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Oops! The Silly Mistakes Thread

IbisNibs said:
Wolf wasn't the only one who made mistakes though, if her manuscript got past all the editors and her PhD thesis, which was the basis of her book, was approved.
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Yup, if the big mistake was the basis of her thesis she's Doctor Nobody.

For a start, her Definition of Terms would set out what she thought 'Death recorded' meant. She didn't look into that first to make sure it indicated an execution, which we now know it didn't. The bloke who challenged her on it must've been nursing that interesting fact for quite some time.
 
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I know legal language is often dense and impenetrable but can anyone explain how "death recorded" actually means pardoned and what phrase would have been used if the person had been executed?
 
pandacracker said:
I know legal language is often dense and impenetrable but can anyone explain how "death recorded" actually means pardoned and what phrase would have been used if the person had been executed?
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“In British courts until 1861 many crimes were punishable by death, but by the 19th century most such sentences for less serious crimes were pardoned by the monarch.

From 1823, a sentence of death recorded meant that the judge was abstaining from voicing a sentence of capital punishment in cases where he foresaw that a royal pardon would be forthcoming if he delivered a spoken death sentence (only a spoken sentence was valid).

"Death recorded" was a death sentence in name only, with no actual effect in law. It could be applied to any felony not within benefit of clergy, apart from murder.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_recorded

maximus otter
 
Comfortably Numb said:
Bought a set of plastic, 'party' cutlery to try. Made some coffee earlier and decided to use one of the plastic teaspoons. Poured boiling water into cup with coffee therein, inserted plastic teaspoon and watched as it instantly curled up into a plastic blob...
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I've seen that done more skilfully, where the shaft of the spoon turned into an artistic spiral.
 
Yesterday before work I ate some very nice home-made soup. We had no bread so I lobbed in some croutons Techy'd found in the cupboard.

I didn't think much of the croutons - bitter taste, a bit chewy - but ate them anyway. Big mistake, as they were 22 months out of date and made me ill. Had nausea and a bad stomach all day. Still not right how. Off to work anyway in a bit.

Next time I come across food I don't remember buying I'll look at the date!

Edit - I was wrong, it's not food poisoning, it's a bug. Had to bunk off early from work. Aching, coughing etc. Not 'flu but a bit like it.
 
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Self-explanatory really -

Musician appeals for help after leaving 18th-century violin on train

A classical violinist is pleading for help from the public after leaving a 310-year-old violin worth £250,000 on a train.

Stephen Morris forgot to pick up his handmade David Tecchler violin as he left the London to Orpington service at Penge East last Tuesday night.

Dated to 1709, the instrument was one of only a few made by Tecchler, a master craftsman considered to be the leading violin and cello maker of the renowned Roman school of violin-making.

Morris described the violin as “a piece of history” and is urging anyone who found it to return it. “It’s devastating to lose it and quite apart from its value, it’s my livelihood,” he told BBC News.
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There's a Guardian article about some other bloke who sat on a Stradivarius. I bet this chap's read that at some point and thought 'Silly sausage!'
 
escargot said:
it's not food poisoning, it's a bug.
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I suspected it might be. Stale croutons might be a bit "reesty," if oil was involved, but not likely to lead to sickness. Get well soon.

"Reesty," was a term reserved for stale oil flavours in our house. I see the modern slang dictionaries apply it more widely to putrid stinks, such as farts. Genuki.org identifies it as a Yorkshire synonym for rancid, as in bacon. That would figure, as my Gran. was from Huddersfield.

Meanwhile, I think a valuable violin might be hard for any opportunistic thief to turn to much profit. :violin:
 
Comfortably Numb said:
Bought a set of plastic, 'party' cutlery to try. Made some coffee earlier and decided to use one of the plastic teaspoons. Poured boiling water into cup with coffee therein, inserted plastic teaspoon and watched as it instantly curled up into a plastic blob...
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I sent off for 10 plastic pint pots last week to service my juice/tonic water habit. Excellent, perfect for the purpose.
 
Shady said:
Lots of drinks anyway, just to make sure and rest up, have you had the flu jab yet?
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Yup, Techy is tending me with hot medicinal drinks and the loan of his zebra-patterned fleecy blanket. Had the flu jab last week, I never miss it.
 
Spudrick68 said:
I read the article 'cos I got it from Snopes but it still made me laugh. Another one he did was "time another snotty nosed Etonian soft cock to run the country again."
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Yup, all three of the set are on that page.
 
escargot said:
There's an idea! I happened to be acquainted with the owner of a particularly fine single malt.
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'fine single malt' ?

Come on, we all know it's just flavoured ethanol when you get down to it. Nice little earner though. ;)
 
Shady said:
I saw fine single malt and immediately thought of vinegar
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The words fine French wine have a similar effect on me.

I find French wine very dry.

Not that it bothers the tee-total me very much these days.
 
INT21 said:
'fine single malt' ?

Come on, we all know it's just flavoured ethanol when you get down to it. Nice little earner though. ;)
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And cheese is just flavoured milk fat. Won't get you pissed though.
 
Yes, on chips and on poached eggs, and on sliced cheese and a couple of eggs broke in middle of it, cover it all in vinegar and shove it in oven, luvly
 
Went for coffee while wife shopping (while wife was shopping. No wish to buy a new one) came out and went to collect car. Couldn't find it in usual place. tried the two other usual places. No car.

'Damn, not again' Memory of last time it was stolen.

Bright light comes on in head.

Walks across to Morrisons car park, where I left it. To be greeted by irate wife stood there with shopping.

Oops.
 
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