Column 8: To pronounce the 't' or not when it comes to Turandot
Column 8 readers are divided over the pronuncition of Turandot, but it's the upcoming rain event that gets the last word. Column8@smh.com.au
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"It appears that some in the media are becoming a bit rattled by this super long election lead-up," says Robert Bear, of Sydenham.
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A deluge on Marcus Daniel's comment about weatherman Graham Creed missing articles such as "with mostly sunny day".
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A Yankee start. "I totally agree with the comment regarding American geographical names given to girls now."
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Firstly, matters meteorlogical. Chris Roberts, of Killarney Heights. "Over the weekend I suspect many households were having to drain excess water from their pools."
Column 8: No playing around in conflict-ridden Origin footy
Origin "Have you noticed that sporting teams never "play" against each other? They "clash" or "battle" or "face-off" or "challenge" or "fight against". No wonder there are so many injuries." Wait until round two.
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Column 8: "Doctor Blake takes no notice of historical accuracy at all. He wears a quartz watch (perhaps sponsored). Such watches were not available until the 1970s.''
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Effusive thanks arrive for the work of Pat Sheil, who carried the Column 8 baton for 12 years.
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"Friday, May 20, was Eliza Doolittle Day," reports James Prior, of Sylvania Waters, "as announced in the song, Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait, in the Lerner and Lowe musical My Fair Lady. I wonder if Australian Elizas celebrate it." Were there any Eliza parties that we missed last week?
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"I thought that Column 8 readers would enjoy reading this translation from Taiwanese into English, on the packaging of a product called 'Butter Raisin Pie'," passes on Geoff Lyons, of Lane Cove. "'Boundless merriment with friends getting together. Please enjoy special delicious taste which brings you fantastic feeling.' With promises as colourful as that, how could one refuse?"
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"Michael Maguire may be right on the ABC Vote Compass drop-down list being ambitious, with the year of birth starting at 2016," writes Tim Donovan, of Bahrs Scrub (Column 8, Wednesday), "but full marks to them for not being ageist – the year of birth goes back to 1900. Can anyone tell me how many people there are in Australia over 116 years old?" For the record, the world's oldest person, Susannah Jones, breathed her last a few days ago in New York at the age of 116.
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"Now that the subject of touch typing has been exhausted," types Alastair Wilson, of Balmain (and yes, it certainly has!), "might we find out the longest word able to be typed on the top row of a QWERTY keyboard? My guess is 'typewriter', but I await further suggestions. The other two rows don't seem to offer much: 'Galahads', perhaps, for row two, and nothing pronounceable from the third."
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"The Saturday Illawarra Mercury," reports Alyn Vincent, of Thirroul, "carried the usual real estate liftout. One of the homes had a special feature: 'A flat gassy area and fire pit suitable for children'."
