 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsEnglish UsageBritish EnglishESL Teaching Learnglish.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2010Christmas Essentials
If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? DC -- > If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and > unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? I think I've seen Marmite (and McVitie's "Digestive Biscuits") in "World Market" stores. But what are Twiglets? Perce >> If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and >> unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Perce http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twiglets Twiglets are a wheat-based snack food shaped like small twigs, originating in the United Kingdom. Their main flavour comes from yeast extract, which often leads to them being claimed to taste like Marmite. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/2720933045_71dddc6bb9.jpg Comments by someone new to Twiglets: http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/08/no-chex-please-were-british.html  SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) > >> If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and > >> unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Perce > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twiglets The very brand and pack I have in front of me at this instant. > Twiglets are a wheat-based snack food shaped like small twigs, > originating in the United Kingdom. Their main flavour comes from [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Comments by someone new to Twiglets: > http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/08/no-chex-please-were-british.html Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of those shops. They'll be telling us next that Americans don't have Mince Pies or Sausage Rolls for Christmas. DC -- >>>> If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and >>>> unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > They'll be telling us next that Americans don't have Mince Pies or > Sausage Rolls for Christmas. We don't have sausage rolls, but FIL must have pork pie for Christmas Day tea. He would not dream of making such a demand, of course, but his daughter (to whom I have been married these 25 years) knows that's what he likes. I have declared this to be a pointless exercise this year, as he is always over-replete and can't really eat any, so I will serve pork pie (Melton Mowbray of course) for Christmas Eve tea. SignatureDavid > Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of > those shops. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > DC When my mother moved to the US, she was directed to the baked goods section of the store when she asked where their Christmas crackers were. SignatureCheryl >> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >When my mother moved to the US, she was directed to the baked goods >section of the store when she asked where their Christmas crackers were. When I took some to the US (fifteen years ago -- they may have learnt better now) the US Customs guys who looked at my customs form similarly failed to associate "crackers" with "explosives". SignatureKaty Jennison spamtrap: remove the first two letters after the @ > >> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of > >> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > better now) the US Customs guys who looked at my customs form > similarly failed to associate "crackers" with "explosives". Based on my experience from 4 years ago, no, they haven't. And I was so tired (fortunately) from about 18 hours of travel that I failed to realise they didn't understand -- and they were looking at the things, as they'd opened my suitcase. Which was a good thing, as the clarification a more awake version of myself might have offered really wouldn't have helped things. A day or two later it dawned on me that we hadn't been speaking the same language at all and I had a little laugh at the idea that they must have imagined very tiny little bikkies, given the diameter of the crackers. So that worked out all right then. atb, Stephanie now in Brussels and not planning to travel this Xmas Wood Avens filted: >>When my mother moved to the US, she was directed to the baked goods >>section of the store when she asked where their Christmas crackers were. > >When I took some to the US (fifteen years ago -- they may have learnt >better now) the US Customs guys who looked at my customs form >similarly failed to associate "crackers" with "explosives". But woe betide the sojourner who innocently declares "bangers".... In re Twiglets: I've heard of them only because they formed the basis of a running joke on the British version of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"...r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? >Wood Avens filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >But woe betide the sojourner who innocently declares "bangers".... Would that shorten or lengthen his sojourn? SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk Steve Hayes filted: >>But woe betide the sojourner who innocently declares "bangers".... > >Would that shorten or lengthen his sojourn? Shorten it in range, lengthen it in duration....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? >Steve Hayes filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Shorten it in range, lengthen it in duration....r I thought of two possibilities -- the intended sojourn could be much shortened by instant deportation, or much lengthened by arrest and incarceration. Which is more likely to happen to someone who declares "bangers" (or "crackers", for that matter)? SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk > Wood Avens filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > But woe betide the sojourner who innocently declares "bangers".... I don't know about other countries, but you can get into deep trouble if you try to bring sausages into Australia. SignaturePeter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org For an e-mail address, see my web page. Peter Moylan filted: >> Wood Avens filted: >>> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >I don't know about other countries, but you can get into deep trouble if >you try to bring sausages into Australia. My mother sent some to my brother when he was serving in the First Gulf War...just had to check the labels first to make sure there were no pork products included....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? >> Wood Avens filted: >>> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >I don't know about other countries, but you can get into deep trouble if >you try to bring sausages into Australia. South Africa too. Foot and mouth and all that. And, a few years ago, mad cow disease. Plants, plant products, and anything produced by or related to bees are also suspect. SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk > Wood Avens filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > But woe betide the sojourner who innocently declares "bangers".... I don't think you can bring them in anyway. SignatureRoland Hutchinson He calls himself "the Garden State's leading violist da gamba," ... comparable to being ruler of an exceptionally small duchy. --Newark (NJ) Star Ledger ( http://tinyurl.com/RolandIsNJ ) >>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >better now) the US Customs guys who looked at my customs form >similarly failed to associate "crackers" with "explosives". "Explosives" reminds me of last night's episode of "Spooks", a popular spy series. The character who plays the androgynous spy is especially interesting, IMO. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > > Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of > > those shops. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > section of the store when she asked where their Christmas crackers > were. They don't have crackers????????????? How weird is that????????? Have these people no idea how to have a good time????????? DC -- > > > They'll be telling us next that Americans don't have Mince Pies or > > > Sausage Rolls for Christmas. > > They don't have crackers????????????? How weird is that????????? Have > these people no idea how to have a good time????????? One difference is that Americans like to wear ultra-cheap hats, indoors and out, any day of the year, not just paper crowns at Christmas dinner. SignatureDon Phillipson Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada) >> > > They'll be telling us next that Americans don't have Mince Pies or >> > > Sausage Rolls for Christmas. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >hats, indoors and out, any day of the year, not just paper >crowns at Christmas dinner. Which Americans? The tweed cap I bought in Ireland and my ersatz, fur-lined Russian army hat from LL Bean were expensive and well-made, to cover the two meanings of "cheap", as was the American cowboy hat I kept for awhile, just for kicks, that I bought in New Mexico. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE >>> > > They'll be telling us next that Americans don't have Mince Pies or >>> > > Sausage Rolls for Christmas. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > cover the two meanings of "cheap", as was the American cowboy hat I kept > for awhile, just for kicks, that I bought in New Mexico. Wot no tinfoil? SignatureRoland Hutchinson He calls himself "the Garden State's leading violist da gamba," ... comparable to being ruler of an exceptionally small duchy. --Newark (NJ) Star Ledger ( http://tinyurl.com/RolandIsNJ ) >>>> > > They'll be telling us next that Americans don't have Mince Pies or >>>> > > Sausage Rolls for Christmas. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >Wot no tinfoil? Bah, humbug. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > > When my mother moved to the US, she was directed to the baked goods > > section of the store when she asked where their Christmas crackers > > were. > > They don't have crackers????????????? How weird is that????????? Have > these people no idea how to have a good time????????? I saw some for sale last week at Target, so they're not entirely unheard of. SignatureSML Sara Lorimer wrote, in <1jb6mkg.7jvad61gtad5sN%SL560@DELETEcolumbia.edu> on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:52:00 -0800: > > > When my mother moved to the US, she was directed to the baked goods > > > section of the store when she asked where their Christmas crackers [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I saw some for sale last week at Target, so they're not entirely unheard > of. What did they call them? SignatureNick Spalding BrE/IrE >> > Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >> > those shops. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >They don't have crackers????????????? How weird is that????????? Have >these people no idea how to have a good time????????? Sometimes we can even do it without re-re-repeating ourselves. