Monthly Archives: November 2013

Mayonnaise and the mouse hunt…

Posted on November 30, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s expletive is ‘By these pickers and stealers!’ – From the Catechism ‘to keep my hands from picking and stealing’ – this oath dates from the time of Shakespeare. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> My mouse wasn’t clicking right… it … Continue reading →

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A tale of two art galleries…

Posted on November 29, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s architectural term is ‘foil’ – A lobe or leaf-shaped curve formed by the cusping of a circle or an arch… ‘The cusping of a circle’ – I think that I’ll have that buzzing in my … Continue reading →

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Stella and the whippy thing…

Posted on November 28, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s financial forecast is for bankers to be crouching down on all fours on thick pile carpets, lapping up brandy and champagne from cat bowls – they will purr contentedly… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Landscape No. 50. (1993) Pastel … Continue reading →

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Overheard and misheard snatches of cafe conversation…

Posted on November 27, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s random dictionary words are: dischurch, libbard, eccaleobion, chobdar, and punalua. Please have these words ready in suitable and witty sentences for Professor Mouldie first thing after breakfast tomorrow morning. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ‘A love-iron relationship.’ ‘You call … Continue reading →

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Bang!…

Posted on November 26, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s colours are: burnt umber, burnt umber, burnt umber, burnt umber, yellow ochre, and burnt umber. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Here is another scanned print from my days of black and white film and darkroom photography. It looks like … Continue reading →

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Tasty Hair Styles…

Posted on November 25, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s instruction is to bend back flaps A, B, and D, and weight them down temporarily with a small object, run a pencil around the curved wings and snip them out with a pair of garden … Continue reading →

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Armageddon and Pronunciation…

Posted on November 24, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s ostrich is the one talking on its phone, sheltering from a shower in the doorway of McDonald’s. (Ostrich) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Last night I watched a longish TV documentary (well, I must confess that I was fiddling … Continue reading →

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Negatives and spookiness…

Posted on November 23, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s lovely expletive is ‘Odsbobs and buttycakes!’ – An oath from Lancashire. ‘Odsbobs’ is a corruption of ‘God’s body’, but I don’t know where the buttycakes come in. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> A murky November evening in Dulltown yesterday: … Continue reading →

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Small, but pithy items…

Posted on November 22, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s warthog is the one hanging his washing out to dry. (Warthog) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Excuses for being late. No. 189. I’m sorry I’m late, but I had dust all my light bulbs. Isn’t it great when a … Continue reading →

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Yellow, grey, with leaves & butt… $40,000…

Posted on November 21, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s fine adjectives are: cumbent, azoic, risoluto, buttery, and pantophobic. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes… you are right… this is just the sort of picture you take when you are standing waiting for a bus. You shuffle around and … Continue reading →

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Another job well done…

Posted on November 20, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s very silly words are ‘metope’ and ‘triglyph’. (M. and T.) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> A few days ago I posted one of my old photos which I called ‘Our Lady of the Teapot?’ and mentioned how I used … Continue reading →

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Veronica and the escapement…

Posted on November 19, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s existential angst is centred around the word baboon. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I received one of those 3-D postcards in the post this morning, the ones that look about half an inch thick, but aren’t – they look … Continue reading →

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So strange, so weird, so eerie… (Inscrutable waves etc.)

Posted on November 18, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s fine expletive is ‘By bread and salt!’ – A Tudor oath. It was customary to take bread and salt before swearing a solemn oath. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Oh, dear! You don’t see a scene like this very … Continue reading →

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Overheard and misheard snatches of cafe conversation…

Posted on November 17, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s annoyingly spelled word is ‘rhythm’. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ‘Sorry there, pick another…’ ‘They carry you anywhere you go.’ ‘Castor boss, castor boss.’ ‘Meech-talk…’ ‘He just gone gnome.’ ‘Arbs, arbs, spending…’ ‘Relationship Memphis?’ ‘Five three houses!…’ ‘A media … Continue reading →

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Our Lady of the Teapot?…

Posted on November 16, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s crocodile is the one sitting in the launderette watching his washing go round. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Here’s another picture from my days of old-style film and darkroom photography. This one dates from the 1980s or early 1990s. … Continue reading →

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Ugliness is a matter of an inch or so…

Posted on November 15, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s random dictionary words are: esclandre, espalier, esnecy, esemplastic, and warragal. Please have these words ready in suitable sentences for Professor Mouldie first thing in the morning… or you will be for it!… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In this … Continue reading →

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My chocolate muse…

Posted on November 14, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s instruction is to hold your breath for half a minute, then suck in all of Nature’s clever fumes, and then exhale great gusts of pure air… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> So… it was Tuesday evening, five o’clock, a … Continue reading →

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Stella and the baseball…

Posted on November 13, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s architectural term is ‘columna rostrata’: an ornamental column decorated with ships’ prows to celebrate a naval victory. I used to have a columna rostrata, but the sticking out prows took up too much space so … Continue reading →

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Going underground with Werner…

Posted on November 12, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s border collie is the dim-witted one. (B.C.) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I recorded a film from the TV a couple of days ago. It was on Freeview Channel 32, known as ‘Movie Mix’, where they have all the … Continue reading →

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So what is it that those TV ads are trying to tell us?…

Posted on November 11, 2013 by

But first… Dulltown, Europe: Today’s fine expletive is the Cockney ‘Swelp me Bob!’ – ‘Swelp me’ is of course ‘So help me’, and ‘Bob’ is a euphemism for God – as in the U.S. equivalent, ‘No Siree Bob!’ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Cash-back … Continue reading →

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