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paulb Offline OP
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I'm fascinated by today's citation: how does one "secure a contestant's seat"? Is this a phrase in common usage? And why is this a prime pursuit of trivia buffs? Is it, perhaps, a reference to some adhesive (like "Tarzan's Grip" here in Australia)? Do tell, please.


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Carpal Tunnel
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I think it's just a reference to the latest American TV craze, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?". Each new player in this most trivial of all trivia games is chosen from a pool of ten (seated in a bunch off on the side of the stage) through the stratagem of being the quickest to answer one (1) question. So just to qualify for this 1 in ten opportunity, you have to "secure a contestant's seat".

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jmh Offline
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The phrase used here from the same programme is taking over the everyday vocabulary here. Here's an example from my daughter's school, only last week.

Usual school scene - teacher notices boy staring blankly into space. She asks him if he knows the answer to her last question. Realising that he hasn't heard the question he looks to his friends for a clue. He gets no help. Panic. Facing his desperate situation he thinks hard. A smile crosses his face as he asks the inevitable question ...

(what happened next?
- answers by e-mail to this site)


#1767 05/01/00 10:35 PM
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stranger
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"...can I use a life line ????"


#1768 05/01/00 11:27 PM
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journeyman
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More likely "can I phone a friend?" and does he then get his mobile phone out.


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journeyman
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Talking of Australian adhesives do you still have a brand of sticky tape called Durux?


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I guess you mean Durex, Philip, and yes, it still exists and remains something of a problem for OzPersons shopping in the UK.

rgds, lusy


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journeyman
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'Durux' what a silly typo or is my unconscious to embarrassed to ask for condoms. There's a brand of paint called Dulux which features an old english sheep dog in it's adverts (has done for decades) these are now referred to as durex dogs in my family since an unfortunate slip by my sister many years ago.


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Carpal Tunnel
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this thread begs two questions (sorry, couldn't help myself :)

1) Oz? Australia? Old Zealand?? some *other imaginary place?!
2) this Durex stuff, is it anything like 'Duct tape'?

thanks, in advance

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#1773 05/02/00 07:56 PM
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jmh Offline
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dogtide

Good try - nearly right but you stop at only £250,000.


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