Potto-Hippy-Mouse: Today myself, and my... - Positive Wellbein...

Positive Wellbeing During Self-Isolation

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Potto-Hippy-Mouse

AndrewT profile image
43 Replies

Today myself, and my Mother, Ventured Out..... into the 'Unknown'.... well actually some Footpaths about half a mile, or so, from my Flat. One of them got Muddier, and Muddier and Mud..... I thought that I was undergoing a Transformation. I was becoming a Potto-Hippy-Mouse, no that's silly, I mean a HippyMousey-Pott, heck no, that's still not It.... I mean a Hippy-Portly-Mouse... A PortlyPottymus..... One of those 'things' that Likes the Mud (never could spell 'Hippopotamus').

So guess who has just finished 'Round Three', of the shoe cleaning.... Why didn't I take the Jellingbotts, The Welchingboons, The Squelchyboots (that's closer)... my Belly boots! (Rubber versions of The Duke Of Wellington's Riding Boots)

I Do like having 'Fun' with our language, just the wrong 'turd' can change the whole leaning. I'm NOT as good as the Late Great, Ronnie Barker, or even the Reverend Spooner... but still. I mean ONLY in English could 'a Fat chance', and a Slim chance' mean much the same. We wash Up the Crocks, and Down the Walls, you can a Muck Up, a P*ss Up (excuse me!) and, the Children, can be Up to something. You can get Down to a task and go Down to the shops. You can also get 'Round' to a Job and a very Studious person can be called a 'Square'.

Sow Azz Eye Woz Saayin' Engleeesh Iz Ay Stoopid Land-squidge. Words can be wrong, even when they are Rite. I cann sea vat isle chaz two cheque wot I day, berry Caerphilly inn lace pie snake aye Nis-lake, sorry a Piss... wait... Partake.

Hopefully, some of you- at least- have 'Followed' this Drivel! I Promiz Too Wite Propper Nezt Tyme Peeps.

AndrewT

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AndrewT
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43 Replies
Jacksc06 profile image
Jacksc06

Hi Andrew. I agree the English language is odd eg: Contranyms, Homographs and Idioms.

ninelives profile image
ninelives in reply to Jacksc06

Gosh them big words sound awful comfliticated!

leo60 profile image
leo60

Hey Andrew :) Btecha love the Big Friendly Giant??! I absolutely do!! Squizpoppers and all that! If you haven't watched the film please do, it's lovely ! :) xx Glad you had a nice, if a little squichlious , walk ! ;) xx

Narwhal10 profile image
Narwhal10 in reply to leo60

Brilliant 😊

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22

I have a degree in English language and literature which included linguistics and I agree how weird our language is. Having spent a good few years teaching little ones to read and write, that confirmed it! 😄🌸

Hb2003 profile image
Hb2003 in reply to Marnie22

That is so cool 😊

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22 in reply to Hb2003

Thank you. I actually left school at 14 and did all my studying and qualifications as an adult. What subjects etc. do you prefer? 🙂🌸

Hb2003 profile image
Hb2003 in reply to Marnie22

I love social studies ceramics theatre production English 😊 i despise math

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22 in reply to Hb2003

Ha ha! I was rubbish at maths until I had to teach it to little children. That helped me a lot! 😀🌸

Hb2003 profile image
Hb2003 in reply to Marnie22

That’s good

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22 in reply to Hb2003

Can't do mental arithmetic any more because of my brain injury! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! 😄🌸

Narwhal10 profile image
Narwhal10 in reply to Hb2003

I loved math or maths as we call it over here. 😊

MadBunny profile image
MadBunny in reply to Hb2003

Sounds like me. I loved drama ( or theatre production as you call it) English, music and hated maths.So I became a Drama and English teacher. I produced all the plays in school. I never wanted to be an actor though as I always loved working with kids.

