Martin Amis: Cink paint

Marius Hancu

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Dec 9, 2010, 3:27:05 AM12/9/10

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Hello:

"Cink paint": ??
(checked at GB)

----
[Keith seems to babble something about his dream car, while the
narrator (Sam) goes on about Keith's _getup_]

The next time Guy saw Keith he looked utterly transformed. The Black
Cross, at noon; down the length of Lancaster Road and in through the
pub doors the low sun burned unpreventably .. .

'Cink paint,' said Keith. 'Rear final drive.'

First, and most obviously and graphically, the clothes. Keith wore a
brown shirt of moire silk with raised stripes (its texture reminded
Guy of pork crackling), hipster cream flares , and a new pair of
coarse-furred ferret-like loafers (with a hint of the scaramouch or
the harem-creeper in their curled tips).

'Intake manifold,' said Keith. 'Central differential.'

Martin Amis, London Fields
--

Thanks,
Marius Hancu

Peter Duncanson (BrE)

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Dec 9, 2010, 4:32:04 AM12/9/10

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On Thu, 9 Dec 2010 00:27:05 -0800 (PST), Marius Hancu
<marius...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Hello:
>
>"Cink paint": ??
>(checked at GB)

Wiktionary says that "cink" is Hungarian for Zinc.
Zinc paint can be used as an anti-rust primer (first coat) on car
bodies. Perhaps the makers of the paint used the Hungarian word "cink"
rather than "zinc" to give the product an air of specialness and
prestige. Or perhaps Amis has invented this prestige primer.

The only Google results for "Cink paint" are directly or indirectly from
London Fields.

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

Leslie Danks

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Dec 9, 2010, 4:50:45 AM12/9/10

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On 09/12/10 09:27, Marius Hancu wrote:
> Hello:
>
> "Cink paint": ??
> (checked at GB)

"Zinc paint", perhaps.

<http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=1289>

--
Les (BrE)

Marius Hancu

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Dec 9, 2010, 8:05:28 AM12/9/10

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On Dec 9, 4:32 am, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)" <m...@peterduncanson.net>
wrote:

> >"Cink paint": ??
> >(checked at GB)
>
> Wiktionary says that "cink" is Hungarian for Zinc.
> Zinc paint can be used as an anti-rust primer (first coat) on car
> bodies. Perhaps the makers of the paint used the Hungarian word "cink"
> rather than "zinc" to give the product an air of specialness and
> prestige. Or perhaps Amis has invented this prestige primer.

I thought about Zinc.

>
> The only Google results for "Cink paint" are directly or indirectly from
> London Fields.
>
>
>
> >----
> >[Keith seems to babble something about his dream car, while the
> >narrator (Sam) goes on about Keith's _getup_]
>
> >The next time Guy saw Keith he looked utterly transformed. The Black
> >Cross, at noon; down the length of Lancaster Road and in through the
> >pub doors the low sun burned unpreventably .. .
>
> >'Cink paint,' said Keith. 'Rear final drive.'
>
> >First, and most obviously and graphically, the clothes. Keith wore a
> >brown shirt of moire silk with raised stripes (its texture reminded
> >Guy of pork crackling), hipster cream flares , and a new pair of
> >coarse-furred ferret-like loafers (with a hint of the scaramouch or
> >the harem-creeper in their curled tips).
>
> >'Intake manifold,' said Keith. 'Central differential.
>
> >Martin Amis, London Fields

Thank you both.
Marius Hancu

Tom P

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Dec 9, 2010, 11:45:06 AM12/9/10

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On 12/09/2010 10:50 AM, Leslie Danks wrote:
> On 09/12/10 09:27, Marius Hancu wrote:
>> Hello:
>>
>> "Cink paint": ??
>> (checked at GB)
>
> "Zinc paint", perhaps.
>
> <http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=1289>
>

Does Keith have a slight lisp?