Got a Big Head?

The new UK top hit of Britney Spears had just started to boom in the dance floor at the Queen’s Court. Clifford, my partner, had finally managed to get attention at the bar.

“Oh my God, ah av’ to go.” I shouted. Clifford was already grinning at me because he knew I was dying to dance that song. But before I made a dash, I caught sight of the sign

Sign at the Bar of Queen's Court (Leeds)

I immediately remembered how odd those words were for me when I first read them. That’s because when I first read that sign, Clifford was in that right same spot, also ordering a stout. Naturally, he couldn’t hear me over the noisy background of Queen’s Court. So I pointed to the words BIG HEAD.

I knew that big-headed, as an adjective, is used to mean that someone thinks he or she is very important – it’s a synonym to arrogant, conceited. But big head didn’t make sense in that context.

Clifford, like usual, helped me.

“Oh… it’s the frothy foam on top of the beer. We call it HEAD.”

“Ah…” I read the sign again.

‘got a BIG head? If you think the head size on your beer is too large we will gladly top up your glass.’

“Is it a new use of HEAD?”

“No, no. It’s been around since I was seventeen.”

Well. Definitely not a new use of HEAD.

I lost myself in that memory, reminding how a word like HEAD can have its meaning bent to so many contexts. When I came to myself again I was in the dance floor completely in trance by the sound of Scream and Shout.

“…You are now rocking with will.I.am and Britney bitch…”