| Author | Message | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1367 Registered: 4-2007 |
Ian came up with the perfect response to a common annoyance in his line of work. What was the annoyance, and what was the comeback? | ||
| Lynne (Lynne)
New member Username: Lynne Post Number: 5149 Registered: 12-2000 |
Was the annoyance: Being asked to do overtime? Having to cover for someone else's mistakes? Not being given proper instruction? Having a boss who didn't put in proper hours? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 4353 Registered: 9-2010 |
Ian = H/A/M? Is Ian a Devoner? True story? FYOI? FSEI? Is Ian British at all? American? Ian Fleming? (iz only Ian I can think of rite awai enjay kitteh) does Ian make fish and chips? can he haz cheezburgur? where haz enjay teh devoner kitteh been? haz missed yuo! | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1368 Registered: 4-2007 |
Was the annoyance: Being asked to do overtime? Having to cover for someone else's mistakes? Not being given proper instruction? Having a boss who didn't put in proper hours? None of these Ian = H/A/M? Yes, though could be female Is Ian a Devoner? Not to my knowledge, but he could be True story? FYOI? FSEI? True story based off something I read in a blog Is Ian British at all? American? Irrel Ian Fleming? (iz only Ian I can think of rite awai enjay kitteh)Nope, not a famous Ian does Ian make fish and chips? Maybe in his spare time... can he haz cheezburgur? I'd say so, he did come up with a clever comeback after all where haz enjay teh devoner kitteh been? haz missed yuo! Aw, thanks! I've been visiting family etc and didn't take my laptop, so only sporadic internet access... | ||
| Redwine (Redwine)
New member Username: Redwine Post Number: 1100 Registered: 1-2011 |
Is the annoyance universal for many jobs? Or is it unique for Ian's job? | ||
| Quovynyte (Quovynyte)
New member Username: Quovynyte Post Number: 658 Registered: 6-2009 |
Was the annoyance very specific to his line of work? Is the specific career relevant? Did he work in any of these: Administrative? Manufacturing? Construction? Health? Medical? Accounting/Financial? Agricultural? Service related? Technical (science maths etc. related)? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1369 Registered: 4-2007 |
Is the annoyance universal for many jobs? Or is it unique for Ian's job? Pretty much unique Was the annoyance very specific to his line of work? Yes Is the specific career relevant? Yes Did he work in any of these: Administrative? Manufacturing? Construction? Health? Medical? Accounting/Financial? Agricultural? Service related? Technical (science maths etc. related)? Kind of this, but there's a better way of describing his profession | ||
| Quovynyte (Quovynyte)
New member Username: Quovynyte Post Number: 659 Registered: 6-2009 |
Related to law? Transport? Design? Education? IT? Is he saying his comeback specifically to a person? Or a group of people? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1370 Registered: 4-2007 |
Related to law? Transport? Design? Education? This IT? Is he saying his comeback specifically to a person? Or a group of people? A group, but...explore? | ||
| Quovynyte (Quovynyte)
New member Username: Quovynyte Post Number: 660 Registered: 6-2009 |
Was he a teacher? Preschool, elementary, middle, secondary school, college, or other kind of teacher? Was he a teaching assistant? Did he work in a school or college? Dead he teach certain kinds of people? Was his group of a certain age or ability? Were they a class? Did he teach them? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 140 Registered: 8-2011 |
students? administrators? parents (if the students are young)? A sub-group of the above (over-protective parents or procrastinating students, for example)? Only the people who display the annoyance? Was the annoyance any of the following: "When do we get a break?" "Do we have homework?" "Is it going to be on the test?" "How does this relate to real life?" "If I (fix your car, clean your house, do your yardwork, or other bribe), can I just get a good grade?" "Can I have more time to complete my project?" Procrastination or other poor study habits Answering a cellphone Falling asleep Talking during lectures Showing up late Leaving early Doing non-school-related tasks on a laptop Or any form of kissing up? I apologize to anyone sincerely annoyed by my list of annoyances! They ARE pretty bad! | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1371 Registered: 4-2007 |
Was he a teacher? Yesish - lecturer would be more precise Preschool, elementary, middle, secondary school, college, or other kind of teacher? University Was he a teaching assistant? Did he work in a school or college? See above Dead he teach certain kinds of people? I think in the actual story he was presenting a topic at a conference, but it would work equally well in a normal university lecture situation Was his group of a certain age or ability? Assume all adults, ability irrel Were they a class? Assume yes Did he teach them? Yes students? This administrators? parents (if the students are young)? A sub-group of the above (over-protective parents or procrastinating students, for example)? Only the people who display the annoyance? No Was the annoyance any of the following: "When do we get a break?" "Do we have homework?" "Is it going to be on the test?" "How does this relate to real life?" "If I (fix your car, clean your house, do your yardwork, or other bribe), can I just get a good grade?" "Can I have more time to complete my project?" Procrastination or other poor study habits Answering a cellphone This is relevant but not exact. No to all others Falling asleep Talking during lectures Showing up late Leaving early Doing non-school-related tasks on a laptop Or any form of kissing up? | ||