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE >They don't have crackers????????????? How weird is that????????? Have >these people no idea how to have a good time????????? Are those Cyrillic bits that have been replaced by question marks? SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk >> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >When my mother moved to the US, she was directed to the baked goods >section of the store when she asked where their Christmas crackers were. Having encountered cracker, a poor white person, in "Gone With the Wind", prior to this AUE session, this post reminded me of a the more common, first meaning of the word. For a third meaning, crackers in BrE, always with an s, means crazy. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE >>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >common, first meaning of the word. For a third meaning, crackers in >BrE, always with an s, means crazy. Surely the "first meaning", and most common usage, of "cracker" in the US is "thin, crisp, wafer or biscuit". Saltines. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >>>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >Surely the "first meaning", and most common usage, of "cracker" in the >US is "thin, crisp, wafer or biscuit". Saltines. Read again. So as not to bore the reader, I left out the first meaning of the word. You leapt into the breach. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > >> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of > >> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > common, first meaning of the word. For a third meaning, crackers in > BrE, always with an s, means crazy. As a teenager I used to tell a very feeble gag with the punchline 'I guess I must be f***ing crackers...' I'm sure everybody will be able to fill in their own build up... DC -- >>>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > I'm sure everybody will be able to fill in their own build up... Hmm. Trying to work out what effect you'd get if you substituted the Aus term "bonbons" (which, I read somewhere which may or may not have been reliable, was Tom Smith's original). Apropos, Marks & Spencer's Christmas crackers have a sticky label warning that they are sold subject to The Explosives Act 18xx. Not sure if that's a good sales pitch or not. Consumer advice section. Bought some Heaven-storming fireworks for Christmas on November 6: supermarket knocked them out at under half price. SignatureMike. > > > > > Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the > > > > > names of those shops. [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > Christmas on November 6: supermarket knocked them out at under half > price. It was Jacob's rather than Christmas Crackers in that teenage gag. A biscuit barrel was involved. DC -- >>>>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>>>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >> >> I'm sure everybody will be able to fill in their own build up... There was a similar joke doing the rounds WIWAL, about a party where everyone had to dress as an emotion. The punch line was "I'm f.cking dis custard". > Hmm. Trying to work out what effect you'd get if you substituted the Aus > term "bonbons" (which, I read somewhere which may or may not have been > reliable, was Tom Smith's original). I have the impression that this word is falling out of use in AusE. "Christmas crackers" has become the more common description. From my experience of a few days ago, it seems that there is a falling probability of getting a bang for your buck. Each year I wonder about the people who prepare the jokes to put inside the Christmas crackers. It seems to have become a tradition that the jokes have to be as weak and as corny as possible. SignaturePeter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org For an e-mail address, see my web page. > Each year I wonder about the people who prepare the jokes to put inside > the Christmas crackers. It seems to have become a tradition that the > jokes have to be as weak and as corny as possible. When you have just eaten your own body weight in animal products and flooded that with combinations of beer, wine and spirits, it is important that the jokes be not too subtle. SignatureRob Bannister Robert Bannister filted: >> Each year I wonder about the people who prepare the jokes to put inside >> the Christmas crackers. It seems to have become a tradition that the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >flooded that with combinations of beer, wine and spirits, it is >important that the jokes be not too subtle. Animals make fruitcake?...r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > > Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of > > those shops. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > When my mother moved to the US, she was directed to the baked goods > section of the store when she asked where their Christmas crackers were. I had to read most of the thread befor I figured it out: you're talking about those cylindrical things that go pop! when you pull on them, aren't you? They are seen at children's birthday parties. No special association with Christmas that I know of. SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email >>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > them, aren't you? They are seen at children's birthday parties. No > special association with Christmas that I know of. I've never seen them at any other time or place than Christmas dinner! SignatureCheryl >>>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >I've never seen them at any other time or place than Christmas dinner! Me neither. Christmas crackers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_crackers That article gives "bon-bon" as an alternative name. That is unfamiliar to me. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > I've never seen them at any other time or place than Christmas dinner! ObAue: surely "any time or place other than" - otherwise, I find the "than" very odd. SignatureRob Bannister >>>>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>>>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > ObAue: surely "any time or place other than" - otherwise, I find the > "than" very odd. I don't. There are plenty of examples at Google Books. SignatureJames >>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > them, aren't you? They are seen at children's birthday parties. No > special association with Christmas that I know of. Wasted on children. You need the strength and dexterity of an adult to grasp the right bits to actually make them go bang. SignatureRob Bannister >>>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >Wasted on children. You need the strength and dexterity of an adult to >grasp the right bits to actually make them go bang. ObAUE: Why do Irish and British people call their sausages bangers? SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE >ObAUE: Why do Irish and British people call their sausages bangers? At a guess, because they explode if you don't prick them. SignatureKaty Jennison spamtrap: remove the first two letters after the @ >>ObAUE: Why do Irish and British people call their sausages bangers? > >At a guess, because they explode if you don't prick them. There's a good pun in that statement if I could only find it. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > > > ObAUE: Why do Irish and British people call their sausages > > > bangers? > > > > At a guess, because they explode if you don't prick them. > > There's a good pun in that statement if I could only find it. "Nurse, I told you to prick his boil"! -- >> > > ObAUE: Why do Irish and British people call their sausages >> > > bangers? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >"Nurse, I told you to prick his boil"! If there are two meanings to that, you whooshed me. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE >>>>> ObAUE: Why do Irish and British people call their sausages >>>>> bangers? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > If there are two meanings to that, you whooshed me. DC is a great man for cunning stunts. You can switch the noun and the verb in the nurse's instructions. SignatureJames [...] >>"Nurse, I told you to prick his boil"! > > If there are two meanings to that, you whooshed me. Here's a little bit of British culture that may provide you with an explanation: <http://www.fatbadgers.co.uk/Britain/saucy.htm> SignatureLes (BrE) Leslie Danks wrote, in <4b38a74a$0$1560$91cee783@newsreader03.highway.telekom.at> on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:49:02 +0100: > [...] > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > <http://www.fatbadgers.co.uk/Britain/saucy.htm> That link is remarkable for the fact that it has no mention of Donald McGill, the best known practitioner of that art, celebrated by George Orwell. SignatureNick Spalding BrE/IrE >>> > > ObAUE: Why do Irish and British people call their sausages >>> > > bangers? [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >If there are two meanings to that, you whooshed me. The implication is that the instruction was misunderstood and instead of pricking his boil the nurse boiled his prick. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>>> > > ObAUE: Why do Irish and British people call their sausages >>>> > > bangers? [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >The implication is that the instruction was misunderstood and instead of >pricking his boil the nurse boiled his prick. I must have been trying too hard, for it was obvious enough. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > >> > On Fri, 25 Dec 2009 14:46:53 +0000, Chuck Riggs > <chriggs@eircom.net> >> > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > If there are two meanings to that, you whooshed me. No, it's a word order thing. -- >>>>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>>>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > >ObAUE: Why do Irish and British people call their sausages bangers? Because when fried in a frying pan the casing tends to burst as the contents heat up and the sound is a small "bang". SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>>>>> Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the names of >>>>>> those shops. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >Because when fried in a frying pan the casing tends to burst as the >contents heat up and the sound is a small "bang". I suppose sausages bang louder than rashers do, but the evidence seems shaky to me. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > > > > Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the > > > > names of those shops. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Wasted on children. You need the strength and dexterity of an adult > to grasp the right bits to actually make them go bang. Especially the Tesco's variety we had this year. And given the number in the box we'll be using them until 2012... DC -- >> > > > Somebody needs to tell him what a crisp is, but I love the >> > > > names of those shops. