alaimacerc

Admittedly to a "random thoughts I had while watching TV" standard of research.

Watching a couple of QIs recently (new one on the Beeb, old one on Dave), it occurred to me that our genial and witty host, The Plummiest Man in Britain, was an interesting example of non-rhoticity in "English English" (as distinct from varying degrees of "weakness" of the "r" in English English, as one might informally describe it).  Saying "round", he distinctly rolled the initial r (I assume mainly for emphasis, or said plumminess); in "Borgia", he did the same (on the basis of it being Italian, of course).  But "poor" he pronounced as a near-homophone of "paw", give or take a vowel shade -- no r sound at all, being entirely assimilated into the preceding vowel.

I'll have to watch a few more to see if that's his usual r-sound, or if he just rolls (geddit?) it out on special occasions.  For science!  (And shits and giggles.)

( gloss )

Wow, what a final.  Could have made -- or lost -- a fortune "day trading" on the odds for that match, as it progressed.  Definitely mixed feelings about the outcome: happy that Federerererer has broken the Majors record, and has gone back to #1 (boo-hooing in the Balearics!);  sad for Roddick, who's played out of his skin both today and on Friday, and may have missed his chance to win Wimbledon (or maybe even another major).  I think he's assured himself of a place in the "classic repeats" reel, if nothing else.

Stephen Fry splurge continues:  I just sneaked in under the "listen again" cutoff for I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Clue (which annoyingly, doesn't work under Fedora -- seems to be a lose-lose proposition with BBCi stuff at the moment, between player requirements and IP-locking!)  I especially enjoyed "The Devil Wore Primark", Slayer's "Evil Has No Boundaries", to the tune of "Wonderful Copenhagen" ("Thank you, Graeme, you have pleased the Dark Lord."), and perhaps most close to home, Boardo ("17 the hard way."; "'Scuse me, how long is this supposed to take?";  "It says on the box 5-7 years.")

Whether here continues to depress.  I'm sure it makes it that bit worse to be watching people basking in sunshine in SW19.  There was about a minute or so during which there was shun here, and shade there, but that was about it.  I think I saw a little shiver of clear skies predicted on the BBC forecast for Monday and Tuesday in the extreme SW of Ireland, but I'll believe it when I see it.  Right now we have sun...  and lots of rain.  Though just as I press "post", I see some blue sky, and signs of drying up -- woo-woo!

Earlier today, I was looking for stuff online for the Nokia N-97 (which looks very nice, if one has a ton of money to throw at fancy tech gadgets In These Times), and found a page quoting an approving Stephen Fry twitter.

Flipping onto "Miriam" this evening, they had on the multiply improbably "The Duckworth-Lewis Method" (Irish supergroup making a concept album about cricket?).  And herself quoting...  an approving Stephen Fry twitter.

Did SF recently get elevated from National Treasure to Cultural Supreme Leader?  I must have missed that meeting.