| Quovynyte (Quovynyte)
New member Username: Quovynyte Post Number: 661 Registered: 6-2009 |
Was he annoyed about the usage of phones in his lecture? Texting? Some other form of communicating? Was he annoyed about distractions? Cheating? Was the subject he taught relevant? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 4355 Registered: 9-2010 |
this vaguely reminds me of a scene from "Dead Poets' Society" where one of the students gets a 'call from God'...It wasn't on a cell phone, though, and I'm blanking out on the rest of the scene in general. Some kind of prank, I think... | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1372 Registered: 4-2007 |
Was he annoyed about the usage of phones in his lecture? Yesish Texting? Some other form of communicating? Neither Was he annoyed about distractions? Yes Cheating? No Was the subject he taught relevant? No this vaguely reminds me of a scene from "Dead Poets' Society" where one of the students gets a 'call from God'...It wasn't on a cell phone, though, and I'm blanking out on the rest of the scene in general. Some kind of prank, I think... I've not seen it, but it's nothing like this | ||
| Quovynyte (Quovynyte)
New member Username: Quovynyte Post Number: 662 Registered: 6-2009 |
Were people getting information from their phones? Were they using the internet? Getting the time? Something physical with the phone? Was his comeback telling them to do something else instead? Or something about himself? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1373 Registered: 4-2007 |
Were people getting information from their phones? Were they using the internet? Getting the time? Something physical with the phone? No to all Was his comeback telling them to do something else instead? Yope Or something about himself? No | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 14793 Registered: 4-2010 |
Does the annoyance involve the audience at all? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1374 Registered: 4-2007 |
Does the annoyance involve the audience at all? Yes | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 144 Registered: 8-2011 |
Was the ringing alone the annoyance? A certain ringtone? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1376 Registered: 4-2007 |
Was the ringing alone the annoyance? Yes A certain ringtone? No | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 14795 Registered: 4-2010 |
Was the comeback along the lines of "You're paying to hear me speak, so that call can wait"? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1377 Registered: 4-2007 |
Was the comeback along the lines of "You're paying to hear me speak, so that call can wait"? No | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1873 Registered: 2-2011 |
was his response funny? clever? cutting? original? did it relate back to the subject of his lecture? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1378 Registered: 4-2007 |
was his response funny? Fairly clever? Yes cutting? Yes original? As far as I know, the context I read it in was a blog by someone else praising the comeback and saying they would be using it from now on did it relate back to the subject of his lecture? No | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1875 Registered: 2-2011 |
did he refer to who the caller might be? the culprit's mother? wife? God? did he refer to the culprit as stupid? or selfish in any way? did he mention nuisance callers? telemarketing? did he refer to the phone itself? the ring tone? the call? the caller? the person whose phone it was? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1379 Registered: 4-2007 |
did he refer to who the caller might be? the culprit's mother? wife? God? None did he refer to the culprit as stupid? No, or only indirectly or selfish in any way? No did he mention nuisance callers? telemarketing? Neither did he refer to the phone itself? the ring tone? the call? the caller? the person whose phone it was? No to all | ||
| Quovynyte (Quovynyte)
New member Username: Quovynyte Post Number: 665 Registered: 6-2009 |
So he was annoyed that people's phones were ringing? Did he reference the reason for calling? Or the time of calling? Or a position in the room? Did he refer to anyone at all? Was the comeback meant to be said to someone? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1380 Registered: 4-2007 |
So he was annoyed that people's phones were ringing? Yes, the common annoyance was students failing to switch off their mobiles Did he reference the reason for calling? No Or the time of calling? No Or a position in the room? No Did he refer to anyone at all? Not directly Was the comeback meant to be said to someone? Yes | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 14804 Registered: 4-2010 |
Did he say that the calls were for him? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1880 Registered: 2-2011 |
