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

Bels,

"'The majority of the content on h2g2 is generated by h2g2's researchers...'. "

Congratulations on your successes in moderating the PTB. (That is, of course, one congratulation per success.)

Thank you. It was not long after I joined h2g2. I thought I would just get a polite brush-off from someone several months later, but Mark Moxon himself replied very quickly and very positively, and the change of wording itself was implemented very rapidly. I was enormously impressed, and still am. When that happened, this site and the people who run it rocketed in my estimation. They're still up there.

Sorry to butt in, but I'm trying to get to the end thread of the "British English" thread and it keep sbringing me here - so I'm posting something to see if that clears the problem...carry on...

Wow - it actually did post to the "British English" thread...how

Did we ever find out what a Hills hoist was? Wishing to refer to Dunx being hoist on his own petard I remembered that question. I have a fancy for reintroducing the obsolete verb "hoise" - hence the title

Is this the longest thread in the h2g2 community

No. THe "Questions Only" thread is at 22,484 postings at present.

Holy Moly

I can't think of a phrase with Duncan in it - I think the nearest would be "Fancy Dan". There's Gordon Bennet who was a (sur)real person, and "Bob's your uncle"...others?

A phrase with Duncan in it ... Duncan Donuts

And, of course, for those Brits of the correct age, Duncan Dares! From Blue Peter no less

I knew there was a reason that this area of my brain was blanked

...these shoes aren't half giving me gyp.

My other half informs me that "gyp" is not a common usage - any idea of origins?

Am familiar with the term, but origin - no idea!

Probably something racial to do with gypsies being a pain in the neck. Although I can't say they ever were. Not, of course, that we get many in Germany, (were extinguished in the Third Reich) Those that are around are usually musicians, and jolly good ones, too.

Zigeuner, Zigeuner! No, it's nothing to do with them. It's either from 'gee up' (command to a horse) or meaning 'to scold'.

Gyp also has a special meaning unique to Cambridge University, originally referred to a student's servant (in the days when they had them, of course) but now survives in the name of the little communal kitchen - the gyp room - which was all students used to get to do any cooking in. You could boil a kettle or an egg, and that was about it.

For people that think culture is found in yoghurt, Hills Hoists are an icon (as seen in the Opening (or was it closing?) ceremony at the Sydney Olympics)
http://www.nationaltrustsa.org.au/movable.htm#hills_hoist

After two days of brain-racking, I still haven't thought of many expressions using Christian names.

You do say "a right Charlie"

But apart from that, the expression "British English Fred" kept cropping up. Can't think why.

Why is the verb "to crop up" ... er.. why do we say that?

To Crop is to cut. The crop is the harvest (presumably because the corn is cut)

Adding that "up" makes me think that the other "crop" has far different and wildly obscure origins.

but we also say 'an outcrop', usually a rocky one.

spiff - not just any ol' Tom, Dick or Harry, but recently described as a Johnny-come-lately!

............ and "to come a-cropper"

or is it "to come a cropper"? "To come a cropper"?

Is it related to "Croupier"?

No - to falling off horses "neck and crop"