Narwhal10 profile image
Narwhal10 in reply to Marnie22

Amazing Marnie. Gosh teaching that’s a job and a half 😊

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22 in reply to Narwhal10

I loved it. I taught primary children from 4 to 11 years old, then I worked for a charity teaching children from 6 to 16, (individually.) They were children with severe emotional and behavioural problems who had mostly been excluded from school. I really loved it and I still miss it. 🙂🌸

Narwhal10 profile image
Narwhal10 in reply to Marnie22

I bet you were awesome and think of all those children you shaped and developed. I bet they have fond memories of you 😊

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22 in reply to Narwhal10

Thank you. The thing I am proudest of is that I managed to encourage all of the primary children I taught to take an interest in books. 🙂🌸

Narwhal10 profile image
Narwhal10 in reply to Marnie22

What a wonderful gift. 😊

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22 in reply to Narwhal10

I used to say I only became an infant teacher so I could read all the children's stories to them. There's a lot of truth in that! 😄🌸

in reply to Marnie22

Teachers are a blessing Marnie🤗xx

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22 in reply to

Thank you, that's really lovely of you to say. I had a wonderful teacher when I was eight and he was the reason I became a teacher. 🙂🌸

in reply to Marnie22

I just can't stop myself imagining you being a kinda Miss Honey teacher🤗

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22 in reply to

I'm not sure what that means! 😄🌸

in reply to Marnie22

She's the lovely teacher in the film Matilda so encouraging and sweet😊Marnie, don't tell me you haven't seen Matilda! One of the best kids films ever I think Roald Dahl wrote the book, no no I'm sure he did xx

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22 in reply to

No, I haven't seen it, but I have read lots of Roald Dahl to the children I taught. 🙂🌸

in reply to Marnie22

You must watch it one day, it's brilliant xx

AndrewT profile image
AndrewT in reply to

Dany DeVito- who also Played the Dad- Directed this, truly Magical, Film- and somehow made Pam Ferris (all of five foot two- I think- look about Twenty Feet Tall). I forget who Played Miss Honey, I'll look it up, I have the Film.... somewhere.....in with several Hundred, probably Thousand. (if not Ten Thousand!)

Maria Wilson, who Plays Matilda, was the younger child in Mrs Doubtfire- the one with the slight lisp ('Justht Usth'). If you look at the Special Features, on this film, you see 'just how much Fun' everyone had, making it. Apparently Pan Ferris, really enjoyed, Playing 'The Trunchbull'. MadBunny beware... The Trunchbull was Drummed Out, of the school. This is one of the Best, Children's Films ever made, apart from Buggy Malone, Flight Of The Navigator and the Short Circuit films. (I'm not including the, much older, 'Zoo Robbery'- a Children's Film Foundation film.) Will Farrell, as Elf, wasn't too bad- though most Christmas Films always, to me anyway, look to 'Contrived'.... or am I just a Sour Puss/ Humbug? (Don't forget Santa Clause, The Move.... where the Child and Santa Clause, end up, on exactly the Same Flight Path- over Manhattan, at precisely the same time- talk about Christmas Magic!)

Actually one of Santa's 'Helpers' got into, a touch, of Financial Trouble- through no fault of his own. They are going to start a Crowd Funding Page, to help him out....It will be called 'The National Elf'! (Oh 'Shut Up' Andrew, that's Terrible.)

AndrewT

in reply to AndrewT

You really need to check out last year's Christmas movie "the Christmas Chronicles" with Kurt Russell and a surprise appearance of someone at the very end😊we're all looking forward to no. 2 which is out on 23d of this month, hope its not gonna be disappointing as sequals sometimes are! (love Mrs. Doubtfire) xx

MadBunny profile image
MadBunny in reply to

If Marnie's Miss Honey then I'm definitely Miss Trunchbull lol And Bazzak no comments from you 😄

in reply to MadBunny

I think Bazzak could be the Dad that Danny Devito plays, a bit of a ducker and diver know what I mean like mate eh eh 👍

MadBunny profile image
MadBunny in reply to

Oh yes!

in reply to Marnie22

Have a friend who works in a unit near Torquay for excluded children. Many years ago I was her classroom assistant in a special needs school.

