Think-a-link! Is it in?

Newsletter 19 -

Shoulder to the grind stone...All hands to the deck...Let sleeping giants lie..

Mixing up expressions is absolutely hilarious....for the listener! Footballers are huge fans of being all over the shop with this one. A malaprop, apart from being a top word, is mixing up similar sounding words which is different. There has to be an expression for saying.....I'll burn that bridge when I come to it......I think it should be called an 'Irregardless' in homage to this classic mix-up of Regardless & Irrespective which is out there in spades. There have been over 2 million Google enquiries on this word and its existence. There's even a Wikipedia entry about it! It was officially acknowledged in 1912 by our not-so-sharp cousins over the Pond in their dictionary, stating that it originated from Indiana. Isn't that just fanbloomingtastic!!!! I am so happy, I could cry.

Here's a couple of goodies for you....Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor! (sorry).....1. What's the plural of Daddy Longlegs?.....Daddies Longlegs...Daddy Longlegses...goodness knows. I pray it's not just 'Daddy Longlegs? I'd be gutted if so. 2. Does Kajagoogoo mean to borrow a baby? This one is a longshot but I'll try it......Do you ever look at a very simple word for so long that the spelling of it just doesn't look right after a while? It happens to me a lot but I could well be on my own on that one. I'll move on. No, I won't . I've got one more risky 'out on my own' shout.....the sweets Love Hearts, as lovely as they are - and don't get me onto the messages on each one as they're such fun - are a real pain to get open, due to the second plastic wrapping inside the paper one.....what's that all about???? Saying that, what the hell am I on about?? Nurse!!

Just a couple more very annoying sayings then I'm done for now....'Don't even go there' (as opposed to 'Don't even think about going there'!).....and....'That'll learn them'!!....and the ridiculous overuse of....'Here's a thing'. I also love the fact that the sweet expression 'You take care now' means, in this day and age, 'Shove off!!!!!!!!!!' Sorry, I just can't stop myself......surely 'Out of luck' and 'Lucked out' mean the same thing but it's the exact opposite....what the???? So if you're in luck does lucked-in mean you've had a shocker? To quote that geezer who heard it through the grapevine.......What's going on?

I'm done.

Update

Linky gave it some umpty in front of 75 senior bods from the UK's finest institutions for our kiddywinks last week which was well-received. They weren't exactly putting their hands up at every given opportunity saying 'You know it is Linkeroony!!'. Ironically, I was in Brighton College the day before (no 1 A level results for a co-ed, I'll have you know!) and the teenage audience were clapping virtually every link! I had to restrict them to 5 second claps otherwise I would have given them about 5 links in the 50 minute session! I even got a standing ovation from the back-row boys when I finished. This is poles apart from last week's crowd of senior management from Eton, Benenden and The Like. (Incidentally, Eton and Benenden are getting me in but I'm still working on The Like who are based in Newcastle). Level 1 on the Linking Scale for this crowd was a couple of groans at the toe-curling puns (which children love). Level 2 was a smile. Level 3 was an approving nod of the head and the 'tough to achieve' Level 4 was laughing out loud. Still, these immovable objects seemed to buy into the unstoppable force that is linking. Their reaction to me running around the room saying 'Runny, Runny, Help, Oops' clutching my not-so-sweet derriere for the spelling of DiaRRHOea was priceless thinking.......'Who the hell let this fruitcake loose on us upstanding pillars of society????' Marvy parvy is all I can say to that.....I love it!!! The Brightonmongers have asked me to come back and perform to their sixth form and their pre-prep!! There are no limits to this bad boy. Heaven.

Your chance to get involved

The site is a meeting-place for linkers & learners alike. So if you have a link for anything, absolutely anything, regardless of how 'where do you get off with that one????' the fact is, then submit it and let's see what the punters think. If it's a 'Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa' link then it'll go in the book (as will your name). I'm drafting the book now so make haste!

Feedback

I would love to get your thoughts and observations on the site, good or bad. This has been a passion of mine since 1995 and it's finally come to fruition which is hugely exciting. However, it's all new territory for me. So any guidance or tips on what does and doesn't work will be warmly received - please let me know at andy.salmon@thinkalink.co.uk

Competition

Congratulations to Beri Beri (!!) who wins 100 smackers for getting the 4 answers correct which were...

1. Quasi 2. Belize 3. Russia 4. Puccini

Here is the next competition which, the way it's worked out, has a sporty theme....

www.thinkalink.co.uk/content/competitions/competitions/competition-18-November-09-open

Email the answers to andy.salmon@thinkalink.co.uk and you will be entered into the draw for 100 sovereigns.

......and finally

Please let me know if you would prefer me not to contact you in this way and I will take you off my newsletter circulation list. If that is the case, please accept my apologies.

Before the curtain comes down, let's leave you wanting more.....

A shard is a fragment of glass....A shard of glass and a glass of Chard(onnay)

Minsk is the capital of Belarus....I see a little silhouetto of a Minsk. Belarus, Belarus will you do the Fandango?

Penitent is to feel regret for one's sins/Repentant......You need to bow your head to get into a one penny tent.

Linkety, link, link, link!

Ship in a splendid weekend doing whatever it is you do to make it so.

Sir Linkalot

PS You can view old newsletters at www.thinkalink.co.uk/content/news-events