amusements, words

This & That

Something else which occurred to me while ill was the prevalence of (mostly noun; sometimes verb) combinations of the form “this and that“. When I started writing them down I realised there are dozens in daily use which we never think about; they’ve just become a part of the language as if they were simple nouns.

Here is an example for each letter of the alphabet.

Alpha & omega
Bacon & egg
Cat & mouse
Dog & bone
Elephant & Castle
Fish & chips
Gin & tonic
Hither & yon
Ice & lemon
Jack & Jill
Knife & fork
Law & order
Mutt & Jeff
Nip & tuck
Oil & vinegar
Pick & mix
Quality & substance
Rock & roll
Sixes & sevens
Time & tide
Uncle & aunt
Venus & Mars
Wear & tear
X & Y
Young & old
Zig & zag

I got a list of 134 without trying too hard. How many can you think of? Can you beat me?

ramblings

Rugby League

During October, while I’ve been ill, I’ve been watching some of the Rugby League World Cup on TV.

I cannot understand the game or its attraction.

Think upon it thus-wise …

  • It’s a game with effectively no competition and no invention.
  • The only tactic seems to be to get the ball and run straight at the nearest three opponents, so they can throw you to the ground.
  • The set plays are all uncontested: the play-the-ball, the scrums, the restart from the ball in touch – you know the outcome in advance.
  • The scrums, as they are defined as uncontested, are pointless – you might as well just give someone the ball and say “Go”.
  • Meaningful penalties are almost non-existent; the vast majority of penalties are effectively no different to the play-the-ball.
  • The opposition only get the ball when you make an error, not by competing for it.
  • Players (and referees) are unable to play without a continual supply of water, with extraneous bodies wandering on and off the pitch to fulfil this need.
  • The referee spends half the time running backwards.
  • Referees seem unable to make decisions – so many of the decisions, especially tries, are referred to the video referee for a decision.

The game is totally sterile and pointless.

And then they try playing it in wheelchairs!

Compare with Rugby Union, where the scrums and line-outs are properly contested; penalties mean something; the tackled player-with-ball sets up ruck and maul which become a contest for the ball; and much more invention in passing and kicking flows from this.

I just cannot see why Rugby League even exists, let alone why anyone would want to play it.

memes, words

Ten Things: November

2 Comments

This year our Ten Things each month are words with particular endings. Clearly this won’t be all the words with the nominated ending, but a selection of the more interesting and/or unusual.

Ten Words ending with -bus

  1. circumbendibus
  2. omnibus
  3. cumulonimbus
  4. trolleybus
  5. harquebus
  6. syllabus
  7. rhombus
  8. rebus
  9. nimbus
  10. incubus

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to write a story in at most three sentences using all these words correctly. Post your attempt in the comments before the end of the month and there’s an e-drink for anyone who I consider succeeds.

amusements

Surrealist Alphabet

While being ill I fell to thinking about what Wikipedia calls a Cockney Alphabet:

The Cockney Alphabet is a recital of the English alphabet intended to parody the way the alphabet is taught to small working class children. The ostensible humour comes from forming unexpected words and phrases from the names of the various letters of the alphabet, mocking the way people from East London speak. Cockney is a name given to the working class of East London by the middle and upper classes.

[Note the erroneous definition of Cockney.]

One version (maybe the original?) was recorded in 1936 by comedy duo Clapham & Dwyer, but under the title A Surrealist Alphabet. Their version is reproduced in the Wikipedia entry. As Wikipedia also notes, there are many variants. Here are my preferred variants.

A for ‘orses
B for mutton
C for yourself
D for Kate
E for brick
F for vescence
G for police
H be for beauty
I for Novello
J for oranges
K for teria
L for leather
M for sis
N for lope
O for a pee
P for relief
Q for a bus
R for Askey
S for you
T for two
U for mism
V for la France
W for a bob
X for breakfast
Y for husband
Z for breezes

As always, YMMV.

amusements, medical

November Quiz Questions

This year we’re beginning each month with five pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month. They’re not difficult, but it is unlikely everyone will know all the answers, so hopefully you’ll learn something new, as well as have a bit of fun.

November Quiz Questions: Medical

  1. What is the name of the light sensitive panel of cells at the back of the eye?
  2. By what name is Hansen’s Disease more commonly known?
  3. In humans, the atlas and axis bones are found in which part of the body?
  4. The hormone prolactin stimulates the production of what after childbirth?
  5. Which blood type is considered the universal donor?

