asterisk

joined 1 year ago
[–] asterisk 7 points 8 months ago

Spinney is a nice word for a smallish gathering of trees, alongside copse, coppice, etc. I'm not aware of a term for one specifically in an open field, though.

[–] asterisk 3 points 11 months ago

Apart from the hole, that could be chicken on a raft, an old Royal Navy dish.

[–] asterisk 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I haven't tried it myself yet, but you can get yeast improvers , a powdered 'mother yeast' that claims similar results to sourdough.

I have a starter in the fridge that I only use once every two or three weeks, and have not had any mould problems; perhaps you just have to be only a little less lazy to keep a viable one, and feed on that sort of a schedule?

I agree though, that making sourdough bread can be a nuisance time-management-wise until you find some sort of rhythm that suits you.

 

While living in Southampton and working at a local newspaper, photographer Rachel Adams, to her delight, discovered a new generation of Morris dancers performing at pubs, events and festivals. The fresh choreographed figures jumping up and down to music, clad in costumes covered in bells, and waving handkerchiefs and bashing sticks sparked her curiosity. She wanted to know more about what these young people found so intriguing about this English folk tradition, which usually has a bad reputation.

[–] asterisk 6 points 1 year ago

I can't go on. I'll go on.

(Samuel Beckett)

[–] asterisk 7 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I think it's a very good idea, and I can't see any obvious disadvantages except, perhaps, the loss of posting and comment history from the currently existing communities.

Maybe also consider merging [email protected] ? That one seems to be quite general too, and posts often become discussions of how to cook the showcased dish (plus I really dislike the name of the community).

[–] asterisk 6 points 1 year ago

I don't think I've come across that before, but I'd say it depends on what is meant:

  • I don't know what that thing is.
  • There is a thing, but I don't know what it is.
  • There is a thing such that I don't know what it is. I.e., I do not know what all things are.

There may well be some other ones, but I don't know what they might be.

[–] asterisk 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, it is a famously polarizing taste, but a small amount in something hefty like a ragout adds umami without adding too much of the marmite flavour. I'm vegetarian, and find it's really handy for adding meatiness to such things.

If you try it and like it, do try marmite spaghetti.

[–] asterisk 5 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Miso, Marmite, MSG, and Maggi are all good.

Not all at once, though.

[–] asterisk 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I have a Xerox colour laser printer that I'm very happy with: accepts off-brand toner, speaks postscript, good quality printing, no problems at all. I've also been very happy with Brother laser printers in the past.

[–] asterisk 4 points 1 year ago

Oddities and Curiosities of Words and Literature by C C Bombaugh, one of my favourite reads, feels like it might be an obscure book.

[–] asterisk 5 points 1 year ago

Swot is a venerable and frequently used word, derived from the word sweat. Neek is what's current with my children's generation (South London): it's a portmanteau of nerd and geek, apparently. Spod may well be regionally and temporally specific, as it's what I used to be called in SW England in the 1980s.

[–] asterisk 47 points 1 year ago (5 children)

These kinds of insults definitely exist here in the UK too, e.g., swot, spod, as well as geek, neek, nerd, etc. I don't think these are imported from the US, as they've been around for a long time. Perhaps a manifestation of anglo-saxon anti-intellectualism?

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