A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum

[oddoneout]

If you want to discover a date you might like to try 'Classic FM Romance' (or whatever it's called).

Available also in many retail outlets - often in company with nuts - especially as we approach the Feast of Conspicuous Consumption at year's end...

[french frank]

If you want to discover a date you might like to try 'Classic FM Romance' (or whatever it's called).

Not that sort of date!

[Pulcinella]

From the Guardian, in a report about an altercation between two passengers at Heathrow:

A Heathrow source told the Sun: “With the US presidential election so close, tensions are sky high. Airline crew could not run the risk of a full scale punch-up at 30,000ft.

[Pulcinella]

I've just tried to contact Co-op Funeralcare to book an appointment to sort out pre-paid funeral plans for me and my partner.
The conversation ended with the person in Manchester giving me the local telephone number and saying: Take care now!
Shouldn't they be wishing the opposite?
Or maybe he meant just until we'd paid for the plan.


(Double discount this month for Co-op members: I already am, but my partner joined too, for £1, to save £50 off the plan.)

[kernelbogey]

A propos.... At the beginning of lockdown I was at the pharmacy collecting my prescription and had a brief word with the pharmacist about something. I thanked her and said goodbye, to which she answered 'See you on the other side'!. 'WHAT?' I said, involuntarily loud: she and all the staff cracked up laughing.

[vinteuil]

A propos.... she answered 'See you on the other side'!. 'WHAT?' I said...

... I understand a current class-marker is -

"he passed" definitely non-U
"he passed away" just about acceptable
"he died" - obviously the right, U, formulation...

.

[kernelbogey]

Does conducting lead to long life? Thoughtful piece in the Guardian today. (But not quite worth a new thread, I think.)

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/21/does-conducting-keep-you-young-herbert-blomstedt

[kernelbogey]

I am sometimes irritated by feeble Sun-style 'puns' in the Guardian. But this was a cracker;

A review by Andrew Clements of a new recording of Hasse: Serpentes Ignei in Deserto (Erato) was headed Snakes on a Plain.

[Serial_Apologist]

A short while ago, I was complaining to our gardener about the dearth of decent Christmas cards and calendars on sale this year.

"Where do you go for yours?" he asked.
"The Fox bookshop" I told him.
"You mean The Crow?"
"Yes" I said, "Sorry - wrong bird".

[french frank]

To the local caff With Down and Out in London and Paris: the caff always reminds me of one of Orwell's neighbourhood bistros. I order tócsni with sour cream, asparagus and grated cheese. Afterwards I always finish with a palinka and I decide that if Dori asks me which palinka I want with my coffee I'll say 'Pear, please'; but if she says 'Apricot?' (my favourite) I'll say, Yes, please. She asks which flavour I would like, so I say 'Pear, please'. She arrives with my coffee. 'I'm afraid we don't have pear so I've brought apricot.' Really, as long as I don't have to decide...