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

Do US phone cords exhibit the same unruly tendencies ?

Uh-oh, I'm about to jump in about 20 different things, but to qualify myself I *have* read *ALL* the postings since my bookmark 2 days ago.

Forgive me, but the need to contribute, and all that...

Flats *are* flat bits of scenery, but apparently (*dislodges information from trivia-addled brain*) a thespian term for someone who is selfcongratulatory is a "flatslapper" coming from someone who would leave the stage and slap the flat to start off the applause.

(as opposed to fat slapper, which is something else entirely)

WG: I seem to call people "darling", but in an effort to not be so camp, sometimes call my women friends "mate"...it's "dear" that gets me...

Also I have an Uncle Bob, but thought his counterpart was Aunt Fanny as in "Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt"... though Bob's wife was Julie...

And another thing...I spent three years in Houston (pronounced Hew-ston, you're right). Someone the other day thought I said Euston, and looked quite horrified...

Finally...KUNDIT? Have I been pronouncing conduit wrongly all these years... kon-dew-it...

Phew, thanks.

A

Afrael, you are right. 'Kun-dit' must be for the tongue-tied.

And I don't want to stir up a controversy (), but controversy is pronounced controversy, not controversy.

Work that one out.

I've worked it out and I think we all agree with you.

Brits are _supposed_ to say kundit, Yanks kondooit.
Not wishing to be controversial at all, but my pronunciation (which we do all know is correct Standard English, don't we? If not, scroll back about 500 posts. There, that's got rid of the dissenters.)starts with the rude word in Scunthorpe.

*HOW* rude!

A

What is a controversy before it gets all stirred up, when it's just simmering gently ?
I had fish & chips last night (after having had a pizza at lunchtime, naughty me). I don't like the Great British Fish, i.e. Cod, so I always have Rock. But I'm not entirely sure what Rock is - I'm sure there isn't a Rock Fish, and we certainly didn't have a war over it. Some distant memory says it has been called rock salmon, but I'm pretty sure it isn't salmon (wrong colour, too cheap). Is there an American equivalent to battered fish ?
Also, why can't I ever find Rock at seaside fish'n'chip shops ?

Because Seaside Rock has the name of the town running through it. This is hard to achieve with fish, as the soft tissue does not hold the food colouring well.

Rock (salmon) is, I am afraid to tell you, dogfish. (The fear comes from being obliged to used the prefix - a word banned in this forum) It is a small shark that lives mainly inshore.

Maybe it was my Texan upbringing...

I remember getting "squirrel" wrong in a syllable test and my very English mother accosting someone on the street:

Mum: (very English) Excuse me, the animal with long, bushy tail, how many syllables?

Young man: Squirl, ma'am? One...

Also the "aloominum" issue was a little contested in *our* household...

is what rock salmon is. In the same way as calf is called veal when you eat it dogfish is called rock (salmon).
Sorry, I can't answer your distribution problems or even the culinary ones on this thread. Demarcation(or what used to be called Spanish practices) you know. I claim to know it all on British English only

Sorry? Spanish practices?

*looks blank and feels like he should know..*

Paricularly in Fleet Street, as was. Dodges, ducking and diving by labour force to ensure maximum payment for minimum work. E.g. false signing in of mythical workers (D. Duck, W Churchill) Holding up production because a fully qualified electrician needed to change fuse etc. The power of the Unions, pre:Murdoch, was such that the management were unable to censure.

And another thing:

"If not duffers won't drown" is part of a Swallows and Amazons quote. What was the rest of it? (Genuine question, memory failure)

Talking of electricians, the correct British pronunciation is surely kondwit. From the French, conduire, to drive.

Haddock is much nice than cod in batter. And flatter!

Enough chatter!

See yawl Monday!

Or in my case on Tuesday, as Monday is a bang collar day here in Ireland

Am breathless from reading backlog. Made the usual batch of mental notes and forgot them. One that stuck though: caught Dunc out (Posting 1547) using an apostrophe in it's.

Rotten nitpicker, aren't I? Happy W/E

BTW - I pronounce it controversy. I have heard both prons probably about 50/50 - perhaps one should agree to differ in this case?

I also can't get out of the habit of pronouncing lieutenant "lootenant" the American way and ditto "Schedule" with a "k" sound. This was because my Dad always said it - he claims it was the Royal Naval pronunciation and he was in the Navy in the war and that period of his life seemed to make a great impression on him

Hey, woah, woah, and indeed... wooaahhhh - what's wrong with Milton Keynes??? (or do I need to start a new conversation on that one) I'm here, just having been to a very pleasant pub and admired the ability to walk through the main central district without fear of getting robbed, mugged or worse! Okay, it may be lacking in history, or roots, or a decent public transport system (as the rest of the UK), and yes, in the era of environmental concern, it is a city built for the car.... but apart from that it's quite nice!

(Apols for sticking this in on British English)

one for the topic - why is judgement spelled judgment when used as a term in law courts?

I wish to be exempted from any mass revenge planned by the MQ's. The original comment was a hymn of praise to the kerbs and gutters of that fair city.

1. any of the various fishes found around rocks.2. the striped bass,roccus saxatilis.3.any of the north pacific marine fishes of the genus sebastodes 4.any other fish of the family scorpaenidae. ok how about kicthen zinc as opposed to kicthen sink.