The Serious Question Thread

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21st January 2007, 20:21
Brown, Jon Brow

I thought that it was because it's population represented that of a city more than a town :s

I can't be that difficult to put a new sign up :rolleyes:

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=...&scene=7692512
(move right a bit ;) )
21st January 2007, 20:28
Hazell B

Can't get the link to work (my computer's fault, link's probably fine) but from what I remember Preston's the Uks newest city. Perhaps the sign is on order .... it took our new town signs a year to turn up :(

Then they went rusty :p :
21st January 2007, 20:32
Brown, Jon Brow

Is this rollcoaster still the biggest in Europe ?

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=...&scene=7590968
(say if you can't get the link to work)
21st January 2007, 20:36
tin-top fan

neither if those links work for me, come up with some kind of search engine instead...
21st January 2007, 20:42
Brown, Jon Brow

Balls!!!! :mad:

It works for me :s

If you were wondering what the links are, it was a 3D map of Preston around the town hall, and the other was a 3D map of Blackpool pleasure beach showing the Big One :)
21st January 2007, 21:34
LiamM

Worked for me!
21st January 2007, 21:46
fandango

Quote:

Originally Posted by LotusElise

I don't mind the alternative vowel sounds really, but there are a couple of Americanisms that do do my head in. The one I'm thinking of now is aloominum for aluminium. There's almost a whole syllable missed out.

Aluminum is the original spelling.

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/aluminum
21st January 2007, 22:25
McLeagle

Yup, English (American, Canadian, Aussie, etc) is strange. Why just this arvo I was trying to explain all this to a friend of German descent - words like rough and through and dough for example. After a while he just looked at me and said...

"I'm thruff, I've had enoo" and went to the icebox for another lager.

And of course, his Vauxhall has tyres, whereas my Chevy has tires; his motor is under his bonnet and my engine is under the hood. Mind, he has a hood too, because his car is a drophead coupé; but on my convertible, I just put the top down - it folds into a compartment in front of the trunk. His goes in the boot. But a friend of ours drives a 'coop'! :) ... except at work where he drives a truck - a trailer truck, no less (a 'semi' - {sem-eye} - for short). Or is that an articulated lorry? At least it's not a garbage truck ... sorry refuse lorry ... ah.... rubbish...... ;)

And whether it's 'zebbra' or 'zeebra', why the hell is a marimba with wood blocks a xylophone - although I have heard people call it an eggs - eye - low - phone. As someone above said... I have no idee-er!!

Cheerio, tata and all that rot.
21st January 2007, 22:38
LeonBrooke

Quote:

Originally Posted by LotusElise

The one I'm thinking of now is aloominum for aluminium. There's almost a whole syllable missed out.

I hate that one too :s and "nooculer" for nuclear. It can't really be that hard!!!!!
21st January 2007, 22:44
Rollo

Quote:

Originally Posted by harvick#1

so here a couple,
why do they call it a TV set when you only get one?

Because like a cutlery set or tea set, it's made of several components. Although you can buy them seperately if you really want to, you'd probably look a right dill for doing so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by harvick#1

why do we call them apartments when they are all stuck together?

Look at the word silly billy! Apartment: to separate, set apart; all from Latin ad + pars, partis, part etc. Each apartment is a room in a building or a division in a house, separated from others by distinct partitions. They are apart from each other. Otherwise they'd be merely rooms.

Quote:

Originally Posted by harvick#1

why do we call tehm buildings when we have already done building them?

The word Building has two uses; one is a verb the other is a noun. Think about this another way by means of this exercise:
Please explain what the verb catting means?
21st January 2007, 22:51
McLeagle

Then again, I've seen just as many (or perhaps more) Brits write/type 'would of" (could of, should of, might of, and even had of) instead of WOULD HAVE, or would've.

IMO, that's worse than Mr. Bush's ^^ 'noo-cue-ler' (still can't figure out why someone hasn't taken him aside and given him a slap upside the head to straighten him out - he looks so pathetically stoopid ;) when he says it).

Cheers
21st January 2007, 23:09
LeonBrooke

I agree actually. You expect better from Britons but no one expects anything from the president.
21st January 2007, 23:44
Skid Marx

Just a guess...

