Strange phrase

[Tulloni]

Pop question for you all. I am curious to know the answer to this. Does anyone here know what is meant by the phrase ''you don't have the minerals mate?''. I am asking because I seriously have no idea what this may mean. I remember hearing it at Tegal Airport in Berlin as I was coming home from Germany last year. Some young Hell's Angels type guys (literally they looked like they were a biker gang - in fact I think they were a biker gang) started arguing with each other (they were English). One guy with a typical working class southern English accent got into an argument with a northern lad in the group and used that phrase. Such a weird phrase eh? I haven't the faintest what it means. I reckon its just something like 'you don't have the balls mate', but it was a strange turn of events.

Has anyone else witnessed strange shit like this going down in airports? I guess you get all sorts of people in these places. Thankfully they didn't actually fight but still it had a surreal quality about it.

[MisterTinkles]

Yes, it means the same thing as "you dont have the balls" or "you aint got the stones".

[ggugcuuau]

My first thought was that they could of been gamers (biker-gamers) and making a Starcraft reference, since in that you need minerals to do stuff... thus not having the "stuff" to do something, similar to balls I guess

[southbiochem]

I don't really know what could they have meant, but rather what I would think it meant..

I don't know, minerals are prime resources used to make stuff..

I supposed it's the equivalent to what we say here "No tienes madera para...." ("you don't have the wood for...") which basically means you are not cut out for that, you don't have what it takes

[marshlander]

Interesting. Never heard that saying before. I spend a lot of time hanging round airports. I'll have to eavesdrop more carefully. :confused:

[EvenOlderButWiser]

Well Ive been hanging around airports (in a nice way ) for about 20 years and Ive never heard that saying, ever.

I did google the phrase, and all I could come up with is a brand of blusher and eye make up. Im pretty sure from what you said he wasn't talking about his eyeliner LoL

ObW
X

[Miles]

It appears Tinkles is right, at least according to this site:

It would seem that Snatch is a very popular film and I get at least 3 letters a week asking what "minerals" are. They are, simply, testicles. Slang for testicles is "stones", so when he says "You haven't got the minerals" he means "You haven't go the stones". The implication is that he lacks the nerve, that he isn't man enough.

http://www.aldertons.com/question.htm

[MisterTinkles]

It appears Tinkles is right, at least according to this site:



http://www.aldertons.com/question.htm