leonardcohenforum.com

I've been wondering for a long time what does the phrase "Did you ever go clear" mean.
Any ideas?

I read somewhere in the forum that it is a scientology reference.
Do a search in the forum and see what comes up.
All the best

Welcome to the Forum, Yoav ! Yes, we had quite a bit of discussion, as I'm recalling, about what the meaning of that phrase might be. Either someone will kindly bring the thread forward for you; you may go with Kieron's suggestion; or you may be able to locate it by searching the threads for that phrase or the song's title. It could be anywhere, but hopefully it would be in the Leonard Cohen's Music section, or Comments and Questions section. Happy Hunting, or mayhaps you'll be rescued .

~ Lizzytysh

AAAAARRRRUUUGH yoav,

I too, remember this discussion. A member, Chuckles the Clown, wrote about "Go Clear". I have copied it for you.

"go clear" ----

From the official scientology and dianetics glossary:

"Clear: the name of a state achieved through auditing or an indiviual who has achieved this state. A Clear is a being who no longer has his own reactive mind. A Clear is an unaberrated person and is rational in that he forms the best possible solutions he can on the data he has and from his viewpoint. The Clear has no engrams which can be restimulated to throw out the correctness of computation by entering hidden and false data."

Leonard flirted with the Scientology cult in the late 1960's in New York City. Leonard's association with Ron Hubbard's dianetics is mentioned on page 211 in the biography "Prophet of the Heart".

No one posting on this board has gone clear. We love hidden and false data too much. We are full of engrams.


Godzilla

I tried to copy this using the "quote" button but did not succeed. What did I do incorrectly?

Hi Godzilla ~

Great to see you!

What I finally figured out about the Quote option is that it's the same as the others. You type out, or copy-and-paste, your quote, just as you normally would. Then, you highlight all of it, the same as anything you want to put in Bold or Italics or Underlined. Then, after it's highlighted, you just click on the Quote button. It does the rest, by putting a quote 'symbol' at the beginning, and an end-quote 'symbol' at the end. When you click on Submit, it automatically separates out from the rest of the text and into a white box.

~ Lizzytysh

AAAARRRRRUGH Lizzytysh,

Thank you Lizzytysh. I will follow your instructions in the future. Happy New Year to you in America.

Thank you, Godzilla ~ And the same to you, Happy New Year, in Japan !

lizzytysh wrote:Hi Godzilla ~

Great to see you!

What I finally figured out about the Quote option is that it's the same as the others. You type out, or copy-and-paste, your quote, just as you normally would. Then, you highlight all of it, the same as anything you want to put in Bold or Italics or Underlined. Then, after it's highlighted, you just click on the Quote button. It does the rest, by putting a quote 'symbol' at the beginning, and an end-quote 'symbol' at the end. When you click on Submit, it automatically separates out from the rest of the text and into a white box.

~ Lizzytysh

Thanks Elizabeth. I too have laboured. Now I know how to do it I have the problem of remembering how to do it.

Bye the way, I have been meaning to say (now I have remembered) that I honour your use of 'honour' in your postings. Is that your usual spelling or are you displaying a politeness, which is much appreciated over here?

Regards. Byron.

Hi Byron ~

I felt like such a dolt when I realized how simple the "Quote" function really is ! I'm confident you'll remember it now, but just in case, you could always print this page and keep it handy .

The spelling of "God" became "G~d" for me, after encountering the middle letter being omitted, in various postings on this Forum and on the Sony Board. I found out why it is done and agree with it. Something I learned here.

The adding of the "u" in words that here have only the "o" is also something I encountered and learned here. It looks softer and more genteel and warm; and, in my mind, sounds it, too......even though, pronounced out, it no doubt sounds the same, to others. It seems to me that "honour" has more substance, meaning, and beauty than merely "honor." If the shortened spelling is something that the 'New World' did, then I think we ought to return to the "Olde Worlde" manner of spelling. It appeared to be a European [and possibly Canadian, too] tradition and one whose visuals I really like.

Now, when I refer to an ex-neighbor, whom I don't like, I use that spelling. When I refer to my other neighbours, whom I do like, I spell it that way.

It's really nice to know that it's something you actually noticed and appreciate ! The words look much more appealing to me with the "u" spelling.

~ Lizzy

Thanks Elizabeth. Did you know that 'maybe' was used in Elizabethan times by my forefathers. However, 'maybe' vanished from usual English usage for a couple of hundred years and was not seen at all until 3 or 4 decades ago. It was taken across the Atlantic by the Pilgrim Fathers etc., and was in common usage in the americas for all this time. It started to be used again over here, when 'maybe' appeared from the mouths of actors who performed for the films in Hollywood, as the film industry began to develop. Such is the power of mass entertainment. It can alter and change language and its usage.
Regards from Byron.

No, I wasn't aware of that at all, Byron. Interesting. Such a handy word, too. We use it frequently here. Honour is so much more charming than honor, don't you think? Maybe, maybe not .

~ Elizabeth

Byron

I can't believe that you had 4 fathers - How many mothers did you have?

JTS (I thoght I was greedy by having a dad and a step dad (2) and also having a mum and 2 step mums (3) but that only totals 5 and Byron has reached that many with the minimum number of maternal relstions!!)

Ah JTS, litttle do yea know. We be related we be. I had a choice of fathers at Christmas time when it do come round each year. Some years it was the Royal Welsh Fussiliers, and t'other years it be the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, and then on some years it be the Irish Rangers, but my mothers were all terrible troubles for a young whelp like me. I ad the Mother of all 'eadaches, and the mother of all battles, and the mother and father of social workers, but my favourite mother of all was my old mother of pearl. She were a real gem, she were.
Lets face it folks, if Johnny Depp can talk like that in 'Pirates of the Caribthingie,' then so can I.