tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392857720107219976.post7894574803244840321..comments2022-04-01T23:48:10.123+02:00Comments on Write thinking: Meaningless exchanges?Nicky Grieshaberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06534125720505203294noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392857720107219976.post-46870790955438450792011-06-20T22:55:09.708+02:002011-06-20T22:55:09.708+02:00Kerry, yes, you do have the right word. If you go ...Kerry, yes, you do have the right word. If you go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pear-shaped<br />you'll find quite a few suggestions about the possible origins of the phrase.Nicky Grieshaberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06534125720505203294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392857720107219976.post-54213709924596496712011-06-19T08:41:24.841+02:002011-06-19T08:41:24.841+02:00I have always wondered about the saying, "thi...I have always wondered about the saying, "things are going pear-shaped" to politely say that things have gotten messy/events are getting out of control! It does not seem to make any real sense and have aften argued with my husband that any other word would make just as much sense (things going pie-shaped for example)! Have you heard this one before...do I even have the right word in the first place?Kerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09313679634890191752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392857720107219976.post-31839494014876071992011-06-19T08:38:29.605+02:002011-06-19T08:38:29.605+02:00Speaking of teachers comments to the class. I had...Speaking of teachers comments to the class. I had a Standard 4 teacher who often told students to "use your savvy child!" Have never heard anyone else being told to use their head/brains in quite the same way ever again.Kerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09313679634890191752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392857720107219976.post-10416249977384621752011-06-04T22:11:34.537+02:002011-06-04T22:11:34.537+02:00Hi Pat, thanks for the comment; I'm glad you l...Hi Pat, thanks for the comment; I'm glad you liked the article. I don't think Mr Field ever used that word in our class – I'm sure I would have remembered! He was such a character, wasn't he? I Googled the word, and this was one of the entries I found: <b>gormless</b> [ˈgɔːmlɪs](adj) Brit. informal: stupid; dull [variant of C18 <i>gaumless</i>, from dialect <i>gome</i>, from Old English <i>gom</i>, <i>gome</i>, from Old Norse <i>gaumr</i> heed]Nicky Grieshaberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06534125720505203294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392857720107219976.post-49571957406461243372011-05-21T07:41:22.086+02:002011-05-21T07:41:22.086+02:00Loved this post Nicky. Did you ever get called a G...Loved this post Nicky. Did you ever get called a Gormless idiot at school? I can remember Jack Field calling us all Gormless idiots. What is a gorm? It must have some value, but for the life of me, I cannot find the original meaning. Gaelic has a gorm as being a colour blue, mmmm obviously not a thing that requires intelligence. The expression pops into my head when I do something idiotic and I can almost see old Jack Field in his size 13 shoes pointing his finger at me saying 'Pat, you gormless idiot, why did you do/say that?'Pat Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07596233273021562946noreply@blogger.com