Having written about my two favourite 'e' topics (Eurovision and Etymology) in previous bloglets, I was struggling to think of another one. Desperate for some inspiration I typed 'e is for' into an internet address bar and the first two suggestions for how to complete the sentence were 'elephant' and 'estranged'.
Alright then. I like a challenge.
Originally I thought I could write a story about an estranged elephant, but remembering my aim to keep bloglets short, I opted for a limerick instead.
Estranged Elephants
There once was a pachyderm from Fife
Whose snoring offended his wife
He tried to atone
By sleeping alone
But she killed him that night with a knife
Question: Do you have a favourite limerick?
Friday, 5 April 2013
Thursday, 4 April 2013
D is for Did You Know?
I've tried to check that these are correct, but my apologies if there are mistakes.
Did you know ...
... that 'dreamt' is the only English word to end with 'mt'?
Knowing this once earned me much respect from my team mates in a pub quiz. Don't think we won though. We only managed that once in three years of university.
... that 'stewardesses' is the longest word you can type on a keyboard with only your left hand?
You're trying it out now, aren't you?
... that the small pocket in the larger pocket of your jeans was designed for pocket watches?
Speaking of watches, if anyone wants to buy me this one I would be eternally grateful. It's worth a shot, right?
... that there are 31,557,600 seconds in a year?
Is it just me, or does that not sound like enough? (It is; I checked.)
... that Stephen Hawking held a party for time travellers but no one turned up?
Read more here.
... that the average person falls asleep in 8 minutes?
Unfortunately for my parents, I knew this one. I once used it as an excuse for getting up early on Christmas Day: "But I did try to go back to sleep! On average it takes 8 minutes to fall asleep, so I waited 8 minutes and was still awake, so I got up. Can we open presents now?"
Question: Do you have a favourite 'did you know' fact you'd like to share with the class?
Did you know ...
... that 'dreamt' is the only English word to end with 'mt'?
Knowing this once earned me much respect from my team mates in a pub quiz. Don't think we won though. We only managed that once in three years of university.
... that 'stewardesses' is the longest word you can type on a keyboard with only your left hand?
You're trying it out now, aren't you?
... that the small pocket in the larger pocket of your jeans was designed for pocket watches?
Speaking of watches, if anyone wants to buy me this one I would be eternally grateful. It's worth a shot, right?
... that there are 31,557,600 seconds in a year?
Is it just me, or does that not sound like enough? (It is; I checked.)
... that Stephen Hawking held a party for time travellers but no one turned up?
Read more here.
... that the average person falls asleep in 8 minutes?
Unfortunately for my parents, I knew this one. I once used it as an excuse for getting up early on Christmas Day: "But I did try to go back to sleep! On average it takes 8 minutes to fall asleep, so I waited 8 minutes and was still awake, so I got up. Can we open presents now?"
Question: Do you have a favourite 'did you know' fact you'd like to share with the class?
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
C is for Clangers
A clanger, according to google, is 'conspicuous mistake whose effects seem to reverberate.'
Question: What were your favourite 'documentaries' as a child?
It's also a mouse-like creature that lives on a planet similar in appearance to the Earth's moon. No, honestly.
In the late '60s/early '70s a documentary was made about these Clangers. As far as I'm aware, the documentary wasn't broadcast in many countries, so I thought I'd share an episode today. In this particular episode Tiny Clanger learns an important lesson about money.
Question: What were your favourite 'documentaries' as a child?
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
B is for Brits
During last year's challenge I didn't manage to visit every single blog, but the majority of those that I did were written by Americans. No surprise really since a lot of the A to Z hosting team live in the States (I think). So, assuming that most of you reading this are from the other side of the pond, I've decided to take it upon myself to educate you on how to be the perfect Brit. Because that's something you've been dying to learn. Obviously.
(To any Brits who may be reading, feel free to add to this list in the comments. Remember - stereotyping is fine if you're doing it about yourself!)
(To any Brits who may be reading, feel free to add to this list in the comments. Remember - stereotyping is fine if you're doing it about yourself!)
1. You must like tea.
According to the UK tea council, as a nation we drink 165 million cups of the stuff every day. With only 62 million of us living here, that works out at almost 3 cups per person per day. (In case you're wondering, we drink a measly 70 million cups of coffee a day.)