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >Especially the Tesco's variety we had this year. And given the number >in the box we'll be using them until 2012... You've reminded me how little I like Tesco's version of Kleenex. A good blow and they're in ribbons. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > You've reminded me how little I like Tesco's version of Kleenex. A > good blow and they're in ribbons. Thank you for sharing. Is there a term to describe the visual equivalent of an ear worm? SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email John Varela filted: >> You've reminded me how little I like Tesco's version of Kleenex. A >> good blow and they're in ribbons. > >Thank you for sharing. Is there a term to describe the visual >equivalent of an ear worm? SES, for "Stuck Eidolon Syndrome"....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > >> If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and > >> unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > yeast extract, which often leads to them being claimed to taste like > Marmite. I'll take a pass on that. Meanwhile, Pillsbury has started US distribution of Tim Tams, claimed to be Australia's favorite cookie. Now, those are *really* good. We've already run through three packages of them. SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email > I'll take a pass on that. Meanwhile, Pillsbury has started US > distribution of Tim Tams, claimed to be Australia's favorite cookie. > Now, those are *really* good. We've already run through three > packages of them. They're good, but seriously fattening. I've had to ban Tim Tams from my house. Not that I have anything against them; but, once I've opened the packet, the entire packet disappears in less than half an hour. It's OK to get them in for guests, though. In that case I would feel guilty if I ate them all myself. SignaturePeter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org For an e-mail address, see my web page. > I'll take a pass on that. Meanwhile, Pillsbury has started US > distribution of Tim Tams, claimed to be Australia's favorite cookie. > Now, those are *really* good. We've already run through three > packages of them. I forgot to add one detail. In Australia they would never be called cookies. They're chocolate biscuits. SignaturePeter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org For an e-mail address, see my web page. > On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:33:00 UTC, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)" > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Now, those are *really* good. We've already run through three > packages of them. Speaking of Ozzie treats, you really haven't lived until you've had a Melting Moment! Yum! >> >> If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and >> >> unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >Now, those are *really* good. We've already run through three >packages of them. They are Australia's most popular "cookie" (read "biscuit"). Some of us prefer "Gaiety", which has wafer in it and hence a lighter texture. SignatureRichard Bollard Canberra Australia To email, I'm at AMT not spAMT. > >I'll take a pass on that. Meanwhile, Pillsbury has started US > >distribution of Tim Tams, claimed to be Australia's favorite cookie. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > They are Australia's most popular "cookie" (read "biscuit"). Some of > us prefer "Gaiety", which has wafer in it and hence a lighter texture. Then let's hope they start importing them, too. SWMBO was just exulting that all the Christmas cookies and candies in the house have now been consumed, with the exception of a few pieces of peanut brittle and some peppermint ribbon, so something new is needed. SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email >>> If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and >>> unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Comments by someone new to Twiglets: > http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/08/no-chex-please-were-british.html Thanks for that info. They were unknown to me down under too. SignatureLong-time resident of Adelaide, South Australia, which may or may not influence my opinions. > Comments by someone new to Twiglets: > http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/08/no-chex-please-were-british.html Gotta love that title! Mr Bean, of course, made his own -- out of actual twigs. I expect they tasted about the same. SignatureRoland Hutchinson He calls himself "the Garden State's leading violist da gamba," ... comparable to being ruler of an exceptionally small duchy. --Newark (NJ) Star Ledger ( http://tinyurl.com/RolandIsNJ ) >> Comments by someone new to Twiglets: >> http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/08/no-chex-please-were-british.html [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > I expect they tasted about the same. Astounding News Just In. My Spanish sister-in-law has started having Marmite on her breakfast toast. SignatureMike. >>> Comments by someone new to Twiglets: >>> http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/08/no-chex-please-were-british.html [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >Astounding News Just In. My Spanish sister-in-law has started having >Marmite on her breakfast toast. What an excellent person your Spanish sister-in-law is. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>> Comments by someone new to Twiglets: >>> http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/08/no-chex-please-were-british.html [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >Astounding News Just In. My Spanish sister-in-law has started having >Marmite on her breakfast toast. Congratulations! SignatureKaty Jennison spamtrap: remove the first two letters after the @ >If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and >unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? I've never seen a Twiglet in a US store that wasn't a specialty import shop catering to ex-pats and UK tourists. (We have quite a few of those in this area) However, Whole Market (or maybe it's Fresh Foods) stocks Marmite. Both are large grocery store chains that offer less commercial products than regular grocery store chains. Lots of organic stuff and specialty brand stuff in both. I know I've seen Marmite on the shelf in one of them. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida > > If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and > > unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? > > I've never seen a Twiglet in a US store that wasn't a specialty import > shop catering to ex-pats and UK tourists. (We have quite a few of > those in this area) We'd been thinking about getting away and getting some sunshine over the Christmas break, and Florida was on our list, but even the Canaries were super-expensive and didn't have any last minute deals this year. Looking out of the window, it's snowing again. Today's been OK, but most roads round here were impassable yesterday, and I'm not picking up the turkey till tomorrow... DC -- >> > If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and >> > unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >most roads round here were impassable yesterday, and I'm not picking up >the turkey till tomorrow... It's 72 degrees (F) and cloudy here today (4:24 PM). Shirtsleeve weather. About the same all over Florida. Hotel deals abound here because tourism is at a low ebb. I was up in Daytona Beach the other day and noticed ocean-view rooms starting at $35. Older, bare-bones motels, though. Without knowing the interests of the Cat family, I'd be hesitant to recommend any particular Florida destination. I'm in Orlando (the center of the state) in an area that is not particularly interesting to tourists unless they want to visit Disney or one of the other theme parks. If theme parks aren't the interest, beach areas like Cocoa Beach (on the Atlantic), Sarasota (on the Gulf of Mexico) or Key West (at the southern tip of Florida where the Atlantic meets the Gulf) are good choices. I happen to like Key West, but it requires flying into Miami, renting a car, and driving several hours south. Sarasota is another good choice. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >Without knowing the interests of the Cat family, I'd be hesitant to >recommend any particular Florida destination. I'm in Orlando (the >center of the state) in an area that is not particularly interesting >to tourists unless they want to visit Disney or one of the other theme >parks. One thing that Orlando does have going for it is that the domestic airfares are cheaper by far than pretty much any other Florida airport. When I was checking some rates for February, I found MCO was about 50% cheaper than Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or Tampa. (I didn't check JAX as it was rather out-of-the-way for the trip we were contemplating.) The QPX demo at matrix.itasoftware.com says that Miami is cheapest from Shannon, but from any other major airport in northwest Europe (Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Manchester, or Dublin), it's cheapest to fly to Tampa. (The best options are all under $600 round-trip.) From London City, the best fare is to Orlando (at about $100 more than anywhere else). Stanstead is useless, and QPX couldn't find a schedule that would work for Luton. For those of you coming from the Continent, the winner from Paris (Orly) is Miami; from CDG it doesn't matter where in Florida you go, and from Brussels it's $100 cheaper to take the train to CDG than it is to fly directly from BRU. -GAWollman SignatureGarrett A. Wollman | What intellectual phenomenon can be older, or more oft wollman@bimajority.org| repeated, than the story of a large research program Opinions not shared by| that impaled itself upon a false central assumption my employers. | accepted by all practitioners? - S.J. Gould, 1993 > On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:08:00 GMT, "Django Cat" > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > Miami, renting a car, and driving several hours south. Sarasota is > another good choice. Outstanding birdwatching at this time of year--the Everglades, the Big Cypress Swamp, Corkscrew Swamp. Probably Sanibel Island and the Keys, too, but I've never been to either. Since Tony says tourism is at a low ebb, this might be a good time for Key West. -- Jerry Friedman >> On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:08:00 GMT, "Django Cat" >> [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] >too, but I've never been to either. Since Tony says tourism is at a >low ebb, this might be a good time for Key West. The bird photographers from the Orlando Camera Club go to Viera Wetlands near Melbourne. The big advantage of this wildlife preserve is that you can drive within the preserve so minimal hiking is needed. The Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge, also a bird-watcher magnet, is nearby. The plumage is gayer in Key West where birds of a feather gather, but it's always an interesting place to visit. Hotel rates tend to stay high in Key West, but with the current economic conditions deals can be done renting a condo by the week. