Fabulous customer service skills, guys

Found this lying on the Bristol to Bath Cycle Path and did what it told me to! If all of us picked up plastic pollution when we saw it, there'd be less of it in our oceans. But, then again, if manufacturers stopped swathing their products in it we wouldn't have to, would we, @bahlsen.bsky.social ?

Because I am a disorganised klutz, I have only just seen this lovely, lovely post. Thank you, Pascal, <3

@susiedent.com Hi, Susie, I am doing my show, The Full English, in London from 16th-20th September, and I would love you to see it. Let me know if you would like to come, and I will happily put you and a plus one on the guest list. You're fabulous!

@richardosman1.bsky.social Hi, Richard, I am doing my show The Full English in London from 16th to 20th September, and I would love you to see it. Just get in touch, and I will happily put you and a plus one on the guest list

CROSSWORD DU JOUR: crosshare.org/crosswords/L...

I am hugely excited that The Cryptic Mystic YouTube channel has done a feature on one of my puzzles! Do check out this fantastic crossword tutorial channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hgg...

The Global Plastics Treaty must include strong provisions for a just transition to safer and more sustainable livelihoods for workers and communities across the plastics supply chain, including those in the informal waste sector. #BreakFreeFromPlastic #WastePickersDay

According to @unep.org, 60% of the plastic recycled across the world is collected by waste pickers. While their contribution to the community is vital, they are often unrecognised, unprotected and discriminated against. #WastePickersDay

FUN FACT! I love the way that Latin medical words sound all grown-up and stuffy and serious, but actually aren't...like if you move the MUSCLE attached to your PATELLA, you are literally moving the MOUSE on your FRYING PAN. PATELLA is cognate with PAN and PATINA and PAELLA.

PEOPLE IN THE NEWCASTLE AREA! I have a show on at the Hearth Arts Centre in Horsley, Northumberland on 20th March! I need all the help I can get with publicising this, so I'd really appreciate your sharing it with those who might be interested: www.thehearth.co.uk/whatson/the-...

My show about the English language is playing at the Hearth Arts Centre, Horsley, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 20th March Early booking advised - this venue is teeny-weeny! www.thehearth.co.uk/whatson/the-...

A poem about being yourself, on The Dirigible Balloon, which might be useful for #EYFS #KS1 in #ChildrensMentalHealthWeek dirigibleballoon.org/poem/What-I-... #EduSky

CROSSWORD DU JOUR: crosshare.org/crosswords/x...

FUN FACT! The word GREGARIOUS means TENDING TO GATHER IN A FLOCK OR HERD, from Latin GREX (FLOCK or HERD). It's distantly related to the Germanic verb CRAM - apparently, GREGARIOUS types like to CRAM together in a tiny room. No, I don't see the attraction of that, either.

CROSSWORD DU JOUR: crosshare.org/crosswords/L...

CROSSWORD DU JOUR crosshare.org/crosswords/e...

CROSSWORD DU JOUR: crosshare.org/crosswords/y...

FUN FACT: In the 19th century, they didn't have Primark and shirts were expensive, so men tended to take them off before they had a punch-up, to avoid scuzzing them up. And that is probably the origin of GETTING SHIRTY.

I’m done dating humans. I’ve got a better idea—

I'm out and about a lot this year with my show about the English language. Today, I am delighted to announce I will be in Street in September! www.strodetheatre.org.uk/event/melani...

VERY NICHE JOKE: I've been traumatised by studying Middle English grammar, and now I'm suffering from PDSE.

CROSSWORD DU JOUR: STUDY it carefully! crosshare.org/crosswords/K...

I'm deeply honoured and very excited to be performing alongside this amazing line-up of poets at this FREE gig at The Greenbank on 29th January. Please come!

MON CROSSWORD DU JOUR: crosshare.org/edit/DhoC5Pr...

FUN FACT! STITCH and STICK (in all its senses, nouns and verbs) both derive from Germanic STIKIZ (to prick or pierce), from Indo-European STEIG (to stab). ONE STITCH is ONE JAB of the needle and if you STICK or STITCH something, you PIN it Greek STIGMA and STIGMATA are, fairly obviously, cognate.

FUN FACT! Latin CAEDERE (to cut) gave us SCISSORS (cutters), EXCISE (cut out), CIRCUMCISE (cut around), INCISOR (cutter inner), DECIDE (cutting off your other options)and HOMICIDE (cutting down a man), amongst others.

A fairly easy anagram crossword: crosshare.org/crosswords/K...

