Comments on: Obama Secretly “Hearts” FOX News

By: J.E. Dyer

J.E. Dyer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:07:53 +0000

@ Howard Portnoy:

OK, HP, I’m sending you the medical bill for that one.

By: J.E. Dyer

J.E. Dyer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:06:47 +0000

@ Sully:

I don’t know, Sully. There are an awful lot of entendres lurking about your line:

“Oft’ stoned, he education gained, and phlegm,”

I was quite partial to it. Even if you don’t technically need the apostrophe on “oft.” I think the little critter gives it an extra dollop of filip.

By: Sully

Sully — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:24:57 +0000

This is by no means an admission of error; but “phlegm” will not appear in the final form of the poem when I post it on the main site – unless it absolutely insists.

By: Howard Portnoy

Howard Portnoy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:47:34 +0000

@ J.E. Dyer:
If you can’t beat, fledg-em. That’s what I always say.

By: fuster

fuster — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:41:40 +0000

@ J.E. Dyer:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_f4aa9hFY87M/SRHUqwX0biI/AAAAAAAAAGg/F9QJLnLIP0Y/s400/spittoon1.jpg

By: J.E. Dyer

J.E. Dyer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:45:40 +0000

@ Sully:
Oof. Those second “cs” will get you every time.

Here’s another of Dyer’s Axioms for Life:

He who dies with the most books wins.

By: Sully

Sully — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:25:57 +0000

@ J.E. Dyer:

The books must go J.E.

The OED was one of my first sales. I think I got something like $50 net for it; which was not bad since BOMC gave it to me as an incentive. I’m holding out for a hundred net on the Will and Ariel set. I’ll never read those volumes again.

I love the spelling bee story although it brings back the unfortunate memory of being knocked out with “across” in the first round of a schoolwide bee for which my nun english teacher thought me a contender. I knew I was toast the moment I nervously uttered the second “c”.

By: J.E. Dyer

J.E. Dyer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:20:57 +0000

Hack! pftui!

By: fuster

fuster — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:06:36 +0000

@ J.E. Dyer:
But the Kid got it, didn’t she?

By: J.E. Dyer

J.E. Dyer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:58:20 +0000

@ Sully:

I’m not sure what to say about anyone who would sell a compact OED.

But as for the usage of “phlegm,” there were plenty of references to it as the “gunk that makes you cough” when I was a slimy pollywog back in the dreadful, primitive days before remote controls for the TV.

Here’s a story I doubt anyone can match. Sixth grade. County spelling bee, Nueces County, Texas. Kid in front of me gets the word “phlegm” to spell. The pronouncer reads it off to him:

“Fledg-em.”

Slow, piercing stare at the contestant to see if he’s registering comprehension.

“Fledg-em.”

The kid got it wrong.