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >> Outstanding birdwatching at this time of year--the Everglades, the >> Big Cypress Swamp, Corkscrew Swamp. Probably Sanibel Island and the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > The Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge, also a bird-watcher > magnet, is nearby. I'm just adding a URL for MINWR: http://nbbd.com/godo/minwr/ > The plumage is gayer in Key West where birds of a feather gather, but > it's always an interesting place to visit. Hotel rates tend to stay > high in Key West, but with the current economic conditions deals can > be done renting a condo by the week. SignatureSkitt (AmE) a former Merritt Islander [Florida attractions] > >Outstanding birdwatching at this time of year--the Everglades, the Big > >Cypress Swamp, Corkscrew Swamp. Probably Sanibel Island and the Keys, [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Wetlands near Melbourne. The big advantage of this wildlife preserve > is that you can drive within the preserve so minimal hiking is needed. Ah, an American birding experience, like the Bosque del Apache refuge in New Mexico, or the part of the Big Cypress where a friend and I saw all those herons and purple gallinules, both places I've enjoyed greatly. I wonder whether people from other countries feel that drive- through birdwatching is an advantage. It's true that birds will often let cars or canoes get closer than people on foot. > The Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge, also a bird-watcher > magnet, is nearby. > > The plumage is gayer in Key West where birds of a feather gather, Is there a cage for the crazy ones? > but > it's always an interesting place to visit. Hotel rates tend to stay > high in Key West, but with the current economic conditions deals can > be done renting a condo by the week. Camping in a tent, though, is not recommended, unless you have special stakes and are very strong and determined. So I'm told. -- Jerry Friedman >[Florida attractions] > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >through birdwatching is an advantage. It's true that birds will often >let cars or canoes get closer than people on foot. >> The Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge, also a bird-watcher >> magnet, is nearby. >> >> The plumage is gayer in Key West where birds of a feather gather, > >Is there a cage for the crazy ones? Sure: La Cage aux Folles >> but >> it's always an interesting place to visit. Hotel rates tend to stay [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >Camping in a tent, though, is not recommended, unless you have special >stakes and are very strong and determined. So I'm told. True certain times of the year, but not usually. My daughter and s-i-l are campers, and have camped at Bahia Honda State Park at Big Pine Key...just a short drive from the city of Key West. Both camp sites and cabins are available for rent. You can throw a rock from your camp site and hear it splash in the ocean. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida > On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:53:47 -0800 (PST), Jerry Friedman > [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > sites and cabins are available for rent. You can throw a rock from > your camp site and hear it splash in the ocean. I had the impression the ground on Key West was coral and you needed special stakes to make a dent in it. I haven't heard anything about Big Pine Key. -- Jerry Friedman >> <jerry_fried...@yahoo.com> wrote: >>> [Florida attractions] [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > special stakes to make a dent in it. I haven't heard anything about > Big Pine Key. This makes the cemetery arrangements really interesting. SignatureLaura (emulate St. George for email) > This makes the cemetery arrangements really interesting. You don't need coral for that to happen. When I lived in Meekatharra, you could hear them preparing for a funeral from the school where I taught. The ground was so hard, they had to use explosives. I didn't observe this myself, but I was told that occasionally they got too enthusiastic with the explosives and broke into an adjoining grave, showering the area with bones. SignatureRob Bannister >> This makes the cemetery arrangements really interesting. >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > enthusiastic with the explosives and broke into an adjoining grave, > showering the area with bones. Y'all know about above-ground tombs in N'Awlins, right? SignatureRoland Hutchinson He calls himself "the Garden State's leading violist da gamba," ... comparable to being ruler of an exceptionally small duchy. --Newark (NJ) Star Ledger ( http://tinyurl.com/RolandIsNJ ) >>> This makes the cemetery arrangements really interesting. >>> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Y'all know about above-ground tombs in N'Awlins, right? "Columbaria". In Italy, I gather one pays for a fixed-term tenancy. After that, I suppose it's the charnel-house unless you're a wealthy skeleton. SignatureMike. Mike wrote on Sat, 2 Jan 2010 18:38:43 -0000: >>>> This makes the cemetery arrangements really interesting. >>>> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >> >> Y'all know about above-ground tombs in N'Awlins, right? > "Columbaria". In Italy, I gather one pays for a fixed-term > tenancy. After that, I suppose it's the charnel-house unless > you're a wealthy skeleton. Columbary in English. I don't know what happens when they fill up at National Cemeteries in the US but I'm not eligible for that and I want my ashes scattered. Actually, I don't really care what happens to them but my kids might. SignatureJames Silverton Potomac, Maryland Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not > Mike wrote on Sat, 2 Jan 2010 18:38:43 -0000: > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > my ashes scattered. Actually, I don't really care what happens to them > but my kids might. 'Columbarium' around here for a kind of wall with post office box type slots for ashes, which I gather is not technically correct for what you get back after a cremation. Cremains? Anyway, you'd never get a full-sized body in one, although I gather you can in the type used in Spain and probably Italy. Also, I thought you bought, not rented, a space in the local version, but I know that I've come across the rented version of a columbarium (with the bones transferred to some kind of ossuary when the money runs out) in Spain (which again, is probably the same as the Italian version). I've never been in New Orleans, but I though their above-ground tombs were more individual than communal. SignatureCheryl >> Mike wrote on Sat, 2 Jan 2010 18:38:43 -0000: >> [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] >full-sized body in one, although I gather you can in the type used in >Spain and probably Italy. The description at Wikipedia seems to agree with information I've received from other sources. The weight of the cremated remains (mainly bones) after cremation is only a few pounds. During the cremation the bones are reduced to fragments. They are then put through a "cremulator" to pulverise them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremation All that remains after cremation are dry bone fragments (mostly calcium phosphates and minor minerals). Their color is usually light grey. They represent very roughly 3.5% of the body's original mass (2.5% in children). Because the weight of dry bone fragments is so closely connected to skeletal mass, their weight varies greatly from person to person, although it is more closely connected with the person's height and sex than with their simple weight. The mean weight of adult cremated remains in a Florida, U.S. sample was 5.3 lb (approx. 2.4 kg) for adults (range 2 to 8 lb or 0.91 to 3.6 kg). This was found to be distributed bimodally according to sex, with the mean being 6 pounds (2.7 kg) for men (range 4 to 8 lb or 1.8 to 3.6 kg) and 4 pounds (1.8 kg) for women (range 2 to 6 lb or 0.91 to 2.7 kg). In this sample, generally all adult cremated remains over 6 pounds (2.7 kg) were from males, and those under 4 pounds (1.8 kg) were from females >Also, I thought you bought, not rented, a >space in the local version, but I know that I've come across the rented [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >I've never been in New Orleans, but I though their above-ground tombs >were more individual than communal. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >> True certain times of the year, but not usually. My daughter and >> s-i-l are campers, and have camped at Bahia Honda State Park at Big [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >special stakes to make a dent in it. I haven't heard anything about >Big Pine Key. I've been to the Keys many times, and haven't noticed anything special about the ground. I didn't try pounding stakes into it, but there's dirt in some places and sand in other places as far as I can tell. There's a coral base beneath the surface, but considering the amount of trees and vegetation, there's a layer of dirt sufficient to secure a tent. If you look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keys you will see quite a few keys that you probably have never heard of. Some, like Key West and Key Largo, have a city on them with the same name. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida > On Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:46:29 -0800 (PST), Jerry Friedman > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > of trees and vegetation, there's a layer of dirt sufficient to secure > a tent. ... Maybe I'm misremembering. The people who told me are my parents, brother, and sister, and I'll see all of them starting tomorrow, so I may ask. (I'm totally over visiting my grandparents while the rest of my family were in the Keys, so it's unlikely that this will bring up any long-buried resentments on anyone's part. I mean, really, there aren't any.) -- Jerry Friedman >> On Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:46:29 -0800 (PST), Jerry Friedman >> [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] >any long-buried resentments on anyone's part. I mean, really, there >aren't any.) I'm not sure what you are referring to. It sounds like you think that there is a crust of coral on the surface of the Keys that makes it difficult to drive an ordinary stake into the ground. That, in my observation, is not the case. The Keys are rich with lush vegetation, and vegetation breaks down into soil. There are houses with regular grass lawns. While plant roots can penetrate just about anything, what you see in the Keys is not consistent with a coral surface. This is not to say that are not areas in the Keys where the surface is a hard crust of coral. It's just that this is not the predominant landscape. Here's a page of photos a Key West cemetery. