River Cruising Water Cooler

[jsn55]

One UK location I'm interested in is the UK pronounciation of Southampton, the port.  I've been told both ways.  SOUTH-am-ton or South HAMP-ton.  Which is correct in the UK?

Edited December 23, 2023 by jsn55

[Canal archive]

Hi jsn55 easier to remember than you’d think use only one H, so South(ampton) it’s the local dialect pronunciation sometimes but not always with a local accent which these days is not particularly strong.

[Canal archive]

Over coffee and Lebkuchen today my DH reminiscing just happened to mention that in Germany making deals that included coffee also included a decent measure of Schnapps!

[Daisi]

12 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

One of my favorite place names in Pennsylvania is King of Prussia. 

 

 

Ok, I was thinking of ones more around Lancaster area near Bird in Hand. 🙂 I still think Nfld has all places beat though with Dildo, which is named after a thole pin. 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, Daisi said:

Ok, I was thinking of ones more around Lancaster area near Bird in Hand. 🙂 I still think Nfld has all places beat though with Dildo, which is named after a thole pin. 

Uh oh, now we'll be on to the lists of naughty-sounding village names!  

[Canal archive]

Guess why my young ladies were so good at learning to map read. Also thought you would like to know that there are many ‘Bird in the Hand’ in the U.K. most being pubs.

[CPT Trips]

14 hours ago, Daisi said:

 

 

Ok, I was thinking of ones more around Lancaster area near Bird in Hand. 🙂 I still think Nfld has all places beat though with Dildo, which is named after a thole pin. 

 

Do you really think that beats (and it isn’t photoshopped)

 

 

 

 

[Canal archive]

B******** B*************!

[Canal archive]

 

Our smoking policeman from the Christmas shop in Regensburg is working well, I did try to include his smoke. When the pellets run out we will just have to return to replace them, of dear.

 

Our Smoking Policeman from Regensburg is working well 

Edited December 24, 2023 by Canal archive

[Daisi]

6 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

Do you really think that beats (and it isn’t photoshopped)

 

 

 

 

That’s one of the towns in that area, along with Blue Balll and Fertility. We used to spend a lot of time down that way as Hershey had a big car show.  One of them had a grocery store that had a lot of Mennonite and Amish employees and it was one of our first stops to pick up Shoofly Pie and other treats. 

One of the townships near us is called Bastard, must shock a lot of lost tourists as they name cafes and shops after it.
 

 

[Coral]

On 12/22/2023 at 9:29 PM, CPT Trips said:

Our post office address here in NJ. 

 

One of my favorite place names in Pennsylvania is King of Prussia. 

I used to live out there and loved the mall there! I used to drive around all of PA and NJ and there definitely are some interesting town names there.

[notamermaid]

Just to digress a little. Question about the Audi slogan. @Canal archive. Vorsprung durch Technik.

You would need to put it in a translation program. I do not think there ever was a translation for marketing purposes. I would say it means freely "being ahead due to excellent technical performance". It is so iconic that it has a German Wikipedia page: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorsprung_durch_Technik

It has been around since 1971 and has made its way into the Anglophone everyday language sphere in the British Isles. Now that is what I call success. They tried to replace it once.

 

Back to villages. I have several times driven through Pett Bottom in Kent. Benign fun. It is quite unbelievable in how many spots in England the world ends. I think there are about seven The Worlds End, from housing estate to village pub. Speaking of pub. "The World's End" is the name of the last visited pub in that British film. Not giving anything further away about the plot...

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

Or "Advantage through Technology".

 

[Canal archive]

Tech is great we’re  tracking Santa through NORAD super good fun with a glass of wine for Christmas Eve.

[CPT Trips]

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Just to digress a little. Question about the Audi slogan. @Canal archive. Vorsprung durch Technik.

You would need to put it in a translation program. I do not think there ever was a translation for marketing purposes. I would say it means freely "being ahead due to excellent technical performance". It is so iconic that it has a German Wikipedia page:

 
Remember this? See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_advertising

[CPT Trips]

And here’s hoping that our host is a DeadHead. By the way, the seller wanted $280 for the shirt. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Luckily I don't speak German, so I didn't see that  [wink, wink, nudge, nudge]

[Host Jazzbeau]

54 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

 
Remember this? See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_advertising

That didn't work for VW as well as the Audi slogan above.  Nobody knew what it meant – in fact the rumor was it didn't actually mean anything in German either.  Good fodder for jokes, but not great marketing for cars.  

 

But VW has never understood the US market.  They hit it lucky with the Beetle [unaltered from the German version] and so thought they didn't need to study US tastes.  Occasionally they had another crossover success [e.g. the first Scirocco, thanks to Giugiaro styling, was a wonderful car and great seller here – I had a 1981 and loved it – then they restyled it in-house and blew it...]

[notamermaid]

Advent, Advent, ein Lichtlein brennt, erst eins dann zwei, dann drei, dann vier.

 🕯️ 🕯️🕯️ 🕯️ 

 

The special night has fallen over Germany. I have had a busy day and evening with fun and laughter with family over dinner. Before it is time for me to sleep let me tell you what happened to me yesterday. Another busy day of shopping and trying to get things done. On my way home I passed a church and I was in thought so did not see the woman approaching me. She stopped right in front of me and almost startled me when she asked me with a smile if I would like a five euro note. She gave me a rose and said note with a message attached that read that the family was giving ten random people unknown to them a five euro note for some happiness and sheer. I was so stunned I could only say yes and smile back. She said "Frohe Weihnachten" and drove off in her small van. I walked home rather perplexed. It was a day of strange happenings anyway and just before I met the woman, a lady in an esoteric gem stone shop said to me "the universe does not do things at random".

 

We celebrate the birth of a special boy, a new life. With us this year there was a new little boy in the wider family. But closer to home and house new life has also come. My neighbour who sadly lost her two cats last year called me over in November to her flat: "come, come have a look, my new cat". There it was all black, tiny and full of curious energy for exploring life.

 

Yesterday, on this weird day, for the first time she was out in the yard, doing what only black cats can do in the dark, that is frightening the humans, and chasing the leaves. I walked into my house with a smile and happiness I have not felt in a long time. Light for my soul.

 

Hope you feel good on this fourth Sunday and whatever you are do, you are enjoying life and your heart feels light.

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just back from the second Mass today.  Fourth Sunday of Advent at 11:30 am, then Christmas 'Midnight' Mass at 5:00 pm [people don't want to drive at night any more; anytime from 4 pm on is licit, although I'm happy to say that my parish doesn't worry too much about 'licit' 😁]

 

After all that singing (choir), especially tonight with lots of incense and everything taken down two steps so the volunteer trumpet player didn't have to transpose, my throat could use some egg nog or a hot toddy!  I'll have to make do by trying the 'Santa Cookie Milk' DW bought at Stew Leonard's...

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

[Daisi]

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, best wishes for the New Year.

[Canal archive]

Plus from us across the Pond, Channel and Ocean Merry Christmas to all in every conceivable language.

[notamermaid]

Advent, Advent, ein Lichtlein brennt, erst eins, dann zwei, dann drei, dann vier.

Dann steht das Christkind vor der Tür.

Frohe Weihnachten.

 

Merry Christmas to you all.

 

notamermaid

 

[CPT Trips]

Looking forward to the Boxing Day football schedule. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, CPT Trips said:

Looking forward to the Boxing Day football schedule. 

I thought it was hockey games where fights break out!  🤣