h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I did know that it was from sedere (the gerund, I believe). I speak Latin like a native.

Actually...I learnt Latin in school. While nowadays I'd be absolutely hopeless with it, over the years I've certainly got more use out of it than my French and German, both of which I far more competent in.

>>I speak Latin like a native<< ... of where?

(gerund my foot - that's sedendi)

>>... of where?

Precisely!

And it's hardly likely that I would have been born in The Vatican City.

Well, you don't call yourself Pan Paniscus Praestes Nebularum, but then I don't believe half the names here are original

At least I admit as much on my PS. My other online name is Shania .

That don't impress me much

Anyway, hello again,

I'm struggling with what part of Latin 'sederunt' would be. Is -unt a variant of the present participle -ant? I never had any Latin lessons, I just taught myself the stuff I needed to know, some of which it seems I'm forgetting. Like when I almost had to look up the ablative of 'bucca' in the title.

Anyway, time for a silly question, which someone asked me the other day. If a vending machine starts doling stuff out for free, is it still a vending machine?

He can't tell his gerund from his ablative, that man.

I'm not sure. But when there was a fire at a Glasgow bus depot, they had to get some 2nd hand replacements pretty quick. Some had separate entrance and exit doors, which we don't use here. Signs were placed over the doors saying - shades of Magritte - "This is not a door."

HastaHastaHastamHastaeHastaeHastaHastaeHastaeHastasHastarumHastisHastis la vista, baby!

>> ...(any bets om how long this posting survives?)... <<<

As I am likely the only Canadian still posting to this thread I probably should complain. We have far too many warm furry critters in the woods to ever have need of barrels.

My understanding of said joke was that it occurred aboard one (or more likely many) of the ships of the Royal Navy.

Of course now that I've dragged Royalty into it someone will no doubt feel obliged to report us all.

~jwf~

What does "invigilator"mean?

I was wondering if that might have been the original context, but I first heard it from a guy from Liverpool. (The other Liverpool. The one near Halifax. The other Halifax).

Of course, as George Melly revealed in his first volume of autobiography, in the RN it was all 'Rum, Bum and Concertina'.

>>What does "invigilator"mean?

It's the person who stops you using a dictionary during an exam.

seriously . . .

Edward seems to be right: "invigilator - someone who watches examination candidates to prevent cheating" (from www.thefreedictionary.com)

So that's a word I learned today.

Y.

So what would a "proctor" be?

I didn't mean to mock. But I like my definition better.

netnet.org suggests that a proctor is, indeed, an invigilator.

Y.

Oh, and then, of course, there is Proctor, MN, USA... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proctor,_MN

Y.

It's from the same root as 'proctologist', presumably.

Hmm. It seems to be the same thing in the dictionary. But in British universities, I gather it's some sort of senior administrator. Some institutions like to go in for all these obscure traditional words.

Perhaps the invigilator's duties begin and end in the exam hall, wheras the proctor supervises the whole exam and degree-granting process?

Then, Scottish universities have Rectors. This is a notable person, elected by the student body to represent their interests to the university senate. Often its a public figure - a TV celeb or even a joke figure - but many of them end up getting really into it and doing a good job.

'Your turn in the barrel' was/is in use in the RN as an alternative to "Go find the golden rivet" (which every RN vessel has).

Also, it was 'Rum, Bum & Baccy' in MY day.