I am the Alpha but not yet the Beta, let alone the Omega

This is the start of a whole new era for me. (Ancient) Greek Scrabble. In a series of subsequent posts that will, I have to assure you now, take a long time, I shall be posting a list of all the possible two- and three-letter words that are admissible in Ancient Greek Scrabble. I can feel all your excitement - it's just so tangible. So, as the title suggests, I shall beginning whence only natural: alpha. I should also add that if there are any mistakes or missing words, please let me know so that I can create a complete set. Here goes:

a)/a 

a0g

ai0 

ai9

a)/m

a)/n

a)/r

a0j 

a9j

au]

au[

a)/y

a)/w

a0w~

Re: Re

So, to continue my scrabble related posts (and consequentially bad puns), I wanted to talk briefly about the brilliant word that is re. In and of itself, so the OED informs me, it is either a variant spelling of Ra the Egyptian god, the chemical symbol for Rhenium, another variant spelling, this time of the musical note ray (the doh-system is a scrabble life-saver!), or finally in the sense used in the title, meaning 'in the matter of', deriving from the Latin 'res'.

So what is so good about this word for scrabble purposes, given that it only scores you a humble 2 points? Well, the reason I think it is rather wonderful is the opportunities it affords for extension. Not enough people think about prefixes during scrabble, but re is the perfect place to start, since almost every vowel (with the exception, as ever, of u) can be added to the beginning to form a new word. 'Are', of course, is the obvious one, but ere is well known for its archaism, ore is rarely used but useful once remembered, and finally there's ire (derived from the Latin ira) meaning anger. Are ores ere a cause of ire? While I don't think that sentence actually makes any real sense, it was quite fun. So the next time you are stuck for a word, look out to see if there is a free re you can use onto which to tack on your own word!

Scrabbling at the Threads of Language

Recently, as some of you whom I think read this will know, I've been playing Scrabble on Facebook recently (hence the bad sort-of-pun in the title). As a result of which, I have been constantly searching for 2 and 3 letter words to use, and I often look up possibilities when a bit stuck. I have resolved, therefore, given my long, long silence, to post some of these with meanings and derivations as appropriate.

The first of these is a lovely word - gey. Pronounced as gay, or thereabouts, it is a Scottish adverb from the 18th century meaning very or considerably, and is a variant of gay itself. The example used in the OED is 'he was gey fond of you.' Personally, I prefer the rather more obvious alliterative effect of 'gey gay.' Any which way, use as you will. The downside to using it in Scrabble itself, however, is it offers little to no room for pluralization or any other extension.

It's the Gas Man! And he's here for Milton!

It is difficult to describe in words Milton Jones' new show. It will be even more difficult to describe it without giving anything away. Nevertheless, the challenge must be squared up to, and the show explained as much as explanation can allow.
Well, first I want to tackle the humour. I have long been a fan of Milton Jones, way back when he was just a quirky one-liner and neither his face nor his garish shirts had appeared on the small screen of the telly in my room. To some Milton Jones is simply the 'old grandfather', as Russell Howard described him, on Mock the Week, coming out with random yet somehow relevant puns and punchlines every so often, I should fill you in a little perhaps. To others attuned to and tuned into the radio Milton might also be known as the lead in three different yet similarly styled shows, The Very World of Milton Jones, The House of Milton Jones and Another Case of Milton Jones. These shows were, perhaps, at the risk of seeming over-the-top, since they seemed to showcase his one-line style by writing them into a storyline in a way that could to some seem manufactured. Although I liked them, I am the kind of person who doesn't tire of strings of one-liners. With that in mind, when I heard that he was moving to the medium of TV and producing a sitcom, I was, I admit, wary at first. Were we to have more of the same?
The answer, I think, is no. Although there are some one-line jokes, my favourite of which being 'I like to do whatever I can to fight poverty - only the other day I punched a tramp', the show is more interesting and diverse than that. The combination of his one-line style with visual effects produces a different, and funnier, feel to it. A moment that really got to me was near the opening of the show, when the gas salesman first appears (he also appears, without giving anything away, in a scene near the end). At this point, in response to the question 'where does your gas come from?' Milton presses a button (as he noted in an interview, the cinematography is very much in the style of Spaced) and he launches into a history of the universe to explain fossil fuels with his own... unique visual aids.
Next under the microscope is storyline. So, the first episode has got a very basic storyline: Milton's mother rents out various rooms to different people and Milton still lives with her, the mummy's boy. He fancies one of the tenants, but doesn't have the whiskey that would give him the bravado to approach her with anything tantamount to confidence. The new tenant, Paul (ironically), is a charmer and a threat to this relationship-to-be. Presumably this 'will they won't they' situation will persist for some time. So a funny show with a basic storyline, just like most of the current shows on the market? No. I am very happy to say that this show is just a little bit different. Yes, it might have a basic storyline at its heart. But, and this is a big butt about which I cannot lie, the show uses the basic storyline framework in order to introduce other, broader themes and social commentary. In this case, and here we come to the nub of the title, it's the gas man. I mentioned earlier that the gas salesman reappears later in the show, if you remember. I am trying not to give anything away, but gasmen, and the lengths to which they will go to secure you change to their company, is the real issue that lurks, just like a salesman in fact, just outside the metaphorical door, and around the metaphorical turn. If you want to understand the hows and whys, you'll just have to watch it for yourself, an act I can thoroughly recommend.

Greek Catchphrases

Yesterday I thought of something interesting. Remembering a sentence I had to translate back in my school days, I shall now be posting challenges to the general public, or my public, whichever is more appropriate. The challenge will be to translate from Classical Greek and recognize various catchphrases from tv shows or films. The winner gets kleos and kudos. Put your answers in the comments. Challenge 1:

pa/lin pare/somai    

Not Quite a Sketch But Never Mind

Well, quite. The title says not quite it all really. The reason for my latest radio silence is that I've been in Egypt for 10 days, but now I'm back with what isn't a sketch but fuck it. And my reason for not posting from Egypt is that I don't love you enough to pay for the pleasure. Still, I thought that I should have something fitting, so here is Eddie Izzard on Egyptian News Readers:

SotD - Do Bears...?

I'd known of the existence of this song for quite some time, but I had never actually given it much thought or possibility to impress. Now I want to right that wrong and spread the word that Rowan Atkinson's song with Kate Bush is quite good in its own way. Discover: