Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[un barbu]

Shouldn't that be 'Wee Laddies' and 'Wee Lassies'?

Too twee, I suspect, even for the people who run the mall (and a possible slur on Caledonian manhood to boot.)

[Pulcinella]

The main 'shopping mall' in my native dorp labels its lavatories as being for 'Laddies' and 'Lassies'.

A fairly posh restaurant here in York picks up the Viking theme and has labelled its loos Hengists and Horsas.
Despite the added symbols on the doors (can't remember exactly: helmets and breastplates perhaps) it took me a fair while to 'get' it (I hadn't realised that the words were plurals, for one thing!).

[un barbu]

A fairly posh restaurant here in York picks up the Viking theme and has labelled its loos Hengists and Horsas.
Despite the added symbols on the doors (can't remember exactly: helmets and breastplates perhaps) it took me a fair while to 'get' it (I hadn't realised that the words were plurals, for one thing!).

"Memorable among the Saxon warriors were Hengist and his wife (? or horse), Horsa." To quote the greatest ever book of British history.

[Pulcinella]

"Memorable among the Saxon warriors were Hengist and his wife (? or horse), Horsa." To quote the greatest ever book of British history.

Oh! Have I mixed up my Saxons and Vikings?

I might be misremembering the actual labels/names: I'll check next time I'm in town.

[Richard Tarleton]

"Memorable among the Saxon warriors were Hengist and his wife (? or horse), Horsa." To quote the greatest ever book of British history.

Indeed. In real life more likely brothers - but definitely not Vikings - they were Angles, Saxons or possibly even Jutes, who landed, correctly, at Thanet.

cf Monmouth, the indiscriminate son of Charles II who landed incorrectly in Somerset and was easily defeated....

[un barbu]

Oh! Have I mixed up my Saxons and Vikings?

I might be misremembering the actual labels/names: I'll check next time I'm in town.

I wasn't correcting you in any way, just referencing '1066 And All That.' I have almost completely forgotten the Old and Middle English I learned for my degree some fifty years ago so am in no position to pontificate on this period. That said, I don't regret reading 'The Seafarer', 'The Wanderer' and 'The Dream of the Rood' in the original.

[vinteuil]

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... words that set my teeth on edge currently?


. immersive


. scoping



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[Pulcinella]

I wasn't correcting you in any way, just referencing '1066 And All That.' I have almost completely forgotten the Old and Middle English I learned for my degree some fifty years ago so am in no position to pontificate on this period. That said, I don't regret reading 'The Seafarer', 'The Wanderer' and 'The Dream of the Rood' in the original.

Not taken as a correction; don't worry!
My brain is addled (I'm blaming it on all the noise from workmen in the house); I think the Ladies might be Hildas, but still don't recall who the Gents are!

Has history come to a full stop yet?

[vinteuil]

I think the Ladies might be Hildas, but still don't recall who the Gents are!

... if the women are Hildas, might the men be Bedes?

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[Pulcinella]

... if the women are Hildas, might the men be Bedes?

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That would be good, but I think I would have twigged sooner if so.
Hope to be in town on Wednesday so will try to drop in and check (if only for my own sanity!).

[alycidon]

While we are on the subject, what’s all this nonsense with the word ‘colleague’ for shop assistant? It’s a bit pretentious iMHO when ‘assistant’ or ‘member of staff’ would surely suffice.

[Stanfordian]

While we are on the subject, what’s all this nonsense with the word ‘colleague’ for shop assistant? It’s a bit pretentious iMHO when ‘assistant’ or ‘member of staff’ would surely suffice.

In some places work colleagues are now referred to as 'workplace associates'.

[un barbu]

... if the women are Hildas, might the men be Bedes?

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Bedes would be very acceptable given that none of the the Wave of Egg-kings (Eggberd, Eggbreth, Eggfroth etc) succeeded in becoming memorable.

[vinteuil]

Bedes would be very acceptable given that none of the the Wave of Egg-kings (Eggberd, Eggbreth, Eggfroth etc) succeeded in becoming memorable.

... the Venomous Bead (author of The Rosary).


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[Dave2002]

In some places work colleagues are now referred to as 'workplace associates'.

Or coworkers. I sometimes wonder what orking a cow is!