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keithgood838
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Post by keithgood838 » Fri Jul 25, 2008 3:18 pm

TREACHEROUS TERMINOLOGY

Imagine a Two Ronnies sketch
in which two party-goers are introduced.

Big Ronnie: 'I'm delighted to meet you, dear boy,
what line of business are you in?'

Little Ronnie: 'It's nice to meet you. I'm in education,
I'm an English teacher.'

Big Ronnie: 'Oh, I see. You were born here in England,
which subject do you teach?'

Little Ronnie, looking uncomfortable,
nervously sips his drink.

Keith

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mariana44
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Post by mariana44 » Fri Jul 25, 2008 5:34 pm

That is funny Keith.
Mariana

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keithgood838
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Post by keithgood838 » Sat Jul 26, 2008 10:37 am

Thanks for looking in, Marian(a).

WAYWARD WORDS

Some moronic men are too proud to ask directions,
and even when they do their sense of dislocation deepens:


'So I take the next turning on the left?'

'Right.'

'Sorry, I thought you said left.'

'I did say left.'

'Right.'

'No - left, left!'


Satnav is the answer to a directionless driver's prayer,
right?


Keith
Last edited by keithgood838 on Sat Aug 02, 2008 11:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

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mariana44
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Post by mariana44 » Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:46 am

I am not sure that Satnav is the answer to all driving problems---but I expect it helps--even though it takes you round by a completely different route.

Your right/left debate reminds me of the times when George and I were driving--I would always navigate--and although I really do know my left from my right, if I had to make a sudden decision I would more often than not, get it wrong ! Which did not please George. And I often had to read the map upside down to make any sense of it--on top of that I could only read the map with my reading glasses, but had to change to my distance glasses to see where we were----so I guess a Satnav would have been useful then.
Mariana

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keithgood838
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Post by keithgood838 » Sun Jul 27, 2008 4:03 pm

Forum members needing an antidote
to the prevailing high temperatures, read on:

RURAL WINTER

Helpless before the unrelenting tide
of late December's haste, the countryside
looks up again at winter's frost-bright face
and shivers in his tentacled embrace.

The autumn left the landscape broken-hearted;
he stripped her finery - and then departed.
Recoiling now from freezing winds that blow,
she shudders into winter's gown of snow ...

Keith Good
Last edited by keithgood838 on Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

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keithgood838
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Post by keithgood838 » Mon Jul 28, 2008 5:13 pm

Today I spied a notice in a Barnet estate agent's
window boasting:

Four new properties discretely located behind gated
security ensuring peace and tranquility at all times.


I was impressed by the knowledgeable usage
of 'discretely' until I spotted that tranquillity
was spelt with one el.

DISCRETION and DISTINCTION

Someone who is discreet is discriminatory,
of modest circ umspection
(keeping a discreet silence),
diplomatically neat.

An entity that is discrete is fragmentary,
in loose formulation
(unconnected, out of sequence),
the opposite of concrete.

Keith

Note. The adjectives are also homophones;
they sound alike but have different meanings,
and, of course, different spellings. (Discrete,
dictionary definition: consisting of distinct parts.)

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ROBERT M.
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Post by ROBERT M. » Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:43 am

I found part of my Ellie poem, scribbled on a piece of paper. It is just a 100 line rhyming poem :)

I haven't done a Matt Monro poem............................because as much as I love the voice and personality of Matt, I prefer to say nice things about the fairer s.e.x. :wink: :lol:

A few lines from the poem-

Ellie really stood out from the crowd.......standing tall and standing proud-
Ellies legs were made of gold.......for us to see and behold-
Ellie is a child of god........who wrapped her in his arms of love-
Ellie is just so idolised.........can anyone be so surprised-
Ellies great dancing with Fred............woke us up from our bed-
Their dancing was serene..........much better then any dream-
We miss seeing Ellie glide........with Mr Astaire by her side-
Ellie always moved so graceful............her dancing was always so very tasteful-
Ellie makes me smile.............once in every while-
Ellie is a dream...........she is our double cream-
Ellie is American.........right through and true-
I salute you America.............I salute Ellie too-
So watching Ellie and listening to Matt........I must be in heaven, thank the Lord for that-
Darling Ellie is a star in heaven.........with all our love she is given-
Ellie was the apple of my eye.................now she's in heaven, I want to Cry-
"My Tears Will Fall Now That You're Gone,
I Can't Help But Cry, But I Must Go On" :(

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mariana44
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Post by mariana44 » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:28 am

I must admit Keith that if I had seen the word "Discretely", I would automatically assume it was just a spelling mistake-I had noit realised it was a completely different word.

George used to comment on the 2 words "Raise" and "Raze"---they sound the same--but in fact are the complete oppposite of each other.
Mariana

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mariana44
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Post by mariana44 » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:31 am

Robert--glad to see your tribute to Ellie is not completely lost after all.
Mariana

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keithgood838
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Post by keithgood838 » Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:22 am

Robert
Thanks for keeping the flag flying
for the rhyming form;
other members please copy
and verse may even become a norm.

Belated congrats on your 5000 score, Marian(a),
I may have contributed a few assists.
Thanks for the homophones, raze and raise;
they hadn't occurred to me and may contain
the seeds of an idea for my manuscript.
God bless George.
Keith
Last edited by keithgood838 on Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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keithgood838
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Post by keithgood838 » Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:29 pm

Marian(a)
Below is a first draft of the homophones:

RAZE (destroy) & RAISE (enjoy)

Reporters at a scene of devastation
are likely to say,
'All the homes were razed to the ground.'
The audience at each music location
had their spirits raised
by the magical Monro sound.
(On one spectacular Barbican occasion
they lauded him with a seven-minute ovation.)

Keith

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mariana44
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Post by mariana44 » Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:54 pm

I know that George would have appreciated your rhyme on his homophones--I will try to remember some more.
Mariana

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keithgood838
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Post by keithgood838 » Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:11 pm

Marian(a)
I'm delighted to include a word of praise for our musical
hero in my manuscript, thanks to you and George. I'm
posting the following extract in George's memory; I'm
sure he approves:

CASTING ASPERSIONS

'Nor you, ye proud, impute to these the fault
If memory o'er their tomb no trophies raise.'

Thus Thomas Gray sought to shield the former
inhabitants of the Stoke Poges hamlet from accusations
that they were responsible for their own joyless
underachievement. He declared that it would be unjust
to impute blame for the circ umstances of their lives on them.

'But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page
Rich with the spoils of time, did ne'er unroll;
Chill penury repress'd their noble rage
and froze the genial current of the soul.'

To impugn the poor for showing lack of motivation
would be to 'let ambition mock their useful toil'.

Keith

Note. It is important to recognise the subtly different
linguistic functions these two verbs perform. To impute
is to attribute, usually unfairly. To impugn is to charge
with dishonour, to impugn someone's motives. The quoted
lines are taken from Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.

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Marian
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Post by Marian » Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:05 pm

I was thinking about how often we use the word 'up' in the English language.
Take up, move up, shut up etc. It seems to have so many meanings.
Then there are times when we chop a tree down, and then cut it up! :wink:
Marian :D

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mariana44
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Post by mariana44 » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:02 pm

Again, George would be delighted to see "his" poem used this way--thanks Keith for keeping his thoughts alive.

Actually I remember him also saying how often "up " was used---as is "down"---get down, slow down, cut down, fall down, let down, mark down, probably many, many more.
Mariana

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