Tag Archives: humour

The ‘Open-(Ahem)’

Posted on March 31, 2021 by JMN

The polite, socially acceptable name by which it’s currently known is the medlar. But for the best part of 900 years, the fruit was called the “open-arse” – thought to be a reference to the appearance of its own large … Continue reading →

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Title Alert. Who Is Which?

Posted on February 19, 2021 by JMN

The ear was pricked by news that the Duke of Edinburgh was in hospital. Her Majesty is being kept closely apprised. The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall are on the scene. (The Duke of York’s whereabouts is presently unreported.) The … Continue reading →

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‘You Have No Authority Here, Jackie Weaver’

Posted on February 6, 2021 by JMN

… I was momentarily stirred to hear there were some handbags between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer in one of parliament’s corridors after prime minister’s questions on Wednesday… According to some reports, the Labour leader was “puce” and “rattled”… I … Continue reading →

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Away with Wayward Words!

Posted on January 30, 2021 by JMN

In a dispute with the EU, AstraZeneca’s CEO insists their contract requires only “best reasonable efforts” to meet delivery schedules. Lawyers disagreed over the language of the E.U. contract, which was only partly made public.(Steven Erlanger and Matina Stevis-Gridneff, “E.U. … Continue reading →

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Transitioning

Posted on January 19, 2021 by JMN

(c) 2020 JMN

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Tom, Dick, and Harry

Posted on November 9, 2020 by JMN

There was a fun question in my daily Spanish Quora: ¿Existe en inglés el equivalente a “fulano, mengano y zutano”? The consensus in the answer thread was that “Tom, Dick and Harry” was the closest equivalent. I’m reminded of my … Continue reading →

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Backages & Shortlogs

Posted on October 22, 2020 by JMN

The Guardian reports a crisis fermenting in South Korea: cabbage for making kimchi has run short. Its link to the intrepid cowpoke fleshing street-level USA will not be obvious, but an old snatch from Finnegans Wake helps connect the dots: … Continue reading →

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The ‘Tintanic’ Runs on Octopower

Posted on October 19, 2020 by JMN

I have a fictitious acquaintance with the Chichester locale via Sir Alistair Chichester of Chichesterton-upon-Hogg. There’ll always be a Britain in my fancies. (c) 2020 JMN

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‘Whenever I Feel Bad…’

Posted on October 6, 2020 by JMN

Whenever I feel bad, I go to the library and read controversial periodicals. Though I do not know whether I am a liberal or a conservative, I am nevertheless enlivened by the hatred that one bears for the other. In … Continue reading →

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Fiendish Moderator (!)

Posted on October 2, 2020 by JMN

“Everyone agrees Tuesday’s debate was a train wreck. A major contributing factor was the moderator Chris Wallace repeatedly interrupting to try to help Joe Biden.” Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R) (c) 2020 JMN

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