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

And of course in post 337 I meant present perfect, not past perfect.

Noggin

Traveller in Time calling ogue
"Glad dialogue is not derived from Dialing . "

So dialogue is not a conversation between two people. Why is a monologue a conversation between one person?

How can you have a conversation between one person/

I think the equivalent would be duologue, not dialogue.

RF

My mistake. Let me rectify that to:

bicycle, dilemma

(Completely at a loss) bicycle (no capitalisation), dilemma?

(twigs on)

Ah! rhubarb psychology

Even I didn't get that one!
BIcycle (2 cycle) DIlemma (2 questions?)
And thanks for explaining, Noggin.

I can't remember the programme, but I recently heard somebody say something like, "He wanted £15 for it, but I managed to barter him down to £10". It's not the first time I've heard people say 'barter' when they mean haggle or bargain. It's as if people don't know the maning of 'barter', or have never heard of haggling or bargaining for something.

Unless it was Brussells bartering with the Chancellor of the Exchequer...

"OK... final offer... €1 for £10... and it's your job to make sure no-one sees the strings waving Blair's hands"

Here's a couple which really tick me off.

First - (which may have appeared previously) the term "PIN number". PIN stands for Personal Identification Number. So personal identification number number is just plain nonsense.

Second - "previous convictions". This term is used to describe a person's convictions, but all convictions are previous. You couldn't list a person's future convictions.

Also previous history. See above.

PP

PIN number really gets my goat, especially when someone I'd previously respected says it.

I live in London and avoid businesses that think their telephone number is 0207 *** ****. It's not. It's 020 7*** ****. I see this in the same way as the Van Halen 'brown M&M' test - it might seem trivial but, if you can't even get your own 'phone number right, how can I trust you with anything else?

"the Van Halen 'brown M&M' test"

I'd never heard of that before. A big thanks to Roymondo and Google for enriching my life and adding to my knowledge!

http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/vanhalen.htm

TRiG.

Thanks for link TRiG. I was always under the impression that the brown M&M thing was rockstar egotism until I read DLR's 'auto' biography.

BTW, DLR's 'auto'biography is a damned fine read, but not a patch on Aerosmiths'!

Oh, for an edit button:

The whole 'brown M&M' thing seemed like Spinal Tap's Nigel Tuffnel maoning about the olives ('in here there's a little guy, and in here, look, nothing!) until I read the explanation.

Saw a roadsign today that read

ADVANCED WARNING


That's not right, surely...

No, I wouldn't have thought so.

Well, perhaps they mean to alert everyone that the warning sign has been moved a bit closer, so watch out.

<>

Ah, what New Scientist jokingly call RAS Syndrome, or Redundant Acronym Syndrome. The one that "gets up my goat" as Kath'n'Kim (Aussie TV) say, is "ATM Machine"...

No way! Someone came up with a syndrome syndrome for this? I love it!

For satellite positioning here in the US, we have CORS stations (continuously operating reference stations) - somewhat y but no less annoying.

The Feedback section of New Scientist is a goldmine of such things... My favourite part of the magazine.