Everything posted by thaiophilus
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Do some accents or languages get on your nerves?
The (equally apocryphal) version I heard was that somebody at a garden party was chatting to a lady he couldn't quite put a name to, so he asked her "and what's your husband up to these days" She replied "Oh, he's still King".
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Do some accents or languages get on your nerves?
Don't worry, he would have Not Noticed. The royals are famous for that. Shortly after she became PM, Margaret Thatcher was invited to some royal event. Supposedly, she asked the Palace what the Queen would be wearing, so she could wear something that wouldn't clash. The Palace's reply: "Her Majesty does not notice what other people are wearing".
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Do some accents or languages get on your nerves?
Deleted - the penny just dropped!
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Do some accents or languages get on your nerves?
Ahem. That would be HM the King. HRHs are mere princes and princesses.
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Why is this man still allowed in public?
I believe the word you're looking for is "ampullosity" 😈
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Do some accents or languages get on your nerves?
Transatlantic prescriptivism, oh dear... The clue is in the phrase "native language". That's the language acquired by a child hearing the speech that surrounds them, starting at birth. It's their native language, not yours, so they get to pronounce it the way they feel is right. Orreight? (Incidentally, before the Great Vowel Shift everybody pronounced it like that.)
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Do some accents or languages get on your nerves?
So my pet hate is people who put an unnecessary "so" at the beginning of an utterance.
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Good Boy Bar
That's just an excuse for a party, or for selling merchandise. I doubt that the average Thai has any idea what it's supposed to be about.
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Did you do much in 2025?
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Former Golden Cock Bar is now Pancake Palace
Ambiance?... I hope the floor coverings and furniture are all new. And not sticky...
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Massive Skyscraper Blaze in Hong Kong: At Least 44 Dead
You seem to be obsessed with "British fire safety standards". Since in the Grenfell disaster they were not followed, as the public inquiry discovered (see link below), if there's a trend then the common factor is not "British standards" but systematic incompetence, dishonesty and greed. Yes, it happens in Britain too. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgedv58e7ygo Among the key findings of the report were: "Systematic dishonesty" by the manufacturers of cladding and insulation US firm Arconic, manufacturer of the Reynobond 55 cladding which experts at the inquiry said was "by far the largest contributor" to the fire, deliberately concealed the true extent of the danger of using its product Manufacturers made "false and misleading claims" over the safety and suitability of insulation to the company which installed it on Grenfell Failures in London Fire Brigade's training and a lack of a strategy to evacuate the building Successive governments missed opportunities to act The local council and the Tenant Management Organisation had a "persistent indifference to fire safety, particularly the safety of vulnerable people" How building safety is managed in England and Wales is “seriously defective”
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Massive Skyscraper Blaze in Hong Kong: At Least 44 Dead
Whataboutism is not "answer[ing] questions related to the discussion of facts." It's the strategy of responding to an accusation with a counter-accusation instead of offering an explanation or defense against the original accusation.
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Did you do much in 2025?
Everyone 😈. https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/412131/perv-by-jesse-bering/9780552165136 "In this eye-opening book, psychologist Jesse Bering argues that we are all sexual deviants on one level or another. He introduces us to the young woman who falls madly in love with the Eiffel Tower, a young man addicted to seductive sneezes, and a pair of deeply affectionate identical twins, among others. "
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Big balls, small balls, low balls and high balls
Nope. Joyce played unworldly innocents; this lady was one.
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Christmas/New Year Meet Up
The boys wear silly hats.
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Patpong comings and goings
The first sign is about recruiting new staff. I don't read Chinese but I think the second is self-explanatory 😈
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Travel Question
Not enough information. Are the two flights sold as connecting flghts on a single ticket, or are they ticketed separately? Is your baggage checked through to BKK? Are the flights even on the same airline? I don't believe that one hour is a safe margin, and there are far worse places than Changi for wasting a few hours between flights.
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Massive Skyscraper Blaze in Hong Kong: At Least 44 Dead
The building was not "constructed in accordance with that standard [BS 476]", because it's not a standard for building construction. It's a standard for testing materials and structures. Moreover, the existence of a standard, even if it's legally mandated, is no guarantee that it gets enforced. So: Were the BS476 standard testing methods actually applied to the materials and structures of that building? Were the test results satisfactory? Was any of the testing process recorded anywhere?
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Massive Skyscraper Blaze in Hong Kong: At Least 44 Dead
BS 476 is not a building regulation or law. It's a standard for how materials and structures should be tested and graded.
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Big balls, small balls, low balls and high balls
There was supposedly an episode of the BBC schools radio series "Music and Movement" (1930s to 1960s, target audience 5-6 year olds) where the innocent lady presenter asked some very personal questions "are your balls high up or low down" ect ect.
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New Map of Silom Area from Shamelessmack
Unless they've changed, I'd say high sleaze go-go. You won't find Chinese tour parties visiting them 😲
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Did He Or Didn't He Reach 3rd Best?
The Old War Office, apparently.
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Trip advice
Buy something inexpensive in a 7-11. It's store policy not to object to paying for small items with large notes. If all else fails, the bar cashier should be willing to change your money for smaller notes.
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Land in Silom Soi 4 for Sale
I seem to recall almost exactly the same words being used about Soi Twilight...
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LOS Trip Report