did he say he had a ringing in his ears? that he'd like to buy an ice cream? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1381 Registered: 4-2007 |
Did he say that the calls were for him? No did he say he had a ringing in his ears? that he'd like to buy an ice cream? No | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4378 Registered: 9-2009 |
Was his comment related to: the noise produced? The ringtones? The fact that someone tried to reach them? The fact that they had forgotten something? Or that they didn't know the rules? Or couldn't read the rules? Did he imply that because the person failed turning off the phone, that person: would fail at other, more important things? Had some other undesirable quality? Or was missing/low in some desirable quality? Did his comment make people better at turning off their phones? Did it produce laughter? Embarrassment? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1382 Registered: 4-2007 |
Was his comment related to: the noise produced? No The ringtones? No The fact that someone tried to reach them? No The fact that they had forgotten something? Yes Or that they didn't know the rules? Possibly, but assume that they knew they should have turned it off and just forgot or didn't bother. Or couldn't read the rules? No Did he imply that because the person failed turning off the phone, that person: would fail at other, more important things? Had some other undesirable quality? Or was missing/low in some desirable quality? None Did his comment make people better at turning off their phones? It would probably encourage people to do so in future Did it produce laughter? Probably Embarrassment? Yes | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1884 Registered: 2-2011 |
did his comment relate to just the fact that they had forgotten to turn the phone off? or that they had forgotten something else? did he compare forgetting to turn the phone off to forgetting other things? did it relate to good manners? turning the phone off in other circumstances? garage forecourts? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1383 Registered: 4-2007 |
did his comment relate to just the fact that they had forgotten to turn the phone off? No or that they had forgotten something else? But no did he compare forgetting to turn the phone off to forgetting other things? No did it relate to good manners? turning the phone off in other circumstances? garage forecourts? No to all | ||
| Rbruma (Rbruma)
New member Username: Rbruma Post Number: 1705 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did he pretend to answer the call himself (on his cellphone)? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1898 Registered: 2-2011 |
did he pretend it was him calling? | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4382 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did the student answer the phone? Relevant? Would the comeback have worked if the student got a text message? | ||
| Quovynyte (Quovynyte)
New member Username: Quovynyte Post Number: 670 Registered: 6-2009 |
Did he relate to the phone being on silence? Or taking the phone? Or calling someone? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1385 Registered: 4-2007 |
Did he pretend to answer the call himself (on his cellphone)? No did he pretend it was him calling? No Did the student answer the phone? Assume not Relevant? Slightly, as the comeback was aimed mainly at the student's forgetfulness whereas answering it would have been downright rude Would the comeback have worked if the student got a text message? Yes Did he relate to the phone being on silence? Or taking the phone? Or calling someone?None | ||
| Lynne (Lynne)
New member Username: Lynne Post Number: 5153 Registered: 12-2000 |
Did he say that all calls would be recorded or all calls would be relayed to the rest of the students? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 201 Registered: 8-2011 |
Did he relate the student's forgetfulness at turning off the phone to forgetting something else? Something that he might say during his lecture? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1386 Registered: 4-2007 |
Did he say that all calls would be recorded or all calls would be relayed to the rest of the students? No Did he relate the student's forgetfulness at turning off the phone to forgetting something else? Something that he might say during his lecture? No | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4413 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did he use irony? Sarcasm? Did he say something about forgetting something else also? Or about forgetting to turn off the phone in another situation? Or someone else's forgetfulness? Relevant what he's teaching? | ||
| Lynne (Lynne)
New member Username: Lynne Post Number: 5205 Registered: 12-2000 |
The story goes that someone's phone rang while the girl was in a crowd and speaking to the Queen on one of her walkabouts. The Queen said 'You had better answer that, it might be someone important'. Anything like this? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 4451 Registered: 9-2010 |
*laughs at Lynne's story* Kind of reminds me of a Catherine Tate sketch! =D | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1387 Registered: 4-2007 |
