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

I'm sure there is, but I can't think of it currently, either. Oh, yes, I think it's the Partylöwe.

Oh, a party lion. A dandy lion...what fun.

Oh, here's a horribly useless factoid for you: do you know how come the 18th-Century dandies with the ridiculous wigs were called 'macaronis'?

Did they come from Italy?

In a way. Back then, there was the 'Grand Tour' for rich young men. Which included Italy.

They would come back to England, join a club, and claim they oculdn't live without macaroni.

So the restaurants served it just for them.

Anything they did for fashion was now called 'macaroni'.

Which is why Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it...

Hey, I just put that line into google and look what it came up with: A2125414

Btw, there's a derogatory term in German, containing the word macaroni and the word 'Fresser' (glutton?). Same goes for frogs. I guess you can imagine who that's addressed at.

I can, indeed.

That article is great. Except for saying that Yankee was the Dutch mispronunciation of English.

This is a controversial point. Some people say that 'Yankee' was an Algonquian word, or some such.

We're stuck with it, wherever it came from.

But it is wrong to call people like me 'Yankees'. That is considered an insult. Like Macaronifresser...

Only people from north of the Mason-Dixon line should be called 'Yankees'.

Remind me, what were the Southerners called? Confederates?

Yes. The insult term is Rebs, for Rebels - but we don't mind.

Johnny Reb and Billy Yank...

The Civil War can be called the War Between the States, the War of Northern Aggression (joke), or The Late Unpleasantness.

The Late Unpleasantness.

Imagine a lady in a picture hat saying that.

Sorry, I'm in an out today, because I am home with the stomach 'flu.

I think that would be 'unpässlich sein' in German - a handy excuse if you don't want to do what is expected from you.

Btw, would you mind if I added you to my friends list? (I know, it's an awkward question, generally followed by: not at all, out of politeness, so if you mind, or are indifferent, please say so, I won't take offence).

Yes, I can imagine this lady saying that.

Oh, I'm happy if people put me on the friends list, although all it really means is that if I write in my journal, you get the spam.

I don't write in there very often, so you are pretty safe.

Although I feel I should warn you, it's usually a poem.

Oh, I've read a few of your journals but would have felt like an intruder posting to them.

I like poems, although I can't claim I always understand them (or even often).

This has been said about my poetry since the dawn of time (the not-understanding part).

You are welcome to post on my journal anytime, lady.

I have to go get ready for work now, although I'm feeling shaky from being ill yesterday.

Have a good evening!

Sorry to hear you were ill. Hope you'll be OK at work.

Bye, talk tomorrow, I hope. (Oh, and we've jumped to no #7. If we go on like this, we'll be no #1 within three days. )

We're such chatterboxes.

Thanks. I'm at work right now, and it's okay, except for the fact that they bought us pizza, which I can't eat. So, to be nice, they bought me fried potatoes...

Which turned out to have breading on them.

Oh, well. I shouldn't eat much today, anyway.

Hello dmitri.

I hope you're much better today.

Fried potatoes with bread (crumbs) on them?

Btw, I read 'breeding on them' at first and wondered what was 'living' on them.

That would be the living end...something breeding on the potatoes.

It's bad enough that these 'flavourings' have wheat in them. I actually had to ask somebody to check the packaging...dumb.

It must be difficult if you can't eat everything. I know a bit about diets, as giving advice and searching for products is what I do at work. (I work in a health-food-shop). I'm glad I don't have any dietary restrictions, I know I'd have trouble getting used to the taste of the products I sell.