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_West_Cemetery Note the caption that says that new graves are above ground, but because there is no more room below the ground. They are not above-ground because the ground is impenetrable. As far as camping, I did drive through the campgrounds at Bahia Honda State Park. I didn't stop and try to drive a stake, but - like most state parks - the tent areas are cleared and surfaced (usually a layer of mulch over asphalt) pads. You don't just pitch a tent anywhere. You are assigned a pad. The pop-up tents don't require more than a few stakes to stop them from moving in light or moderate wind. If there's a hurricane, campers would be forced to leave by the park authorities. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >>> On Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:46:29 -0800 (PST), Jerry Friedman >>> [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > room below the ground. They are not above-ground because the ground > is impenetrable. Hm. That's not what I was told when we were there. I don't know much about burial practice but I understood that it was not possible to dig as deeply as in other places. SignatureLaura (emulate St. George for email) > tony cooper wrote, in part: >> This is not to say that are not areas in the Keys where the surface >> is a hard crust of coral. It's just that this is not the predominant [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > about burial practice but I understood that it was not possible to dig > as deeply as in other places. That may be because of striking water. SignatureSkitt (AmE) >> tony cooper wrote, in part: > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > >That may be because of striking water. Not just striking water, but keeping the coffin down. Even drained swimming pools have been known to pop out of the ground in areas with a high water table. This summer I drained my pool to have it re-surfaced. I was cautioned not to do so in the rainy season, and to remove the drain plug as soon as it was accessible. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >>>> On Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:46:29 -0800 (PST), Jerry Friedman >>>> [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] >about burial practice but I understood that it was not possible to dig >as deeply as in other places. Every hotel, motel, and guest house in Key West - and many private homes and apartments - have swimming pools. I assume that if a pool can be dug, a grave can be dug. Pools are deeper than graves. There are old graves - dating back to the mid-1800s - in the Key West cemeteries. The Confederate Navy graves are in-ground according to the photographs. These would have been dug by hand. Modern graves are dug with machinery. In support of what you were told, I found the following: "Key West Cemetery 701 Passover Ln This funky cemetery is the epitome of quirky Key West, as irreverent as it is humorous. Many tombs are stacked several high, condominium style -- the rocky soil made digging 6 feet under nearly impossible". (Odd connection there: Passover Lane) Balancing that, I found this description of a Key West Inn: Courtney's Place Key West Historic Cottages & Inns! Legend has it that years ago during Key Wests heyday as a shipwrecking town, pirates would come up to this area and bury their gold and treasures that were stolen from the cargo ships that lay wrecked on the Atlantic coral reefs. Several years ago one of our neighbors, while digging a swimming pool, found $10,000 in gold coins (No shovels, please!). History tells us our little lane was once called Cat Alley, in the early 50s it was renamed Whitmarsh Lane after Mary Whitmarsh, one of Hemmingways best friends. In fact, she owned one of our cottages. If pirates could dig holes in which to bury treasure, the ground couldn't be that impossible to dig in. Their holes were certainly deeper than required for a tent stake. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >> I've been to the Keys many times, and haven't noticed anything >> special about the ground. I didn't try pounding stakes into it, but [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > any long-buried resentments on anyone's part. I mean, really, there > aren't any.) I don't know about the Florida Keys in particular, but the top surface of coral formations can often be very irregular. You can see it in this picture of Nauru, where the soil which was essentially just guano has been stripped away by phosphate miners: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/2cd81e/ Tony, you must have seen similar landscapes underwater while scuba diving. I'd imagine trying to pitch a tent in a place like that covered by soil, you would find pegs would drive in easily in one spot but it might be like solid concrete just a metre away. SignatureRegards John for mail: my initials plus a u e at tpg dot com dot au >I don't know about the Florida Keys in particular, but the top surface >of coral formations can often be very irregular. You can see it in this [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >you would find pegs would drive in easily in one spot but it might be >like solid concrete just a metre away. Yes, I've seen areas like that. Hell, in the Cayman Islands, is like that, but it's limestone and dolomite and not coral. http://photos.igougo.com/images/p118419-GRAND_CAYMAN_ISLANDS-Scary_as_Hell.jpg However, this discussion is about the Keys, and the comment was made about the state park site in Big Pine Key. The suggestion that tent stakes would be difficult to drive into the ground does not describe the Keys in general or Bahai Honda in Big Pine Key. It may, at most, describe a section here and there where the coral layer is at or near the surface. The same problem - difficulty in driving tent stakes into the ground - might occur in parts of Indiana where the limestone layer is near the surface or parts of Vermont where the granite layer is near the surface. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida tony cooper filted: >>I'd imagine trying to pitch a tent in a place like that covered by soil, >>you would find pegs would drive in easily in one spot but it might be [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >surface or parts of Vermont where the granite layer is near the >surface. We have the same problem out West, but here the culprit is caliche....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > tony cooper filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > We have the same problem out West, but here the culprit is > caliche....r We usually call that stuff calcrete, and silcrete is a siliceous version. SignatureRegards John for mail: my initials plus a u e at tpg dot com dot au >>> I've been to the Keys many times, and haven't noticed anything >>> special about the ground. I didn't try pounding stakes into it, but [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > you would find pegs would drive in easily in one spot but it might be > like solid concrete just a metre away. I thought all tent sites were like that. In particular, the spot where I'm trying to erect my tent, whereas everyone else had good, soft soil. SignatureRob Bannister Jerry Friedman filted: >Ah, an American birding experience, like the Bosque del Apache refuge >in New Mexico, or the part of the Big Cypress where a friend and I saw >all those herons and purple gallinules, both places I've enjoyed >greatly. I wonder whether people from other countries feel that drive- >through birdwatching is an advantage. It's true that birds will often >let cars or canoes get closer than people on foot. Red-tailed hawks around here can often be found engaging in carwatching....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > > On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:08:00 GMT, "Django Cat" > > [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > too, but I've never been to either. Since Tony says tourism is at a > low ebb, this might be a good time for Key West. That definitely sounds our sort of holiday. Wild horses wouldn't drag me to Disneyland... well... OK, we might go to Disneyland I suppose, but only in a knowing, post-modern, ironic kind of way... (and probably have a great time...). Certainly the keys and Everglades would be high on the list, with a ride on one of those fan-boat things. And 'Key Largo' is one of my all-time favourite movies... The more I think about this the more I really fancy the idea... DC -- >That definitely sounds our sort of holiday. Wild horses wouldn't drag >me to Disneyland... It would take a wild horse with a great deal of endurance to drag you to Disneyland on a trip to Florida. Disneyland is in California. Disney World is in Florida. > well... OK, we might go to Disneyland I suppose, >but only in a knowing, post-modern, ironic kind of way... (and probably >have a great time...). I have only been there when in the company of children. It's always been a pleasurable experience for me, but it's difficult to have a bad time when you are with children who are having such a *good* time. Joy is infectious. > Certainly the keys and Everglades would be high >on the list, with a ride on one of those fan-boat things. Air boats. Flat-bottomed skiffs with monster engines and huge airplane-like propellers. >And 'Key >Largo' is one of my all-time favourite movies... The more I think >about this the more I really fancy the idea... > >DC SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida ... > > > If theme parks aren't the interest, beach areas like Cocoa Beach (on > > > the Atlantic), Sarasota (on the Gulf of Mexico) or Key West (at the [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > have a great time...). Certainly the keys and Everglades would be high > on the list, with a ride on one of those fan-boat things. Airboats are extremely loud--you'll definitely want the earplugs the crew gives you. I got a non-commercial ride on one through connections that I don't have any more. The good part was that our host stopped in the middle of the swamp for at least fifteen minutes so we could talk, enjoy some peace, and watch and listen to a little wildlife. I'm not sure you get that on a normal airboat ride, so if it sounds good to you, you might want to look for a company that specifically offers it, maybe one that caters to birders or other wildlife enthusiasts. > And 'Key > Largo' is one of my all-time favourite movies... The more I think > about this the more I really fancy the idea... Speaking of boats, maybe the best moment of my last trip to Florida was taking a rented canoe out on Florida Bay. The sea was dead calm and there are jungle-covered little islands (probably called "keys") all around, decorated with big, conspicuous wading birds. If you and Mrs. C. like to pas de lieu Rhone que nous, I highly recommend it, and you can probably rent one at lots of parks and refuges. But don't go near mangroves, or