Friday, September 20, 2019


The best-laid plans… Except that this time, the fault is weakness and inertia.

I finally got to the knitting during “Pointless”, as so often, and I’ve finished row 24 of the Spring Shawl borders. It was tricky right the way across, but I think all is more or less well.

And I’ve lined up the Papal encyclical “Laudato Si’” for my Italian homework – recast it into indirect discourse, “The Pope said that…” It’s about taking care of the planet, appropriate for today. But I haven’t actually done anything. Friday evening as usual… And I must find out how to say “Papal encyclical” in Italian.

Non-knit

Pasta carbonara seems to be the commonest recipe with guanciale, Mary Lou. I may go for that. I have promised Archie a lunch next week. There is another, interesting recipe involving ricotta but at the moment I am largely debarred from interesting ingredients – they are tearing up the roads outside my house. I’ve got a good parking place and simply don’t dare move the car (=go to Waitrose) until there is some hope of parking when I return. The necessities of life (except for Weston’s Vintage Cider) are within even my walking range, but that doesn’t include ricotta.

As for pronunciation, it was in Valvona and Crolla (see yesterday) that I learned to pronounced “nduja”, and put the lesson to good use when Archie and I were in an interesting delicatessen in Reggio Calabria.

Reading

I have finished “The Prime Minister” and have plunged straight into “The Duke’s Children”. I was astonished to find the phrase “tell it to the marines” in the former text. It occurs twice. Also, less surprisingly, “wet blanket”.

3 comments:

  1. Waitrose may deliver to your door. I enjoyed The Dukes Children, despite the sadness at the beginning.

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  2. I had to look up “tell it to the marines” of course. I always assumed it to be an Americanism, but it goes back to the early 19th century in the UK, related to the royal navy. "He may tell that to the marines, but the sailors will not believe him." Another fun fact from Jean! I am off to teach a class on chart reading. Interesting how many knitters are intimidated by them.

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  3. Anonymous2:46 PM

    I have never heard of "tell it to the marines". and I am seventy and thought I had heard it all :) I think it sounds less of a comeback and less American than "wet blanket" sounds 1920's, 30's, way of saying someone is a drip -definitely American. such fun ! enjoy all of it... Take a cab if ya got the money and leave the car parked.

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