Today's moment of sublime quixotica was submitted by S.M., of Arlington, VA.
S., a legendary wordsmith in his own right, is fluent in French, can dunk a basketball (I think) and does a mean
"worm." Spencer was an original member of The Awesomes, an epic rock supergroup that toured the greater Lake Ridge, VA area in the early 1980s. Other former members of the band include Chris "Iffy" Kreutzer (guitar/vocals), David "Hoover" Gignilliat (triangle/recorder/air guitar) and Craig "Zog" Milligan (not sure). Alas, The Awesomes' eclectic style was never fully appreciated in its own era, so now their legend and their music must live on through the written word.
But who could forget their live performance at the 1986 Governor's Court 4th of July Crab Feast, which included an impromptu breakdancing competition, a dirt-bike decorating contest and pointing illegal bottle rockets at neighbor's doorsteps.
Back to business. Thanks for the word, S. We hope to hear more Quixotica from you in the future ...
marteau’d
[mar-tohd]
adj., literally, French for "hammer," it is a phrase used to describe a state of extraordinary intoxication due to heavy (and often rapid) consumption of alcohol, often to the degree that most mental and physical faculities are noticeably impaired. Common symptoms may include slurred speech, impaired balance, poor coordination, flushed face, reddened eyes, reduced inhibition, hiccuping, severe beer goggling, and other uncharacteristic behavior
Examples of marteau'd behavior could include, but are not limited to, the following:
- making cats fight on the streets of Georgetown (Washington, DC)
- stumbling out of a bar with hands in coat pockets,crossing the street with considerable momentum, andcrashing through a wooden fence (Charlottesville, VA)
- casually flicking cigarette ashes on your friend’shead and then violently throwing up in his toilet (Blacksburg, VA) ... Done by uvadavidg@gmail.com
And for no reason whatsoever, here's a rare photo of Mr, Quixotica (uvadavidg@gmail.com) during his halcyon, formative years. Note his prescient sense of style 
-- the lavender Izod polo, black-and-white checkered vans and OP plaid shorts. And don't forget the "Mom, I forgot my bookbag face." Or is it the "why doesn't anyone want to play with me" face?
While the expression “marteau’d” did not catch on nationally (yet), it is still used by a small number of 30-somethings in and around the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
Here's some more "marteau" time on the World Wide Web:
Did You Know:
The French are not the only ones who like to have a good time. The Brits like to call bar-hopping "going out on the tiles," ... though I think the "tiles" is where you end up after a long night of carousing. Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham inspired the song "Out on the Tiles" (LZ III) with his epic -- and ultimately fatal -- consumption.
