Loonytoons Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 I'm now hoping it's the way "just about" has changed over time! In football commentary I've heard "he just about got that ball off the line" when he did get the ball off the line. Maybe clarification, [mention=60257]Loonytoons[/mention] ?This is correct. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velo army Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 1 hour ago, Estragon said: Or is it 9 of 10? It's from Roman times, iirc. To instil discipline by fear 10 centurions would be picked at random and 9 would kill unlucky number 10. I think I century was divided into ten groups of ten known as a decimus. That latter part could be utter shite as it's been years since I did any kind of reading up on them (or whether they made a positive impact on countries they invaded). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 (edited) On 17/04/2022 at 12:21, coprolite said: I particularly like his essay on drinking tea. Absolute scorn for the use of teabags or taking milk. Big caveat on some of his non-fiction: it has a lot of fiction in it. Although (modern) tea bags had been around since 1903, apparently they weren't introduced into the UK until 1953. Eric Blair died in 1950. Very Orwellian... Edited April 18, 2022 by Jacksgranda Grandma 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coprolite Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 57 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said: Although (modern) tea bags had been around since 1903, apparently they weren't introduced into the UK until 1953. Eric Blair died in 1950. Very Orwellian... "Fifthly, the tea should be put straight into the pot. No strainers, muslin bags or other devices to imprison the tea." 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DA Baracus Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 1 hour ago, velo army said: It's from Roman times, iirc. To instil discipline by fear 10 centurions would be picked at random and 9 would kill unlucky number 10. I think I century was divided into ten groups of ten known as a decimus. That latter part could be utter shite as it's been years since I did any kind of reading up on them (or whether they made a positive impact on countries they invaded). I believe it was just the regular ranker (chuckle) soldiers. Each century was (mostly) made up of cohorts of ten soldiers. Each cohort drew lots and the unlucky one had to be bludgeoned to death, using cudgels, by the other 9. The centurions had to watch on and live with the guilt and relief. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velo army Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 19 minutes ago, DA Baracus said: I believe it was just the regular ranker (chuckle) soldiers. Each century was (mostly) made up of cohorts of ten soldiers. Each cohort drew lots and the unlucky one had to be bludgeoned to death, using cudgels, by the other 9. The centurions had to watch on and live with the guilt and relief. Cohorts!! Thank you. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thane of Cawdor Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 3 hours ago, Bairnardo said: Is it your position that decimate should only be used if you are planning to kill 1 in 10 of a particular group of people? No, but it should be used to convey the concept of reducing by one tenth. Words are our primary means of communication, and if I am told that a population has been decimated, I will assume that is what is meant rather than its annihilation or some intermediate number. Similarly, if I am told that someone is a disinterested observer, I will know that they are neutral rather than bored. Brilliant is an example of creative use of language rather than a low level malapropism. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velo army Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 7 minutes ago, Thane of Cawdor said: No, but it should be used to convey the concept of reducing by one tenth. Words are our primary means of communication, and if I am told that a population has been decimated, I will assume that is what is meant rather than its annihilation or some intermediate number. Similarly, if I am told that someone is a disinterested observer, I will know that they are neutral rather than bored. Brilliant is an example of creative use of language rather than a low level malapropism. Tbh decimated has been used as hyperbole for ages, in the same way that if I witnessed a fight and said the fella pulverised him, you wouldn't assume that he'd literally turned him into powder. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loonytoons Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 Tbh decimated has been used as hyperbole for ages, in the same way that if I witnessed a fight and said the fella pulverised him, you wouldn't assume that he'd literally turned him into powder.Pretty much this. I know what decimated should mean but I also know that's not what actually happened when it's used. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamthebam Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 On 18/04/2022 at 13:43, DA Baracus said: I believe it was just the regular ranker (chuckle) soldiers. Each century was (mostly) made up of cohorts of ten soldiers. Each cohort drew lots and the unlucky one had to be bludgeoned to death, using cudgels, by the other 9. The centurions had to watch on and live with the guilt and relief. This should replace the penalty shoot-out to decide matches. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coprolite Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 People who say that other people should stop working at home because their office isn't busy enough 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clockwork Posted April 20, 2022 Share Posted April 20, 2022 I don't see the problem with using Orwellian or Kafkaesque or Quixotic without having read the books. The dictionary definitions do a fine enough job.I wonder how many folk alive who've used the word serendipity have actually readThe Three Princes of Serendip. Voltaire’s ‘Zadig’ (stories of fate), tells of a similar tale to the Three Princes of Serendip. I recall that I failed to understand the correlation between the story and the definition offered to us by an old School Master as to the meaning of the world Serendipitous. He explained a scenario where you might put on a Jacket that has been hung in the cupboard for some time, to find a crisp ten pound note folded in the breast pocket. A clear distinction between a fortuitous surprise finding (serendipity) and luck, in that the note was there all the time.It still didn’t make any sense with regards to the story of the blind camel, but seemed an agreeable definition so stuck with it.[emoji4] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Wilson Posted April 20, 2022 Share Posted April 20, 2022 9 hours ago, Clockwork said: Voltaire’s ‘Zadig’ (stories of fate), tells of a similar tale to the Three Princes of Serendip. I recall that I failed to understand the correlation between the story and the definition offered to us by an old School Master as to the meaning of the world Serendipitous. He explained a scenario where you might put on a Jacket that has been hung in the cupboard for some time, to find a crisp ten pound note folded in the breast pocket. A clear distinction between a fortuitous surprise finding (serendipity) and luck, in that the note was there all the time. It still didn’t make any sense with regards to the story of the blind camel, but seemed an agreeable definition so stuck with it. You're a blind camel. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raidernation Posted April 20, 2022 Share Posted April 20, 2022 You’re taking the hump! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted April 20, 2022 Share Posted April 20, 2022 5 minutes ago, Raidernation said: You’re taking the hump! No need to spit vomit! (apparently that's what camels do, was struggling to think of a camel pun ) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hearthammer Posted April 20, 2022 Share Posted April 20, 2022 26 minutes ago, welshbairn said: No need to spit vomit! (apparently that's what camels do, was struggling to think of a camel pun ) What about a drum-a-derry 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamthebam Posted April 20, 2022 Share Posted April 20, 2022 1 hour ago, hearthammer said: What about a drum-a-derry Big team found 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hearthammer Posted April 20, 2022 Share Posted April 20, 2022 2 minutes ago, tamthebam said: Big team found Could have posted foaties of camels' toes, but i'd probably get the same banning order doled out to numerous fils de Guillaume after the fete du bigots on Sunday - so i took the easy option 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Moonster Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 8 hours ago, welshbairn said: No need to spit vomit! (apparently that's what camels do, was struggling to think of a camel pun ) Googling for puns. Deary me welshy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 Big team founddromelondondary 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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