WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[PanBiker]

During the Indian Summer I have discarded layers but this morning it was much cooler and I am back into socks, a vest and heavier trousers. This is about right for this morning, we are well down into single figures and I note that in Scotland this morning there is a frost in some of the higher glens, the first since early June.
I think there is little doubt about it, we are into Autumn now....

I have to say this of course. The Autumn Equinox is on Saturday 23rd September this year. 21 degrees in North Wales this afternoon, just right for late Summer. :smile

In space weather, our 3rd rock from the sun was hit by a massive interplanetary shock at about 6pm last night. This caused a major (Red) auroral event. It was slightly overcast here but I still managed to capture activity on my DSLR camera. Even through the local light pollution.

[Stanley]

The fact that my connection to tinternetwebthingy had a brain fart about ten minutes since. No Idea what caused it, it healed itself up without any intervention from me.
Later at 05:30.... Rumours that the second phase of HS2 is about to be cancelled.
'A cost estimate, seen by The Independent, reveals that the government has already spent £2.3bn on stage two of the high-speed railway from Birmingham to Manchester but shelving the northern phase would save up to £34bn.,

[Stanley]

Word from my nephew Michael that he has used the lavatory for the first time in eight weeks. He has been forced to use a bed pan because of restricted movement in his knees after surgery.
That must be such a relief.....

[Stanley]

Carl Brown delivered my meat early because he needed a large socket reducing in diameter. It's nice to be able to do something in return for his free delivery service.....

[Tizer]

These days I often re-read old novels that I've enjoyed and one of the authors I go back to is Michael Pearce and especially his `Mamur Zapt' series. They are set in the early years of the 1900s when Egypt was under British rule and the head of the secret police there had the title Mamur Zapt even though he was a Welsh officer in the British Army. Having this title and wearing Egyptian clothing impressed the locals and made his job easier. Pearce has served in the British diplomatic service and has a good inside knowledge of the system and all its quirks

I looked at the library web site and the listing of books for Pearce, chose one and orered it. It was listed as being in the `HQ Store' which is another name for the archives. The book eventually arrived in Taunton Library and Mrs Tiz was going into town so she collected it for me. There was some amusement when she picked up the book and took it to the lady librarian for checkout - they both decided it was typical of a man to order a book like that. It was an original 1990 hardback and the cover was the cause of their amusement...

► Show Spoiler

[Tripps]

That's interesting I'd say.

I've been in Taunton Library, as the lady we used to visit in Somerset, worked there as a librarian.

Those books sound to me as if they were of a much older vintage and not comparatively modern. As usual - I looked on Abebooks and they are widely available delivered to your letterbox, for about the price of a cup of tea.


The usual will now probably happen. . . .

[Stanley]

What struck me was the fact that I have never come across the author or his books. I can't ever remember seeing a book with a nude on the cover.....
What grabbed me yesterday was the fact that Susan in Essex was telling me she was melting in the heat and I was putting my padded waistcoat on to go and sit in the North-facing front room!
Is it my age or was it really that chilly.....

[Tizer]

Michael Pearce writes with a dry humour. Your average 1910 Cairo `man in the street' resents the presence of the British Army but Captain Cadwaller Owen is accepted as the Mamur Zapt because he dresses as an Egyptian. They accuse him as being one of the English colonial oppressors but he points out that he's Welsh, not English. After some chattering among themselves they ask where is Wales? He explains a bit of Welsh history and its relationship to England. They then accept him as being like them, someone whose country is oppressed by England. Try the books but I suggest you go for an early one first to get to know the wonderful characters - and there are plenty of them!

I've been in Taunton Library, as the lady we used to visit in Somerset, worked there as a librarian.

I've always found the staff very helpful and they have a good selection of books. Mrs Tiz is often there, she reads faster than me! I often search on their web site for a book I want and reserve it online because often it will be in one of the other south-west libraries and they get it for me for £1.20. I don't know the names of any of the staff but I also communicate with someone called Amy Randall if there are any problems ordering.

[Stanley]

Bit of a triumph having a named person to communicate with in a public service these days Peter!....

[Stanley]

I've just been listening to a book by a man called Conway being read on R4. It's about materials and today's segment is on sand. Some surprising and frightening facts. Foe instance, he says that in the last year we mined quarried and blasted more material out of the earth's crust than in the whole of our history on earth so far.....

