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+--- Thread: 999 (/showthread.php?tid=1365)
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999 - Antonio247 - 18-11-2004
Although it may look very easy for you, I have a question to ask you. While we were reading a text in English in which appeared the number 999, the emergency number in UK, isn´t it? Then, a student wanted to know how you say that number. I said that you can say nine-nine-nine or double nine- nine but I told them I wasn´t sure adding that I´d ask you. Is it said that way or not? Is there another way to say it?
Thank you very much.
Greetings from Almería
Antonio
999 - Griff - 18-11-2004
We say: "nine-nine-nine". We would never say: "nine-double nine". Always feel free to ask, Antonio.
Regards
Griff
999 - Antonio247 - 18-11-2004
Thank you very much, Griff. I´ll tell my students tomorrow.
How are you doing with your training, Griff? I expect you´re doing very well.
Regards
Antonio
999 - Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man - 18-11-2004
Although I would add that the emergency number here "000" is always pronounced "triple oh"; or sometimes "triple zero", but never anything else.
Which is the complete opposite of the way the U.K. pronounce their number.
Just to be confusing.
999 - Antonio247 - 18-11-2004
Thanks a lot, MLCM. By the way, how do you say WWW? Triple W or W W W?
Are you feeling better now? I hope so.
Regards
Antonio
999 - El Gordo - 19-11-2004
I've long believed that the twin achilles heels of the I.T. revolution are 1) wires and 2) the need to say "www.". We're solving the former, but the latter is now an international crisis.
Including the dot, that's ten syllables we have to utter. Add up all those ten syllables repeated over a year, and it must amount to about, well, the same time it took me to, erm, write this message.
Something must be done.
999 - Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man - 19-11-2004
Yes, well down here the convention has always been to say "double yew double yew double yew" ... but I've noticed a biggish backlash against it now, with people trying things like "all the dubyas" or "three dubyas" or (rarely) "triple double yew", but I think it creates even more confusion and isn't very satisfactory really.
It IS a crisis, I agree. Sometimes I don't sleep at night for worrying about it
The consolation is that, like the letter "o", you can't mistake "w" for anything else. Which is why radio operators like to have the letters "o" and "w" in their callsigns. Somewhat useless trivia, that. I think I need a beer.
And thanks Antonio, yes I am better now... haven't had any pain to speak of for nearly a week, so I might be taking my first tentative runs again soon. Yea!
999 - Antonio247 - 20-11-2004
Thanks a lot, Andy and MLCM.
My pupils were very glad when I gave them the solution to the 999 question. We talked about how fast communication is through the internet. I also told them that some of you will be coming to Almería half marathon and they were very glad. They told me that it´d be great if you could come to class and meet you.
Andy, perhaps it it is some consolation to know that in Spanish we need 14 syllables to say WWW. We say Uve doble,uve doble, uve doble punto and whatever it follows although you can also hear "triple uve doble punto ....".
It´s a wonderful piece of news that you´re feeling better and you can go on training.
Regards
Antonio
999 - El Gordo - 20-11-2004
Antonio
I'd be very happy to take time out of my schedule to meet your teenage students.
In the circumstances, I'm sure you'll agree that some sort of reimbursement is appropriate to cover the inconvenience. I've had a word with my accountant, and he says that about 500 euros per day is the going rate for someone like me.
Ask them if they prefer me to pay cash or cheque.
Andy
999 - Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man - 21-11-2004
500 a day? Cheap at half the price
999 - Antonio247 - 22-11-2004
Thank you very much for offering to come to my school, Andy. It would be great for them to meet a native speaker and talk to them about your coutry, trips, interests and so on. It would be just one hour. Anyway, I don´t think we can afford such an amount of money but I´ll ask the head teacher.
Best wishes
Antonio
999 - El Gordo - 22-11-2004
You misunderstand, Antonio.
I was going to pay you for the pleasure of meeting your students...
999 - Antonio247 - 22-11-2004
Well, Andy, thank you very much but the pleasure will be for us. Anyway, I don´t want you to change your plans to come. If it suits you, it´ll be wonderful. I´m sure they´ll learn more English with you in just one hour than with me in several years.
Regards
Antonio
999 - El Gordo - 22-11-2004
We'll talk more about this nearer the time, mate, but I don't see why not.
999 - Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man - 23-11-2004
If there isn't too much lingua space between Antonio and and and and and Andy, you could also discuss Andyrian grammar.
999 - Sweder - 14-12-2004
Just picked this thread up.
Surely the answer is to say 'three doubleyews . . .' ?
Then again, perhaps we should all just get out more
999 - Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man - 14-12-2004
There was nothing ever really wrong with a piece of paper and a pencil for communication. It was just a bit slower... rather appropriate really.
Or even pigeon post did the job...
999 - stillwaddler - 14-12-2004
when did an "oblique stroke" become a "forward slash"?? ;-0
999 - Sweder - 15-12-2004
I always thought a forward slash was something observed on the road-side in the first mile of any Marathon . . .
999 - Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man - 15-12-2004
...whereas "backslash" would be something old DOS users do at the rear of the field??
Oh dear ... think I'd better dig up my old "Rolf Harris Big Book of Jokes"
