In article ,
Martin wrote:

I have downloaded some French books onto my Kobo, but I need to see
if I can hack it enough to make the dictionary feature useful. At
present, the word lookup tends to say things like "paysans: plural
of paysan", and looking up and/or translating words is FAR too
painful to use when reading.

I've found that the dictionary that is included with a Kindle
excellent. I was given the choice of English UK or English US, but no
foreign dictionaries.

I scarcely need one of those! I would like to have the full OED
on my systems, but the idiots in charge won't sell it with an even
half-sane interface. And it's not much help with French!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 12/02/2013 10:16, Martin wrote:
On Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:37:39 +0000, wrote:

On Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:44:11 +0100, Martin wrote:

On Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:37:20 +0000, Phil Cook


The right for old fools to die in a twisted pile of junk? :-)

They don't comply with regulations for new cars
but you can still run around in an old one.

Anything over 20 years old was excluded from MOT tests and having to
pay an annual road tax until this year in NL.

Historic vehicles registered before Jan 73 are exempt from Vehicle
excise duty in the UK. It's been a fixed date since 1998 .

If the UK govt notices that it has been stopped in NL, no doubt they
will stop it in UK. Govt.s exchange information on cost cutting
measures that have not caused riots to break out on the streets.

the last I heard they were thinking of fiddling with the bands and
rates of VED to recoup some of the losses of more and more folk
getting band B and C cars currently at £30 a year.
--
Phil Cook

On 12/02/2013 12:35, Martin wrote:
On Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:37:32 +0000 (GMT), wrote:

In article ,
Martin wrote:

I have downloaded some French books onto my Kobo, but I need to see
if I can hack it enough to make the dictionary feature useful. At
present, the word lookup tends to say things like "paysans: plural
of paysan", and looking up and/or translating words is FAR too
painful to use when reading.

I've found that the dictionary that is included with a Kindle
excellent. I was given the choice of English UK or English US, but no
foreign dictionaries.

The UK English dictionary that is on a Kindle is very good.

I scarcely need one of those! I would like to have the full OED
on my systems, but the idiots in charge won't sell it with an even
half-sane interface. And it's not much help with French!

Hence my comment about no foreign dictionaries on a Kindle.

A friend uses the American dictionary, he may be right as there are many
American words that I do not understand, however there a some English
ones as well, so I think I will stick with the English one.

--
Remember the early bird may catch the worm but the second mouse gets the
cheese.

In article ,
Martin wrote:

I have downloaded some French books onto my Kobo, but I need to see
if I can hack it enough to make the dictionary feature useful. At
present, the word lookup tends to say things like "paysans: plural
of paysan", and looking up and/or translating words is FAR too
painful to use when reading.

I've found that the dictionary that is included with a Kindle
excellent. I was given the choice of English UK or English US, but no
foreign dictionaries.

The UK English dictionary that is on a Kindle is very good.

You may find it useful - I wouldn't, and don't need to check.
I will ask my wife whether she ever bothers, but I doubt it, and
her vocabulary is a fraction of mine (though still large).



Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Martin wrote:

I have downloaded some French books onto my Kobo, but I need to see
if I can hack it enough to make the dictionary feature useful. At
present, the word lookup tends to say things like "paysans: plural
of paysan", and looking up and/or translating words is FAR too
painful to use when reading.

I've found that the dictionary that is included with a Kindle
excellent. I was given the choice of English UK or English US, but no
foreign dictionaries.

The UK English dictionary that is on a Kindle is very good.

You may find it useful - I wouldn't, and don't need to check.
I will ask my wife whether she ever bothers, but I doubt it, and
her vocabulary is a fraction of mine (though still large).

At least Kindle's Oxford Dictionary of English gives a better
definition of paysans than the one you quoted. There is not much point
in having a large vocabulary, without the definitions to go with it.

Sigh. I was describing what the French one did and, for the Nth
time, I am interested in a FRENCH dictionary - and I don't care
whether it is French-French or French-English, as long as it is
useful.

