Oh no it isn’t… What is a logarithm? The sound generated when you hit a fallen tree with a drumstick. What is algebra? An explosion in a typesetting room. What is an algorithm? I don’t know, but it’ll probably be the death of us. What is a quantile? Someone who erroneously believes that it is…
This was actually my very first post, from way back in September 2012, when I was just getting set up on WordPress. It’s nothing if not succinct. Apparently, only seven people have ever viewed it. And I’m probably at least three of them. What kind of email annoys you? I really hate those emails, usually…
You couldn’t make it up…..Oh, wait. What is a strimmer? Not recommended for a do-it-yourself Brazilian. What is a Mexican wave? How your driver identifies himself after you clear customs at Cancun airport. What is hogwash? Mud. What is poppycock? Pretty much anything in the Top Twenty these days. What is a doodlebug? An uncontrollable…
From 2016, a paean to the humble (and not so humble) sandwich… Six sandwiches that shook my world As a general rule, the one-word Daily Prompts that WordPress has been furnishing in recent months are way too cryptic for someone as devoid of imagination as yours truly. Today, though the word is ‘Sandwich’ and even…
Along with the literally hundreds of artistes I have never heard of, there are certainly some heavy hitters among those born in the month of September. There’s Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen and Bryan Ferry for starters, as well as two members of the Grateful Dead – one still with us (Micky Hart) and one long…
Wotcher! Rhyming slang this week… Battlecruiser A pub drinking game. Bread and cheese Ploughman’s lunch to munch. Cows and kisses Still legal in West Virginia. Dicky dirt Lack of basic hygiene. Lady Godiva Posh chocolates. Mork and Mindy Shazbat. Daisy roots Jamaican female reggae artiste. Dustbin lid Lift to get rid. Peckham Rye Pass this…
From 2014, the fightback against technology (a losing battle, alas…). Don’t ask, don’t tell Being a proud possessor of the Y chromosome, I can only assume that this latest of ‘365 Days of Writing Prompts’ is one for the laydeeez: “Is it easy for you to ask for help when you need it, or do you…
At the end of last year, I posted a Beach Boys song performed by Brian Wilson. This was prompted by my having watched a rerun of his performance at Glastonbury in 2005 – seventy five minutes of sheer joy, as I noted at the time. Fast forward to this summer and, with daughter and grandsons…
‘Mensonges’, as the French say. What is a puggle? An ugly dog with no magical powers. What is an hibiscus? An Egyptian sacred bird in unfamiliar surroundings. What is a concertina? An accordion with ideas above its station. What is a dipstick? POTUS. What would you use a feeler gauge for? Various nefarious purposes. What…
From as recently as 2023, and seeming appropriate, given that – due to a combination of holidays, other stuff and the ever-present idleness – I haven’t posted on here for about three weeks, this is an important lesson on the rules of French social interaction. Of course you hadn’t noticed. Hello. Again. Most people with…
Just a quickie this week, from 2017. And yes, it is that boy again. Beyond his years “I’m not weird, I’m wise” – Grandson, age 10 (Jury’s still out on that one.) Update: actually it’s not. Said grandson has just completed his first year at one of the UK’s most prestigious universities. His twin brother…
I had no problem whatsoever in choosing an artiste born in August for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday. Jerome John Garcia was born on August 1st 1942 and died on August 9th 1995. Deadheads still celebrate his life in ‘The Days Between’ – the period between the first and ninth of this month. The actual…
Who Said That? ‘I came, I saw, I’…..left a review on Tripadvisor. ‘In for a penny’…..and still have change to get the tram home. ‘Many hands make’…..the Bayeux Tapestry. A stitch in time saves’…..the entire fabric of the universe. ‘Too many cooks’…..not enough honest accountants. ‘A picture is worth a’…..dollar, if it’s of George Washington.…
From 2014 – the signs of early-onset writers’ block… Must try harder “State of your year. Write up a mid-year ‘State of my Year’ post.” Still alive, still married, still solvent. The rest is detail. No news is good news, but it doesn’t provide much meat for a new post. Instead, let’s look at how…
When I saw that the subject for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday was sweet things, there was only one question that needed to be answered: had I used it before? Happily, the answer was ‘no’ – but I have now. From the seminal 1970 studio album ‘American Beauty, this is a particularly fine live version…
the only deadhead in the hameau 