But I'd say the reason us Yanks pronounce so many things differently than the Brits is that we lack the "interesting" dentition so common among the English! :cheese:
22nd January 2007, 00:11
Gannex

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brown, Jon Brow

Why does Preston CITY council, operate in Preston TOWN hall ? :s

Any Yorkshireman knows this one. It's because Preston is in Lancashire, and Lancastrians always have had a funny way of doing things. This is proof.
22nd January 2007, 00:21
Mark in Oshawa

I say Colour and Honour....and Labour. I figure as a Canadian, Iam always caught in a time warp. I sound like a Yank to you Brits up to a point, but spell like the Brits. Of course, to a Yank they make fun of my "accent". This is huge considering Canadians pretty much have the same accent coast to coast with the exception of a few words in the Maritimes and then the Newfies...geeze....they and the Quebecois butcher the language!!!!!
22nd January 2007, 00:38
Gannex

From: The Department of Pedantry
To: Persons considering living in Yorkshire

Dear Stakeholder,

We are informed that you are considering migrating to Yorkshire. Please be aware that some Yorkshire people, in addition to their strange, borderline incomprehensible accent, also speak in dialect, meaning they use completely different words for things, a lot of things, far more things than you will probably be able to keep track of without. . . .

. . .the "Dep't of Pedantry's Official Yorkshire to English Dictionary". You will not need the "English to Yorkshire" part because all Yorkshire people understand standard English; our Huddersfield office also reports that hearing Southerners try to speak in Yorkshire dialect has, in a few cases, caused nervous breakdown. So please, don't try it. It's not worth the risk.
22nd January 2007, 00:45
Gannex

If power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, where does that leave God?
22nd January 2007, 09:49
Hazell B

Quote:

Originally Posted by McLeagle

Then again, I've seen just as many (or perhaps more) Brits write/type 'would of" (could of, should of, might of, and even had of) instead of WOULD HAVE, or would've.

There's no excuse, it's because they're idiots who can't work their own language :mark: Much like all the simple English messes we see here every day - they're/there/their, your/you're, capitals in the middle of sentences for no reason at all, etc.

We all make mistakes of course, but some just can't be bothered learning their own grammar :rolleyes:
22nd January 2007, 10:10
Brown, Jon Brow

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gannex

Any Yorkshireman knows this one. It's because Preston is in Lancashire, and Lancastrians always have had a funny way of doing things. This is proof.

Yeah, well tenchically i'm not a Lancastrian :o

Also, while we are picking faults with different peoples accents, why to people from East Lancashire (around Blackburn) say extra words that are not needed.
E.G "I like that I do me" instead of saying I like that
22nd January 2007, 18:54
schmenke

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa

...the Quebecois butcher the language!!!!!

Whereas Quebecers might feel that the rest of Canadians completely butcher at least one of the official languages ;)
22nd January 2007, 19:07
viper_man

What is a symbian series phone?

What other series' are there?

What series is my phone (SonyE K750i)?
23rd January 2007, 10:54
Brown, Jon Brow

Has anyone had 15 minutes of fame???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonatha...her/student%29
24th January 2007, 15:33
Brown, Jon Brow

I've always wanted to know what types of cheese are popular in different parts of the world?

I asume verieties such as Brie, Mozerrella, Edam and Parmesan are popular every where. But do they have Cheddar in America? Wensleydale?, Stilton?

Do thay have Lancashire cheese in South England?
24th January 2007, 15:37
Donney

In Spain it is Manchego you can ask donkey he'll tell you a lot about it :D
24th January 2007, 15:46
schmenke

Chedder is probably the most popular cheese in America :dozey:
24th January 2007, 17:54
Hazell B

Quote:

Originally Posted by schmenke

Chedder is probably the most popular cheese in America :dozey:

Is that what they put on MacDonalds? :p :
24th January 2007, 20:28
donKey jote

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donney

In Spain it is Manchego you can ask donkey he'll tell you a lot about it :D

yep :D

although my favourite is Flor de Esgueva :facelick:

now you made me hungry :s

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_3_166.gif
24th January 2007, 22:03
Hazell B

Quote:

Originally Posted by donKey jote

although my favourite is Flor de Esgueva

You do realise the animal fats in it will probably kill you, a herbivore of the ass persuasion? :dozey:
(seriously, a good way to top a real donkey for the insurance money is feed it sausages or cheese!)

