#60575
03/11/2002 4:33 AM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
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#60576
03/11/2002 5:17 AM
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 477
addict
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addict
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 477 |
word
[chuckle-e]A desperate attempt, huh W'ON? 
Well, I can turn this into a word post yet... What about the word "post"... Why do we say "posting" something here? Is it purely because we're "mailing" information?
Ok, so it may not be the most challenging of questions, but it's a response... unless - of course - you didn't want a response? W'ON?
Hev
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#60577
03/11/2002 1:00 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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A word post could be a mile marker with something other than numbers on it.
Or a kiosk. Wouldn't that be a word post of sorts?
Or graffiti? That's a word post.
And isn't it interesting that ord is found both in word and sword? But not so interesting that it's found in ordinary.
An unoriginal writer could be described, however, as being wordinary; and a precictable, unthreatening foe in the days of duals coule have been described as being swordinary.
Then there's cord and cordinary and ford and fordinary and, oh, lord and lordinary...
Best regoreds,
WordWordinary
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#60578
03/11/2002 1:35 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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post and posting is not just mail.. Post No Bills was one of those phrases that 'got to me' as a child..
post =mail (actually, it equaled the gernund, mailing) no (a negative) Bills (payments do to utilities and stores)
why would someone go to the effort of stenciling that on a fence? why shouldn't i mail off payments for money owed to utilites? and beside a fence wasn't a post office or post box-- so why the sign?
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#60579
03/11/2002 1:57 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Helen:
It was a spooneristic warning not to do drugs:
Boast No Pills
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#60580
03/11/2002 2:01 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819 |
a precictable, unthreatening foe in
the days of duals coule have been described as being swordinary.
No, WW, a dual would be matrimony; I think you meant duel.
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#60581
03/11/2002 2:13 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear Geoff,
I sure did mean duel! Thanks for the correction.
Best regards,
WordWounder
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#60582
03/11/2002 2:33 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear Faldage: I am sure you will be thrilled to learn that no pills are to be had these days. Pills were made by tolling such things as ground up medicinal leaves.What we have now are compressed tablets. In Pharmacology, we had a real oldtimer prof who had us make ancient medications, such as aloe pills. Thereby hangs a tale. In toxicology we had to learn tests to identify medications, particularly poisons. Some of the lazy slobs in the class were seen tasting of things instead of doing the chemical tests. So, to show them the error of their ways, he gave a "Practical Exam" in which we were supposed to identify medications made by a previous class. Among them were some quarter inch roundish dark brownish objects from which fibers stuck out a bit. The wise guys tasted them, but could not tell what they were The rest of us did the chemical tests, which were negative. The only ones of us who really knew what they were were the few of us country hicks who knew a rabbit turd when we saw one. Were the wise guys mad when they too late found out.
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#60583
03/11/2002 2:37 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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no pills are to be had these days
So what are all those things I take morning, noon and night?
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#60584
03/11/2002 3:13 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Pills were made by taking a little gob of goo and rolling it between both palms, and setting it aside to dry.
What you have are compressed tablets, capsules, caplets, etc. Of course there are some disagreeable people called pills because they are so hard to take. Present company excepted, of course.
To be sure only superannuated old fogeys like me make the distinction any longer.
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#60585
03/11/2002 3:21 PM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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#60586
03/11/2002 3:25 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 13,803 |
Pills were made by taking a little gob of goo...
And silly used to mean blessed.
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#60587
03/11/2002 3:27 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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noun
If you think you can end this as easily as you started it you've got another think coming.
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#60588
03/11/2002 3:30 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear wwh,
Why would those students have tasted things that could have been poisonous?
The rabbit pill story is another great one! What did those chemical analysis tests tell you about the rabbit pills?
Goose pills look like burnt cigarettes, by the way. I would have recognized goose pills in your class!
Best regards,
DubDabbler
PS: Doesn't the verb "to pill" mean to roll something up into a ball?
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#60589
03/11/2002 4:10 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 866
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 866 |
Been meaning to post this for ages - thanks for the reminder:
I know a pillock is a dolt - but why???
(Have never been able to find it in the dictionary}
stales
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#60590
03/11/2002 4:58 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Sear Stales: maybe a "pillock" has a brain the size of a pill.
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#60591
03/11/2002 5:02 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Forgive me another yarn. When American troops first landed in Africa, a Boston tabloid published a picture of some GIs going past a telephone post which bore a sign: "Defense d'afficher". The tabloid said this meant "Defense of Africa". It actually means "Post no bills".
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#60592
03/11/2002 5:32 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I'll forgive you that one, Dr. Bill, if
In The Big One (WWI, but we din't call it that back then, we called it The Big One) we were in our trenches about 100 yds from the Huns. The Huns made a sign that said Gott mit uns, obviously taunting us (it was a cold winter that year and we were up to our ganooglies in icy water). Well, not to be outdone, we made a sign and held it up. It said We got mittens, too!
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#60593
03/11/2002 5:35 PM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 4,189 |
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#60594
03/11/2002 5:44 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Good bless you is what we always say when someone sneezes
but i suposse you are sneezing..
hope you feel better soon.
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#60595
03/11/2002 5:59 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 13,858 |
But as the little girl said, "Daddy, Gesundheit hurts!"
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#60596
03/11/2002 6:08 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear WW: Cheetos are the byproducts of the Geese that lay the Golden Eggs.
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#60597
03/11/2002 8:34 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 3,409 |
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#60598
03/11/2002 8:56 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Yeah, like Max said. I think of physically posting on a bulletin board.
