ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Floor-mounted Outlets?

Ian,
English humor; take an adjective, (like aghast), and add -ific- and a verb ending- thus creating a new verb!- aghastificated, meaning to be filled with concern! Others in this genre- disconglomerateificate meaning to dismantle, or spifflicate meaning to hit someone hard. Or just add a verb ending to an adjective as in "deaded". 'Deaded' means lightly killed (!) and comes from a British radio series called the Goon Show, from the 1950s. This crazy show unleashed Peter Sellars, ( of Inspector Cluseau/ Pink Panther fame ), on an unsuspecting world, and was a model for the more sophisticated Monty Python lunacies of the 70S.
Written almost exclusively by the late Spike Milligan, the Goon Show is, I believe, still listenable to on the internet. Google "Goon Show BBC Radio 7" will get you there, but it may not tickle American humor buds- many English people didn't get it either!
Spike was a very funny man, and has on his tombstone, in gaelic;

"I told you I was ill!"

Hope this helps!

Alan
PS. It's on tonight, 14OO EST, 1900 BST

A taster:
Neddy Seagoon takes Dartmoor Prison, ( a huge brooding granite penetentiary set on the moors in Devon), hitches it to a horse, and leaving a cardboard replica in its place, sails to France, seeking the legendary Chateau d'If.
Some idiot tunnels out in an escape bid halfway across the English Channel.....




[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 07-12-2005).]

I once knew a person who loved to make spurious allegations. What, pray tell, is the noun for such a person? Alligator, of course:-)

Well,
Being like I am.
I had to ask for the address of this guy and I wanted to see what he had done.
Also the guy had no power, so they sent me to re-connect him. {I'll find out who it was that sent me too!}
What he had guys, was single un-switched points of the PDL 600 Series, used for nothing more than lamps.
The lamps having switches in the cords.
Original Electrician had fitted out and finished the switch-board, nothing un-toward.
I got under the floor and checked the wiring under there, pretty neat actually!.
I went and called the Inspector and he said connect it, so I did and there was an al-mighty BANG at the meter box on the front of the house as I put the fuse in at the road.
It was not a good sight to see, I had to rip a good part of his newly wall-papered wall away with a claw-hammer and shove a Fire Extinguisher in there.
You should have seen the look on the guys face, when I said "Excuse me, Sir, there might be a fire in your wall, do you mind if I chop it to bits to find it!". Damn!
One short circuit eh, I could hear it in there too.
Luckily I'd called the Fire Brigade.
And Yes they are still taking me to task about that one.
I would bame it on the boy, but I didn't have one!.

"English humor; take an adjective, (like aghast), and add -ific- and a verb ending- thus creating a new verb!- aghastificated, meaning to be filled with concern!"
I figured so, was just beng a bit of a smart arse

"Monty Python lunacies of the 70S.
but it may not tickle American humor buds- many English people didn't get it either!"

"Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, But I don't like Spam!"

Monty Python is like a religion. I may be a yank but I can still appreciate Brittish humour. Mum is a scot, a Wild MacRae of Kintail. As such, I still have a lot of family around Glasgow.

Actually 1900 BST is 1400 EDT. But then I don't want to be accused of pedantification!

John,
Aren't Allegations the teeth marks left by the same?.

Sounds like you just had "one of those days" Trumpy. At least you found the exact position of the short ! I think its about time for another one of those " Describe your DAY FROM HELL" threads.

As for your mates floor sockets, if they havent got a switch then they must be fine. Like you said, the modern plastics are very tough and I think they are probably more impact resistant than some of the die-cast "sh*t-metals".

Its a very American idea to have floor-sockets for table lamps which are switched at the door-way for living areas. These coupled with wall lights are very nice in living areas.

If I ever win Lotto and can afford to build my own house then that would be how I would wire my living area lights.

That Spam sketch! There's a brief second in that, where a cardboard effigy is wheeled past camera to bulk out the customers in the Spam cafe. Eric Idle's classic line;
"Hello Mrs Cutout!" is still one of my favourites.
Your Mum may remember another sketch involving a stony-broke Scots poet* on the scrounge- ( "Cud ye lend us a fiver?" ), with another classic Python line;
"Wah's twentee pooonds tae the bluddy Midland Bank!?"

* Based on William McGonagall, a Scots poet generally recognised as the 'World's Worst Poet', totally unfettered by any ideas of rhyme, scan or length of lines and one of my 19th C. heros. He wrote about everyday things, most famously;
"Oh, Wonderful Railway Bridge o'er the Silvery Tay,
Which shall stand for many a long day..."
His epithet on this 'engineering masterpiece' was rather short lived. It was poorly designed and built, and collapsed in a storm with a train on it, (the Tay Bridge Disaster.) Undaunted, McGonagall later starts a new poem, but is more cautious;
"Oh, Wonderful new Railway Bridge o'er the Silvery Tay
"And it looks quite strong, I must say."
Poor as a kirk-mouse, William sent a copy of each of his poems to Queen Victoria, who had a Palace at Balmoral. These had the Royal Family in stitches, and they were all read avidly. Eventually, McGonagall received an invitation to take tea with Her Majesty at Balmoral. Being a poor scot, McGonagall WALKED right across Scotland from Dundee to attend, but was met by a garrulous Porter at the Lodge Gate who told him to clear off!
So, William walked home again!
William visited New York in 1887, and died in 1902, aged 72.
Alan


[This message has been edited by Alan Belson (edited 07-18-2005).]

I didn't quite remember Mcgonagall's prose aright, -it's been the best part of 40 years since reading it. http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk
gives the full story of the life and works this wonderful character- worth a look as he refers to the original Brooklin Railway Bridge in his ode to the new Tay Bridge.
Alan