| Author |
Message |
ADPUF
Guest
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2005 3:27 am
Post subject: Thomas the Tank Engine |
|
|
Can anybody answer Jim's question?
Thanks.
| Quote: | -------- Original Message --------
Subject: question for the British
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:15:37 -0700
From: "Jim
My son Jarod (16 months old) is just starting to get into
Thomas the Tank Engine and we bought the DVD set of the early
years with Ringo narrating.
 Â
It seems that the highest compliment you can pay a train
engine is to say it is "really useful". Â
I'm curious to know if this phrase is commonly used in England
or if it is peculiar to the Thomas series?
 Â
Jim
|
--
°¿°
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
David
Guest
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2005 4:31 am
Post subject: Re: Thomas the Tank Engine |
|
|
In article <6%dae.814227$b5.36110841@news3.tin.it>,
ADPUF <flyhunter@mosq.it> wrote:
| Quote: | Can anybody answer Jim's question?
Thanks.
|
| Quote: | -------- Original Message --------
Subject: question for the British
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:15:37 -0700
From: "Jim
My son Jarod (16 months old) is just starting to get into
Thomas the Tank Engine and we bought the DVD set of the early
years with Ringo narrating.
It seems that the highest compliment you can pay a train
engine is to say it is "really useful".
I'm curious to know if this phrase is commonly used in England
or if it is peculiar to the Thomas series?
Jim
|
I don't think many of us go around complimenting railway engines.
"Really useful", however, is a really useful phrase, particularly when
trying to justify spending far too much on the latest labour saving
kitchen device which will, within two weeks, disappear into the deepest
recesses of the kitchen drawer, not to resurface until next spring.
--
http://www.dacha.freeuk.com/zodiac/8sco-0.htm
Scorpio (October 24th - November 22nd)
Images, Associations, Qualities, Careers, Health |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Peter Duncanson
Guest
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2005 5:14 am
Post subject: Re: Thomas the Tank Engine |
|
|
On Fri, 22 Apr 2005 21:27:30 GMT, ADPUF <flyhunter@mosq.it> wrote:
| Quote: | Can anybody answer Jim's question?
Thanks.
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: question for the British
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:15:37 -0700
From: "Jim
My son Jarod (16 months old) is just starting to get into
Thomas the Tank Engine and we bought the DVD set of the early
years with Ringo narrating.
It seems that the highest compliment you can pay a train
engine is to say it is "really useful".
I'm curious to know if this phrase is commonly used in England
or if it is peculiar to the Thomas series?
|
"really useful" is used in the name of a group of entertainment companies in
England:
http://www.reallyuseful.com/rug/really/
--
Peter Duncanson
UK
(posting from u.c.l.e)
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Paul Burke
Guest
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 1:50 pm
Post subject: Re: Thomas the Tank Engine |
|
|
ADPUF wrote:
| Quote: | My son Jarod (16 months old) is just starting to get into
Thomas the Tank Engine and we bought the DVD set of the early
years with Ringo narrating.
It seems that the highest compliment you can pay a train
engine is to say it is "really useful".
I'm curious to know if this phrase is commonly used in England
or if it is peculiar to the Thomas series?
|
Definitely a peculiarity of the Rev Awdry. The relationship between the
engines is largely modelled on the behaviour of boys at a minor prep
school: the Fat Controller representing the Head.
Off topic, what is on the smokebox door at the OTHER end of the double
ended engines?
Paul Burke |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dave Fawthrop
Guest
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 9:06 pm
Post subject: Re: Thomas the Tank Engine |
|
|
On Fri, 22 Apr 2005 21:27:30 GMT, ADPUF <flyhunter@mosq.it> wrote:
| Can anybody answer Jim's question?
|
| Thanks.
|
|
| > -------- Original Message --------
| > Subject: question for the British
| > Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:15:37 -0700
| > From: "Jim >
| >
| >
| > My son Jarod (16 months old) is just starting to get into
| > Thomas the Tank Engine and we bought the DVD set of the early
| > years with Ringo narrating.
| >
| > It seems that the highest compliment you can pay a train
| > engine is to say it is "really useful".
| > I'm curious to know if this phrase is commonly used in England
| > or if it is peculiar to the Thomas series?