Answers will be posted in 3 weeks time.

personal

Unblogged October

Well folks, apologies for the radio silence but most of October has been a complete write-off due to a rather nasty cellulitis infection in both feet and ankles. Not just a bacterial infection making one feel really yeuchy, but so incredibly painful that for several days I couldn’t stand without serious assistance.

Sat 1 I wonder what horrors this month will bring? Last month we had: been ill (twice); death of the Queen; 2 PMs the latest having less clue (or care) than the previous; and a Chancellor the same; mini-budget which wrecked everything except a handout to the richest; £ fell to $1.03; another interest rate rise; promises of fewer environmental controls.
Sun 2 Had horrid indigestion for last week. Feeling rough; totally flattened and unable. Frightened, panicky & depressed – some of the worst I’ve known. Call doctor tomorrow.
Mon 3 A day trying (again) to catch up and organise the junk on my desk; some success, tho’ not enough. But gradually feeling a bit better.
Tue 4 This is getting tedious; not at all a collection of odd and interesting snippets as I’d hoped. Depths of depression today, culminating in meltdown halfway though doing the grocery order: why am I even bothering; what’s the point; I won’t be here by then. I suggested N just put me down; which she declined on the basis that it’s illegal.
Wed 5 Finally a call-back from GP. She’s not very concerned; might just be a nasty viral infection (not Covid). But concerned enough that I’m on 2 week referral for endoscopy – just in case! Bugger, but wise.
Thu 6 Blimey! Talk about a quick response. Hospital called this morning to arrange appointment. And more … I was offered an appointment at o’God o’clock on Sunday morning. At least that’ll get it over with.
Fri 7 Blood taken by nurse at GP’s this morning. Also saw GP: have painful cellulitis in foot = antibiotics. Slept most of the afternoon.
Sat 8 Totally stressed and panicky about tomorrow. Cellulitis f***ing painful; cannot put weight on it without painkillers. Doesn’t bode well for tomorrow.
Sun 9 Full moon which I actually saw was no. 888 since I was born.
Mon 10
to
Wed 26		 And then everything was a write-off. As my GP expressed it, I was quite poorly with the cellulitis in both feet and ankles. Unbelievably painful even with strong painkillers and strong antibiotics. Lucky not to be hospitalised with it; largely due to calm, pragmatic and determined GP.
Thu 27 Finally beginning to surface. Feet still painful, but a lot less so; have to stop every hour or so for a lie down as that’s the most comfortable for the feet. Can walk about home, but not stand for any length of time. Now on third course of antibiotics, and still on the painkillers.
Fri 28 A day feeling dopey. Check-in with GP who is pleased with progress. Still trying to catch-up and build my new big laptop (got fed up with struggling with the old small one which won’t take Windows 11).
Sat 29 Good grief! It isn’t even November and already the BBC are making all their presenters wear a poppy. Gah!
Sun 30 Arrggghhhh!! Yet again we have to bugger around changing the clocks. It really winds me up! We should stay on GMT – it’s our heritage innit! Or at least decide what time zone we want to be in, stay there, and stop wasting time changing everything twice a year. Gah!
Mon 31 It’s the end of October, and still almost every tree is in full green leaf. A few species are already bare, and some are starting to turn autumnal; but many still look as if it is high summer.
amusements, history

October Quiz Answers

OK, so here are the answers to this month’s quiz questions. All should be able to be easily verified online.

October Quiz Questions: American History

  1. Which Native American princess is buried in Kent? Pocahontas; at Gravesend
  2. How many World War II casualties were there on US soil? Six; in 1945 a Japanese balloon bomb landed in Oregon killing a woman and five children
  3. Which nation in 1886 gave the Statue of Liberty to the USA? France
  4. Who, in 1825, became number 6? John Quincy Adams, 6th President of USA
  5. Where, in 1773, was there a famous tea party? Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2021.

memes, words

Ten Things: October

This year our Ten Things each month are words with particular endings. Clearly this won’t be all the words with the nominated ending, but a selection of the more interesting and/or unusual.

Ten Words ending with -lum

  1. baculum
  2. speculum
  3. antebellum
  4. curriculum
  5. reticulum
  6. pendulum
  7. tantalum
  8. frenulum
  9. hoodlum
  10. phylum

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to write a story in at most three sentences using all these words correctly. Post your attempt in the comments before the end of the month and there’s an e-drink for anyone who I consider succeeds.