they don't answer back and relieve stress - great quality time - compare this to the cons of quality time with the family. Only joking
  • LizLiz
    Thank goodness Stan. I thought there were answers I couldn't see.
  • LizLiz
    Not thank goodness you need to go to Specsavers of course... I think I shall stop there before I dig a bigger hole for myself...
  • JennyJenny
    edited July 2008
    Some animals are very sensitive to humans' feelings - people need to be careful not to pass their depression on to them!
  • dorothyddorothyd
    ever tried spending quality time with a cat? Office Assistant arrived this morning, miaowed at me, leapt up on the desk, purred for a few seconds, head butted the telephone and leapt down again. I've not seen him since. QT is on his terms, not human terms. I had a budgie once who relished QT, he would literally play with us. His especial game was landing on the very long aerial of our transistor radio, sliding all the way down it to the end, which send the aerial down, then wait for us to stand it up, then do it all over again. Crazy bird, loved him to bits. He loved to sit on the edge of a mug, when tea was half gone, and shout his name into it so it echoed back! The budgies I had last were pretty well indifferent to us, as long as we opened the cage doors so they could fly around all day, put fresh food and water in and cover them up at night ...
  • TessadragonTessadragon
    pets are greatly known for being therapeutic...like right now, the cat sitting by me, purring, is a great medicine alongside my painkillers, for my food poisoning. There have been animals trained that can detect cancers, like dogs that have been trained to recognise the slight change in scent when moles have gone cancerous, more accurately than any machine.
  • dorothyddorothyd
    oh poor you! Get well soon!
    Office Assistant came back, walked all over the desk and got down again. His Mistress is at the day centre of the hospice today and he is a bit lost when she is not there.
  • LizLiz
    Our cat is trained, so is definitely not indifferent. She comes to call, leaves a room if you say 'out'. She stops what she's doing if you say 'No' and undestands that means she can't get on your lap. She is trained not to jump on any surface, and therefore all my ornaments are safe, but she is allowed on some windowsills, and she only goes on those, and ignores the others. She is not allowed in the kitchen at all, and so sits in the doorway and watches. If I'm upset, she comes and miaows and looks at me. If she wants a stroke, she gets on her hind legs, balances, and pulls your hand to her head with her paws.
  • dorothyddorothyd
    sounds like a wonderful animal. KK is very much his own cat, as it were, does what he wants and ignores the rest. Desk are not sacrosanct to him, he head butts my wooden teddy nearly every time, doesn't like it for some reason, sends it flying, walks over the keyboard to head butt me if he is in that kind of mood. Mostly though he leaps up and then sits on a specially cleared space and stares out at his domain, the garden.
    He has a very expressive face, for a cat. One night Terry was loading my boot with mail for me when I said 'look who's coming' and KK was strolling nonchalantly along the pavement, heading for next door, acting as if we weren't there. Terry shouted 'Oi!' and the look on his face was unbelievable! 'I've been caught out!' look!
  • LizLiz
    edited July 2008
    Milla has one of those -before getting a cat I just would not believe that they could have expressions, but outrage, shock, guilt, surprise, wariness, pleading, contentment, hope, I've seen an insect and it is doomed... all definitely in her range!
  • TessadragonTessadragon
    edited July 2008
    *stares at LizB*

    cripes....i've never heard of a cat that well behaved...are you sure it's a cat and not a seven year old child?

    Tom the cat has decided that it's just about acceptable to go into the garden (at 11am)...anyone wanting photos of him cuddled up with the guinea pig (i kid you not), whisper me and i'll email one to you.

    and ty Dorothy for the kindness...i'm feeling a lot better now that i'm on my second painkiller for the day.
  • LizLiz
    Yes. I didn't want a cat because I didn't like the thought osf them going on tables and suchlike... but the I saw a programme about this Russian cat trainer. He said that most cats are trainable with kindness and treats. He had them weaving in and out his legs, doing tricks, walking on wires and all sorts.

    I bought a couple of books, did some research, went and got a kitten from a sanctuary, and set to to train her. In fact, she had a medical problem when we got her -constant diarrhea, I kept a food diary and found she was allergic to maize -in virtually all cat food. Eventually found one without, and she was fine then. But couldn't be allowed in the kitchen in case she picked up crumbs from the floor. So I also trained her to stay out of the kitchen.

    How? A water pistol. Animals don't really understand it's coming form you if you keep out of their eye-line while you spray, and you have to be really careful to only let them in the room when you are there, so any infraction is treated in the same way every time. It takes about a week -after that they seem to stay trained, and respond to a 'no' of they look like they are about to do it, if you have always accompanied the water with a 'no.' She doesn't scratch anything except her scratching posts -to be fair to her, we have one in the hall, and one in the lounge. It's just consistency. You can never 'sometimes' let them do something, because they can understand a ban, but not why it's okay to do it sometime, and sometimes not.

    Result? A happy, loving, playful, well behaved cat... who I can trust not to ruin my antique furniture and china, and who doesn't give my OCD side a nasty turn. (Because she doesn't go on the tables or the kitchen side or anything).
  • LizLiz
    PS, only just seen your food poisonong comment Td, sorry to hear about that -hope you feel better soon.. I've never had food poisoning. Sounds horrid.
  • TessadragonTessadragon
    that's fascinating to read about how you trained your cat...very impressive. i may try that next time i get a kitten (likely that'd be when i get my own home in 2 years time)...for now i'll just count my graces with Tom that he's quite well behaved and just too friendly and affectionate to scold. I'm always amazed at how humanistic they are to deal with!
    ps the funny thing is that my food poisoning came from a hot dog i bought at the Farnborough International Airshow.
  • LizLiz
    edited July 2008
    Ah now, maybe that is why I've never had it -never bought anything from a van, my mum was fanatical about it. Even ice-cream... unless wrapped.

    Anyone who wants to see Milla here is a link - she doesn't like Jem's hands on the computer...


    http://www.flickr.com/photos/25774572@N08/?savedsettings=2499250202#photo2499250202
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    edited July 2008
    I watched the Red Arrows make a heart in the air, then 'shoot' an arrow through it.

    P.S. Is it true there were only 18 toilets for a capacity crowd of 330,000?
  • TessadragonTessadragon
    edited July 2008
    toilets? they had toilets there????
    But seriously the air displays were really the only things to care about...the freebies weren't as good as 2006 anyway. The Britain at war display was excellent, seeing the spitfire, hurricane and lancaster in the air. Red devils were fantastic, black cats lynx helicopter team pretty good, and the beginning Boeing display was beautifully graceful to see.
  • CarolCarol
    Hope you feel better soon Tessa.
  • GullyGully
    Hey TD, hope all is well soon.
    I once spent 4 horrible days in Hungary trying to get my stomach to work again.
    Problem was it was over 40° and I wasn't taking on any water. Horrible.
  • TessadragonTessadragon
    eh, i'm feeling almost as good as new, thanks guys! :D all i have to do is heal the pulled muscle in my stomach and i'm perfectly fine...that sounds a terrible set of circumstances to be ill, Gully! I'm glad you got through it okay!
  • GrannylonglegsGrannylonglegs
    I've heard of dogs being 'trained' to be obedient, but cats? I thought they were a law unto themselves...
  • HelenaHelena
    Quality time just means time during which you concentrate fully on the one person. This could be sex, or reading the children a story, or bathing the dog, or even being with yourself!
  • dorothyddorothyd
    I got food poisoning once in MacDonalds in Gloucester when we went there for a blues festival. I didn't find the headline blues man impressive and I was not impressed with the following 3 days of violent sickness and everything either!
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