Non-motoring > A deep and meaningful thread	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Crankcase	Replies: 56

New Fri 13 Jun 14 10:58   A deep and meaningful thread - Crankcase

I cross my sevens when writing. Always have done. No idea why. Do you? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 11:10   A deep and meaningful thread - madf

+1 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 11:22   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

I did when I worked for a German company and indeed added a little serif ( is that the correct description ) to the number 'one'. It avoided confusion because 'our' 7 could sometimes look like a 1 to them. Since then though I have reverted to writing them both properly. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 11:23   A deep and meaningful thread - Fullchat

For some reason I do. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 11:25   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

...and I'm pleased to say I no longer have to use company notepads printed as graph paper. Irritating stuff graph paper to write on. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 21:47   A deep and meaningful thread - WillDeBeest

Funny that. I actively seek out the 5mm grid version of the Clairefontaine hardback spiral notebook to bring back from France and use at work. I tend to take notes in tabular or mind-map form, and find the grid a better guide than mere lines. If I wrote longhand sentences my preference might be different. Used to do the stroke on a 7, then decided it wasn't easier to read and looked silly, so just stopped. Have never put a stroke on a z. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 11:26   A deep and meaningful thread - Dulwich Estate

Your genes have a Continental / European bias. Has anybody else noticed this result of the French education system - everyone seems to write (letters and numbers) in the same style. Variation is not tolerated. e.g. look at the figure one with a long angled upward stroke before the downward vertical part. I forgot about the graph paper - that's compulsory too. Last edited by: Dulwich Estate on Fri 13 Jun 14 at 11:27 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 13:01   A deep and meaningful thread - VxFan

I do, and it drives a colleague of mine up the wall. But then again he does his 4's differently to me. His are like 4 but mine are L shaped with a vertical line through the horizonal part of the L. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 13:06   A deep and meaningful thread - Ted

I always do me 4s like VX's colleague..........I just can't bring myself to do them the 'L' way. I don't cross the sevens...never occurred to me so to do ! Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 13:17   A deep and meaningful thread - Alanovich

>> I don't cross the sevens...never occurred to me so to do ! >> Sadly I have to. My mother lives amongst the Wildlings. You don't have to pay to cross back, though. ;-) Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 13 Jun 14 13:29   A deep and meaningful thread - Ambo

>>Has anybody else noticed this result of the French education system - everyone seems to write (letters and numbers) in the same style. And clearly, a blessing for the reader. The "serif" seems always to be used on 7. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 14:01   A deep and meaningful thread - Crankcase

Never thought about 4. I do mine as a crossed L too. But everyone puts the diagonal through nought, right? And a 1 it's shown here, with a little underline? Edit: As it's shown in the editor, but not when displayed in the forum, I see. Last edited by: Crankcase on Fri 13 Jun 14 at 14:02 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 14:39   A deep and meaningful thread - ....

Line through 0, 7 and Z, the latter to distinguish from 2. My writing must be shocking. Also do the L 4. I've started using a comma for a decimal point and full stop to denote thousands. It gets very confusing switching between different PCs set up in different languages in Excel. There is no hope for me. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 14:45   A deep and meaningful thread - Fenlander

>>>There is no hope for me. Nor me. Over 10yrs working in a job where taking notes at great speed in all weathers was an important part finished off what was left of my post school writing style. Saved by the PC which thankfully makes it all look so good. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 14:56   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

I had to write yet another 5 year business plan this week. I've been composing them for decades. They all say much the same thing really. Everyone pores over such things and meetings are held to examine the finer points and so on and heads are nodded sagely as objectives and departmental tasks and goals are agreed. Then everyone goes back and carries on as normal and no one ever thinks to look back at the five year old ones to see if any of it actually ever happened. Such things used to have to be written out long hand and then passed to a typist who would then misread or mistype things which would get missed in the proof reading but it was rare for anyone to notice. Now of course you can just save them on your computer and re-work an old one to fit the mood of the moment in the sure and certain knowledge that everyone who reads it will immediately forget it's content anyway while they deal with the day to day crises and misery of the real world as opposed to the numerical fantasies contained in the document. But, it's the way of the business world I've decided and if it keeps the bean counters happy and off my back then so be it. They do like a chart I've found. If in doubt, put in a few charts. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 15:06   A deep and meaningful thread - Fenlander

>>>They do like a chart I've found. If in doubt, put in a few charts. I do despair at times of the education "system" our girls find themselves in. Marking schemes are issued for most exams and coursework which lead them to the "ideal" way of presenting projects and answers. There are always extra positives for diagrams, maps & images etc which seemingly hardly have to be that insightful as long as they look good enough to get a an extra box ticked. Last edited by: Fenlander on Fri 13 Jun 14 at 15:07 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 15:29   A deep and meaningful thread - Armel Coussine

>> I had to write yet another 5 year business plan this week. I've been composing them for decades. They all say much the same thing really. 'Comrades! Onward, ever onward to the overfulfilment of the Five Year Plan!' I imagine you have to say something along those lines when the plan is announced Humph? Those grubby snotnosed Stalinist apparatchiks had a lot to teach the more wideawake sort of capitalist, innit? :o} Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 15:31   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