Did he use irony? Yes, I think so Sarcasm? Not exactly Did he say something about forgetting something else also? No Or about forgetting to turn off the phone in another situation? No Or someone else's forgetfulness? No Relevant what he's teaching? No The story goes that someone's phone rang while the girl was in a crowd and speaking to the Queen on one of her walkabouts. The Queen said 'You had better answer that, it might be someone important'. Anything like this? No, I like that story though :-) HINT: the professor was trying to embarrass the student whose phone rang, but the comeback was not actually spoken to that student | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4425 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did he say something about the student? To someone else? To the audience at large? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1388 Registered: 4-2007 |
Did he say something about the student? No To someone else? To the audience at large? This | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15133 Registered: 4-2010 |
Was the statement about the student directly? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1389 Registered: 4-2007 |
Was the statement about the student directly? No | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 255 Registered: 8-2011 |
Was the statement a request? a suggestion? an observation? a statistic? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1390 Registered: 4-2007 |
Was the statement a request? Yes a suggestion? Yes an observation? No a statistic? No | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 277 Registered: 8-2011 |
Was it phrased as a question? a command? Did he actually say something like, "I suggest..."? Did he suggest the student answer the phone? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1391 Registered: 4-2007 |
Was it phrased as a question? No a command? More a suggestion Did he actually say something like, "I suggest..."? No Did he suggest the student answer the phone? No | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 281 Registered: 8-2011 |
Did his suggestion relate to remembering things? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1392 Registered: 4-2007 |
Did his suggestion relate to remembering things? Yes | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 294 Registered: 8-2011 |
Remembering to turn the cell off? Remembering things in general? Did he suggest a mnemonic device? Such as note taking? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1393 Registered: 4-2007 |
Remembering to turn the cell off? Not directly, but this was implied...explore? Remembering things in general? No Did he suggest a mnemonic device? Such as note taking? No | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 300 Registered: 8-2011 |
Did he say, "If you <action>, then <consequence>?" | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1394 Registered: 4-2007 |
Did he say, "If you <action>, then <consequence>?" No | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 331 Registered: 8-2011 |
Did it relate to preparing for a special speaker? Meeting someone important? Remembering something silly (my mother used to say that I would forget my head and leave it someplace if it wasn't attached to my neck)? Did he place himself in the student's position? "When I was a student, I..." that sort of thing? | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 31 Registered: 10-2011 |
Was it a sarcistic request? Something along the lines of "remember to turn your cellphones ON when we're done"? Is the kind of ringtone/SMS alert relevant? Like, was it a bird, and he suggested someone opened a window and let the poor thing out? Or was the phone put on silenced, and the only thing heard was the vibration? | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 1395 Registered: 4-2007 |
Was it a sarcistic request? Something along the lines of "remember to turn your cellphones ON when we're done"? YES!! SPOILER From a blog post by the professor of linguistics Geoffrey Pullum: "I recently heard the University of Manchester computer scientist Ian Pratt-Hartmann handle a cellphone lecture interruption with the coolest line. I knew immediately I would thieve it.[...] As the embarrassed owner fished around in her bag for the offending noise source (“mobile phone,” as they say in Europe), and fumbled around trying to make it stop, it got louder. Ian watched stone-faced, and waited until the samba subsided. When everything was silent, he said very seriously in a kind of official-announcement voice, to the audience at large, “Please remember to switch your mobile phones back on again after the lecture.” Exactly what I’d been looking for. A touch of velvet humor, but wrapped around an ice-cold shaft of disapproval." Full blog post here: http://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2011/08/26/i-wish-id-said-that/ Thanks to all who played, especially Ciaobella for sticking with it and Jondahr for the solution! | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 2184 Registered: 2-2011 |
excellent! may I use it too? and if anyone has any more velvet humour to share< I'd love to see it! | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 51 Registered: 10-2011 |
Very good! But that expression has been around for quite a while, hasn't it? Or maybe I dreamed it.. Oh, well. I'm still kind of satisfied with the "let the poor bird out" one. Think I'll use that one the next time I hear one of those damn cockadoodledoo-SMS-sounds! :p |
