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hilarita (via legionseagle)
So, mornington crescent... Actually, before I talk about it is this with the "Sunwise on Sundays, Widdershins on Wednesdays" rule? Is Kings Cross? What about south of the river? As a kid I hated this game on episodes of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (the ones with the classic line-up of Barrie Cryer, Graeme Garden, Willie Rushton, Tim Brooke Taylor and Humph). The whole no rules/arguing about the rules thing gave me that fearful sinking in the stomach feeling (but then so many things did). Now I entirely embrace the skill of it. And its longevity. And did you jusyt say "Rotten Row"? I'm not sure the right-hand rule allows it, but anyway "Mornington Crescent"!
The ou. My mother signed up in its second year, Did S100 (the science foundation) and the summer school. My dad took over childcare and cooking: we still remind him of the minced beef stew with brussels sprouts. My first memories of serious science were posters of the mid-Atlantic trench illustrating plate tectonics and later lots of pictures of Darwin's finches. Mam started the next courses but dropped out to sell our then home and get us moved. Later she went back and started the humanities route, and I think got as far as some 2nd level courses. I signed up for my first 10-point course nearly 20 years ago. Took more than enough to claim my Certificate in Contemporary Science. Failed to claim the lowest level Maths certificate before it was phased out. Dropped out of some courses (was aiming for a BSc to balance my BA) and when the costs went up, turned to MOOCs. My DH got his MSc from the OU: didn't enjoy it, but helped him on with his career. The world's best self-teaching materials and the most beautiful textbooks. An institution as important and precious as the BBC. The greatest TV shows, especially for the Mathematics and Sciences.
And finally, dictionaries. Words on the page are two dimensional. The dictionary shows you the roots below with etymological info. And the glorious growths above with examples of usage. Add in a thesaurus and you get an entire forest! And the different species of dictionary: the ones that translate between languages (Collins Rob-air, Langensheidt); the specialist ones (I still treasure my dictionary of computer terminology from the late 80s: quaint now, a twisted stump of obsolete terms); and, speakingif computers, data dictionaries, keys to another kind of understanding, pilons striding through the wordy woods. Dictionaries, for me, are the most dangerous rabbit hole, especially as they're online, out there, all of the time.
hilarita (via legionseagle)- Comment on this entry saying Rhubarb!, and I'll pick three things from your profile interests or tags.
- Write about the words/phrases I picked in your journal and link back here. Spread the love.
So, mornington crescent... Actually, before I talk about it is this with the "Sunwise on Sundays, Widdershins on Wednesdays" rule? Is Kings Cross? What about south of the river? As a kid I hated this game on episodes of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (the ones with the classic line-up of Barrie Cryer, Graeme Garden, Willie Rushton, Tim Brooke Taylor and Humph). The whole no rules/arguing about the rules thing gave me that fearful sinking in the stomach feeling (but then so many things did). Now I entirely embrace the skill of it. And its longevity. And did you jusyt say "Rotten Row"? I'm not sure the right-hand rule allows it, but anyway "Mornington Crescent"!
The ou. My mother signed up in its second year, Did S100 (the science foundation) and the summer school. My dad took over childcare and cooking: we still remind him of the minced beef stew with brussels sprouts. My first memories of serious science were posters of the mid-Atlantic trench illustrating plate tectonics and later lots of pictures of Darwin's finches. Mam started the next courses but dropped out to sell our then home and get us moved. Later she went back and started the humanities route, and I think got as far as some 2nd level courses. I signed up for my first 10-point course nearly 20 years ago. Took more than enough to claim my Certificate in Contemporary Science. Failed to claim the lowest level Maths certificate before it was phased out. Dropped out of some courses (was aiming for a BSc to balance my BA) and when the costs went up, turned to MOOCs. My DH got his MSc from the OU: didn't enjoy it, but helped him on with his career. The world's best self-teaching materials and the most beautiful textbooks. An institution as important and precious as the BBC. The greatest TV shows, especially for the Mathematics and Sciences.
And finally, dictionaries. Words on the page are two dimensional. The dictionary shows you the roots below with etymological info. And the glorious growths above with examples of usage. Add in a thesaurus and you get an entire forest! And the different species of dictionary: the ones that translate between languages (Collins Rob-air, Langensheidt); the specialist ones (I still treasure my dictionary of computer terminology from the late 80s: quaint now, a twisted stump of obsolete terms); and, speakingif computers, data dictionaries, keys to another kind of understanding, pilons striding through the wordy woods. Dictionaries, for me, are the most dangerous rabbit hole, especially as they're online, out there, all of the time.
