Pedants' Paradise

[Pulcinella]

A(nother) pedant writes: It's Polly Toynbee, actually.

Duly corrected.

But she is probably somewhat of a polymath, or would like to think that she is.

[LMcD]

Duly corrected.

But she is probably somewhat of a polymath, or would like to think that she is.

Polly and I were enthusing about 'Dead Ringers', as you do, following a broadcast of 'Any Questions' when David Willetts joined us and asked 'What's Dead Ringers?'. We both managed to keep a straight face as she enlightened him

[LeMartinPecheur]

a. With dependent genitive: Some part, portion, amount, etc., of something.

1876 E. C. Stedman Victorian Poets vi. 232 It must be acknowledged that somewhat of this applies to Tennyson's variations upon Theocritus.

b. Const. of with a positive adjective. Now rare.

1855 N. Hawthorne Jrnl. 10 Sept. in Eng. Notebks. (1997) I. iii. 317 Except somewhat of fantastic in the shape of the clock-tower.

c. = something n. 2c.

1868 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest (1877) II. 88 He was also somewhat of a time-server.

Thanks ff. I sit corrected, but shall personally stick to my own preferences on the matter because 'somewhat of' just grates!

[french frank]

David Willetts joined us and asked 'What's Dead Ringers?'

I'm surprised he didn't say 'What are dead ringers?' (It refers, in American horse racing slang, to a horse whose pedigree has been falsified, but which resembles exactly an animal they are intended to replace. Usually, a dodge to pull off some bet.

[Bryn]

What is this:

[french frank]

What is this:

A thumb tack?

[Bryn]

A thumb tack?

[Padraig]

it's a drawing pin

[Bryn]

it's a drawing pin

[french frank]

I thought you'd like that!

[oddoneout]

it's a drawing pin

It's an image of a drawing pin?

[Serial_Apologist]

It's an image of a drawing pin?

It has to be the first gold-plated drawing pin I've seen.

Which reminds me to moan about the fact that drawing pins of that shape seem to have become extinct; nowadays the ones readily available are more like tacks with little plastic handles in various colours. Try hammering them into firm wood and the handles just collapse, leaving the naked pin sticking out for the next person to catch themselves on.

[Bryn]

It has to be the first gold-plated drawing pin I've seen.

Which reminds me to moan about the fact that drawing pins of that shape seem to have become extinct; nowadays the ones readily available are more like tacks with little plastic handles in various colours. Try hammering them into firm wood and the handles just collapse, leaving the naked pin sticking out for the next person to catch themselves on.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exacompta-9-5-Drawing-Pins-Brass/dp/B00BYW95YK/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?dchild=1&hvadid=80745491412434&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=drawing+pins&qid=1601334095&sr=8-4-spons&tag=mh0a9-21&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyQkg1TlNSTVozUU1VJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDUwNjUzMTQ1MkNWUlozUEVUViZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTQ5OTU5M1U2NENXRDhORFhIVCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[oddoneout]

It has to be the first gold-plated drawing pin I've seen.

Which reminds me to moan about the fact that drawing pins of that shape seem to have become extinct; nowadays the ones readily available are more like tacks with little plastic handles in various colours. Try hammering them into firm wood and the handles just collapse, leaving the naked pin sticking out for the next person to catch themselves on.

They all look pretty when new.
I know what you mean about the faux map pins - I think they are intended for use with corkboards to make 'pinterest worthy' displays... I have a small board above my desk and the handle pins are quite useful, especially with my unhappy fingers, but for hammering lost keys posters to telegraph poles and suchlike jobs it has to be the proper metal pin. The last pot I bought came I think from Wilkinson, but I see that they could come with a grocery order as well

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/298692789

[Serial_Apologist]

On a TV ad on behalf of a property investment firm this morning:

"No negative equity guarantee".

It struck me that this could mean two opposite things:

1) This offer does not automatically guarantee that if taken up, you avoid the pitfalls of negative equity; or

2) This offer automatically guarantees that if taken up, you will not be subject to negative equity.

I wonder which it is!