I'm surprised that posters were unfamiliar with the words termagant and harridan. They were in common usage in 19th century writing and before. 

The Victorian and part of the Edwardian eras must have been wonderful times. 

In moments of bliss, I imagine myself as a  disgustingly rich mill or factory owner, abusing my power in the most dissolute ways.

Arrh what might have been!

28 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

I'm surprised that posters were unfamiliar with the words termagant and harridan. They were in common usage in 19th century writing and before. 

The Victorian and part of the Edwardian eras must have been wonderful times. 

In moments of bliss, I imagine myself as a  disgustingly rich mill or factory owner, abusing my power in the most dissolute ways.

Arrh what might have been!

i always imagined you as an edwardian headmaster wandering the corridors of academia, resplendent in your mortar and gown, with pipe in mouth, twirling your ivory-tipped bamboo cane, whilst hunting down all the billie bunters for some ..er corrective stimulation

49 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

i always imagined you as an edwardian headmaster wandering the corridors of academia, resplendent in your mortar and gown, with pipe in mouth, twirling your ivory-tipped bamboo cane, whilst hunting down all the billie bunters for some ..er corrective stimulation

While we're imagining BBO's persona, it would be very Victorian/Edwardian to also imagine for him a nemesis, Moriarty-like, and who of the Demonland cohort might suit the role. And, BBO, who would be your Doctor John Watson?

The idle musings of someone browsing too long into the night...

I fear this thread is descending into the world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or J. K. Rowling.

3 hours ago, Redleg said:

I fear this thread is descending into the world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or J. K. Rowling.

It could do worst, there could be a total loss of the banana crops around the world. 

55 minutes ago, old dee said:

It could do worst, there could be a total loss of the banana crops around the world. 

May not affect me as much as previously might have, as my latest diet doesn’t recommend Banana smoothies.

1 hour ago, Redleg said:

May not affect me as much as previously might have, as my latest diet doesn’t recommend Banana smoothies.

Where did you find this ridiculous diet. No bananas!

17 hours ago, old dee said:

Where did you find this ridiculous diet. No bananas!

I googled “ridiculous diets”.

2 hours ago, Redleg said:

I googled “ridiculous diets”.

Looks like it worked. 

1 hour ago, old dee said:

Looks like it worked. 

But guess what, lost 2 kgs in 5 days. Well on the way.

5 minutes ago, Redleg said:

But guess what, lost 2 kgs in 5 days. Well on the way.

So what is the trick?

1 hour ago, old dee said:

So what is the trick?

Don't eat.

Just now, Redleg said:

Don't eat.

And you needed google for that!

3 hours ago, Redleg said:

But guess what, lost 2 kgs in 5 days. Well on the way.

Is that 'Well on the way' or 'Well, on the way'?

😉

13 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

Is that 'Well on the way' or 'Well, on the way'?

😉

First.

On 1/4/2023 at 12:20 PM, Redleg said:

May not affect me as much as previously might have, as my latest diet doesn’t recommend Banana smoothies.

I’ve also jettisoned bananas from my diet, Red. But not for weight loss reasons. I have it on good authority that mozzies won’t feast on one if one refrains from eating bananas. I’ve not indulged for over a week, yet last night I was a 20-course degustation for the [censored]ers just while putting my wheelie bin out. So my good authority may not be as good as I thought. 
He’s a fellow-Demonlander so I won’t mention names. However, his initials are @skort😁

15 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

I’ve also jettisoned bananas from my diet, Red. But not for weight loss reasons. I have it on good authority that mozzies won’t feast on one if one refrains from eating bananas. I’ve not indulged for over a week, yet last night I was a 20-course degustation for the [censored]ers just while putting my wheelie bin out. So my good authority may not be as good as I thought. 
He’s a fellow-Demonlander so I won’t mention names. However, his initials are @skort😁

seems others might disagree

 https://www.mosquitosquad.com/rhode-island/about-us/blog/tips-prevention/special-diets-for-mosquito-protection-are-banana/

 

44 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

I’ve also jettisoned bananas from my diet, Red. But not for weight loss reasons. I have it on good authority that mozzies won’t feast on one if one refrains from eating bananas. I’ve not indulged for over a week, yet last night I was a 20-course degustation for the [censored]ers just while putting my wheelie bin out. So my good authority may not be as good as I thought. 
He’s a fellow-Demonlander so I won’t mention names. However, his initials are @skort😁

I think the mozzies put that out there, to lull the unsuspecting into a position where they can be voraciously attacked.

A tip for you, heat a spoon in boiling water and place on bites, as warm as you can bear the spoon and it will destroy the mozzie fluid injected in their bites.

 

1 hour ago, Redleg said:

I think the mozzies put that out there, to lull the unsuspecting into a position where they can be voraciously attacked.

A tip for you, heat a spoon in boiling water and place on bites, as warm as you can bear the spoon and it will destroy the mozzie fluid injected in their bites.

 

I’ve not heard this tip before.

I’ll try this tonight. If it doesn’t work, you’ll be immediately added to my list of ppl who give sh!tt advice. But if it does work… thank you!

A mosquito's main methods of detecting and approaching suitable prey include body heat and also, surprisingly, carbon dioxide emissions from breathing.

The obvious solution is to wear a full wetsuit and use snorkel. You'll be in 'Dutch vs the Predator' final battle mode.

A bit inconvenient for most of us but Uncle Bitters can just grab his usual saturday evening finest.

13 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

A mosquito's main methods of detecting and approaching suitable prey include body heat and also, surprisingly, carbon dioxide emissions from breathing.

The obvious solution is to wear a full wetsuit and use snorkel. You'll be in 'Dutch vs the Predator' final battle mode.

A bit inconvenient for most of us but Uncle Bitters can just grab his usual saturday evening finest.

I'm not certain what the mozzies would make of my skin tight figure enhancing latex Goffy.

21 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

I'm not certain what the mozzies would make of my skin tight figure enhancing latex Goffy.

Nor anyone else for that matter.

Science.

https://www.realclearscience.com/quick_and_clear_science/2019/10/07/painting_zebra_stripes_on_cows_wards_off_biting_flies.html

2 hours ago, Little Goffy said:

Science.

https://www.realclearscience.com/quick_and_clear_science/2019/10/07/painting_zebra_stripes_on_cows_wards_off_biting_flies.html

 

are you suggesting wcw should......

a. paint herself in black and white zebra stripes?

   or

b. she is a cow?

13 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

are you suggesting wcw should......

a. paint herself in black and white zebra stripes?

   or

b. she is a cow?

I guess logically it goes "if B then A."

Maybe crazy stripes just deter bitey things? There was a fashion in surfing for a while to add all kinds of stripes on boards and wetsuits as a way to confuse sharks.

Then there's all those interwar-era navies that gave it a try, presumably to deter giant octopuses. Octopi. Giantopuses.