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#60599
03/11/2002 9:25 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 11,613 |
I don't have a post--I just wanted to use that subject title before Geoff or Ted got here!  (Uh, gee, have I plagiarized this, I wonder?) [furrowed brow]
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#60600
03/11/2002 10:00 PM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
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#60601
03/11/2002 11:25 PM
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 2,605 |
[post] post
What faldage said. [/post]
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#60602
03/11/2002 11:28 PM
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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post
Sports challenge to Sparteye: basketball uses the terms high post, low post and post play. Why was the word "post" used?
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#60603
03/12/2002 12:29 AM
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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dangling participle Can somebody please 'splain me this? I think that was one of the brain cells I kilt on my 18th birthday. Didn't think I'd need it. Still don't but now I'm curious
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#60604
03/12/2002 1:03 AM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819 |
I don't have a post-
Ooohhh, I'm resisting tempatation to mention post hole diggers, but, not being a gynecologist, I shall.
Lonely Geoff, the auger-not
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#60605
03/12/2002 1:05 AM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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dangling participleDang it all, Connie! I was going to post the danglin'est participle you ever saw! Now you went an' ruined it all for me!  And broke me out of my scheme here too! only you, Connie, only you Although any misplaced word, phrase, or clause can be said to dangle when it hangs loosely within a sentence, the term dangling is applied primarily to incoherent verbal phrases and elliptical clauses. A dangling modifier is one that does not refer clearly and logically to some word in the sentence. [example of dangling participle: Taking our seats, the game started.]So, see Connie? You can have a dangling participle, a dangling gerund, a dangling infinitive, and even a nice dangling ellipitcal clause! Does that clear it up for you? Sheesh! Now that I'm waxing serious with the word discusssion here, I might have to paste this thread over to Q & A! or clause can be said to dangle when it hangs loosely within a sentence Perhaps, dear Connie, you have the (ahem) background to clarify this statement for us? Or is that hangs loseley, moosick?  Halloo! Never thought you'd hear that echo from the past again did'ja? Now back to my "word post" theme....
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#60606
03/12/2002 1:09 AM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 819 |
noun
No, not noun; later, at which time your present tense will be relieved, and you'll again relax with a satisfied dangling participle, your present imperative having been satisfied. Thus shall you anticipate a future perfect.
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#60607
03/12/2002 1:12 AM
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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So THAT'S what I've been doing all these years!  Talking away, people look at me funny sometimes. What they have really been thinking is "There she goes, dangling that [insert grammatical term here] again. Groan!"
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#60608
03/12/2002 1:37 AM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Yes, Connie...now that you mention it, I have been meaning to tell you this...[whispering in the ear-e] Your, uh, gerund is dangling.
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#60609
03/12/2002 1:40 AM
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 2,636 |
Gerund? I thought he was off in the Seychelles this week.
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#60610
03/12/2002 1:40 AM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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No, not noun; later
How noun, broun coun?
Noun back to my "word post" theme...
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#60611
03/12/2002 3:38 AM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289 |
Well, here's another one of those opportunities to reply to two different postings at one time (I always think I risk being called a pedantic nitpicker or vice versa if I post one reply and then another back to back).
Anyway, Helen, "post no bills" refers not to the kind of bills you pay, but to handbills, which are printed posters or notices, which used to be always plastered up on any convenient surface. You don't see them much anymore, since there are now better ways to advertise a prizefight, or a going-out-of business sale, etc.
Dr. Bill, re pill rolling. I was brought into this vale of tears and treated for my first 12 or so years by an old homeopathic MD (and I mean old -- when I was 8 years old, in 1947, his daughter, a medical missionary, retired at the age of 67 or so -- old Doc Hartmann was a graduate of Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia, a very well-known homeopathic institution, where my mother went to nursing school, and given his age he must have graduated before 1890 and he was still practicing in his late 80's) and he always rolled his own pills in his office. They were the usual homeopathic "pellets" -- very tiny pills with a base of sugar. You always went home with pills; if you really didn't need any, I believe you got plain sugar pills. [Early use of the placebo effect?] You didn't swallow these pills with water; you put them under your tongue until they melted. I believe this is part of the theory and practice of homeopathic medicine, for which I have considerable respect; after all, it worked for my grandparents, parents and myself.
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#60612
03/12/2002 11:09 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
You don't see them much anymore,
You do over here, byb - they're known as "fly-posts" and those who put them up are "fly-posters." It is usually against the local bye-laws to do this, and the police will stop you and report your name to the local council, who will then prosecute you - but only if they catch you. Therefore, you have to be "fly" to get away with it.
It is a method of advertising much favoured by fringe political groups who are staging demos or public meetings, but is also used by lesser known pop-groups and folk bands as a cheaper way of advertising. (it's only cheap if you have volunteer labour, incidentally - it needs three to fly-post: one to ut the paste on, on to slap the poster on the wall and one to watch out for the police!) You have to be quick - a case of noun or never perhaps?
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#60613
03/12/2002 12:55 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 5,400 |
well i know what a Bill is now, bob.. but the notice facinated me as child.
and NY still has plenty of constructions sites with the post no bills notice, and even more covered with bills.
alternate rock band, or fly by night telephone services.. and X rated clubs.. (a lot of real kiosks and other legit places to post won't accept add for X rated clubs.. so they post illegally!
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#60614
03/12/2002 1:14 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Dear wwh,
I thought and thought and thought what you must mean by Cheetos and the Goose that lays the golden eggs--and finally got it!!!
You're absolutely correct! Cheetos are the exact shape of goose droppings! Finally my brain is working again! What joy!!!
Best regards,
WordWiser
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