Hiow very close to the truth you are AC ! It is all of course a complete and utter ball of chalk. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 16:59   A deep and meaningful thread - Bromptonaut

>> I had to write yet another 5 year business plan this week. I've been composing >> them for decades. They all say much the same thing really. >> >> Everyone pores over such things and meetings are held to examine the finer points and >> so on and heads are nodded sagely as objectives and departmental tasks and goals are >> agreed. >> Then everyone carries on etc...... Shock horror, you mean that happens in the ultra efficient cost driven private sector too??? I'm going for a lie down while I recover........ Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 13 Jun 14 at 17:00 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 17:14   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

It is indeed the case that more hours are spent by senior managers ( and the more senior the more the propensity is apparent ) concocting and presenting fiction about what they plan to do than actually doing what they previously stated and agreed they were going to do. Some make a career out of it without ever actually really doing anything other than the writing and updating of the plans. Presenting forecasted ( aka invented ) numbers confidently and with believable supporting fiction is the skill most needed to personally succeed in the business world. I've made a lot of money for businesses over the years through the practical application of my labours but I've never been promoted for that, any career elevations have always come as a result of presenting an ambitious forecast as to what might be possible despite the reality of that coming to fruition almost certainly requiring the judicious use of a magic wand. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 14:48   A deep and meaningful thread - No FM2R

>> It gets very confusing switching.... At school my children use both {comma = thousands, stop = decimal point} AND {comma = decimal point and stop = thousands}, depending on which lesson they are in. And it does not depend on which language is used in that lesson, since even though some lessons are in Spanish and some in English that does not align consistently with the choice of comma or fullstop. It is ridiculous. And far, far worse than the imperial/metric anomalies we used to have when I was at school. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 14:51   A deep and meaningful thread - mikeyb

Line through the 7 here, never used to, but working for a French company it has become the norm for me Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 14:55   A deep and meaningful thread - ....

My biggest headache is discussing budget with colleagues. €£$ no problem, then convert too/from Indian rupees where we start talking lakh and crore. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 16:20   A deep and meaningful thread - Duncan

>> I cross my sevens when writing. Always have done. No idea why. Well, you had better stop a bit quick, sunshine, because when my party get into power, you will the first one up against the wall. That is, you and all those the people - yes, all of them - who say 'haitch' when they mean aitch. Ooh, it makes my boil bleed. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 16:29   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

Agreed Duncan, and when the 'haitchers' have been disposed of, we would do well to get rid of the ones who begin or end sentences with 'going forward'. They deserve no mercy. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 16:35   A deep and meaningful thread - Alanovich

Also those who write five-year plans. The Nuremburg defence will not be applicable. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 16:37   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

Mea Culpa. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 17:13   A deep and meaningful thread - Cliff Pope

And those who begin an entirely new story or thread with "So, ... " as if what they are going to say is the natural and inevitable consequence of some previous saga, which we have not been told about. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 03:54   A deep and meaningful thread - Pat

Just thought I better read this thread again and Cliff, I now have a dilemma..... I's almost 4am and at 6am I will be standing in front of 15 people trying not to start the session with So..... or Well..... What can I say? *scratches head, makes another coffee, lights another ciggie and thinks hard* Pat Last edited by: Pat on Sat 14 Jun 14 at 03:54 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 09:17   A deep and meaningful thread - Duncan

>> What can I say? >> Bit conventional, but how about:- "Good morning everybody and a very warm welcome to Pat's School of Lorry Driving. "Today we will be concentrating on................. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 09:21   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

Going forward... ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 09:34   A deep and meaningful thread - Clk Sec

>> Going forward... >> >> ;-) >> I quite like 'going forward' at the end of the day, all things being equal. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 09:41   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

I may come to accept it, in the fullness of time, at the end game, when meaningful strategic gains have been put in place. It's an ongoing piece of work in progress but we do need to draw some lines in the sand. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 17:04   A deep and meaningful thread - Duncan

>> Agreed Duncan, and when the 'haitchers' have been disposed of, we would do well to >> get rid of the ones who begin or end sentences with 'going forward'. They deserve >> no mercy. >> Quite. We know that the world is over populated and this is a good a way as any to reduce that population. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 17:30   A deep and meaningful thread - Crankcase

That made me laugh a lot Duncan. I don't do the dreaded haitch thing though. If we're doing first against the wall, let me place cheerfully against it those who don't appear to know or care about the difference between "its" and "it's", a sin I fear some here commit on a regular basis. Oh I can't. Duncan already dealt with me. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 17:42   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

Ironically, I blame the spell checker thingy on my iPad for many of my typos. It changes quite a lot of things without my permission or consent and I don't always notice it until it is ( see what I did there? ) too late or I can't be bothered to change it. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 17:48   A deep and meaningful thread - Pat

Who let the pedants out? Just pleased I'm working all weekend so get it out of your system please....before 3 am Monday:) Pat Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 17:58   A deep and meaningful thread - CGNorwich