TODAY'S FUN FACT: HAPPY is from Norse HAPP, meaning LUCK or CHANCE (usually good). If something HAPPENS, it occurs through LUCK, not through any kind of planning. PERHAPS is a half-arsed calque of French PERADVENTURE and PERCHANCE which both used to be commonly sued in English, too.

THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO CRYPTIC CROSSWORDS: BUSINESS/FIRM/COMPANY often = CO. Except when it doesn't. If FIRM sounds like it's an adjective, it's almost certainly a noun, and vice versa. Also, if BUSINESS sounds like it's literal it's probably a metaphor and vice versa crosshare.org/crosswords/0...

A vaguely New Year-themed crossword: crosshare.org/crosswords/Z...

I'm quite proud of my EASY SPOONER CROSSWORD: crosshare.org/crosswords/y...

TODAY'S FUN FACT ABOUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: ÆRENDGAST (literally GHOST WHO RUNS ERRANDS) was an Old English word for ANGEL.

TODAY'S FUN FACT ABOUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: A MANGER is a box an animal EATS out of, from the French verb for TO EAT, which also gave us MANGETOUT, MANGE (the disease that EATS your animals) and PRÊT À MANGER.

FUN FACT ABOUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: JUBILANT, JUBILATION and JUBILEE are from Proto-Italic IU (wild shout) and are probably cognate with Germanic-derived YOWL.

Anybody? Anybody at all? #zerowaste #plasticfree

Reuse is a fundamental shift towards a non-toxic economy and a powerful tool in the fight against plastic pollution. www.shop-without-plastic.com/blogs/enviro...

No scrap is ever too small. #quilt #zerowaste

Here's another river crossword: crosshare.org/crosswords/R...

Does anybody have any tips on budget ways to reduce plastic? My biggest problems are coffee, cold cereals and dairy produce (both actual and vegan alternatives). I know how to get them packaging free, but at a cost I find it hard to justify on my current income. But I love trading any tips.

TODAY'S FUN FACT ABOUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: CAPER (as in leap about like a GOAT, not the pizza topping), CHEVRON (markings on the road shaped like a GOAT'S HORNS) and CAB (originally a CABRIOLET - horse-drawn carriage that leapt about like a goat) all derive from the Indo-European for GOAT - KAPRO.

Not yet. Nor shevelled at the moment. But you will probably know about the Recombobulation lounge at Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee..

THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO CRYPTIC CROSSWORDS: Today's crossword is all about RIVERS. RIVER = R, FLOWER (it flows) or BANKER (it has banks). I'm sure I've forgotten some river codewords, so do remind me. Roman numerals are also involved in this crossword. crosshare.org/crosswords/G...

HE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO THE CRYPTIC CROSSWORD: Today’s crossword is all about AND. Sometimes you have to write AND out in full in answers. e.g. Grip both sides of high antique (8) (The Independent, 8th December 2024) H AND H + OLD = HANDHOLD = GRIP crosshare.org/crosswords/B...

TODAY'S FUN FACT ABOUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: A FEMALE is literally ONE WHO SUCKLES, from Indo-European DHEI (to suck), which also gave us FELLATIO and FELICITY (the lady who SUCKLES the lucky). But who does she SUCKLE? Her FOETUS or FILIAL relative, of course!

TODAY'S FUN FACT ABOUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: Your CHEER is literally your FACE, from Norman French CHERE, from Late Latin CARA (face) probably from Greek KARA (head). So, if you are OF GOOD CHEER, you’ve got your happy face on, and if you CHEER UP, your face gets happier.

TODAY'S CRYPTIC CROSSWORD LESSON: Bishop = B or RR (Right Reverend) Priest/vicar = REV, FR, PARSON etc. Old priest = ELI Books = OT or NT (Old and New Testament) Church = CH, CE, RC See = diocese = bishopric = a specific one (e.g. ELY) Here's a crossword: crosshare.org/crosswords/L...

Absolutely delighted to have three poems up today on the wonderful children's poetry website, The Dirigible Balloon @northernjim.bsky.social Do check them out and the rest of this gorgeous box of loveliness: dirigibleballoon.org

FUN FACT ABOUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE 11: Indo-European SE or SWE (meaning ONESELF) is the source of the words SELF (from Germanic), SECRETE and SEPARATE (to CUT ONESELF OFF) and SUICIDE (from Latin), IDIOM, IDIOT, IDIOSYNCRASY and IDIOPATHY (from Greek) and a gazillion more.

FUN FACT ABOUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE 10: SPRUCE is an old word for PRUSSIAN. The SPRUCE tree is literally the PRUSSIAN tree. Also, Prussian leather jackets were considered especially snazzy in the 1500s, so if you looked really smart, you looked PRUSSIAN or SPRUCE.