Now for my question of the day.

If all snowflakes are really totally different shapes, why? I mean, why are they all different? What's the reason, the point and how in hell did anyone discover it?
I know nature's a wonderful thing, but isn't she just making work for herself with the snowflake thing? :confused:
25th January 2007, 11:35
Donney

Quote:

Originally Posted by donKey jote

yep :D

although my favourite is Flor de Esgueva :facelick:

now you made me hungry :s

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_3_166.gif

I remember a delicious Flor de Esgueva we had at home this Christmas.... now it's all great memories. :D
25th January 2007, 14:53
Drew

Is Portuguese just medieval Spanish?
25th January 2007, 22:26
donKey jote

That's a bit like asking are humans just million year old chimps :p :
26th January 2007, 20:52
Brown, Jon Brow

RAF versus USAF

Which would win in a dogfight?

a) Spitfire versus Mustang

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/types/uk...I/spitfire.jpg
http://www.mustangsmustangs.net/p-51.../ww2/H.ww2.jpg

fight b) Eurofighter versus F-22

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/e...urofighter.jpg
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-22_2.jpg
28th January 2007, 06:56
LeonBrooke

Spitfire, beats every other plane.

Except the Eurofighter.

Which is beaten by a Ferrari F2004 ;)
28th January 2007, 13:13
Donney

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew

Is Portuguese just medieval Spanish?

No it isn't it is a different language with the same origin. Having said that it is fairly easy for both nations to understand each other language.
28th January 2007, 21:07
jso1985

like English and American :p :
28th January 2007, 21:14
Mp3 Astra

I have another couple of important questions.
1. Why do most trains and buses have vertical fronts? Surely if they were streamlined they'd be a lot more efficient!
2. Why, when you fall over, do you cut yourself but not make a hole in your clothes?

I need to know :D
28th January 2007, 21:38
Gannex

1. Because the designers considered that the gain in fuel efficiency is not worth the loss of interior cabin space.
2. Because your clothes themselves, by scraping against your skin under pressure, inflict the injury.
28th January 2007, 21:46
Mp3 Astra

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gannex

1. Because the designers considered that the gain in fuel efficiency is not worth the loss of interior cabin space.
2. Because your clothes themselves by scraping against your skin under pressure, inflict the injury.

Thanks very much. I know it makes me sound stupid but hey, that's what this thread is all about!
It's a shame that the answer to question 1 is true, I mean they didn't give planes flat, vertical fronts now did they? :p :
28th January 2007, 21:53
Brown, Jon Brow

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mp3 Astra

It's a shame that the answer to question 1 is true, I mean they didn't give planes flat, vertical fronts now did they? :p :

That could be because no matter how cost effective it is, if you put a flat front on an aeroplane it won't fly ;)

Some trains habe streamlined fronts, Bullet Train, TGV, Pendalinno's even Mallard!!

http://www.burnsall.n-yorks.sch.uk/i...2003%20(4).jpg

P.S What is better?
i) Spitfire v Mustang
ii)Eurofighter Typhoon v F-22 Raptor
28th January 2007, 21:57
Gannex

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mp3 Astra

Thanks very much. I know it makes me sound stupid but hey, that's what this thread is all about!
It's a shame that the answer to question 1 is true, I mean they didn't give planes flat, vertical fronts now did they? :p :

Not exactly, no, but they do offer aircraft with varying degrees of slope to the front. For example, Cessna make a model 172, with a fairly upright windscreen, and also make a model 177, with the same engine, but a more sloping windscreen. The relatively flat-fronted 172 sells better, because, although its top speed and fuel efficiency are worse than the 177's, the cabin is more spacious. Buyers prefer the 172's space over the 177's efficiency and speed.

Every design is a compromise.

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