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22 in reply to

A good classroom assistant is incredibly important. Did you enjoy it? 🙂🌸

in reply to Marnie22

Loved it. Worked in two special schools and now I have a special needs great granddaughter x

Marnie22 profile image
Marnie22 in reply to

Ah, that's lovely. 🙂🌸

Narwhal10 profile image
Narwhal10

Excellent - made me smile. I was going to post something about languages today but yours takes first prize. Thank you 😊

That's brilliant Andrew, the English language is very strange. Whether you do or what's the weather like. Their or there, oh whatever.😉👍

AndrewT profile image
AndrewT in reply to

I knew a man, a few years ago, who had 'Taught English As A Feigen Language'... in other words English to Non-English Speakers. Ok, so you go by Plane, Boat, Car... but On FOOT (NOT 'By Feet'). The Plural of Goose is Geese, the Plural Of Mongoose is Mongooses. This Man had 'Dozens' of examples..... It's a pity that I didn't have more Time, to Talk, to him.

The Latin, for Window is Fenestra, as is the Italian and Spanish, the French have Fenetre (I think that's right, with an Accent over the 'e'- indicating the removal of the letter 'S'.

In English we have, quite uniquely 'Window'.... Originally 'Vindauga', which meant 'Wind Eye'. In Castles there were small 'Appatures', or Openings, above the Drawbridges and below the Battlements. These 'Vindaugas' allowed those IN the Castle to see OUT, but with Very little Space, for those with- OUT to see IN. 'V' and 'W' are 'Interchangeable', via the Germanic, such that 'Vindauga' became 'Windauga', became 'Windau' became 'Windar' became 'Window'. With the Advent of Glass, in around the Sixteen Hundreds (if memory serves?), more Modern- larger Windows were born.

The origin, of the Ampersand (&), is also an interesting story... another time, if anyone is interested?

AndrewT

I've been using the word Ampersand for a long time. It's like sheep as being both singular and plural. We have a strange language.

MadBunny profile image
MadBunny in reply to

We certainly do!

in reply to MadBunny

The spelling of laughter always baffles me🤔

AndrewT profile image
AndrewT in reply to

'Ampersand' has an interesting Origin, linked to Children. In Days Of Old, as it were, there were in fact Twenty-Seven 'letters' in the Alphabet. The 'And' sign (&) was the last 'Letter'.

When children were reciting the 'ABC', it would have been Stupid, for the Them to say XYZ and 'And', such that the Latin 'Et Par'- meaning 'And also' was used. In constant repetition WXYZ, 'et par AND' became Ampersand.

I used to go to a Boarding School, many years ago now, but I remember well two books...One large and the second small 'The Dictionary of Slag And Unconventional English'. A fascinating book, which I don't suppose- in a Million Years- I could ever 'find' again. One Phrase 'Milk Over The Fence', referring to 'Stealing Milk, From Your Neighbour', I have NEVER heard anywhere else- Has Anyone?

Other common 'Mistakes' include saying that Someone 'Smells'... No they don't, smelling is 'The Act Of Perceiving Odours'.... so YOU 'Smell', they 'STINK'!

I was once rather embarrassed, in front a Blind friend. I innocently said "I'll 'see' you later"...realising my mistake I sought to correct myself... Nora simply smiled, and said "Don't worry It's only a Phrase, in fact, I say it 'all the time' myself."

Then there is this 'Little Ditty'.... Don't Look At Me, in That Tone Of Voice, I Smells A Funny Colour.

Not forgetting... Fuzzy Wuzzy Wuz A Bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy Had No Hair...Fuzzy Wuzzy Wasn't Fuzzy Wuzz (h)e?

Ok enough 'Silliness, for one night'.

AndrewT

Love it Andrew, your knowledge is excellent but also very amusing. The 'see you later' phrase is used all the time.

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