Column 8
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday November 12, 2008
"LAST Friday, Bev Peters asked how dipthongs (or joined vowels) could be created on today's computer keyboards," writes Greg Williams, of Tweed Heads. "As an aside, few dipthongs are written with joined vowels - eg, the ou in out is a dipthong but the vowels are not joined. However, for what it is worth, joined vowels such as the oe in foetus can be created in most word processor programs by the contortion of holding down the three Ctrl-Shift-& keys and tapping the O key. Likewise the ae in encyclopaedia with a similar contortion of holding down Ctrl-Shift-& and tapping the A key." Sounds too much like work to us.
"A blackboard leaning against the front of a corner shop in Coffs Harbour advertises FROZEN ICE," writes Julie Weckert, of thereabouts. "It would certainly be easier to handle than melted ice." More from our "It was Ever Thus" desk: "Earlier today, while searching through the old Index To The Sydney Morning Herald for work (I am a research assistant) I came across the following article," writes a diligent Marie McKenzie, of St Ives. "I think it rates a mention, given the latest fracas over kids' bus passes: 'School children boycott a bus service because of increase of fares.' It may not look like anything out of the ordinary but the date was May 7, 1929.""OK, I admit it," writes a suitably chastened Eric Scott, of Paddington, "The patron saint of Aberdeen is St Nicholas. Interesting, as us west-of-Scotland folk were taught that there was not much of the spirit of Christmas in the north-east, with sayings such as the streets being 'as empty as Aberdeen on a flag day', or the story that copper wire was 'invented by two Aberdonians fighting over a penny'.""Having worked at the Sydney Opera House, I can advise that in fact there are no rows 'I' or 'O' in any of the theatres there," writes Waverton's Mark Reisman (Column 8, yesterday). "This is to avoid any embarrassing confusion between the almost adjacent Rows 'J' and 'Q', especially if the theatres are almost in darkness, when the lights have gone down but people are still entering. I went to a performance of Priscilla at the Lyric Theatre recently and the same situation applies - no rows 'I' or 'O'.""I feel duty bound to introduce an Australian flavour to the celebratory names discussion," writes Richard Clay of Adamstown Heights (Remembrance Day names, Column 8 since Monday), noting that great-uncle Centennial Joseph Clay was born in Granville on April 3, 1888. "My wife refused me an opportunity of a family tradition when our daughter was born in 1988. I thought Bicentennial had a certain ring to it."But this, surely, is the worst of the worst, if Ken Knight of Hornsby can be believed. It is so awful that we have our suspicions, but it must be passed on, as an example of imperial patriotism gone mad: "My mother had a friend who bore - with commendable stoicism - the names Dardanella Kitchenerette."Column8@smh.com.au(no attachments please).Phone 9282 2207 fax 9282 2772. (include name, suburb, daytime phone)
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald