Laxie through the Looking Glass

[Laxie]

I was given the link to a map of the UK today and I'm to study it.  Ger is giving me a geography quiz later.  Surely he's bluffing?  Dunno, but I've managed to remember a few bits...just in case. 

Spelling is still a bit dodgy though.  Why do ye add letters in places they aren't needed ffs?!  Then to make matters worse, ye criss cross letters that aren't meant to be jumbled that way.  A prime example.  Leicester.  WTF?!  When I was growing up the rule was 'I before E, except after C or when sounding like A as in neighbour and weigh.'  I know the rule is basically rubbish.  Little words like 'their' prove that.  But still.  I'm not on about random words.  I'm on about names of places.  Could ye not at least have humoured me on this one?

I'll be ages learning how to spell everything, never mind learning where it all is!

There is a place nearby called Looga Barooga!

How do ye go from names all ending in 'shire' to something like that?!  Ah well...at least I can spell it.

[Laxie]

it's so that one of my fave things in the world can exist, the joy of listening to yanks on the tube trying to pronounce place names

lie-chester square is obv the best but totten-ham court road and hol-born are good too

Bite me.  Cheers.

[Laxie]

When I was growing up the rule was 'I before E, except after C

Actually, it's 'I before E except when it's not'.

Huge help.  Sigh.  I'm screwed aren't I?

[gatso]

according to QI there are more exceptions to the i before e rule than there are errrrrr, whatever the opposite of exceptions is

and it's not even close. there's about 12 words that follow the rule and 3 million that don't

[Laxie]

Tomorrow the mad running and racing begins.  Well, turns out it's tomorrow.  I didn't know that until an hour ago because I'd spent all the morning thinking today was Tuesday.  It's not.  It's Wednesday.  Fecking bank holidays always do that to me and we had one this past Monday.  Confused yet?  Welcome to my world.

Anyway, tomorrow (Thursday) I'm out of the house by around 1pm and heading for Killarney.  Originally I was just going for a hair appointment, but Sarah reminded me of the nail job they owe me.  I'm booked for that now as well and hoping it lasts more than 24 hours this time.  Not holding my breath though.  Girly things and I just don't mix.

That lot should take me to about 5pm.  From there, I'm off to Cork City for another visit to Mary's.  Jack lands at OMG a.m. on Friday.  It made more sense to go at my ease and spend the night at hers besides tearing road early the next morning.  Easy peasy for me.  Jack's not been as lucky with the times.  Poor Lad will be working on very little sleep by the time he lands.  Hope he takes a nap on the plane.  We've the week-end at Mary's then home again Sunday night/ Monday morning.

Then the real fun begins..........

[Laxie]

according to QI there are more exceptions to the i before e rule than there are errrrrr, whatever the opposite of exceptions is

and it's not even close. there's about 12 words that follow the rule and 3 million that don't

List the 12 words please and thank you.

I'll cut ya some slack on the 3 million obv.

[gatso]

nah, made up numbers obv

apparently these are the numbers using allowable scrabble words

923 words which have <cie>, 2,606 words which have <ei> after something other than <c>, and just 167 words which really do have <cei>. (Of which only six are really in everyday use.)

[Bongo]

e before i except in pie would be more accurate then?

Also Worcestershire Sauce is another great one on the listening to yanks attempt to say it front.

[Laxie]

nah, made up numbers obv

apparently these are the numbers using allowable scrabble words

923 words which have <cie>, 2,606 words which have <ei> after something other than <c>, and just 167 words which really do have <cei>. (Of which only six are really in everyday use.)

Knew I had dodgy teachers growing up.  

That said, imagine the carnage if UK towns and cities were allowed on a scrabble board?!  God knows I'd be throwing out a load of objections...and probably lose every damn one.

[Longines]

Spelling is still a bit dodgy though.  Why do ye add letters in places they aren't needed ffs?!  Then to make matters worse, ye criss cross letters that aren't meant to be jumbled that way.  A prime example.  Leicester.  WTF?! 

Wait till you get here - then you find out the locals decided to really take the piss when they got to pronunciation. When we moved up here I went into an Estate Agent and asked if they had any houses for sale in Kibworth Beauchamp, taking a guess that a French-sounding 'bow shomp' seemed reasonable.

"You're not from round here are you?" she smiled. Apparently it's Beecham.

Thankfully we didn't look at the Vale of Belvoir - wait till you hear that one....

[Laxie]

e before i except in pie would be more accurate then?

Also Worcestershire Sauce is another great one on the listening to yanks attempt to say it front.

Hands up.  I still can't pronounce that one properly.  Least I don't think so anyway.  You've enough to laugh at me about besides throwing that into the mix.  Cricket springs to mind.  Will be sure to practice before we meet again.  The Worcestershire one obv...not the cricket.

[gatso]

they can't even pronounce iran/iraq properly so there's really no hope

salisbury, towcester, edinburgh all good fun

looga barooga is amazing. never heard it called that but I've never heard a yank try to say it, I'm off to find one now

[gatso]

I used to live near trottiscliffe

have a guess at how to pronounce that one dawn. I'm gonna guess you're not even close

answer here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trottiscliffe

[Laxie]

Spelling is still a bit dodgy though.  Why do ye add letters in places they aren't needed ffs?!  Then to make matters worse, ye criss cross letters that aren't meant to be jumbled that way.  A prime example.  Leicester.  WTF?! 

 Kibworth Beauchamp, taking a guess that a French-sounding 'bow shomp' seemed reasonable.

"You're not from round here are you?" she smiled. Apparently it's Beecham.

Thankfully we didn't look at the Vale of Belvoir - wait till you hear that one....

How the hell do they get Beecham out of Beauchamp?!  Good lord, I'll be ages learning this stuff.  gatso's personal entertainer while I'm at it.  Marv. 

[Laxie]

I used to live near trottiscliffe

have a guess at how to pronounce that one dawn. I'm gonna guess you're not even close

answer here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trottiscliffe

Without looking at the link, I'll take a guess that it's like this - 'trots cliff'.  Another one of those ones where they threw a letter in (I) for a laugh.  Going to see how close I was now.