[Tizer]

The subject of sand is a fascinating one. That was brought home to me some years ago when I bought a S/H copy of the book `Sand: The Never Ending Story' by Michael Welland and published by OUP. It's excellent, a riveting read and covers just about Sand by Welland

[Big Kev]

It became apparent that the alarm on my car hasn't been working. I only realised this when someone with a similar car locked their's, with the key fob, and the indicators flashed as the doors locked. My doors locked but no flash. After much looking I found the switch, on the slam panel, didn't have it's corresponding bit on the bonnet to close the switch. The original looks to have been a bit of nylon or rubber which pushed on the switch when the bonnet closed. A bit of 'make do and mend' and it's fettled with a dome headed roofing bolt and some heavy duty double sided Gorilla tape.

[Stanley]

Sorry to hear that Kev. Again, it reminds me how good it is to not have to support a car!
The main thing that grabbed me was that at 21:30 the CH came on. The start of the heating season is never good but it was welcome. I was beginning to doubt my thermostat setting! It's set on 20C but actually cuts in at just a shade over 19C. Very quiet and efficient..... as it should be being a now boiler. I shall try to ignore it from now on.....

[Wendyf]

The Call You and Yours presenter signing off just now by announcing an upcoming item about Jim Lockatheft. That's an interesting name I thought, and it took a second or two to realise that she meant gym locker theft.

[Tripps]

Another (good quality) Mondegreen' I'd say. . . .

[Wendyf]

Another (good quality) Mondegreen' I'd say. . . .

Or is it an eggcorn?

[Tripps]

Or is it an eggcorn?

I've obviously not been keeping up - you're streets ahead of me here.

I looked it up of course - Eggcorn and my head is hurting.
Perhaps the name was created by people who did not (like ourselves ) know about mondegreens?

About time they 'towed the line'?

Need Uncle Bob Bliss's brain to untangle it all. I don't possess such.

[Wendyf]

I just looked up mondegreen and found eggcorn! Mondegreens are misheard lines from songs or verse that persist because they make sense, but eggcorns are just misheard words or phrases from normal speech .....acorns became eggcorns!

I just followed your link and my simple answer is now in doubt and I am confused. Perhaps it was just a syntactic ambiguity.

[Tripps]

Fascinating.

I'd say mondegreens (which as you say are particular to songs) are forgiveable, as we can't change what we think we hear, but eggcorns seem to be largely the result of ignorance - so less so?

I like "escape goat" and "tow the line". Watch out for "figure of speech" - often lately used wrongly and by some seemingly quite intelligent people. It means a lot more than just a number.

There wll always be someone who will confect a spurious irrelevant explanation for eggcorns - such as acorns and eggs having a similar shape. I'm sure the person who first said it, didn't know what an acorn was, and that there was no such thing as an eggcorn. Just simple forgiveable ignorance. Then the clever people had a go. . . . It's wise to have your trusty 'Occam's Razor' to hand.


PS I misheard this for almost a lifetime -

Maggie says that many say
They must bust in early May
Orders from the D.A.
Look out kid
Don’t matter what you did
Walk on your tiptoes
Don’t try “No-Doz”
Better stay away from those
That carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose
Watch the plain clothes
You don’t need a weatherman
To know which way the wind blows


For 'must bust in Early May' I heard "Osh Kosh and Ellie May. " I knew 'Osh Kosh' was an Americans clothing brand, and cleverley (I thought) assumed 'Ellie May' was another.

Anyone who reads this nonsense is a hero. . . .


PPS

I'm in good company Peter Kay heard "just let me staple the vicar"

[Stanley]

"eggcorns seem to be largely the result of ignorance"
Or deteriorating hearing? I get a lot of eggcorns and have learned to mistrust my hearing!
Wendy, I'll take your interpretation as it is concise and informative. Anyone who complicates it further is just short of something to do.... (That is surely Occam's Razor in action?)
[That Tripps makes you think....... ]
(PS. Thinking of you a lot David as I watch my boiler hovering on the edge of making me feeling comfortable but then not getting on with it. I remember what you said in Late August about resolving to leave the heating off until October started..... So far I have resisted the urge to push it over the edge....)

[Tripps]

Now that I am aware of what an eggcorn is - I think I've just found one.

Brass Firearms

[Wendyf]

Three questions:
Is that me?
What is the correct description.....fireside companion set?
Why were you looking for firearms?

[Tripps]

1. Well - you started it with eggcorns.
2. I think they are called Fire Irons. Hence the confusion with Fire Arms
3. I wasn't.

[Wendyf]

Thank you. I had forgotten about fire irons.

[Stanley]

We always called them fire irons, I still have some for the stove.
Word from Susan that she has heard that Helen Thomas is dead. I know she's been poorly for a long time and had to give up work at the Co-op. Has anyone heard anything?