“With all these experiences at the theatre (C8), I am reminded of the time I went to an amateur production of Rebecca,” writes David Pigott of North Parramatta. “When the lady of the manor came on stage for the second time, I said to myself, ‘Here comes bitch face again’. At the interval, I asked the man next to me what was his involvement with the group. He replied, ‘Bitch face is my mother’.”
As enthusiastically as a schoolboy leaving his books: “This Shakespeare discourse (C8) got me thinking,” says John McCartney of Mount Coolum (Qld). “In his day, school must have been so much more enjoyable; they didn’t have to read Shakespeare.”
“I am a native speaker of Geordiespeak (C8) and can confirm that David Rodrick of Drummoyne has entirely missed what Vera is all about,” declares Steve Cornelius of Brookvale. “The whole point of Vera is to warn non-Geordies not to move to north-eastern England or even visit. This is achieved audibly by the characters speaking an almost entirely unintelligible dialect and visually by portraying the area as grey, raining, and freezing. The latter is why I left, in 1966, aged 18. The campaign seems to be succeeding, which gladdens my heart.”
The other day, Derrick Mason of Boorowa heard “an old rugby player venting his frustration on the state of the game. ‘They call it the game they play in heaven,’ he said, ‘And that’s probably because it’s the only place they have somebody who understands the rules!’”
Peter Butt of Wollstonecraft once led an organisation that encouraged lawyers to use plain English. “We also tried to get them to drop Latin. Why? Because most people don’t understand Latin. Why use Latin if you can use a plain English term? Even the Law Society sided with us on this. One phrase in our sights was pro bono (C8). Surveys indicated that most had no idea what it meant. But did the lawyers change? Sadly, no – as the correspondence from my good friend Edward Loong attests.”
With that, Jo Rainbow of Orange thanks all “for assuring me – I prefer to hear these stories. I’ve also learned that grapes grown and harvested by one of the local special needs schools are processed pro bono by one of the best local wineries, with all profits returning to the school. Should you buy an Anson Farm bottle, I thank you.”
Column8@smh.com.au
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