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Smylers @smylers.uk · 1d

I might need some male relatives to help with this one. #PopMaster

Smylers @smylers.uk · 2d

Related: rhyming picture books where one line ends in “again” which you pronounce to rhyme with “ten” but then 2 lines later the word is “rain”, or the other way round.

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 2d

And the unrelated book review at the bottom is for @lynneguist.bsky.social's guide to British–American differences in English, which may be of interest even if you aren't into crosswords: bigdave44.com/2025/10/13/d...

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 2d

Hints and explanations for today's Telegraph cryptic crossword, with a selection of children's characters, music from @sawdoctors.com, and an ambiguous bakery term: bigdave44.com/2025/10/13/d...

It's at a beginner-friendly level. If you don't have access to it ask and I'll send you a guest link.

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 2d

Yes! A much higher proportion of celebrities I've heard of than most of these shows. The core show is the same (celebs have to do the same kind of challenges as usual). That they know of each other in advance adds to the layers of trying to outguess each other.

Smylers @smylers.uk · 3d

U&Turn?

Though I also used to think that about a certain other social media site, feeling that it was found to u-turn with the year, and obviously it didn't.

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 3d

Quite! Though I think that saying U&W out loud is even worse.

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 3d

Except that the Telegraph Quick Crossword puns (the first few answers, from the clues in italics) are explicitly called “puns” … yet still yield complaints from commenters saying that they don't sound identical!

So carefully cluing as sounding approximately wouldn't stop the comments anyway.

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 3d

Does it involve a boat? If so, what size?

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 3d

Seebohm Rowntree, son of Joseph, was mentioned for surveying poverty in York, with a comment on his unusual name.

Seems his first name was actually Benjamin. Seebohm was his mother's maiden name and his middle name — with no explanation as to why he went by it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seebohm...

Seebohm Rowntree - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Smylers @smylers.uk · 3d

The 13yo who came with me had a party to go to, so we had to dash off and I didn't buy a book there.

That means that when I do buy the book, there'll be no data linking its purchase to the lit fest talk. Which seems particularly unfortunate for a book about data!

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 3d

Interesting talk by @georginasturge.bsky.social at @ilkleylitfest.bsky.social yesterday, A History of the UK in data — censuses and other surveys, questions over time, accidental discoveries, and uncounted people (especially women).

I now want to read both her books.

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 3d

Interesting. Let's hope Bluesky stays like this!

Incidentally, any idea why your name gets truncated on the timeline? Everybody else's shows in full, even those with longer names. Have you put some invisible control characters in there or something?

Screenshot of the post being replied to, in which Jesse's name shows up as “Jesse Vinc...” with a truncated surname, despite their being lots of space to the right

Smylers @smylers.uk · 4d

Which is why it's a weird question: if somebody's cooked me a meal, I'll eat it. If a colleague has a box of Ferrero Rocher and offers me one, I'll decline.

But YouGov's question covers both of these scenarios!

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Reposted by Smylers

Champire @champierth.bsky.social · 5d

I guess we've completely given up on the original meaning of the expression "One bad apple spoils the whole barrel". I guess hardly anyone stores apples in barrels any more, although I can think of a few politicians I'd like stored in a barrel.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 5d

Farage insists ex-Reform UK Wales leader convicted of bribery is ‘bad apple’

Farage said he was shocked by Nathan Gill’s admissions relating to pro-Russia statements Nigel Farage has insisted his party’s former leader in Wales who was convicted of taking pro-Russian bribes was a “bad apple” who betrayed him. The Reform UK leader was in Caerphilly campaigning for his candidate in a forthcoming Senedd byelection when he was asked about his links to Nathan Gill. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 5d

Also, ‘curate's egg’, which I've seen used to describe things people genuinely like in parts, rather than trying to be polite for something that they didn't like all.

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Reposted by Smylers

Fatima O'Hara @cabbagesandkings.bsky.social · 5d

An illustrator friend did a kid's book where one of the mums wore hijab. Not to make a point, just as part of a normal city school background. Took it to publisher and was asked to remove because it 'wasn't a book about inclusivity'

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 5d

Less of the “we”, Outlook: *you* couldn't open the image file — leave me out of your failings!

A blank white rectangle with the text “We couldn't open the image file” in the middle of it

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 5d

Only scoring 5½ on @guestimators.bsky.social yet still being 96% of the way up the rankings might be my best worst score. Or my worst best score?

If you didn't play, see the questions and answers here and score yourself: www.guestimators.com/quiz061025

Hello Smylers 👋

You scored 5.5 out of 10 on this week’s quiz: Swift, Spice and School Dinnerladies. The average score was 3.5 and Bush scored 2.

You scored the same or better than 96.2% of your fellow Guestimators.

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 6d

The print shop we used also printed things for Microsoft, who apparently always provided the originals on paper. When asked why not send them electronically, the MS rep replied that they didn't trust Word not to move things around when opened on a different computer …

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 6d

Work's still going on by the ‘main’ entrance to the station, but if exiting on to city square (by the ‘news theatre’ sign) there's far fewer roads to cross.

Especially handy in t'other direction, when trying to catch a specific train and not being held up at multiple pedestrian crossings.

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 6d

For balance, I also like the similar pedestrian improvements outside Leeds station!

It's almost like there are some experts just getting on with making life better for pedestrians, regardless of any national politicians' posturing or encouraging outrage …

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 6d

I love how pleasant and easy it is to walk from Forster Square station to, say, the Alhambra/media museum now (via the gorgeous Waterstones, of course).

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 7d

Go on … what kind of requests?

It's decades since I was involved in a conference, and I can't think of speakers making any requests beyond “I need to be at the airport by 5, so don't put me in the final slot.”

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Smylers @smylers.uk · 7d

In the supermarket I saw our MP scurrying past, grabbing an apple and looking like they wanted to do their shopping and be out of there.

Partway round, I saw them waylayed by a constituent. As I was leaving, another person had joined the chat.

It may be some time till they get to eat that apple …

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