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

If you think you haven't seen JWF's film, you probably have.
It translates into English as "Whisky Galore!" (Compton MacKenzie).

Further up the North East coast, you may remember, such frets are called "haars", but don't fret(worry excessively) about that as we can't have you fretting (wearing away) too many brain cells You might consider decorating your cornice with frets, which you could perhaps cut with a fretsaw if that wouldn't make you too fretful (peevish) Not quite sure how guitar frets fit in here, but doubtless someone else will come up with something to add to the fretwork.

Apologies for skipping back - but I've cast my star at last - Kristin Scott Thomas - right combination of Englishness (of course) glamour (but with that essential girl-next-door element), and her age is about right too.

Saw her Friday night in Random Hearts playing opposite Harrison Ford

Thinks:- who is Harrison Ford playing in our movie ?

jwf, Its the Stone of Destiny, or possibly the Lia Fail (can't remember the spelling, but I do know there is a very informative article about it on Hootoo somewhere, written by some devilishly clever chap ). If any one continues with that Stone of Scone nonsense I may have to bop them one. It frets me.

Munchkin - as you've mentioned 'scone', can you tell me how *you* pronounce it ?

I think we covered scone before. There are three ways of pronouncing it:

1. Scone, the town in Scotland, rhymes with spoon.
2. In the northern half of GB and Ireland, scone rhymes with gone and shone.
3. In the souther half of GB and Ireland, scone rhymes with cone and stone.

Congrats to Kaeori! Her cappuccino articles appears on the front page today.

*swoon*

Thanks for letting me know, Gnomon. Better watch out - at this rate I'll catch up with your large number of articles in only 54 years!

Aren't they nice, now h2g2 has a real cappuccino pic. Please excuse me while I go off to try and grab it for my home space.

I'll be a one and two man on those definitions then. Must go and read that cappucino article now.

I have a niggling feeling that fret is somehow related to ferret. If only because the German for ferret is "Fretchen"

Sorry, fret is nearer "fressen" The AngloSaxon was 'fretan' = to gnaw. Ferret is connected with middle Latin for thief. I'm sorry I missed seeing the filing article in time to congratulate you on such good fettle and I'm sure the gnashers are very fetching

Gnomon

I originate from the deep south west of England and the scones have always been pronounced as in 2, I thought 3 was just an upper class affliction as per Hyacinth Bucket

Curious ..that "Whiskey Galore" was changed to 'Tight Little Island' for North American release ..but it was back in the B&W fifties or pre-assassination sixties so the post Prohibition anti-liquor hypocrisy was still rampant in agencies like the Film Censorship boards. There was a book originally I thought...

Fret on a guitar always meant 'to interrupt, to worry, to impede' in my subconcious ear. But now that I am thinking about it (Thank you all for this wonderful thread!) I see that 'gnawing' is the source and so 'tooth' is probably the connection, 'taking a bite' on the strings length. Good to see W in a 'fet(e)' mood.
peace
~jwf~

Hi, Gnomon:

As far as I can tell, "scone" is pronounced like "cone" and "stone"
here in the USA, though I can't vouch for my brethren outside
the Northeast.

Did they really change the name of Whisky Galore for North American release? How very strange! (Note there is no e in whisky when you're talking about the Scottish stuff.)

As for scones, Gnomon's No.2 is in accord with what my mother used to make but when talking of the Stone of Scone no.1 would be appropriate.

native Scot in Canada -176645

Happy Xanadu Day!

Actually I'd say 'malt' when bothering to talk about Scots' wisky, altho when young and foolish I'd been known to bother with Johnny Walker. Mostly I'd rather talk about Wild Turkey 101 - the NSLC has finally brought it in (at my request) and sold 25 cases since crimbo. I used to depend on friends and relatives travelling to the States to keep me supplied.
So ..you're with the Scottish Mafia then..?


~jwf~

Happy Xanadu - did you have fireworks?

I haven't known the joy of Wild Turkey - the NSLC in this neck of the woods is not very adventurous.

No not the Scottish Mafia, just the OSWC (Oganisation to Spell Whisky Correctly).

176645

A personal goodbye to all the regulars of this thread: I'm leaving the site, probably forever.
I explained why in my personal space, so I'm not going to repeat it here.
Take care everybody.

Whisky Galore the highly stereotypical film is based on a book which is based on the true events of the SS Politician, which ran aground somewhere in the Hebrides. A few years ago you could still get some of the bottles, at auction.
Johnnie Walker, blended in Kilmarnock, between the train station and the pig factory, which is presumably where its famous taste comes from.

Munchkin, my parents live outside Kilmarnock, now off to read why yet more people are laving

[1] To wash; bathe.
[2] To lap or wash against.
[3] To refresh or soothe as if by washing: “The quiet and the cool laved her”

My _ k_y app_ars to hav_ stuck. Both_r