Think-a-link! Is it in?

Newsletter 25 -

So you think you can spell, do ya?

I appreciate that exam season is done and dusted but it's never a wrong time to ship in a bit of spelly welly action. I know we can all hide behind the spellchecks of this world. But when it gives the big thumbs-up to words like 'Center' or 'Color' then it can't be the way forward. On my school trips I often carry out the Spelling litmus test to see how hot our pedagogues are, as some of them do like to give it the big'un. (Pedagogue - tremendous word btw). I open the innings with an awkward delivery on a sticky wicket....How many Ls are there in the word 'Pavilion'? Once they've managed to give that one the straight bat treatment, I then serve up this little sweetener.....How many Ss and Cs in the word 'Desiccate'? The next one tends to temporarily overpower them (I make no apology about this silly game I'm playing. It's my ball so ner, ner, ner, ner ner)......'What is the 6th letter of 'Supersede'? I then run this slippery customer by them....How do you spell Diarrhoea? If they are still standing after that, I proceed to drain them of any confidence they have left by smacking them between the eyes with the mother of all spellings.....Haemorrhage. No-one has got all 5 right and the only person who nailed the last one, fell down with the Sede that is Super. Links for these five nasties are, of course, on the site.

Now, I'm a big fan of portmanteau words in any shape or form, smog, ginormous, brunch, chortle...etc. But I have to draw the line at the oh-so hideous 'Guestimate'. It hurts so much that I want to cry. Drop and give me 20 if you use this shameless effort at a word. Surely, you have to be pretty accurate to know that something falls between a guess and an estimate? The irony.

Drop and give me another 20 if you thought that Vertigo was the fear of heights. Nay, nay my little bundles of joy. Vertigo is dizziness or lightheadedness which can be the result of standing on a tall building but can also be from many other things. The fear of heights is either Acrophobia or Altophobia. You could do a lot worse than remembering Acrobats and Alton Towers. Is it in? I think we know the answer to that little puppy.

Is 'Stigma' a name for the mother of Stig? (Now, that one I do apologise for)

Can I also say sorry for my randomness but I just type what I'm thinking at the time. There is no method to my bonkersness......here's one more.....I reckon that the majority of you come out with the following number when you are guestimating how ridiculously young someone looks......twelve. Firstly, it's the highest number that contains one syllable. But, secondly, and much more importantly, it's a tremendous word to say, especially slowly whilst sounding like a Welsh person. It comes from the Old English twelf; related to Old Frisian twelif, Old High German zwelif, Old Norse tolf and Gothic twalif. I'm glad that's clear!

Am I done?

Oh no.

It does annoy me that the yanks pronounce the 'h' of Anthony, yes it does.

Now, I'm done.

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 random it is, then submit it and let's see what the mug-punters think. If it's a 'jaw-dropping howdy doody' then it'll go in the book (as will your name). Also, you can request something to be linked, if you feel the urge. Throw that gauntlet down and let's see what happens.

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 Toby Way who cleans up by winning 100 big fellas for getting the 4 answers correct which were...

1. Muscles 2. 1980 3. Nepal 4. Lassitude

Here is the next competition....

www.thinkalink.co.uk/content/competitions/competitions/competition-26-june-10-open

Email the answers to andy.salmon@thinkalink.co.uk and you will be entered into the draw for 100 of the Queen's finest.

......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.

Let's leave you wanting more......

Father's Day is always the 3rd Sunday in June as the 3rd letter of Man Sunday & June is N

Solstice & Equinox often get mixed up.......Solstice: Sol means Sun and Ice implies Winter

A vestibule is an anteroom or lobby.....I'll meet you in the lobby of the Royal Vestibule Hall.

Phalanges are our fingers & toes...It doesn't surprise me how full 'Angie's Nail Bar' gets!

Linkety, link, link, link!

Footy schmooty.

Felicitations

Sir Linkalot xx

Think-a-link - is it in?