Clowns

[Quizmonster]

One of the sub-headings in today's Times Online reads, "Bunch of clowns welcomes incoming competitors."
Obviously, I thought it referred to Coe, Hunt and May! Sadly, it did not.

[ludwig]

You're supposed to ask a question. Your second sentence said should have said 'do you think it refers to Coe, Hunt and May?'.

[Quizmonster]

I obviously didn't NEED to ask a question, given the fact that you've provided an 'answer'!
(Well, I'm not totally sure what "said should have said" means, I have to confess.)

[emmie]

Coe, Hunt and May, sounds like some well dodgy back street solicitors.

[Duncer]

Or a cracker for Spoonerism.

[ludwig]

Flippin 'eck QM, keep your hair on. It was simply a lighthearted response to what I assumed was a lighthearted 'question'.

[Quizmonster]

My apologies, Ludwig. Once again we see the difficulty involved when, here on AB, one obviously cannot see the facial expression or hear the tone of the person contributing.

[tenrec]

Keep calm and carry on.

[tenrec]

Sorry, wrong thread!

[ludwig]

// Once again we see the difficulty involved when, here on AB, one obviously cannot see the facial expression or hear the tone of the person contributing. //

but you can see my expression -
<---- check the avatar ;o)

[ludwig]

..it never changes. Probably should have gone easier on the botox.

[Quizmonster]

L, my eyesight isn't what it used to be...and even then it was poor...but am I right in thinking the word 'can' in your response above is in italics? If so, how? I thought all the html facilities on AB had disappeared years ago and I regretted that, because the only way one can emphasise anything now is by using upper case letters...or so I thought. Do tell!

[ludwig]

It's how we're supposed to show quoted text rather than this // hello //, but I use it just for emphasis as it's a bit flaky.

You do this [ i ] text you want in italics [ i ] end of text.

But you remove the spaces I've put before and after each lower case i, to end up this this below..

You do this text you want in italics end of text.

[Quizmonster]

Thanks for that. That opening sentence is a test-run.

[Quizmonster]

Really, my thanks for that this time, L. Does it work for [b]bold[b] and [u]underline[u]?

[Quizmonster]

Pity!

[jno]

it does not. And you can only do one passage of italics in a post, otherwise the system has a hissy fit. And sometimes it refuses to recognise some characters anyway, so is best reserved for short passages.

[ludwig]

^ like I said, flaky.

[ludwig]

Flakey..like my spelling.

[anotheoldgit]

I do not know who the Times are referring to when they say "Bunch of clowns welcomes incoming competitors." since you have failed to provide a link to the story.

But if they are referring to the 'army' of specially employed welcoming personnel, then if one of these persons who phoned a recent late night radio station is anything to go by, then I agree with the Bunch of Clowns reference.

He was hardly interpretable, but from the few words that I managed to decipher he had come to this country about 4 years ago from Nigeria and his job is to welcome people at a certain London Rail Station, and provide them with any information they require, how most people will be able to understand him is a mystery to me.

I would have thought that to be able to be considered for a job such as this one would be at the best fluent in a number of languages or at the least be able to speak understandable English

[Quizmonster]

Anotheoldgit, I didn't 'fail' to provide a link, I simply 'told' you that such a news-item existed and where you could find it, if you wanted to and were allowed to see it. You would have been allowed to read it only if you are a subscriber to the Times' services. That's why I did not provide a link. (Where does it say links are compulsory anyway?)
And no, it wasn't about a set of tongue-tied foreigners behaving clownishly, but a group of young British dancers, all dressed as clowns, providing entertainment.
The heading at least is still there on the front page - which anyone cansee - so off you go! You can always google for the Times.