It has spread a bit from there.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group
http://www.reallyuseful.com/rug/html/index.htm
--
Dave F
Howard Flight was right |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nick Wagg
Guest
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 9:46 pm
Post subject: Re: Thomas the Tank Engine |
|
|
"Dave Fawthrop" <hyphen@hyphenologist.co.uk> wrote in message
news:dk1q61h24odr44n86hev4dgpnqjgrppb9i@4ax.com...
| Quote: | On Fri, 22 Apr 2005 21:27:30 GMT, ADPUF <flyhunter@mosq.it> wrote:
| Can anybody answer Jim's question?
|
| Thanks.
|
|
| > -------- Original Message --------
| > Subject: question for the British
| > Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:15:37 -0700
| > From: "Jim
|
|
| > My son Jarod (16 months old) is just starting to get into
| > Thomas the Tank Engine and we bought the DVD set of the early
| > years with Ringo narrating.
|
| > It seems that the highest compliment you can pay a train
| > engine is to say it is "really useful".
| > I'm curious to know if this phrase is commonly used in England
| > or if it is peculiar to the Thomas series?
It has spread a bit from there.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group
http://www.reallyuseful.com/rug/html/index.htm
|
No. It predates RUG by several decades.
The expression was used in the original TTTE series
which were ancient when I started reading them in the
early 1960s. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Philip Powell
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 1:25 pm
Post subject: Re: Thomas the Tank Engine |
|
|
In message <d4j3d7$36q$1$8300dec7@news.demon.co.uk>, Nick Wagg
<naw@transcendata.com> writes
| Quote: | "Dave Fawthrop" <hyphen@hyphenologist.co.uk> wrote in message
news:dk1q61h24odr44n86hev4dgpnqjgrppb9i@4ax.com...
On Fri, 22 Apr 2005 21:27:30 GMT, ADPUF <flyhunter@mosq.it> wrote:
| Can anybody answer Jim's question?
|
| Thanks.
|
|
| > -------- Original Message --------
| > Subject: question for the British
| > Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:15:37 -0700
| > From: "Jim
|
|
| > My son Jarod (16 months old) is just starting to get into
| > Thomas the Tank Engine and we bought the DVD set of the early
| > years with Ringo narrating.
|
| > It seems that the highest compliment you can pay a train
| > engine is to say it is "really useful".
| > I'm curious to know if this phrase is commonly used in England
| > or if it is peculiar to the Thomas series?
It has spread a bit from there.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group
http://www.reallyuseful.com/rug/html/index.htm
No. It predates RUG by several decades.
The expression was used in the original TTTE series
which were ancient when I started reading them in the
early 1960s.
|
I think Dave's point was that it now could be found further afield than
just TTTE rather than that ALW's RUG group originated it.
Of course, the most really useful thing a steam locomotive did was the
11.29 down to Oakworth that stopped just in time to avoid flattening
Miss Agutter.
--
Philip Powell
Looking north across the Derwent Valley and Northumberland
to The Cheviot |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
paul
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 12:19 am
Post subject: Re: Thomas the Tank Engine |
|
|
On Fri, 22 Apr 2005 21:27 ADPUF <flyhunter@mosq.it> wrote:
| Quote: | Can anybody answer Jim's question?
Thanks.
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: question for the British
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:15:37 -0700
From: "Jim
My son Jarod (16 months old) is just starting to get into
Thomas the Tank Engine and we bought the DVD set of the early
years with Ringo narrating.
It seems that the highest compliment you can pay a train
engine is to say it is "really useful".
|
I believe this stems from the premise that all the other engines in the
Thomas books have pretty well defined roles; Thomas' role is supposed
to be minor and anthropomorphized to be 'not as good as' any of them.
However, the story lines continually turn to show just how varied and
versatile and 'helpful' Thomas can be and thus the conclusion is reached
that it is "really useful" i.e. not just an unimportant and minor engine
after all.
| Quote: | I'm curious to know if this phrase is commonly used in England
or if it is peculiar to the Thomas series?
|
In much the same way that Swiss Army pen-knives and multi-gadget tools
may have been initially acquired primarily for one role but excel at
many others: they're often held to be "really useful".
In the rush hour I might use several really useful short cuts to avoid
the queues and lessen my journey time.
Sometimes advertisers extol the virtues of a piece of (imported) tat in
order to make a quick profit and hence one sees: "limited offer - this
really useful xyz can be yours for only 9.95 inclusive".
--
paul (C) © 2005 is mine |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| |
FAQ
Memberlist
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in