This is just tragic, and marvellous. Like something out of Borges or Marquez.


Last two speakers of dying language refuse to talk to each other

Ad in the paper today for Clover Butter, from manufacturers Dairy Crest.

"Did you use to think that eating crusts would make your hair curly?"

No, Dairy Crest, I didn't use to think. I may have used to think it, but I never use it to think. What I use to think is my brain. You may have heard of it - spongy, crinkly thing, resides inside the cranium ( Read more... )

Apparently we're getting manifestations on our windows next week. We were rather hoping for a succubus, or failing that an imp. Even a blob of ectoplasm would be a start.

Turns out, though, it's just a fancy interior-design word for 'stickers'.

Got a letter from BT the other day explaining the changes to my broadband package costs due to the change in VAT.

It contained the following:

Amending VAT to 17.5% resulted in some inconsistent prices, so we've rounded down some prices and rounded up others. More prices have been rounded down than up.

For example, our Evening and Weekend plan would ( Read more... )

I'm trying to remember a word. It's a horrible, business-speak, jargonistic word, which is probably why I've blotted it from my memory, but unfortunately it's the appropriate one in this instance ( Read more... )

A poll inspired by one of the answers to yesterday's Times Quick Crossword (exam invigilation is boring). Please answer the poll without Googling or use of dictionaries.

If you know what the word means, please comment below with your definition - comments are screened and will remain so until tomorrow morning.

(If you say you know what it means and ( Read more... )

At the bus-stop in Streatham last night, I head a teenage girl complaining to a male friend that he had been 'beating' in her room, on more than one occasion, and while she had permitted this once, she didn't want him using her room as a 'beating place ( Read more... )

Poll What's that, Henry?

Can anyone whose Icelandic is less rusty than mine make sense of this article?

As far as I can tell the guy dressed as Darth Vader was an atheist, making a point about inclusivity by following the priests into the Synod at the Cathedral.  Does that sound right?

(the article is worth it for the image alone even if you don't read Icelandic)

The Merseyside village of Lunt is considering changing its name, as its road sign is repeatly vandalised.

This is making me giggle. Any suggestions for what they might change it to?