you'll meet Florida's most feared predator: the saltmarsh mosquito. In large numbers. Speaking of insects, if you have cockroach phobia, you may have to be careful about choosing a hotel in southern Florida, and you may particularly have to avoid the quaint old ones. But Tony and maybe others will know more about that than I do. -- Jerry Friedman >> > On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:08:00 GMT, "Django Cat" >> > [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > only in a knowing, post-modern, ironic kind of way... (and probably have > a great time...). It would be a shame to come all that way and go back home without having stopped there... something one has to do once. ObNitpick: Disneyland is the original Disney park, in California. You are looking for the Magic Kingdom at Disney World Resort, or some such. > Certainly the keys and Everglades would be high on > the list, with a ride on one of those fan-boat things. And 'Key Largo' > is one of my all-time favourite movies... The more I think about this > the more I really fancy the idea... > > DC SignatureRoland Hutchinson He calls himself "the Garden State's leading violist da gamba," ... comparable to being ruler of an exceptionally small duchy. --Newark (NJ) Star Ledger ( http://tinyurl.com/RolandIsNJ ) >>>> If Marmite is unknown in the US or at best considered strange and >>>> unpalatable, does that mean they don't have Twiglets either? [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > Miami, renting a car, and driving several hours south. Sarasota is > another good choice. I loved Key West and we found plenty to do there when we visited, although we're not beach people. Hemingway's house with all the cats with extra toes is worth seeing. The sunsets are unbelievable. Wouldn't want to be there in hurricane season, though, and you need to work around the cruise ship tour parties. SignatureLaura (emulate St. George for email) > I loved Key West and we found plenty to do there when we visited, > although we're not beach people. Hemingway's house with all the cats > with extra toes is worth seeing. The sunsets are unbelievable. Wouldn't > want to be there in hurricane season, though, and you need to work > around the cruise ship tour parties. I went to Key West in 1975 - it looked more like the Third World. I suppose it's been tidied up now. SignatureDavid > > I loved Key West and we found plenty to do there when we visited, > > although we're not beach people. Hemingway's house with all the cats [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I went to Key West in 1975 - it looked more like the Third World. I > suppose it's been tidied up now. That scruffiness is supposed to be part of its charm. I've been there twice: once on a business trip at which we landed at the Naval Air Station, were bussed to the air defense center, and back again. Not much charm there. On the second occasion, at SWMBO's insistence we drove from Virginia to New Orleans by way of Key West because "it's on the way", adding only 1500 miles to the trip. I thought it was worth visiting but I wouldn't bother to go back again. SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email > We'd been thinking about getting away and getting some sunshine over > the Christmas break, and Florida was on our list, but even the Canaries [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > most roads round here were impassable yesterday, and I'm not picking up > the turkey till tomorrow... We're dug in. Wife and Daughter did the remaining shopping today and fetched the turkey. I wonder if people will be horrified by the cost - £45 for a 12 lb free-range bronze turkey. It was raised a few miles away at a named farm and was not fed growth enhancers, so it is one of the more expensive ways to buy turkey. The remaining issue is that Son travels from Edinburgh to Warrington on a train scheduled to arrive at 21:30 tomorrow. He may spend Christmas Day on the tracks somewhere in Cumbria. Oh, and PILs will drive over from Yorkshire tomorrow afternoon, but we could always tell them not to come. SignatureDavid > We're dug in. Wife and Daughter did the remaining shopping today and > fetched the turkey. I wonder if people will be horrified by the cost - [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > from Yorkshire tomorrow afternoon, but we could always tell them not to > come. Far from horrified about the cost -- seems comparable to roastable birds here, so in fact I feel relieved that we haven't been horribly scammed. ObAUE: does PILs refer only to one's/your own or does it refer to the Ps of Son's Spouse? If the latter, further proof that English needs 'machetunim'. If the former, just asking, thanks. cheers, Stephanie >> We're dug in. Wife and Daughter did the remaining shopping today and >> fetched the turkey. I wonder if people will be horrified by the cost - [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Ps of Son's Spouse? If the latter, further proof that English needs > 'machetunim'. If the former, just asking, thanks. Neither of my children are married or currently attached (they're 22 and 24); PILs are Wife's parents. I don't have a word to describe the parents of our children's eventual spouses (spice?). They would be Son's PILs, but no "relation" to me. I'm sure that Wife's parents and my parents don't have a term to refer to each other. SignatureDavid > >> We're dug in. Wife and Daughter did the remaining shopping today and > >> fetched the turkey. I wonder if people will be horrified by the cost - [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > Son's PILs, but no "relation" to me. I'm sure that Wife's parents and > my parents don't have a term to refer to each other. Ah, I see. 'Machetunim'would take care of the relation of Son's PILs (or daughter's) to you and your spouse, or equally of Wife's parents to your parents. It seems to me a very useful word but then, different languages have such different ways of slicing and dicing relationships that we might never end if we went down that road. To this day there are some of my relatives through my ex-husband for whom I never did figure out the (Chinese) relationship terms. Hope your Christmas was thoroughly enjoyable! best from Brussels, Stephanie PS -- pleased with homemade mince pies, hadn't made any in years > We're dug in. Wife and Daughter did the remaining shopping today and > fetched the turkey. I wonder if people will be horrified by the cost - > £45 for a 12 lb free-range bronze turkey. It was raised a few miles > away at a named farm and was not fed growth enhancers, so it is one of > the more expensive ways to buy turkey. Mmmmm. It's possible to buy locally-raised turkeys here, and although the price isn't that high, it's quite high enough, much more than the supermarket frozen birds. But the taste is so much better! I don't make my own turkey dinner, and in any case I can't generally afford one, but I have bought them occasionally for a special treat. Actually, you probably can't buy one here on Christmas Eve. When I bought one, I had to order it in advance, and they didn't have any left over for last-minute shoppers. > The remaining issue is that Son travels from Edinburgh to Warrington on > a train scheduled to arrive at 21:30 tomorrow. He may spend Christmas > Day on the tracks somewhere in Cumbria. Oh, and PILs will drive over > from Yorkshire tomorrow afternoon, but we could always tell them not to > come. I hope everyone gets in safely. SignatureCheryl >> We're dug in. Wife and Daughter did the remaining shopping today and >> fetched the turkey. I wonder if people will be horrified by the cost [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > bought one, I had to order it in advance, and they didn't have any left > over for last-minute shoppers. It's the same here for the quality birds - we ordered ours two or three weeks ago. We've been ordering the Christmas turkey from the butcher in the village since we came here 15 years ago. I believe he's had the same supplier for considerably longer than that. >> The remaining issue is that Son travels from Edinburgh to Warrington >> on a train scheduled to arrive at 21:30 tomorrow. He may spend [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > I hope everyone gets in safely. Thank you. The snow is currently rather wet, so driving should be easier than yesterday. The trains are an unknown quantity at the moment. SignatureDavid > Looking out of the window, it's snowing again. Today's been OK, but > most roads round here were impassable yesterday, and I'm not picking up > the turkey till tomorrow... MYM very thoughtfully picked up the goose yesterday so that I could reorganise the fridge while home sick. Am now dreaming up fun things to do with schmaltz. cheers, Stephanie >> Looking out of the window, it's snowing again. Today's been OK, but >> most roads round here were impassable yesterday, and I'm not picking up [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > reorganise the fridge while home sick. Am now dreaming up fun things > to do with schmaltz. <drool> I suppose you could smear yourself with it and wrap up for the rest of the winter, in the manner of our ancestors. Son has finally realised that his cottage is a no-go zone for visitors (the kitchen has been ripped out and is some way from being reconstituted) so he will be cooking for us here. The ingredients are all stashed in the garage which has been colder then the fridge. Whether Daughter and SIL and other guests will actually arrive remains to be seen. We've had hardly any snow here but it's very icy. SignatureLaura (emulate St. George for email) >The ingredients are >all stashed in the garage which has been colder then the fridge. Yes, that's the splendid thing about having big parties at this time of year. SignatureKaty Jennison spamtrap: remove the first two letters after the @ >Looking out of the window, it's snowing again. Today's been OK, but >most roads round here were impassable yesterday, and I'm not picking up >the turkey till tomorrow... Nice and cold with snow on the ground here, but it's supposed to warm up to 37 (that's about 3 big degrees) tomorrow and Friday. I'm making makowiec tonight, which I'll be taking (along with summer (!) sausage, cheese, a pound cake, and the makings for a lemon glaze) to the Family Get-Together tomorrow at my Aunt Diane's house in Connecticut (about two hours' drive from here). I had planned to make a bunch of savory cream-puff shells and fill them with chicken salad, but that didn't work out. (I may check the bakery tomorrow morning just to see if there are any available.) On Christmas day, I'll wake up in a hotel room and probably go visit my other grandmother for a while, then go to grandmother #1's house for a late afternoon Christmas dinner. (No idea what it will be, but turkey and ham are the most likely candidates.) Then, stuffed to the point of bursting, I'll drive back home and collapse in my bed. Saturday evening, it's supposed to rain (echh!) as my mother and I share a belated birthday dinner at one