Easy Questions?

[Griffin NoName]

I suppose I should post some observations about ridiculous behaviors by small percentages of the female population sometime

Like wearing these:


http://stateschronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/high-heels.jpg

but it's maybe not just a small percentage 

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Those are unregistered weapons!   

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I was gonna go with "pepper spray" direct to the face of the fartee... but that'd be too much?

I do like the having a handy floral spray handy, and without batting an eye, liberally spraying on either side of them-- not **directly** in their face as it were...

Too much?

How about having one of those hideous "room deodorizer" things-- you know the one, it's filled with an ugly green liquid, you open the top, and pull it up a bit to release the dragon.

Anyhow, when they let one go?  You stop what you're doing-- say "excuse me", and then get out the deoderizer and ostentatiously open the top-- waving it around to either side is optional. Then setting it down directly in front of them-- all without a word. 

Then, without missing a beat, "where were we?"

But I really like the pepper spray....

[Griffin NoName]

I like the wafter idea Bob. They couldn't prove you were insulting them rather than just being a fanatical smell sprayer type person, which might prevent complaints to the management.

[pieces o nine]

I could whip out my old neopagan censor and my old anglican prayerbook, and "incense"* the customer... 


I command you, unclean spirit, whoever you are, along with all your minions now attacking this servant of [my boss's boss's name]... I cast you out, unclean spirit, along with every Hydrogen Sulfide power of the enemy, every spectre from unclean lunches, and all your fell companions; in the name of [my boss's boss's name]...




~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~
* that is the correct term for wafting incense about, btw!   

[Aggie]

Hmmm... can you keep a candle and matches handy, and light the candle when needed? The sulphur in the matches is pretty good at neuralizing and covering other odours.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Hmmm... can you keep a candle and matches handy, and light the candle when needed? The sulphur in the matches is pretty good at neuralizing and covering other odours.

And if he gets really obnoxious?  You have hot wax to toss on him... no?  Too much? 

[pieces o nine]

Hmmm... can you keep a candle and matches handy, and light the candle when needed? The sulphur in the matches is pretty good at neuralizing and covering other odours.

And if he gets really obnoxious?  You have hot wax to toss on him... no?  Too much? 

Since I work surrounded by paper and combustible materials, mmmmm, no.
But I like the way you sibguys think. 

[Aggie]

The matches is an old staff-bathroom trick.  It's not a particularly beautiful smell, and one still knows what it signifies, but it does effectively mask fecal odour.

[Swatopluk]

Is December 21st (winter solstice) the shortest day flanked by two nights of equal length? If not, is the night before or after the longest? And how about summer solstice?

[Bluenose]

Is December 21st (winter solstice) the shortest day flanked by two nights of equal length? If not, is the night before or after the longest? And how about summer solstice?

This year the December solstice occurred at 17:11 GMT on 21Dec.  so for points North of the equator on the earth's surface about 7 hours West of Greenwich the solstice would occur at midnight giving a single longest night. conversely, 5 hours East of Greenwich the would occur an exactly analogous longest day for southern latitudes. For other longitudes exactly how the solstice is manifested would depend on when it occurred at your local mean time.

[Griffin NoName]

If the plural of leaf is leaves, why is the plural of belief beliefs? Is it purely that believes is already in use as a verb? If so, did that use actually pre-date, or co-incide with the definition of the plural version of belief?

[Opsa]

I am guessing it has to do with the letter arrangement and use.

The only other word with an "eaf" at the end (as in "leaf") that I can come up with is "sheaf", which is pluralized as "sheaves".

For "ief", as in "belief", there are
"grief"- grieves (verb)
"brief"- briefs (plural)
"chief"- chiefs (plural)
"relief"- relieves (verb) and
"thief"- thieves (plural)

[Swatopluk]

I think there is no logical rule whether the plural goes with f or v.
Tolkien made an explicit note that the form 'dwarves' he preferred aesthetically was unfortunately not the correct one but 'dwarfs'.

[Griffin NoName]

I suppose it's a bit like dive, dove, and doved.