I nominate Chalky to be on the ad hoc search committee charged with finding a steering committee to oversee the establishment of a notation game.

But surely we need to agree on the nomination procedures first?

[rab] Agreed, as long as we don't make things needlessly bureaucratic.

OK then, so I suggest the usual: each candidate will need the backing of twenty (20) signatures. In the event of more than one nomination, we'll need to instigate an election process. Obviously, the most sensible way to do this is a two-round procedure, where we use a single-transferrable vote to whittle down to two candidates, and a second round to decide the final victor. We will of course need to do this for each committee post, but it's a pretty straightforward procedure, so won't be much hassle to implement.

[rab] You start :o)

[pen] No can do - as maintainer of this site, it would open up a massive conflict of interest and leave me open to prosecution by the EU, probably.

*Resolves not to post anything stupid in future*

[Korks] Please do. Post, that is. Not 'not post'.
:):)

[UK] I've made that resolution about once a week since debuting on the morniverse. Hasn't worked yet.

(INJ) Still doesn't work, does it. :-) Debuting??? Go on; it's a wind-up.

[Rosie] It's a tricky one, isn't it? It ought to be OK as a word, but I'm unhappy with all ways of pronouncing it.

I see what you've done there. Avoid 'debuting' at all costs. You can only 'make a debut'.

(INJ, pen) - I think I'd prefer deb-yewing with the accent on the first syllable. It'll turn up on Five Live now you've let it out of the bag.

While we're on the subject, how do people pronounce "valeting"?

I would not say it, but if pushed, after thinking for a while: val-AY-ing or perhaps VAL-ay-ing.

Ugly.

[Flerdle] The common pronunciation I hear is 'VAL-ett-ing', at least when you're talking about car cleaning. Not heard it for being a gentleman's gentleman.

On a similar basis, I'm looking forward with relish to the challenges of gerunding "ballet", "fracas", "wii", "Playdoh" and "adieu"

(I've often thought the word "Boeing" looked rather awkward for related morphological/phonological tension reasons).

Ah, another good one to add to the list above would be "algebra".

I do have a fondness for the (not terribly prevalent, but permitted) alternative spelling of "queuing" that keeps the "e", resulting in "queueing"; a whopping 5 consecutive vowels.

I seem to recall reading a newspaper article about an RSI-like injury that had been christened "wiiitis".

[INJ] That reminds me that "buffet" is pronounced "boo-fay" except when referring to catering provision on British trains, where it's "buff-it".

[rab] Really? I beg to differ. "Buff-it" would only be used by me as a verb relating to what strong winds can do to a person.

[Rab] Not to mention the notices on the cross-channel ferries which say: 'To the buffet/Au Snack-bar'

Saying "boof-ay" here would get you strange looks.

(and that's for any pronunciation of "oo")

[flerdle] even "stool"?

I thought girls had "boof ay's" in the '60s.

(Phil) When you've polished your nice brass beer pump don't you then buff it for that extra gleam?

[Phil] Especially!

[Rosie] No. I have staff to do that for me :)
[flerdle] how are you pronouncing the "boof" of "boof-ay"? Like "boo" or "book"?

Either works just as badly - as I said. It's always "buff-ay" here unless you're over 80 and posh or putting it on. Buff as in huff, puff, stuff and, um, buff.

I don't think we've had a week without at least a small covering of the white stuff since before Christmas. Most weeks, it has been topped up at least twice, but mostly melts away before the next lot comes. Gah.