As far as my vocabulary goes, OF COURSE I know the meanings of the
words. Please don't be idiotic. The Oxford Dictionary of English
is comparable to the Shorter Oxford (but oriented more towards
more modern use and with a lot of detail omitted). That's not a
lot of use to me, which is why I was talking about the full OED.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 13/02/2013 10:28, wrote:
In article ,
Martin wrote:

I have downloaded some French books onto my Kobo, but I need to see
if I can hack it enough to make the dictionary feature useful. At
present, the word lookup tends to say things like "paysans: plural
of paysan", and looking up and/or translating words is FAR too
painful to use when reading.

I've found that the dictionary that is included with a Kindle
excellent. I was given the choice of English UK or English US, but no
foreign dictionaries.

The UK English dictionary that is on a Kindle is very good.

You may find it useful - I wouldn't, and don't need to check.
I will ask my wife whether she ever bothers, but I doubt it, and
her vocabulary is a fraction of mine (though still large).

At least Kindle's Oxford Dictionary of English gives a better
definition of paysans than the one you quoted. There is not much point
in having a large vocabulary, without the definitions to go with it.

Sigh. I was describing what the French one did and, for the Nth
time, I am interested in a FRENCH dictionary - and I don't care
whether it is French-French or French-English, as long as it is
useful.

As far as my vocabulary goes, OF COURSE I know the meanings of the
words. Please don't be idiotic. The Oxford Dictionary of English
is comparable to the Shorter Oxford (but oriented more towards
more modern use and with a lot of detail omitted). That's not a
lot of use to me, which is why I was talking about the full OED.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

This is now so far off topic an of little interest to all but a couple
of people, can't we let it die a death?

On 09/02/2013 19:42, Emery Davis wrote:
Chris says he'll be traveling around Scotland. I hope
this means he won't be a "front man" but will fit in with the team.

huh chnace will be a fine thing . no doubt hopping opver stiles and
leaping over boulders like his awful helicopter series. I knew the
powers that be would fiddle with this lovely programme. it'll end up as
bad as the others and then they'll turj round and say no one is
interested in gardening programmes ....................

--
Janet T.
Amersham

On 09/02/2013 22:18, Martin wrote:
My wife wondered if he understood most of the replies in French.


I'd love to have seen christine walkden meet that charming lady on her
allotment We really didn't see much of it and she was so kind in
giving him the chutney etc.

--
Janet T.
Amersham

On 09/02/2013 22:13, Martin wrote:
The BBC never leave a good programme alone. They havé the opposite to
the Midas touch.


what's that then the Sadim touch ?

--
Janet T.
Amersham

On 10/02/2013 12:38, Martin wrote:
Judging by all the unjustified criticisms I don't think that any of you
really paid full attention to the programme.
We aren't Monty groupies.


David


then surely that's a sign of a bad presenter, or director? The mark of a
GOOD one would be that we don't notice the preseneter but enjoy the
blinking programme?



--
Janet T.
Amersham

On 13/02/2013 10:57, David Hill wrote:
This is now so far off topic an of little interest to all but a couple
of people, can't we let it die a death?


still doesn't explain why they thought it was a Good Idea haeing yet
ANOTHER Chris Beardshaw appearance in a perfectly good gardening
programme. I shall now tape BG and skip his part...................

--
Janet T.
Amersham

Reading through this thread I've come to the conclusion that most of you only watch gardening programmes so that you can criticise . If the presenter is not dressed like a scarecrow with mud and cow $hit on his boots and doesn't speak with a broad local accent, preferably a northern one, then he's/she's no good.
You are criticising Monty Don for being rude, you have no way of knowing what the conversation between the two was immediately before the bit you saw because it probably ended up on the cutting room floor. If you take something out of context then it can sound rude, nice, stupid etc. That's a problem with the editor/director not the presenter.