of the better-reputed Indian restaurants in the west-suburban area. Sunday evening would normally be dinner at my parents' home, but we'll probably skip that after three days of overindulgence. -GAWollman SignatureGarrett A. Wollman | What intellectual phenomenon can be older, or more oft wollman@bimajority.org| repeated, than the story of a large research program Opinions not shared by| that impaled itself upon a false central assumption my employers. | accepted by all practitioners? - S.J. Gould, 1993 [...] > Nice and cold with snow on the ground here, but it's supposed to warm > up to 37 (that's about 3 big degrees) tomorrow and Friday. I'm making [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > Sunday evening would normally be dinner at my parents' home, but we'll > probably skip that after three days of overindulgence. Thanks for sharing, Wollmeister. I wish *my* life were as exciting as yours. Signature~~~ Reinhold {Rey} Aman ~~~ > > Looking out of the window, it's snowing again. Today's been OK, but > > most roads round here were impassable yesterday, and I'm not [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Sunday evening would normally be dinner at my parents' home, but we'll > probably skip that after three days of overindulgence. Off to pick up the pre-ordered turkey any time now, battling through a good three inches of snow. We don't really do snow in most of this country... -- You all sound so very energetic! We've got practically no snow (I guess Europe got it all!), although we're supposed to get some light flurries. It was a bit icy on the road this morning because it cooled down and we had all that rain last week, but it's nothing to worry about really. I'm going over to my mother's first thing Christmas morning - she's doesn't want any dinners or parties, so she won't be accompanying me through the rest of the day - kitchen help at the church for the dinner for people alone on the day followed by a big dinner and evening with a group of friends - and it's all within walking distance. SignatureCheryl >You all sound so very energetic! > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >for people alone on the day followed by a big dinner and evening with a >group of friends - and it's all within walking distance. A nice, quiet rest for me. My wife's gone to her mother's and the dog to kennels. Lots of books and DVDs to get through. SignatureRobin (BrE) Herts, England ... > We've got practically no snow (I guess Europe got it all!), ... We've gotten a good bit here in New Mexico. It will do el jardin bueno, but there have been a number of accidents. The snow won't stop me from getting to a dinner tonight, but people who live in the mountains are probably wondering whether they'll get where they're going or their visitors can get to them, as the case may be. (I suppose some people in the mountains are there /because/ they want to be isolated, and will have a pleasant Docrobinian Christmas.) -- Jerry Friedman >... > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >suppose some people in the mountains are there /because/ they want to >be isolated, and will have a pleasant Docrobinian Christmas.) I'd wish my sister a Docrobinian Christmas, out and up there, if I didn't think it'd get me in trouble. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE >>... >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >I'd wish my sister a Docrobinian Christmas, out and up there, if I >didn't think it'd get me in trouble. You can't get into too much trouble watching "Heroes" unless you let the space-time bending get out of hand. SignatureRobin (BrE) Herts, England >>>... >>> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >You can't get into too much trouble watching "Heroes" unless you let >the space-time bending get out of hand. Jerry must be on a different cycle of Heroes than we are, which is to saw it hasn't been on BBC for several months, IINM. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE >>>>... >>>> [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >Jerry must be on a different cycle of Heroes than we are, which is to >saw it hasn't been on BBC for several months, IINM. My wife gave me series 1-3 on DVD for my birthday and I just finished the final installment. Great stuff. SignatureRobin (BrE) Herts, England >>>>>... >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >My wife gave me series 1-3 on DVD for my birthday and I just finished >the final installment. Great stuff. Yes, it is. The advertised revamp of "The Triffids", on BBC1 last night and tonight, is not too shabby, either. Nowhere near as good as the original, though, IMO. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE Robin Bignall filted: >>>You can't get into too much trouble watching "Heroes" unless you let >>>the space-time bending get out of hand. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >My wife gave me series 1-3 on DVD for my birthday and I just finished >the final installment. Great stuff. Volume 3 is thought of as weak by those who have been following the story...Volume 4 picks things up a bit (to avoid spoilers, I'll just say "Gretchen")....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? >Robin Bignall filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >story...Volume 4 picks things up a bit (to avoid spoilers, I'll just say >"Gretchen")....r My series 1-3 seems to include volumes 1-4. The last one ends with a clock ticking. (I don't think that's too much of a spoiler.) I thought that the special effects were the best I've seen since "Stargate" (the movie) SignatureRobin (BrE) Herts, England Robin Bignall filted: >>Robin Bignall filted: >>> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >thought that the special effects were the best I've seen since >"Stargate" (the movie) The "volume 4" I'm thinking of features a carnival quite prominently (perhaps it's "volume 5" but "season 4" =BrE "series 4", but there are only three boxed sets available on DVD so far)...the numbering got messed up by the writers' strike a couple of years back when they decided to wrap up a number of long story arcs more quickly than planned....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? >Robin Bignall filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >strike a couple of years back when they decided to wrap up a number of long >story arcs more quickly than planned....r My son told me that he thought series 2 had been affected by the writers' strike, but seeing it for the first time it didn't seem particularly disjointed to me. No carnival so far, so I guess that's season 4 as you suggest. SignatureRobin (BrE) Herts, England > We've got practically no snow (I guess Europe got it all!), although > we're supposed to get some light flurries. It was a bit icy on the road > this morning because it cooled down and we had all that rain last week, > but it's nothing to worry about really. They didn't get what's roaring up through the Midwest! Ours can't decide whether it wants to keep coming down white or cover everything we already have with ice. I prefer snow to ice. Snow can be moved. SignatureErilar, biblioholic medievalist http://www.chibardun.net/~erilarlo > You all sound so very energetic! > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > for people alone on the day followed by a big dinner and evening with a > group of friends - and it's all within walking distance. It's Christmas morning as I write. They keep changing the weather forecast: 36°, 37°... at present, they're saying 35°, but at 8:20 am, it's still pleasant. Since Xmas Day and Good Friday are the only 2 days when Australia shuts down - and I mean completely: no papers, no shops, no pubs and almost no restaurants - it is very quiet at the moment. Of course, half of the city has left to visit family, friends or the cooler south, anyway. Someone has to contribute to those horrendous traffic statistics. SignatureRob Bannister > It's Christmas morning as I write. They keep changing the weather > forecast: 36°, 37°... at present, they're saying 35°, but at 8:20 am, > it's still pleasant. We have the same daily high temperatures here, on the Fahrenheit scale. SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email >> It's Christmas morning as I write. They keep changing the weather >> forecast: 36°, 37°... at present, they're saying 35°, but at 8:20 [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > We have the same daily high temperatures here, on the Fahrenheit > scale. Yes, daily temps run there. But tonight at 12:00 (am) we have 35 degrees F and rain. They don't know when it will turn to snow. Sometime before dawn, perhaps. But the major system is coming up from the Gulf of Mexico. Now, where erilar is located, our Madison forecasters are saying that from NW Wisconsin westward through Minnesota and Iowa, they should expect to measure the snow in feet. Oh, and we had perhaps 1/4 inch of ice on cars and snowdrifts when I awoke on the morning of Christmas Eve. > In article <QEvYm.18397$Ym4.2...@text.news.virginmedia.com>, > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Sunday evening would normally be dinner at my parents' home, but we'll > probably skip that after three days of overindulgence. Makowiec! Yes! I've worked out that's made with poppy seeds but -- in what form do they finally end up? Is it strudelish or coffee cakeish or otherish? It all sounds delightful and I wish you safe travels and enjoyable munching. We're just now trying to recover from our roast goose with the Dr Who special and have put off dessert (either cake or pudding) until tomorrow as we're absolutely stuffed. cheers, Stephanie >Makowiec! Yes! I've worked out that's made with poppy seeds but -- in >what form do they finally end up? Is it strudelish or coffee cakeish >or otherish? The recipe that I ended up with is this one: <http://www.thefreshloaf.com/print/1547>. It turned out quite well, and I have a second loaf in the freezer to bring in to work some time next month. The flavor was definitely interesting; I really didn't know what to expect. I had to mail-order the poppy seeds (can't get them in pound quantities at a reasonable price in today's megamart). I think I rolled the dough a bit too thin (the recipe is not very specific), and had to guess at how much flour they wanted, since they don't give a weight. I ended up doing this after seeing a drawing of one on the back cover of /Cook's Illustrated/ (along with other holiday breads and cakes). /CI/ didn't have a recipe, and the one cited above was the top Google result. It did leave me thinking that you could take the same dough and roll it up around other fillings, like maybe dried fruit (raisins, dates, apricots, etc.) or even chocolate. An experiment for the future, perhaps. -GAWollman SignatureGarrett A. Wollman | What intellectual phenomenon can be older, or more oft wollman@bimajority.org| repeated, than the story of a large research program Opinions not shared by| that impaled itself upon a false central assumption my employers. | accepted by all practitioners? - S.J. Gould, 1993 > We're just now trying to recover from our roast goose with the Dr Who > special Some people have always got to go one better. I mean, for most people some stuffing and perhaps a fruity sauce would be enough, but no, Stephanie has to use the Dr Who recipe. Don't blame us if you wake up in Victorian England or outer space. Aha! I just received clue: my spelling checker wants to turn "tsuidf" into "wetsuit" for some inexplicable reason, so watch out for beasties from the deep. SignatureRob Bannister Robert Bannister filted: >> We're just now trying to recover from our roast goose with the Dr Who >> special [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >Stephanie has to use the Dr Who recipe. Don't blame us if you wake up in >Victorian England or outer space. It's a sauce wot's bigger inside than out.... (No?...trying a different angle....) Mind your goose doesn't regenerate and walk away from the table....