Patrick moved to a small town in the USA and one night he went to the local bar and ordered three drinks at once, and after drinking them he left. Over the next week he went to the bar several times and each time he ordered three drinks and after drinking them he left. The other customers were curious why he always ordered just three drinks, so the next time he came in one of them asked him, and he said that he had two brothers, Sean in Ireland and Hugh who was in Australia and as they were very close he liked to remember them each with a drink. Well, that's great the other customers said, they must be very close those brothers. Some days later Patrick was in the bar again but he only ordered two drinks, a buzz went around the other customers, and whispered talk "one of Patrick's brothers must have died", and eventually a customer approached Patrick to offer his condolences on the death of his brother, but Patrick said his brothers were both alive and in good health. Well why did you only order two drinks then said the customer, "Oh that, my brother Sean has given up the drink for lent" Michael Woodwards Leighton Buzzard