The Lemon Fool

"The octopus, the squid, the nautilus and the cuttlefish are some of the most amazing creatures..."

This was the starting line from Melvin Bragg this morning, introducing his panel to discuss cephalopods.

Isn't Radio 4 wonderful.

John

redsturgeon wrote:Isn't Radio 4 wonderful.

Yes, but I can't stand Bragg

Scott.

Melvyn Bragg could discuss a hole in the ground for an hour. But he still couldn't make it interesting.

redsturgeon wrote:"The octopus, the squid, the nautilus and the cuttlefish are some of the most amazing creatures..."

It's the sebbi blogged dose and sidus that bakes oggtopus and dautilus soud so distigtive. Dot to say, lurdid.

BJ

And John Humphrys is an overpaid windbag who should be put out to grass.

But I still love Radio 4.

Scott.

An octopus, is thin at one end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end and thick in the middle. According to panelist Ann Elk...formerly known for her expertise on the Brontosaurus.

John

redsturgeon wrote:An octopus, is thin at one end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end and thick in the middle.

Surely that's a septopus?

BJ

Biggles wrote:Melvyn Bragg could discuss a hole in the ground for an hour. But he still couldn't make it interesting.

My ex could sit in a hole in the ground all day (and the next day ...) and find a uniform layer of mud interesting.

(she's an archaeologist)

bungeejumper wrote:

redsturgeon wrote:An octopus, is thin at one end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end, thin at another end and thick in the middle.

Surely that's a septopus?

BJ

Just checking who was counting

Actually it was Long John Silverpus.

John

Maybe age is mellowing me or the fact that I actually got to meet Melvyn but I've quite grown to like him. I met him when I accompanied a friend up to Lancaster to see her mum, we accompanied said mum to cafe where she was meeting her friends one of whom turned out to be Melvyn's mum. Said Melvyn turned up at cafe and I must admit in the flesh, so to speak, he was much more palatable. Mind you I did enjoy his mum giving him a telling off for not getting his hair cut, looking scruffy the last time she'd seen him on telly and generally knocking him off his pedestal as all mothers do. Didn't find the octopussies and friends very interesting though but some of his other talks have been great especially when he asks a particularly daft question and the experts fall over themselves to put him right.
I too love radio 4 but can't stand Woman's Hour.

R6

I only heard the first 10 minutes or so, really interesting. But ..

Did anyone notice how Bragg, in the introduction to the programme, called them Kephalopods, and the lady then, within the same discussion, switched freely between Sephalopod and Kephalopod. Now perhaps there was an explanation towards the end of the programme, so if anyone heard it, I'd love to know.

Wiki lists both with Seph- first, but it comes from Greek so perhaps should correctly be Keph-.

Keph- or Seph- ?? Does anyone know definitively ?

mike wrote:Wiki lists both with Seph- first, but it comes from Greek so perhaps should correctly be Keph-.

Keph- or Seph- ?? Does anyone know definitively ?

It's just an average bit of word-mangling. Recently I've heard umbilical and umbil-eye-cal in the same programme. Not to mention cervical and cerv-eye-cal. (What is it with these medics, eh?)

I asked my friends Keph and Seph which was the right pronunciation of this word, and they both agreed that you can never be completely curtain either way.

BJ

bungeejumper wrote:
I asked my friends Keph and Seph which was the right pronunciation of this word, and they both agreed that you can never be completely curtain either way.

BJ

You can in Wales*.

DM

*There is no soft "C" in Welsh. And no j, k, q, v, x, or z either, although there are ch, dd, ff, ng, ll, ph, rh, and th, to make up for it

There is no soft "C" in Welsh. And no j, k, q, v, x, or z either, although there are ch, dd, ff, ng, ll, ph, rh, and th, to make up for it

So if “cephalopod” was a Welsh word, we’d be sorted.

At least we would if “ph” sounded like an “f” in Welsh.

madhatter wrote:At least we would if “ph” sounded like an “f” in Welsh.

Hey, mind your language!

--kiloran

They're at it again...today it's mushrooms.

Bragg is calling them fun guy (hard "G")

both experts are calling them fun jai (soft "G")

Opps a new expert is calling them fun gee (hard "G")

Just waiting for the fun jee ( soft "G")

John

redsturgeon wrote:They're at it again...today it's mushrooms.

Bragg is calling them fun guy (hard "G")

Why are mushrooms are popular at parties?
Because they're a fun guy to be with.

redsturgeon wrote:Just waiting for the fun jee ( soft "G")

I can tell you one thing for certain. You'll be waiting a long time for the bun guy.

BJ