skirtcafe.org

Ah yes!....and we used to make 'trunk' calls then, that is, a 'long-distance' call in Americanese.

Tom

A few folk in the U.S. know about "trunk calls", but that's likely isolated to the technically-savvy portion of the population. It's actually a very useful term. However, the non-technical types here on the left side of the pond know it as "Direct Distance Dialing" (with the Americanised single "l"), and even that term is rapidly fading into obsolescence. I must say that "Subscriber Trunk Dialling" has a much better ring to it.

On cars, I am frequently wont to mix things up a bit and comment that I had to "pop the bonnet to do a bit of work" mainly to confuse the onlookers. I haven't had a car with a decent boot for decades; most of mine, save my '71 Duster and '68 Dart convertible have been either minivans or hatchbacks.

My new one is a bit of a conundrum. He's (Yes, I got it sorted; it's a boy, and he's named "Marcus") taller than an estate car but also shorter lengthwise; the height is good for my back and puts me in a driving position closer to my beloved minivans but the shortness I find sometimes confusing and because of the design I still haven't really nailed down where the absolute margins are.

Carl,
Have you managed to teach the gearbox your driving style yet? or does it do the "keep the revs low unless you floor it" ratio management which should be pretty economical?

Big and Bashful wrote:Have you managed to teach the gearbox your driving style yet? or does it do the "keep the revs low unless you floor it" ratio management which should be pretty economical?

It really wants to keep the RPMs as low as possible which sometimes has ramifications if I want to accelerate fairly quickly on a steep hill. This is yielding efficiencies in the upper reaches of the 20 MPG range, with the average hovering at a few 10ths of a MPG within 29.

I happen to think he's underpowered and would both perform better and get better fuel economy with a larger engine. That said, I'm happy overall with him.

crfriend wrote: I must say that "Subscriber Trunk Dialling" has a much better ring to it.

It does indeed. However, its common abbreviation (acronym?) "STD" fares less-well in translation - on this side of the pond, "STD" commonly refers to "Sexually Transmitted Disease" - a phrase with a decidedly less pleasant ring.

While I can just about understand why the word "trousers" is always used as a plural, having two distinct legs, I'll never understand why trunks, speedos, and other legless garments, all get treated as plurals too. In French we manage quite well with UN pantalon, un slip, une culotte, un boxer, etc, each one being a singular item.
On the other hand (no connexion), anglophones have one hair, whereas francophones have lots : my hair IS white/ mes cheveux SONT blancs.
Linguistic traditions that are even harder to change than clothing styles. The common factor being that hardly anyone ever challenges either, or even thinks about looking for a reason for doing what we do.

Martin

MrNaturalAZ wrote:["Subscriber Trunk Dialling" does indeed sound better than "Direct Distance Dialing".] However, its common abbreviation (acronym?) "STD" fares less-well in translation - on this side of the pond, "STD" commonly refers to "Sexually Transmitted Disease" - a phrase with a decidedly less pleasant ring.

There's a joke lurking in there someplace, and I think we can start with "Ma Bell's (what the AT&T monopoly was known as) old motto of, "Reach out and touch someone." Intimately.

MrNaturalAZ wrote:WHat a fun 70's flashback this has been with everyone sharing their old photos. Sorry I have none from that era to share. I'm noticing that in every one, the shorts, including denim, have "properly" hemmed legs. My preference back then (and I wore them as short as anyone) was for cutoffs. Not only did I prefer the look, but I could make them the exact length I wanted. It was also a great way to salvage a pair of jeans when the legs had gotten damaged or too short. And of course, the more worn they got, the more comfortable they became - I certainly got my money's worth.

I can definitely relate about cut-offs. I still do that with worn jeans. Here's a pic of how I went shopping a few weeks ago at my local mall...

--Rick

In this fantastic sunny and warm weather we have been having for the past 6 weeks or so, I have been gardening in my shorts and T-shirt. These are 1970's vintage and are quite short with just 4 inches inside leg. I also have been wearing more formal shorts from the 1990s which have a leg length of 7 ins instead of trousers when I go to public places like shopping or meetings. These are also longer in the body when I wear them they come to just above the knee.
Back in the 1980s I was doing a boit of road running, running 5k, 10k and marathon races, my sports shorts had a leg lenght of just 2 ins and they were very comfortable. I often wore them with a long T-shirt or sweatshirt and that gave the impression that I was wearing a miniskirted dress!
If anyone wants to wear short shorts, I suggest wearing athletic shorts or even rugby shorts which are a lot shorther than the baggy looking football ( soccer) shorts.

skirtilator wrote:

Wim Jansma wrote:...............The opinion of strangers are obviously more important to your wife than you. I would tell her that you expect her to wear skirts or dresses in public, if she refuses, she is a hypocrite who disrespects her husband. Do I really have to tell ya what mature love is about, laddy? Don't let yourself be pulled over, aye?

Perhaps my avatar sets you on the wrong side. I was than 14 y.o. A James Dean at that time (do you remember him from his movie GIANT ?)
We are now almost sixty (!) years further.
I'm married with my wife for almost 50 years. We have three children and five grand-children.
And a beautiful house with a splendid garden in witch I am free to do what I like, such as wearing a skirt.

I set more value on all these things than wearing a skirt in public.

Here a picture in a skirt that I made lasdt week.

In Computing and linguistic theory the use of a word with several distinct and non-related meanings is said to have been "overloading" the word. We particularly used it in compiler syntax analysis as sometimes compiler tokens have more than one meaning. Crl, and probably others, will know what I mean. First come across this when I did a course in Compiler Theory and Construction as part of my BSc.