Crossword Help Forum
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Tyke51, I missed your post/comment earlier - sorry, and thanks!

Malone, Hope you are back refreshed, and with your apostrophe antennae intact!

Parallelogram, Why do Football `experts` insist on saying `that was a chance` whenever a player has a scoring opportunity - I`d turn off the sound but I like to hear the `industrial` language just to remind me that the UK once had industry.

Tyke51: It is probably to make up part of what they talk about at the end of the match - especially if there are very few goals scored. In the past, the commentators used to have keep their own record of free kicks, corners, goals and scorers, cautions, sendings off etc.

My favourite shout at the radio moment comes when I hear dissect being pronounced as disect (or, more commonly, bisect). The latter means to cut into two equal parts. Many people, even medicals, do not realise that dissected has the prefix dis- (meaning apart) as in disseminate, dissertation, dissident etc.

Parallelogram, your 'dissect' stuff was interesting - mainly because I couldn't remember hearing it anywhere! I knew the longer form, dissection, and think I've pronounced that correctly the few times I've used the word. I was surprised that at least three reputable dictionaries, including Chambers, show the 'die sect' pronunciation as being valid. One online dictionary gave me Die sect as British pronunciation and Diss-ect as American.

Malone: I am going back to my University days (many decades ago!) when I took a class which was shared with medical students. The lecturers all pronounced dissect in the way i was proposing. For similar reasons, I also pronounce canine with the first syllable as in can but I have to admit that I have lost the battle with K9. Another scientific bugbear is the chemical term methyl which, in my opinion, is pronounced in a similar way to the town in Fife, Methil and not "meeth-aisle".

Ah . . pronounciation (intended)

Fertile ground for differing opinions

Parallelogram, pedantic though I am, I try to avoid letting pronunciation (mispronunciation) bother me too much. Some variations are just regional, some variations have evolved over time. There are plenty of other errors, irritations, to keep a pedant fully occupied!

Hannah, I agree.

From a book about Manchester City in the 1960s:

Mike Summerbee scored with his foot at the Scoreboard End and his head at the Platt Lane End ... Wembley was literally just around the corner.

From a newspaper report:

The cross came over and up jumped Noble, Sharp and Eager, to head the ball into the net.

From commentators passim:

He was frustrated by the post. [If the post had not been there it would presumably have been a goal!?]
He should at least have hit the target. [You’d rather he hit the ball straight at the goalie rather than try to score in the corner?!]
He should at least have tested the keeper, [Would the opposing team pay him for assisting in the training of their goalie?!]
His shot went over the top of the crossbar. [You mean it went over the bar?!]

In everyday life:
I’ll double-check that for you. [Do people ever offer to check things any more?]
He’s indulging in a double bluff. [Do people ever simply bluff?]
He’s trying to second-guess his opponent. [Or guess what he will do?]

Malone
It was with great sadness that I read that the Marks & Spencer/Ocado joint-venture is to trade as “ocado.com”. Hardly original and what about 135 years of M&S history, as the future of the brand is put in doubt?

As you were away, I hope you did not mind me contacting Ena Kwondry, Head of Re-branding at M&S, on your behalf.

“Surely you could have come up with a name that includes a reference to your company. What about Malone’s great idea of Markado?” I asked.

“It was felt to be too “elitist”. It might confuse Spanish tourists looking for a market, or Japanese tourists looking for an opera.” she replied.
“If it’s good enough for G&S, it must be good enough for M&S” I said.
“We wanted a name to whet our customers’ appetites.”
“You mean more Yummy-Yummy than Yum-Yum.”
but she did not see the jokes.

My own suggestion Of Marx Bros was rejected out of hand. “It is too political and would be confused with Moss Bros”.
“But the name has humour and that’s what customers want.”

Of course they only listen to “experts”, not real customers. So “ocado.com” it is, and I, for one, will not be going there.