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ChrisE, glad I remembered correctly, glad I could aggravate you (!) with that clue.

Orson

Your 'outbursts' sentence is definitely much, much better.

Thank you, malone. I read this headline in today's Shropshire Star:

Whole of the country should unite as one.

Or perhaps unite as two or three? And I'm not convinced that "whole" is necessary.

The country should unite.

That in itself implies the whole country, otherwise it would have said the south of the country or England and Wales should unite.

But maybe I'm being too critical and I don't blame the subeditor who wrote the headline because I know they have to fill the space available and that means padding things out sometimes.

Orson, I think the headline is a little overblown - but for dramatic effect. 'The country should unite' seems a little flat, so I can see why 'Whole of the country' was used. I'd definitely drop the 'as one'.

I agree. That's a fair comment, malone.

Malone

Thanks for the answer. I was on the right lines as I guessed it was a misuse of "aggravate". The only connection I could see with that and 45s was a "wind-up" record-player. I didn't think of "needle" as to me it is "stylus".

Thanks for your comment on my domestic woes. The strippress did some damage to the walls, but my daughter and I repaired it. The decorator said, "You would make good plastereresses."

Orson and Malone

I suppose that since England and Waled voted differently to Scotland and Northern Ireland, the headline could be "All four countries should unite" or add ..."as one" for effect.

grunger

I think waitress, actress, bus conductress etc are fine, but I think some professions don't have a female version. I know you have been a stripper and cricketer but I think these words cover male and female.

Perhaps plasterer is also in this category.

Hello, Grunger, Jigjag, Orson... anybody and everybody.

I am quite glad that there's very little need for conductresses nowadays, what a cumbersome word. And though it may be passable, just, for buses, I certainly wouldn't want that term used if I was conducting at the Royal Albert Hall.

Grunger,
'Since' replacing the rightful 'as' is one of my pet hates - sorry!

malone

Thanks. Interesting point. "Since" in the sense of "because" is used in this part of Lancashire rather than "as". I have never thought it to be wrong. I will have to look it up.

A joke that works on the Lancs/Yorks border is

"What's ET short for"?

"He's got little legs...."