More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)

[Ozzyjack]

If I am right, the expression quite often ends with the word "on" added.

I'm not sure I'd add "on" at the end but as we've found our before these sayings do vary slightly sometimes.

Hi Pen,

I've found the same thing with your last rebus where the expression I am used to, has a "too" added on the end . Google has both our versions.

I think I have found a logical explanation.  When I was at school, they still taught Grammar and one of the things taught was "you can't end a phrase/sentence with a preposition".  A lot of people still treat that as a rule rather than a general advice not to be followed if it leads to an awkward construction. In the case of our two idioms, they just leave the preposition off.

When Winston Churchill was chastised for ending a sentence with a preposition, it is claimed he wittily responded, "This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put." Churchill's retort illustrates that attempts to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition can be laboured and ludicrous.

A humble suggestion.  Quotes should be between quote and /quote in square brackets.  So, if you modified your post by inserting a / in each second quote statement, it would present better.

Breakfast is served so I will return later. 

P.S.  My keyboard is playing up and putting some random characters in for "  and ' , mostly ?.  I hope I've corrected them all.

[ridethetalk]

P.S.  My keyboard is playing up and putting some random characters in for "  and ' , mostly ?.

This has been happening to me as well when copying/pasting from a word document - may be something to do with fonts??? Just a guess...

PS. "More or Les (was Bloody Plurals)" is now 600 pages long!!! (Hat tip to our dearly departed Les.)

[Maudland]

If I am right, the expression quite often ends with the word "on" added.

I'm not sure I'd add "on" at the end but as we've found our before these sayings do vary slightly sometimes.

Hi Pen,

I've found the same thing with your last rebus where the expression I am used to, has a "too" added on the end . Google has both our versions.

I think I have found a logical explanation.  When I was at school, they still taught Grammar and one of the things taught was "you can't end a phrase/sentence with a preposition".  A lot of people still treat that as a rule rather than a general advice not to be followed if it leads to an awkward construction. In the case of our two idioms, they just leave the preposition off.

When Winston Churchill was chastised for ending a sentence with a preposition, it is claimed he wittily responded, "This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put." Churchill's retort illustrates that attempts to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition can be laboured and ludicrous.

A humble suggestion.  Quotes should be between quote and /quote in square brackets.  So, if you modified your post by inserting a / in each second quote statement, it would present better.

Breakfast is served so I will return later. 

P.S.  My keyboard is playing up and putting some random characters in for "  and ' , mostly ?.  I hope I've corrected them all.

Just noticed that I had some very strange characters substituted for an apostrophe (in the 7BM chat) - ?? and TM which I can?t even add myself? And I don?t get to choose a font, typing on my iPhone. If it?s taking over and sending coded messages, at least it?s ? not ? I suppose?

[Maudland]

😂

Looks like question marks are taking over the world. 😶‍🌫️

[Ozzyjack]

This has been happening to me as well when copying/pasting from a word document - may be something to do with fonts??? Just a guess...

I had a look at my Word draft and there was no problem.  I had thought it might be the keyboard I was using, a standard UK US keyboard. It apparently only happened when I copied the post to the forum or when the text is actually posted to the web site.

I cant replicate the problem with preview , so I will post this and see what happens.
?? ?? ? 

That isolates where it is happening - after the message has been posted.

However if I then modify the message   " '' "' and save it.

The problem does not appear, so it confirms that the problem only occurs when the characters were first typed on Word.

The other question is I nearly always draft on word for posts of any length and I have not noticed it before.  Why now?

I don't have the technical knowledge to see if it something to do with the fonts, so unless somebody can come up with a solution, we will just have to work around it.

P.S.  It is not only a Word problem.  I tried text generated by IOS Notes.  It converts apostrophes to question marks too.

[ridethetalk]

The problem does not appear, so it confirms that the problem only occurs when the characters were first typed on Word.

The other question is I nearly always draft on word for posts of any length and I have not noticed it before.  Why now?

I concur with you in your sleuthing, Jack, exactly the same happens for me: apostrophe (') get changed to ? and sometimes "’"; the long dash, likewise and the ellipsis to "…" and I also performed that preview test with similar results...

Could there have been an update to the coding of the forum that has elicited this weirdness??? I don't know what forum app is being used but that would be my first port of call...

[Hobbit]

A humble suggestion.  Quotes should be between quote and /quote in square brackets.  So, if you modified your post by inserting a / in each second quote statement, it would present better.

Hi Jack

I followed your instructions and it does look much better.  Thanks

I had a few random question marks in one of my previous posts.  Thought I'd totally lost the plot and went back in and put things right.  It hasn't happened since.

It's perishing cold again today.  I've managed a small walk but the wind was biting

I cooked up a bit of a storm in the kitchen this morning
For my tea later I'm having the

#5 #6 10 (#6 +#4) #7 #3



Please change the fourth letter of picture three and discard the last four letters.  How is the dog in picture five known? - not it's proper name!  One homophone.  It's deliberately split into two parts.

