A few words from Fowler

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Dec 18th, 2000, 02:06 PM

wes fowler

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A few words from Fowler

I hope you can cope with the following trope. READING(GB) this WURDING(D) WIL(CH) give a STICKLER(A) for detail a FITFUL HEAD(GB), BUT(I) THEREA(GR) no TYPPOs(S), I'm TELLIN(B) you. EYE(GB) just wanted to take the TIMETO(I) OFIR(P) my BEST(NL) wishes for the holiday season and also SOM(H) travel advice, for what it's WORTH(A) . Let me START BAY(GB) hoping it's of SOMME(F) interest and value, SUCHACZ(PL): KANYA(H) try to keep your FIGA(CS) TRIM(IRL) and THIN(F) so as not to SULLY(F) the reputation of us UGLIA(YU) 'mericans? Drive carefully, no ziggin' and ZAGAN(PL) through traffic. A RECKE(D) CANNES(F) lead to a PANG(D) and to COURT(CH). RECZ(PL) cause PANES(E) and PANI

CH). Take a TRANE(S) instead. If taking TOURS(F), remind the TROUP HEAD(GB) once a WEEKE(GB) that it's TIMETO(I) do THE WASH(GB). There should be washing machines and driers with ZLOTs(YU) to accept coins. If you find your travelling companion, DAD(H), Mom, daughter, SONNE(S) or STUDEN(CH) to be SUCHA(PL) pain, SONDERHOLM(DK) on the next plane, even if they have to travel STRANDBY(DK). It's no big DEAL(GM), and a HELLA(IS) va lot better than putting up with that ILK(H). I hope you never hear the SOUND OF SLEAT(GB) or encounter RAIN(D). I hope you PACK(A) light, your feet don't TIER(D) and you find a super STORE(N) with NICE(F) souvenirs on the CHEAPSIDE(GB).

Dec 18th, 2000, 02:20 PM

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

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Wes, you are a genius--great stuff !

Dec 18th, 2000, 05:25 PM

Dr. Betty

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Is there some hidden meaning here? Is this one of those word puzzles that's supposed to sharpen your thinking skills? Bob and Wes, you are both geniuses. Dr. Betty

Dec 18th, 2000, 05:58 PM

SharonM

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Dr B. I'm such a coward. I was thinking the same thing, but since I caught onto a few things, thought I'd let it ride... hmmmm.... GB = Great British D= Deutch? CH- Chilean A= Aussie or A** I= Italian or Ireland it goes on, and I am, indeed, a bit confused by some (ie. PL would sound something completely diff. to me...) wow, wes. I'm just happy I understood the letter! back attya!

Dec 18th, 2000, 06:21 PM

Polly Glott is lost

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I feel a little DOMME (Fr), but I wanna PISA (It) the action, too. Let MESSINA (It).... What can I say? CHANIA (Gr) explain it to me, maybe?

Dec 18th, 2000, 06:25 PM

Rex

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Just as with bandwidth, I sense that you are serious about not knowing the codes for European countries - - can that be right? I ought to resist this smart-ass question, but - - you HAVE been to Europe, right? Wes is just speaking in the names of actual places, and yes, you are partly right. GB = Great Britain D = Deutschland (Germany) CH = Confederatio Helvetica (Switzerland - - you remember all thos Latin-speaking Swiss, don't you?) A = Austria (since not enough people would recognize "Ö" as in Österreich. S = Sverige (Sweden) I = Italia GR = Greece, though by the same logic above, it should be "epsilon lambda" - - as in Ellas P = Portugal NL = Nederlands H = Hungary, (not "M" for Magyar). F = France, which we spell the same way as they do! PL = Polska CS = I am going out on a limb here - - is this one a typo for CZ, the Czech Republic? or was "CS" = Czechoslovakia - - before the velvet revolution? IRL - Eire, the Republic of Ireland YU - who knows what this stands for now - - the country that Belgrade presides over - - Serbia and MonteNegro, or Jugoslavija, or whatever you want to call it. DK - Danmark And of course, he didn't use any places from: E - España FL - Fürstentum Liechtenstein MC - Monaco RSM - Repubblica San Marino N - Norge (Norway) I am leaving a few off this list intentionally, so someone can come along and be a bigger know-it-all than me...

Dec 18th, 2000, 06:37 PM

Polly Glott is annoyed

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You're right, Rex: you should have resisted the urge to be patronizing. Why should we necessarily to know country codes, or bandwidth names, or acronyms for agencies and accounting principles, or e-mail jargon, or anything but real, full words and names? Anyway, the real challenge is coming up with the place names.

Dec 18th, 2000, 06:42 PM

SharonM

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oh guys!!! what a haute! ah, yes... bandwidth... As an informed nerd, yes, Rex. I WAS (just) "kinda" serious... (thanks for bailing me out. again.) Polly, as usual, you shame me! I seem to have a bad case of writer's cramp, or something... don't worry, i'll come up with some clever repartee(F?) soon...

Dec 18th, 2000, 06:55 PM

Polly Glatt again

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Hate to be a PEST(H), and hate TOULOUSE (F) PATIENCE (FG), but this still isn't quite CLARE (IRL) to me.

Dec 18th, 2000, 07:45 PM

#10

Rex

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Umm - - why should we know "real full words and names?" Are you suggesting that Deutschland is not a real full name? Or Fürstentum Liechtenstein? These ARE the real full names of those countries, and the codes used on cars, websites, and who knows what else - - it's not just trivia - - it's real live geographic literacy. There are plenty of relevant similar examples of poor American geographic literacy about our own country, too. AR is NOT Arizona CA is NOT Canada (though .ca is) NE is NOT "New England" ON is NOT Oregon I have seen employees make all these mistakes. The intended recipients would not have appreciated their way-laid mail.

Dec 18th, 2000, 08:33 PM

#11

Sue

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Speaking of waylaid mail, my Provence friend seems unable to cope with NV, not to mention numbers, always addressing letters to Las Vegas, USA. Somehow they manage to get here. (Guess no one thinks of Las Vegas, NM.)

Dec 18th, 2000, 09:02 PM

#12

Dr. Betty

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I have spent hours deciphering this code, only to come back and find everybody haggling over a bunch of initials. Well here is what I have figured out. Take the prefix of every third word (WORLD) and the suffix of every sixth word (SENSE)and combine them in a sentence. Print it out and place it in front of a mirror where the reflection (VISION)will reveal the secrete message (MASSAGE). If you are unable (HANDICAPPED) to print it out, record it into a tape recorder and play it backwards (TURN-A-BOUT). Now, isn't that amazing?

Dec 18th, 2000, 09:25 PM

#13

Holly

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Dr. Betty: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the explanation! After agonizing about the meaning of all this for hours now, I can finally go to sleep. I wasn't sure of just what it was that I saw in the mirror, but... (that's kind've a daily thing anyway...).