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? >Robert Bannister filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >Mind your goose doesn't regenerate and walk away from the table....r Dalek: "Exterminate, Exterminate, Exterminate." Why doesn't "exterminate" mean the opposite of "terminate"? SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>Robert Bannister filted: >>> [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > >Why doesn't "exterminate" mean the opposite of "terminate"? It means to do it outdoors, doesn't it? SignatureIan D > Why doesn't "exterminate" mean the opposite of "terminate"? I thought I'd read an explanation of that, but when I went to give you the citation I found that it was excited. SignaturePeter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org For an e-mail address, see my web page. > > We're just now trying to recover from our roast goose with the Dr Who > > special [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > into "wetsuit" for some inexplicable reason, so watch out for beasties > from the deep. I love that, must tell MYM and his son, they will be thrilled to know that's not orange sauce, ooooh no! (Although as you rightly point out, the Dr Who recipe could have really unintended side effects, especially if there was even a drop of water in it.) 'Wetsuit' appeals to me as a nom de froop, I'll save that for future use. best from Brussels (the place, not the sprouts), S. tsuidf wrote, in <91d9bd80-40d7-44f5-8b96-373479a8d798@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:59:26 -0800 (PST): > > > We're just now trying to recover from our roast goose with the Dr Who > > > special [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > S. Agent wants to turn it into "squid". SignatureNick Spalding BrE/IrE > tsuidf wrote, in > <91d9bd80-40d7-44f5-8b96-373479a8d798@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Agent wants to turn it into "squid". In Outlook Express, "staid" is first offering, "stupid" second; there were others, but I went no farther. SignatureFrank ess >> tsuidf wrote, in >> <91d9bd80-40d7-44f5-8b96-373479a8d798@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > In Outlook Express, "staid" is first offering, "stupid" second; there > were others, but I went no farther. Thunderbird offers "tsunami", followed by "wetsuit", "suited", and "suicide". I don't recommend using the last as a nom de guerroop. SignaturePeter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org For an e-mail address, see my web page. >>> tsuidf wrote, in >>> <91d9bd80-40d7-44f5-8b96-373479a8d798@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > Thunderbird offers "tsunami", followed by "wetsuit", "suited", and > "suicide". I don't recommend using the last as a nom de guerroop. Gnus is clever enough to recognise that this is an attribution line that could contain anything odd and so doesn't spell check it. How boring! SignatureOnline waterways route planner | http://canalplan.eu Plan trips, see photos, check facilities | http://canalplan.org.uk Nick wrote, in <871vicfx4g.fsf@temporary-address.org.uk> on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:46:07 +0000: > >>> tsuidf wrote, in > >>> <91d9bd80-40d7-44f5-8b96-373479a8d798@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > Gnus is clever enough to recognise that this is an attribution line that > could contain anything odd and so doesn't spell check it. Agent doesn't either in those circumstances. I entered it as a fresh word to check it. SignatureNick Spalding BrE/IrE > > tsuidf wrote, in > > <91d9bd80-40d7-44f5-8b96-373479a8d...@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > In Outlook Express, "staid" is first offering, "stupid" second; there > were others, but I went no farther. Thank you so very much for your restraint, that's most kind. S. > tsuidf wrote, in > <91d9bd80-40d7-44f5-8b96-373479a8d...@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Agent wants to turn it into "squid". At least I'm thematically involved with the mysterious deep, which is nice. Of course I speak as someone who grew up on the seacoast and yet has been allergic to most shellfish all my life, so 'nice' is relative there. cheers, S >> tsuidf wrote, in >> <91d9bd80-40d7-44f5-8b96-373479a8d...@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com> [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > yet has been allergic to most shellfish all my life, so 'nice' is > relative there. Just hope that they are allergic to you when they open their beaks and don't forget to wear a clean wetsuit in case you have to go to hospital. SignatureRob Bannister <snip> >Today's been OK, but >most roads round here were impassable yesterday, and I'm not picking up >the turkey till tomorrow... What means impassable? I've never found a plowed road that was impassable to a 4-wheel drive vehicle or one with chains on the rear tyres, or on all four of them when necessary, so to me it refers to a road covered in black ice or deep snow. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > <snip> > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > tyres, or on all four of them when necessary, so to me it refers to a > road covered in black ice or deep snow. Well, if you *don't* have 4-wheel drive or chains, and, worst of all, you don't even have snow tires and are using those so-called 'all season' kind, a plowed road can indeed be impassable, particularly if more snow has fallen or drifted in since the plow went by. Of course, if someone's had an accident in the snow, the road will also become impassable pretty quickly, especially as it's probably narrower than it was without the snow. I was once on a highway when one of those big highway plows got stuck, although admittedly the conditions were quite extreme, and the road thorougly blocked even before the plow got stuck. At the time, I had a job that required me to follow the highway plow along after storm or not get paid for the day. There were 'cuts' along the road where bedrock had been blasted away to make a level spot for the road, and they drifted in easily. That morning, the plow operator initially thought the snow was too much for his equipment to handle, so we all settled down to wait until the snowblower could be brought in from some distant part of the district. The snowplow operator got a bit impatient and decided to try to put the first cut through anyway. This was not a good idea. The road was plowed, though. Except for that little bit. SignatureCheryl Yesterday was the real point of the season in our family: tamale-making day. The womenfolk and interested men sit around in the kitchen, gossiping, joking, telling and re-telling family stories, and putting together the /masa/, chicken, pork, olives, carrots, potatoes, /chiles/ and /ojas/. It is customary to make too much /masa/ and put kernels of corn and cheese or pineapple in the remainder, and call them /tontos/. This evening everyone will be here for tamale-eating and gift exchanges. Santa pretty much bypasses us since granddaughter saw the light. Weather is typical California Christmas: clear, slight breeze, low forties F. at night, mid-sixties in the daytime. Twenty to forty percent chance of maybe-measurable rain on Sunday night. It was ever thus. Now I have to go outside and mow the front grass so I can wash one of the un-garaged cars; they have been neglected since the almost-measurable showers of last Sunday night made mud of the dust. Excuse me, please. SignatureFrank ess > Yesterday was the real point of the season in our family: tamale-making > day. The womenfolk and interested men sit around in the kitchen, [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > almost-measurable showers of last Sunday night made mud of the dust. > Excuse me, please. Yeah, rub it in, why don't you? I was really thrilled to get a call from my Californian cousin who was concerned about the reports of bad weather here and proceeded to tell me how lovely it is there at the moment. Tonight I shall be tearing toilet paper since Stephanie drew my attention to this: http://www.slate.com/id/2238708/ I shall also be tearing my hair out as Son is currently cooking in my kitchen. (He likes to entertain the family in his cottage but he's had the kitchen ripped out.) The mess is indescribable. That bottle of Ledaig will come in handy this evening.. SignatureLaura (emulate St. George for email) >> Yesterday was the real point of the season in our family: >> tamale-making day. The womenfolk and interested men sit around in the [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > attention to this: > http://www.slate.com/id/2238708/ An enjoyable article. I also liked this one from another perspective: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/christmas-curry-and-many-faith s-20091222-lbpq.html or http://tinyurl.com/y8en2py SignatureRob Bannister >> <snip> >> [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > >The road was plowed, though. Except for that little bit. In areas subject to snow and ice, most residents have cars with the tyres needed, plus they have chains in the boot if they live in a mountainous area. An "impassable" road, then, is one that has not been plowed, after receiving two feet or more of snow, since most cars will bottom out in such conditions, or one covered in black ice. What other meanings can "impassable" have? SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > In areas subject to snow and ice, most residents have cars with the > tyres needed, You haven't lived in the DC area for many years, else you wouldn't make that assertion. SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email > <snip> > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > tyres, or on all four of them when necessary, so to me it refers to a > road covered in black ice or deep snow. Well, not everyone has those 8-) I've seen pickups going along our road today, but not cars. SignatureErilar, biblioholic medievalist http://www.chibardun.net/~erilarlo |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2012 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.