1. Forum
  2. FidoNet
  3. ENGLISH TUTOR

  • A few questions

    From Alexander Koryagin@2:221/6 to All on Wed Sep 23 15:49:26 2020

    Hi, All!

    From "The Gun Seller", by Hugh Laurie.
    A few questions for the second paragraph:

    -----Beginning of the citation-----
    I was ushered into a large, oak-panelled room, with
    shelves of Regina versus The Rest Of The World on three
    walls, and a row of wooden filing cabinets along the
    fourth. There was a photograph on the desk of three
    teenage children, who looked as if they'd been bought
    from a catalogue, and next to it, a signed picture of
    Denis Thatcher. I was chewing on the peculiar fact that
    both these photographs were pointing outwards from the
    desk, when a connecting door opened, and I was suddenly
    in the presence of Spencer.

    And quite a presence it was. He was a taller version of
    Rex Harrison, with greying hair, half-moon spectacles
    and a shirt so white it must have been running off the
    mains. I didn't actually see him start the clock as he
    sat down.
    ----- The end of the citation -----

    1. What is "half-moon spectacles"?

    2. "a shirt so white it must have been running off the
    mains"?

    3. "I didn't actually see him start the clock as he
    sat down."
    Which clock?

    Bye, All!

    Alexander Koryagin

    ---
    * Origin: nntps://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)
  • From Ardith Hinton@1:153/716 to Alexander Koryagin on Mon Sep 28 21:24:42 2020
    Hi, Alexander! Recently you wrote in a message to All:

    1. What is "half-moon spectacles"?


    I just saw a wonderful example of what Laurie was probably referring to in THE CROWN, second season, episode 5 ("Marionettes"). The year is 1958 & various scenes take place in the London office of a magazine publisher. I see toward the end a middle-aged employee wearing eyeglasses (AKA spectacles) with lenses of a shape resembling half moons, i.e. if one imagines the half moon as we usually see it rotated 180 degrees with the flat part on top. In this case the frame holds the rounded part in place but there's no frame on top.... :-)




    --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
    * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)
  • From Alexander Koryagin@2:221/6 to Ardith Hinton on Tue Sep 29 09:40:46 2020
    Hi, Ardith Hinton!
    I read your message from 28.09.2020 21:24

    1. What is "half-moon spectacles"?

    I just saw a wonderful example of what Laurie was probably
    referring to in THE CROWN, second season, episode 5
    ("Marionettes"). The year is 1958 & various scenes take place in
    the London office of a magazine publisher. I see toward the end a middle-aged employee wearing eyeglasses (AKA spectacles) with
    lenses of a shape resembling half moons, i.e. if one imagines the
    half moon as we usually see it rotated 180 degrees with the flat
    part on top. In this case the frame holds the rounded part in place
    but there's no frame on top....

    Thanks - it was Monday a hard day. I forgot to ask google "half-moon glasses". ;-)

    PS: 2Mike - but "a shirt so white it must have been running off the mains" remains strange for me. But OK, I know it probably means "very white". Google hasn't helped me at this time.

    Bye, Ardith Hinton!
    Alexander Koryagin

    english_tutor 2020

    ---
    * Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)
  • From Denis Mosko@2:5064/54.1315 to All on Wed Sep 30 14:38:16 2020
    FOR 3+ YEARS BABIES, PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN.

    Clarified. No sugar added. Contains sugars of natural origin. No GMO. Pasterized and aseptically packed.

    Why?

    --- GoldED+/W32-MINGW 1.1.5-b20120519 (Kubik 3.0)
    * Origin: В начале было слово. В конце будет ориджин. (2:5064/54.1315)
  • From Denis Mosko@2:5064/54.1315 to Dallas Hinton on Thu Oct 1 08:37:02 2020
    Clarified. No sugar added. Contains sugars of natural origin.
    No GMO. Pasterized and aseptically packed.
    Why?
    Why what?
    Why that specification of packing and how with it at Vancouver, CANADADIAN?

    --- GoldED+/W32-MINGW 1.1.5-b20120519 (Kubik 3.0)
    * Origin: В начале было слово. В конце будет ориджин. (2:5064/54.1315)
  • From Ardith Hinton@1:153/716 to Mike Powell on Mon Oct 5 23:06:12 2020
    Hi, Mike! Recently you wrote in a message to ALEXANDER KORYAGIN:

    What is "mains"?

    I usually take it to mean electicity, like the main
    power line into an area.


    Uh-huh. :-)



    I tend to think of that as a British use of the word.


    Essentially, I agree. And my CANADIAN OXFORD DICTIONARY reinforces your idea by saying it's [esp. UK] when used in the plural with "the".... :-)




    --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
    * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)