One of our neighbours here in Hackney is a real geezer. Geezer not as in, ‘slang term for male’, but, more along this definition here:
Geezer
n. A geezer is a male between the ages of 16 and 28. Geezer’s are hard drinking, splif smoking and pub brawling punks. Younger males are street geezers.
Geezer gained popularity in the US when Americans started listening to the sounds of The Streets.
Usage – “Stare at the geezers so they know you aint lightweight.”
He’s 21 and actually a nice guy, but the discourse he engages in is rather shocking, seeing that it involves a lot of ‘hard talk’, referring to plenty of violence, drug usage, etc. For example, yesterday, he told us how his dad, who’d been drinking one and a half bottle of whiskey every day and smoked constantly, died of cancer recently 6 years ago.
How both his dad and his mum (the latter used to sell drugs. I’ve been helping her to set up her computer, she’s actually really nice!) used to beat him up with metal bars and such, just real hardcore stuff. How he took 8 grams (?) of charlie one night and went into hospital, where he nearly died of a heart attack. How he was expelled from school at the age of 12 for beating up his teachers. He reacts to any perceived threats with declarations of violence (“I’d beat him up…” and similar). It’s like a live version of Eastenders.
I don’t quite know how to deal with this guy. He’s completely a product of his cirumstances, though of course not entirely ‘innocent’. He’s genuinely nice, but I don’t like this harsh violence-inspired talk, with some use of inappropriate language (referring to an ex-girlfriend as ‘cunt’). This hard man, geezer thing. Quite off-putting. The other thing is, he no longer takes drugs (quite understandably, as he nearly died of them); instead, he drinks. A lot. Of. Lager.
At the age of 21, he’s looking seriously bloated. His face and body look unhealthy, knackered (he looks about 10 years older!). Not ‘fat’ as such yet, but getting there. He’s an alcoholic (though he claims that he isn’t – but I’ve seen it all before, with an ex-BF or rather, ‘affair’ of mine. Irish guy, back in Cologne. Similar attitude to drinking, addicted to drinking A LOT OF BEER on an everyday basis).
So, what am I meant to do, in terms of friendship? I think I don’t want him around here too much, maybe just once a week in the evenings at the *most*. I don’t have any prejudices towards any lifestyles (apart from right-wing…they can all go to hell! No tolerance there), but I am quite conscious that I do not want to be drawn into ‘these circles’ too much.
Still, I’m going over there later this afternoon and help his mum fix their computer (they got on the Internet yesterday, and already the geezer has fucked it up and got loads of porn pop-ups. Annoying, seeing that he has a 12-year-old or so sister who also uses the same computer).
Cultural representation of geezers within British music: The Streets (Mike Skinner – fit and he knows it 😛 ):
How to be Happy 