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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
MWC: Etymology: alteration of godfather Date: 1575 1 : an old man -- compare GAMMER 2 British a : FOREMAN, OVERSEER b : EMPLOYER 3 : a head glassblower 4 : a lighting electrician on a motion-picture or television set probably unrelated to gaff http://members.aol.com/tsuwm/
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 460
addict
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OP
addict
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 460 |
Shorter Oxford gives 'gaff' as any public place of amusement … popular theatre, a music hall (mid C18 -- and also known as 'penny gaffs') so there may be a link with the entertainment industry -- perhaps the 'gaffer' (foreman) was in charge of the tape.
P L Fermor: Peasant girls, bewildered gaffers with tangled beards [punctuation is correct!]
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
This is the kind of gaffer tape I have always used in the theatre - it is a bit cloth-like and tears easily - good for holding coils of LX stuff, comes off easily when you need to uncoil them. I've not heard of duct tape - is it the same stuff that I would call insulation tape? - usually in thin rolls, you can use it when joining wires together, presumably because it has good insulating properties.
Funny for a nation which is so sure about "goat cheese" to use "gaffer's tape" when we say "gaffer tape" - there just ain't no logic with some folks!
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
A little trivia relating to the tv programme.
I hear that the insurers of the American version were thinking of pulling the plug on it as they thought the questions were too simple. Didn't someone win $1,000,000 on a really easy question???
My US friend thought the UK version (unlike most of our television which she finds quite soporific) was much better - Chris Tarrant is very genuine - he makes the programme spin out to it's required length by offering contestants plenty of opportunities to change their mind but he does really appear to want them to win. No-one has won £1,000,000 yet, so it looks as if he's keeping the insurers happy.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
The site has been accessed 32491 times
Sad!
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4
stranger
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stranger
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4 |
The host of this program in Australia is a guy with his thumb in many, many, MANY different media and television pies. He stretches out telling contestant whether they are right or not to such an extent that it becomes truly painful. I don't think he cares if they win or not, because he is still getting paid... alot!
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
>The site has been accessed 32491 times I'm a little surprised it's that low -- the Red Green Show is arguably Canada's most popular current TV export. keep your stick on the ice... http://members.aol.com/tsuwm/
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 13
stranger
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stranger
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 13 |
Painful is praising this guy up.
One thought I have about WWTBAM is why do they "ask the audience" or "phone a friend" and then ignore their advice? Seems like a waste of a lifeline to me...
Having said that, I didn't know that The Spanish Riding School was in Vienna...
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 13
stranger
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stranger
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 13 |
...and another thing: the Aussie host has an annoying pronunciation difficulty where he pronounces the double L as a W... "miwionnaire". It drives me absolutely batty. It's an Australian thing, I think, and also a South Australian accent where they do it as a matter of course.
Kinda like some other Aussies who say "shtreet" for "street" or, worse, "Aushtraya" (3 syllables)for "Australia" (4 syllables).
I will put my soapbox away now...
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