2. You must complain about the weather.
British weather could never really be described as 'extreme'. We don't have very hot summers; we don't have very cold winters, but give us a little more sun/snow than we're used to and we'll gladly go on about it for days.
3. You must never actually complain.
If someone cuts in front of you in a queue (and believe me, we take our queues seriously), you tut and mutter, you loudly point out their mistake to people around you, but you never, ever actually complain to them. Because that would be rude.
4. You must love 'u'.
Why have just an 'o' when you can chuck in a 'u' as well? 'Flavour', 'neighbour', 'colour' and 'humour' will just look more right to you.
4a. You must hate 'z'.
You avoid using 'z' wherever possible because you just don't trust it. (Incidentally, you must pronounce it 'zed', not 'zee'.) You must ignore the fact that 'recognise', 'organise' and 'realise' definitely sound like they should contain a 'z', and instead you must use an 's'.
And finally...
5. You must drive on the left.
Seriously, you'll cause accidents if you don't.
Question: What do you think makes a typical Brit?
3. You must never actually complain.
If someone cuts in front of you in a queue (and believe me, we take our queues seriously), you tut and mutter, you loudly point out their mistake to people around you, but you never, ever actually complain to them. Because that would be rude.
4. You must love 'u'.
Why have just an 'o' when you can chuck in a 'u' as well? 'Flavour', 'neighbour', 'colour' and 'humour' will just look more right to you.
4a. You must hate 'z'.
You avoid using 'z' wherever possible because you just don't trust it. (Incidentally, you must pronounce it 'zed', not 'zee'.) You must ignore the fact that 'recognise', 'organise' and 'realise' definitely sound like they should contain a 'z', and instead you must use an 's'.
And finally...
5. You must drive on the left.
Seriously, you'll cause accidents if you don't.
Question: What do you think makes a typical Brit?
Monday, 1 April 2013
A is for Aims
With one A to Z challenge under my belt, I'm starting my second attempt with a somewhat smug sense of confidence... It's okay folks. The situation is under control. I've been here before and I know what I'm doing. Everything is fine.
Give it a few days and the smug look will be long gone; replaced by panic and the distinct feeling of things-are-getting-out-of-control... Why oh why oh why did I sign up for this again? What the bloody hell can I write about for 'q'? People won't want to read this rubbish! What was I thinking?
So, in the meantime, before those nasty little imps Doubt and Despair creep into the picture, allow me to share my aims for this year's challenge so that, if you do decide to come back, you'll know what to expect. (Please feel free to mock these aims if you are reading this in the future, when it will be clear that I haven't managed to stick to them.)
- My bloglets* will be published each day at 9am GMT
- My bloglets will be as un-rambly as possible (though bear in mind the name of this blog)
- During the month, I will read and comment on as many A to Z blogs as possible
- My bloglets will not follow a theme
- I will try to make you laugh at least once while reading my blog
- Language will not get any more colourful than 'bloody hell'
- I will ask a question at the end of each bloglet. Don't feel obliged to answer it, but it would be nice to hear your thoughts!
Question: What are your aims for this year's challenge?
*bloglets is what I like to call individual blog posts. I've been doing it for some time now but it still hasn't caught on. I'm a slow trendsetter.
Give it a few days and the smug look will be long gone; replaced by panic and the distinct feeling of things-are-getting-out-of-control... Why oh why oh why did I sign up for this again? What the bloody hell can I write about for 'q'? People won't want to read this rubbish! What was I thinking?
So, in the meantime, before those nasty little imps Doubt and Despair creep into the picture, allow me to share my aims for this year's challenge so that, if you do decide to come back, you'll know what to expect. (Please feel free to mock these aims if you are reading this in the future, when it will be clear that I haven't managed to stick to them.)
- My bloglets* will be published each day at 9am GMT
- My bloglets will be as un-rambly as possible (though bear in mind the name of this blog)
- During the month, I will read and comment on as many A to Z blogs as possible
- My bloglets will not follow a theme
- I will try to make you laugh at least once while reading my blog
- Language will not get any more colourful than 'bloody hell'
- I will ask a question at the end of each bloglet. Don't feel obliged to answer it, but it would be nice to hear your thoughts!
Question: What are your aims for this year's challenge?
*bloglets is what I like to call individual blog posts. I've been doing it for some time now but it still hasn't caught on. I'm a slow trendsetter.
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