Since you all seem to know exactly how a gardening programme should be presented, I'll issue a challenge. All of you get together for a weekend and make a gardening programme and put it on U-Tube so the rest of us can look at it and praise/criticise it and the presentation as required.

On Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:10:59 +0000, Janet Tweedy
wrote:

On 09/02/2013 19:42, Emery Davis wrote:
Chris says he'll be traveling around Scotland. I hope
this means he won't be a "front man" but will fit in with the team.

huh chnace will be a fine thing . no doubt hopping opver stiles and
leaping over boulders like his awful helicopter series. I knew the
powers that be would fiddle with this lovely programme. it'll end up as
bad as the others and then they'll turj round and say no one is
interested in gardening programmes ....................

I'll give the guy a chance. The format of the programme might restrict
him a bit plus, if I read things right, his arthritis may have
progressed a bit and he won't be able to be as energetic.

If his mere presence attracts more "south of the border" viewers,
which is presumably the intention, and the overall format stays the
same (we don't know yet, of course but I suspect those north of the
border will have plenty to say if it doesn't) but the viewing figures
increase as a result of CB, then that augurs well for the continuation
of the programme despite BBC cutbacks.

And, of course, in the current climate, if Beeb mandarins in London
wreck a Scottish programme there's always the Salmond factor

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.

"Granity" wrote in message
...
'Martin[_2_ Wrote:
;978163']On Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:30:55 +0000, Janet Tweedy

wrote:
-
On 13/02/2013 10:57, David Hill wrote:-
This is now so far off topic an of little interest to all but a couple
of people, can't we let it die a death?-


still doesn't explain why they thought it was a Good Idea haeing yet
ANOTHER Chris Beardshaw appearance in a perfectly good gardening
programme. I shall now tape BG and skip his part...................-

LOL we will do the same.
--

Martin in Zuid Holland

Reading through this thread I've come to the conclusion that most of you
only watch gardening programmes so that you can criticise . If the
presenter is not dressed like a scarecrow with mud and cow $hit on his
boots and doesn't speak with a broad local accent, preferably a northern
one, then he's/she's no good.
You are criticising Monty Don for being rude, you have no way of knowing
what the conversation between the two was immediately before the bit you
saw because it probably ended up on the cutting room floor. If you take
something out of context then it can sound rude, nice, stupid etc.
That's a problem with the editor/director not the presenter.

Since you all seem to know exactly how a gardening programme should be
presented, I'll issue a challenge. All of you get together for a weekend
and make a gardening programme and put it on U-Tube so the rest of us
can look at it and praise/criticise it and the presentation as required.




--
Granity

I set that challenge as well Granity but they chose to ignore it.

Those that can .......... do
Those that can't ............... criticize

Mike


--

....................................

I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.

....................................

On 14/02/2013 14:50, The Original Jake wrote:
On Wed, 13 Feb 2013 23:59:53 +0100, Martin wrote:



The BBC starts with gold and turns it into crap.

In England perhaps yes. But if you look at the programmes now made by
or for BBC Wales, for example Dr Who, Merlin, Casualty, Being Human,
Sherlock, Torchwood, there is a difference. Programmes have proved
popular, and have received critical acclaim, not only in the UK but
abroad. The attitude west of Offa's Dyke and north of Hadrian's Wall
is different. There is more editorial independence of London.

Indeed, I was surprised to find that Pobl y Cwm (made in Welsh of
course) has a fan base in the USA.

Let's not forget that at least the Beeb have responded to demand by
making Beechgrove available to a wider audience that doesn't have Sky
or Freesat or a fast enough internet connection to sustain iPlayer. If
we don't like a (probably) 5 minute CB segment out of a 30 minute
programme, we can, as Janet suggests, record and skip or go and make a
cuppa. At least we are not getting the other 25 minutes of Monty.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.


Do you really think we will be allowed to see it in Wales Jake.
It will probably be replaced by Rugby or Dragons Eye or some other
Nationally important Welsh programme.
David@the sunny end of Swansea Bay