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Why do we speak of "a meteoric rise" when meteors exclusively fall?

ChrisE, 'we'? PU members know better!

Point taken!

Thanks, Chris. I think 'meteoric' is like 'plethora' - a misunderstood word. I'm sure there are others....

In a similar vein, why do we call those devices found in buildings with many storeys lifts when they can take you to a lower floor?

On the BBC website today: The real historical events that inspired Game of Thrones. No, they're historic events - events such as the Wars of the Roses that are recorded in history. I've never seen Game of Thrones because I don't subscribe but if it is based on historic events then it could be described as historical.

PS - the BBC changed paired to pared for me (see some earlier postings)!

Malone, Grunger

You made the right decision in not watching “Supermarket Secrets” last night. Grinning, gurning Gregg was unbearable. The Ocado warehouse contains 500 robots, looking more like washing-machines than Daleks, and when his jokes fell flat, I expected “Exterminate”, but sadly not.

It is hard to get enthusiastic about lettuce, but grimacing, gregarious Gregg managed it. On a farm with an annual production of 300 million lettuce, individually supervised by an aeroplane, he volunteered to help harvest the crop. “I know what I am doing. I was a greengrocer for 20 years.”

We met Sainsbury’s “Head of Future Brands” (yes, really), and learned that “Quinoa” is pronounced “qui noir”, as in French, not “Quin-oh-a”. Nobody in this country had heard of this mysterious substance until the England cricket team’s diet sheets were leaked. It is pronounced “Queen-oo-err” here. It is going to replace rice apparently. Well the French can keep it, and it wont be in my Chicken Madras.

Orson

It is possibly because they take you up, but you are supposed to walk down. That's what I try to do when I can.

Congratulations on your win with the BBC.

I actually watched it, jigjag! I agree the jokes were feeble, especially the hundreds and thousands of accidents, and lettuce let-down ones. I was expecting "sales of lettuce will rocket" but we got nothing like that.

The part of the programme I like best is when groaning Gregg tastes the food. When he was given oven-cooked risotto, a 10-minute ready-meal, he grunted, "That is not restaurant quality, but it is a decent risotto". Fair comment, I thought

Jigjag, I'm glad I let the 'Supermarket Secrets' remain a mystery!

Thanks for the Sainsburys update too. I won't bother myself with the correct pronunciation of 'quinoa', as that is old hat now (and it tastes like one!). I, and many others, have moved on to freekeh, a much more exciting grain.

malone

I am afraid the fast-moving world of plant growth is too much for me. I will eat my hat (or yours as it tastes like quinoa) if I ever try this freaky stuff.

I sent an e-mail to Sainsbury's, saying that as they have a "Head of Future Brands", why don't they do something for people like me who yearn for the food of yesteryear.

I received a reply from the "Head of Retro Foods", Luke King-Back. "You will be pleased to hear that our new range of Retro Foods includes Bread and Dripping, Jam Butties, and Tripe and Onions. The last dish was suggested by a well-known gurning greengrocer."

Now there's a man who knows his onions.