       

That's all from me

[TRex]

The problem does not appear, so it confirms that the problem only occurs when the characters were first typed on Word.

The other question is I nearly always draft on word for posts of any length and I have not noticed it before.  Why now?

I don't have the technical knowledge to see if it something to do with the fonts, so unless somebody can come up with a solution, we will just have to work around it.

P.S.  It is not only a Word problem.  I tried text generated by IOS Notes.  It converts apostrophes to question marks too.

Do you have an option to turn off 'smart quotes'? All software (AFAIK) can handle ' " quotes, but some software will convert those to things like ‘ ’ ‛ “ ” ‟ which some software doesn't handle (I'm betting those won't appear correctly so will attach an image of them.)

[Ozzyjack]

Test of turning off smart quotes.  "  '  '  ''

Hi TRex,

As you can see, it worked liked a charm.  Thank you.

For others having the problem, here is how I turned off smart quotes on my version of word.

On the File tab, click Options.
Click Proofing, and then click AutoCorrect Options.
In the AutoCorrect dialog box, do the following: Click the AutoFormat As You Type tab, and under Replace as you type, clear the "Straight quotes" with Smart quotes check box. ...
Click OK.
Click Ok again

[TRex]

You're quite welcome. Glad to be able to help.

[Ozzyjack]

Spoiler Alert

Pen’s rebuses 15/1

Pen’s rebuses 14/1

My rebus  14/1

Pen’s rebus 13/1

My rebus  13/1

Date reflects the author’s time zone.

[Ozzyjack]

Hi Pen,

Today's post is a bit of a curate's egg. Hopefully not that some of it is good and some of it is bad but that some of it will have humour that will tickle your fancy and make you laugh but also a rebus which may even bring a tear to your eye when you listen to the song.  I will leave you with a John Williamson song which I guarantee will lift your spirits.

click here for The Washington Post Annual Neologism Contest

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Australia’s colonial history is characterised by devastating land dispossession, violence, and racism. Over the last half-century, however, many significant steps towards reconciliation have been taken.

In a just, equitable and reconciled Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children will have the same life chances and choices as non-Indigenous children, and the length and quality of a person’s life will not be determined by their racial background.
Our vision of reconciliation is based and measured on five dimensions: historical acceptance; race relations; equality and equity; institutional integrity and unity.

These five dimensions do not exist in isolation, but are interrelated. Reconciliation cannot be seen as a single issue or agenda; the contemporary definition of reconciliation must weave all of these threads together. For example, greater historical acceptance of the wrongs done to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can lead to improved race relations, which in turn leads to greater equality and equity.

Truth Telling is an essential part of Historical acceptance.  A song made popular by a great Australian, Ted Egan AO, teacher, folk musician and Administrator of the Northern Territory from 2003 to 2007 and John Williamson AM, who you are becoming familiar with, has an element of that truth telling.

3 #7  #3

One line; one homophone. Definite article not pictured.

Picture 1. The cattle are important but the men are your focus. Add an apostrophe for the rebus.
   


Click here for Old Man Emu

[auntiemo]

Thanks Ozzyjack!
I had never heard, or heard of, the song. I have now listened to 3 version (2 x Ted Egan plus 1 x John Williamson).  The variety of things that we pick up from you never ceases to amaze me. Please keep this "stuff" coming.
Moyra

[Hobbit]

Today's post is a bit of a curate's egg. Hopefully not that some of it is good and some of it is bad but that some of it will have humour that will tickle your fancy and make you laugh but also a rebus which may even bring a tear to your eye when you listen to the song.  I will leave you with a John Williamson song which I guarantee will lift your spirits.

Hi Jack

It was a smashing post - a real mixed bag.  You were quite right about the songs - one made me howl with laughter and the other brought a tear to my eye.  I totally agree with Moyra - it's amazing the stuff we learn from you

This is what your spoiler post looked like to me.  Is that a problem with the computer I'm using?

Pen’s rebuses 15/1

Pen’s rebuses 14/1

My rebus  14/1

Pen’s rebus 13/1

My rebus  13/1

I'm going to lunch in a moment (ham & tomato sarnies Linda.  So cold wish it was soup!) Hopefully I'll be back this afternoon with a proper post.

[Hobbit]

I'm Back Jack

I've moved on from grub for my rebus today.  It's a nineteenth century painting that hangs in the National Gallery. 
 8 (#4 + #4) 10 (#4 + #6)


Please lose the last letter of picture one.  Picture two is a homophone.  You need to change the first letter of the bear in picture three and lose the last letter.  You might be at a bit of a disadvantage with this picture but the rest is so easy it shouldn't be a problem.

       

Nearly home time hurrah