Please note it wasn't me! Don't do pedantry in the summer. More a thing for long winter evenings. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 18:05   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

For a bit of theoretical discussion on pedantry, I have long agonised over the somewhat untidy convention of giving the names of months an upper case first letter but not affording the same courtesy to the names for the seasons in which they reside. I think it should be addressed. Who should be contacted do you think? I feel it might be urgent and ought not to be left until winter. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 12:36   A deep and meaningful thread - Aretas

Some horrible pedant typing this - The correct way to write half a million is 500 000 which leaves no confusion with commas or full stops, and in Word a hard space stops the number splitting at a line end. I also love writing 'phone instead of phone. It's an age thing. Just won't come up to date. Spent 30 years running an international sales office so crossed 7s and Zs were important as a continental one looks just like an English seven. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 13:21   A deep and meaningful thread - Crankcase

>> I also love writing 'phone >> instead of phone. It's an age thing. Just won't come up to date. Are you also partial to 'bus, ca'n't , sh'an't or wo'n't? All of those were common a hundred years ago. And we think we've got apostrophe problems. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 18:05   A deep and meaningful thread - Crankcase

Yeah, sorry, tired old topic. Grammatical accusations inappropriate and withdrawn. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 18:07   A deep and meaningful thread - Pat

Thank you Crankcase, behave Humph, and I didn't mean you CG:) ( for once!) Pat Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 18:09   A deep and meaningful thread - Runfer D'Hills

Jolly well punctuated Pat, if I may say so! ;-) Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 13 Jun 14 20:31   A deep and meaningful thread - bathtub tom

>>That is, you and all those the people - yes, all of them - who say 'haitch' when they mean aitch. You weren't my English language teacher fifty or so years ago were you Duncan? He used to screech "THERE'S ONLY ONE AITCH IN AITCH" Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 16:25   One Billion - nine or twelve zeroes? - ....

As the subject says have we conformed to the American or do we hang on to the twelve zeroes. No wonder no-one knows how big the deficit is. Last edited by: gmac on Fri 13 Jun 14 at 16:26 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 17:07   Oh - the excitement........ - Roger.

My deep and meaningful events for today :- I've posted off an application for a blue badge! The chap who's fitting our new wardrobe came to measure up. I had an early siesta. How's that for the bland minutiae of life in the retirement lane? Last edited by: Roger. on Fri 13 Jun 14 at 17:08 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 22:15   Oh - the excitement........ - Ted

It seems to me that everyone in a TV soap, when talking to others, starts with 'D'you know what ?' then goes on with the conversation. They should be trepanned with a rusty tablespoon.. D'you know what ?....you can add the man who invented the irritating 60 second ' dum di dum ' countdown before the BBC 24 hr news....wasting a minute of my licentious fee every time ! Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 22:27   Oh - the excitement........ - CGNorwich

"the irritating 60 second ' dum di dum ' countdown before the BBC 24 hr news" Its all those red laser beams that I'm concerned about - looks b***** dangerous to me Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jun 14 23:00   Oh - the excitement........ - Dulwich Estate

"...looks b***** dangerous to me..." You can't be too careful you know. Did you see Boris, Osborne and 10 or so hangers on all on a flat patch of derelict land in Enfield on the news just now. All with helmets and hi-viz. H & S madness. Bonkers. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 00:01   Oh - the excitement........ - Ted

Countryfile a coupla weeks ago had the interviewer and a man from the met office going up a weather tower in the woods somewhere. Both in hi-vis and helmets. I can just about forgive the helmets in case they bumped heads on something...but there wasn't any traffic for miles ! It seems to be de rigour now to wear a hi-vis when stood in a field. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 09:30   Oh - the excitement........ - Cliff Pope

>> >> You can't be too careful you know. Did you see Boris, Osborne and 10 or >> so hangers on all on a flat patch of derelict land in Enfield on the >> news just now. >> Did you see the picture of Cameron, Merkel and someone else in boat, all wearing lifejackets? It was like a rowing boat on the Serpentine on a calm day - hardly white-water kayaking. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 09:37   Oh - the excitement........ - Runfer D'Hills

Makes you wonder what it is about the human condition that makes us accept and comply with stupid rules. One day, surely, the penny will drop that there are now too many of them. You would hope anyway. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 13:16   Oh - the excitement........ - Roger.

Start by excising political correctness. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 17:47   A deep and meaningful thread - Fursty Ferret

>> I cross my sevens when writing. Always have done. No idea why. >> >> Do you? >> >> >> Always. I curse people that have flowery "1"s and don't cross their sevens. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 14 Jun 14 17:56   A deep and meaningful thread - Armel Coussine

My normal writing is plain and unadorned, without serifs or flourishes or curlicues. A capital i and a small l look the same in my script. Never causes problems as a rule. Even if Illyria is written lllyria it's still clear. Only the French sometimes fail to decipher it, and it is only for them that I cross sevens and give ones a silly little serif. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 15 Jun 14 13:22   A deep and meaningful thread - Cliff Pope

I've always written lower case z with a lower twiddle, like a y or g. I don't know why - apparently it's not supposed to have one, I've been told. Reply to this message | Report message