Dave to the Grave

I glad you feel better deadsox. I feel terrible. I've never been so insulted in my life. I even left the bit out about rounders being a girls' game for fear of being called childish and sexist.

No need to apologise. It is about a game, played for the most part, with the feet, and a ball, given the most logical and beautiful name, 'football'. (A bit like how marine biologists call a blue fish, a 'blue fish', a shark that looks like it has a hammer for a head, a 'Hammer Head', a fish that can fly, a 'flying fish', etc.,) It's full name is association football, from which, somehow, the abbreviation, 'soccer', comes from. This was sometimes used to distinguish it from Rugby football, (named after the school in England it supposedly began in). Even the French are happy to use the 'Anglo' term, Rugby, to describe what is considered the national team game, since after all it was the original name. This has nothing whatsoever to do with the very popular in America, American sport, called football, where contact with the foot is very rare. We kick it sometimes. Very true. It is the lack of imagination that America seems to have applied to naming this game that is so amazing. A new adapted version of the English game of Rugby football is developed. What do they call it? Did they name it after the college it was first played at? Did they name it after the place it was first played. No, they gave it the same name as another, possibly the most popular, game in the world. I think America did a great job of adopting, adapting and renaming the English game of rounders, a game with a ball and bases became, 'baseball'. Brilliant.

What with Johnny Hallyday becoming Belgian, and Renaud moving to London, soon there will be no 'French music scene'. No great loss there then. Some things are better imported, if the source is a good one. Stick to what you are good at .

I suppose ordinarily for me the obvious choice would be three of these, but tonight it would be: Life's a Gas - T. Rex Sweet Gene Vincent - Ian Drury and the Blockheads Give Up the Funk - Parliament Funkadelic

No need to apologise. It is about a game, played for the most part, with the feet, and a ball, given the most logical and beautiful name, 'football'. (A bit like how marine biologists call a blue fish, a 'blue fish', a shark that looks like it has a hammer for a head, a 'Hammer Head', a fish that can fly, a 'flying fish', etc.,) It's full name is association football, from which, somehow, the abbreviation, 'soccer', comes from. This was sometimes used to distinguish it from Rugby football, (named after the school in England it supposedly began in). Even the French are happy to use the 'Anglo' term, Rugby, to describe what is considered the national team game, since after all it was the original name. This has nothing whatsoever to do with the very popular in America, American sport, called football, where contact with the foot is very rare.

It will probably be the Atlantic diet and lifestyle. Them being Portuguese and all.

I think you'll find its pronounced 'pedont' I think you'll find it's "it's" not "its". I think you'll find that the period goes inside the quotation marks, not outside. I think you'll find that is a stylistic difference between correct English and North American English. When, and why, has the 'full stop' stopped being a 'full stop', and turned into a period? In English, when I come to a 'full stop' at the end of a sentence, I have a 'full stop', not a period.

Not for long at the rate she zips in and out of rehab, one of those doors is like as not to slam hard on her heels and send her for a fatal spill.

Doctor Legg. (Leonard Fenton)

Brad Pitt!

Having just read one of One Shot Paddy's recent posts, I noticed his new signature. This got me thinking about the Pogues, and who actually wrote the 'worm song'. It would appear that it is an old children's song, my favourite version being:- The Hearse Song- Don't ever laugh as the hearse goes by, for you may be the next to die. They'll wrap you up in a big white sheet, and put you down about 6 feet deep. So all goes well for about a week, and then your coffin begins to leak. The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, the worms play pinochle in your snout. They eat your clothes, they eat your hat, they crawl in skinny, they crawl out fat. They eat your eyes, they eat your nose, they eat the jelly between your toes! Your stomach turns a slimy green, and pus pours out like whipping cream. You spread it on a slice of bread, and that's what you eat when you are dead! Anyway, the site I found this version on turns out to cater for the hearse enthusiast., and on hearse collection one is a hearse called 'the Banshee', which may cheer him up a little after being 'passed over' on the 'Monkey' awards.

Le squid

I first discovered that word when trying to discover the 'hidden' meaning (ie something to do with toilets) in Kenneth Williams' character, the 'Khasi of Kalabar'.

Naughty squid would however appear to be quite common. Oh dear.

M. Papon not a well man. Click on the France section if you are interested. Edit: I have just found a separate Papon thread. My apologises. Perhaps a moderator would be good enough to move it to that thread when they get a minute.

Star Crossed, why don't you try joining The George Melly Forum. There's hardly anyone there, a total post count of over ten is excessive and no one's posted in days. I believe I am in fact the most prolific poster on said forum. It really is that slow. If you do join, remember to take a torch. There are of course other 'Melly Fora' out there. Brighter and equally economical with posts.

Wait, France was in World War I? No way! Just to put the record straight, the French mobilized 7,500,000 troops during the first world war and lost 1,385,000. Many of the bloodiest battles were fought on French soil, perhaps partly explaining their reluctance to enter into a further round of slaughter. Also, may I add that the French lines often had the most success in moving forward during key battles. Then again, they would have had very little to do with Douglas Haig. an oldie but a goodie (and not a Jade Goodie, either) http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/france.html Whilst on the subject, a few examples of acts of bravery can be found here. None of which, I fear, will be made into a Hollywood Blockbuster.

What's an IOM? I've heard of IHOP but never IOM....... IOM is up and a bit over to the left of the IOW. I hope that helps.

George Melly's mother was also Jewish.

What do you mean? If you need to ask Millwall, you're probably driving one. I'm sure he mentioned working in the BBC canteen. That figures. Moonlighting on the cabs with licence payers' money. There is a hint of 'mini-cab', about some of the exchanges on here. A while back I hit on the idea of Deathlist Taxis to put this to some profitable use.

I think I have just seen my favourite link. This one by Godot. Not only that but I now have a new hobby.

Military might is not always enough. Vietnam for example.

Too true, TF. I have spelled it incorrectly in the past, and have etched the word on my forhead with a rusty nail just so that I never do again. My head is hung. You've made many a spelling mistake too, I believe... On your where? Spelling mistakes, we all make them.

So why have you taken the trouble to register? Oh and may I add this Charming Man to the not so famous list http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6201292.stm Very good Monoclinic. Whilst I enjoy a 'Smiths' based pun as much as the next man, (next charming man in fact), j'en ai marre with reading the same links.

Still some life left in the old jazzman.