tried the fuse?

[AdminAssistant]

Aye, it is. I use "colour" as well, along with "favourite". My excuse?

I can't help it if Americans can't spell.

It's like theatRE and theatER.

GAH.

*I just had some frustrations with newspapers. I recently graduated (yay!). My degree program is theatRE. While studying theatRE, I worked on several productions as a dramaturG. (Dramaturg = research person in most cases. It differs, especially in the US.) I'm not sure why, but Microsoft Word automatically makes it dramaturGE. Which may or may not be the French word for playwright. I actually think that may be a proper spelling in Europe. But in professional American theatre, we spell theatre the proper British way, with an RE. And dramaturg has no 'E' at the end. Mom wanted to put a thingy in the paper because she's proud (and to show off). The staff of the local paper said they HAD to spell theatre with an ER. (This is common with American publishers, so no surprise. I guess there's some kind of spelling police that locks up news editors and publishers who don't conform to American standards.) And despite my specific instructions, it was dramaturge with the 'E' at the end.

*sigh* I understand that hands were tied, and I'm not frustrated at the news staff. It just bothers me to look at the notice and see the misspellings.

[One-Fang]

Can I chime in late on the twat usage?

Down here it's a common insult. Yes, it refers to that region, but you never ever use it when referring to that region. It's just an insult. I guess a bit like you'd never actually call the end of your penis a "dick head". That's just an insult, even though it has a referential genitalia meaning too.

As used in the OP, it was perfectly correct.

And appropriate.

[Wembley]

It's like theatRE and theatER.

GAH.

*I just had some frustrations with newspapers. I recently graduated (yay!). My degree program is theatRE. ... The staff of the local paper said they HAD to spell theatre with an ER.

I always thought that "RE" was a place where you saw a play, on a stage, and "ER" was the place where you see a film, on a screen... am I wrong on this?

And, what if they set up a temporary screen in a theatRE and show a film? Or, if they put staging up in a theatER?

-Wembley

[Naaman]

I edit my post! I edit my post! According to Wiki, "Twat" is something more vulgar then idiot!

For looking up vulgar words you should also try Roger's Profanisaurus

[AdminAssistant]

I always thought that "RE" was a place where you saw a play, on a stage, and "ER" was the place where you see a film, on a screen... am I wrong on this?

Not technically. I use that sometime. But it would eliminate confusion if we all saw movies at the cinema and plays at the theatre. but that's just me.

[edible_hat]

The staff of the local paper said they HAD to spell theatre with an ER. (This is common with American publishers, so no surprise. I guess there's some kind of spelling police that locks up news editors and publishers who don't conform to American standards.) And despite my specific instructions, it was dramaturge with the 'E' at the end.

One episode of The Goon Show had a typing error in the script... Spike Milligna instead of Spike Milligan. Wallace Greenslade read out "Spike Milligna..." then ad libbed "the well known typing error" and it became a running gag.

When Spike died, several obituaries and letters to the editor contained the phrase "Spike Milligan the well known typing error".

In one case they printed a retraction saying it should have said "Spike Milligan the well known typing error".

[Slytovhand]

I don't recall that one (not that I know them all by any means..)

Unless my eyes deceive me (and granted, staring at a monitor for the last 3 hours while at work may mean I am), but aren't those 2 letters saying the exact same thing??

[protege]

Yeah, it's UNDERSTOOD to mean part of a womans bits, but we generally use it over here when someone is being...well..a twat.

Couldn't help but throw this out there...according to some people on one of the automotive-related boards I belong to... "Volvo should be renamed to 'vulva,' as many of the drivers are total twats."

As for idiots, I prefer the term "ass twinkie." "assclown," or if they do something extraordinary... "twinkle-toed fuck pixie"

[AdvancedFlea]

As for idiots, I prefer the term "ass twinkie." "assclown," or if they do something extraordinary... "twinkle-toed fuck pixie"

Generally, if we are at work, you will hear somthing in our tech centre being said quite often "And the dumb-clever balence of Wendesbury has been restored" a phrase first used by Ade when I did somthign stupid. damned if I can remember what though.

[bean]

Okay, I'm a yank, never been outside of North America, and even *I* know that British plugs have fuses.

Granted, I got some UK computer equipment awhile back complete with the original cords (in my case all of it works fine on 120V/60hz, just had to change the cords).

[orpheuswaking]

Now the only problem is that all my friends here in the States say Twat as "Twot" whereas being from the UK myself I say it "Tw-At"... My GF here has finally figured out how to say it properly

Now we are working on C**t...

[edible_hat]

Unless my eyes deceive me (and granted, staring at a monitor for the last 3 hours while at work may mean I am), but aren't those 2 letters saying the exact same thing??

The letters should have said "Milligna" in keeping with the original joke. Over-zealous/undereducated sub-editors changed it to "Milligan". One of the retractions was also "corrected".

[Samaliel]

So they "corrected" the original statement, which included the famous typo, thus losing the joke, and then issued an erratum which also was "corrected", thus losing the joke again and having the erratum saying the exact same thing that the original statement ?

That's hilarious !

[edible_hat]

So they "corrected" the original statement, which included the famous typo, thus losing the joke, and then issued an erratum which also was "corrected", thus losing the joke again and having the erratum saying the exact same thing that the original statement ?

That's hilarious !

Yep, that's pretty much what happened. They finally got it right when they issued another erratum saying the first erratum was erroneous.

[BaristaTrav]

I had the same problem while touring the UK with my band. But I, being a yank, had an excuse. About 20 mins before a show (you're lucky if you get that much time to soundcheck if you're an unsigned, touring band) my bass amp wouldn't power up. After a good 10 minutes of freaking out and damn near taking the whole power section of the amp apart someone says "have you tried the fuse mate?" I looked at him like any incredulous American would, then he explianed, and sure enough, dead fuse in the plug. Quick run to the electronics store, problem solved just in time, show goes on. But what was that guy's excuse? Was he an electrician back during Churchill's reign?