British slang question answered before I asked

[rsc]

I came across the following in a New Yorker article about the financial industry. Quoting a former manager at an investment firm: "I realized we were acting rationally and optimally...The clients were acting rationally and optimally. And the outcome was a complete Horlicks."

A complete what? I recognized "Horlicks" as a British brand name, and the context made it clear that the result in question was a mess, but I couldn't see how to get from one to the other. I was going to ask my online communities, but it turns out that Wikipedia explains all as usual.

Comments

[maxauburn.livejournal.com]

I dunno.. I prefer the term " bollocks".. it's been around a long time, and I'm used to it! :)

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

well there's also "it's all gone pear-shaped" meaning much the same, "it's a mess".

or a somewhat dated one now - Harpic was a brand of toilet bowl cleaner. If someone was crazy, he might be described as "he's gone Harpic", an allusion to the advertising slogan "clean round the bend!"