I see you’re all fed up with the incessant rain. Welcome to Lancashire.
February 11, 2026 at 2:47 PM
I see you’re all fed up with the incessant rain. Welcome to Lancashire.
Reposted by Fretful Porpentine
"Platty joobs", "genny lec", "menty b" & co.: I wrote about this British slang fad
stancarey.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/d... #language
stancarey.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/d... #language
Don’t have a menty b about this bloggy p
An open linguistic question was raised recently on Bluesky by Darach Ó Séaghdha: What do we call those cutesie slang phrases that have become productive in the UK lately, like genny lec for ‘genera…
stancarey.wordpress.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:07 PM
"Platty joobs", "genny lec", "menty b" & co.: I wrote about this British slang fad
stancarey.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/d... #language
stancarey.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/d... #language
Reposted by Fretful Porpentine
Reposted by Fretful Porpentine
In Dublin last year, an annoying interviewer demanded of me: “Your country has been overtaken by fascists. Why are you smiling?” I was too jetlagged to have a sensible answer so I said, “I’m smiling because I have a knife between my teeth.” The knife might look like this:
Auspicious Omens and Excellent Insubordination
I started this out as a letter to a friend who's feeling down about where we as a nation are at in this moment, and I am still learning how this newsletter thing works so thought I could use the newsl...
www.meditationsinanemergency.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:42 AM
In Dublin last year, an annoying interviewer demanded of me: “Your country has been overtaken by fascists. Why are you smiling?” I was too jetlagged to have a sensible answer so I said, “I’m smiling because I have a knife between my teeth.” The knife might look like this:
Searching for one message, I found another - a declaration of undying love from a few years ago.
February 10, 2026 at 8:14 PM
Searching for one message, I found another - a declaration of undying love from a few years ago.
Reposted by Fretful Porpentine
Bradford, West Yorkshire. 2026.
February 10, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Bradford, West Yorkshire. 2026.
Reposted by Fretful Porpentine
False modesty is bullshit. So this is an exceptional episode of the podcast I have poured my heart, soul and brain into for ten years. It was a privilege to discuss C.S. Lewis with Rowan Williams, knowing a) you'd get to hear it and b) nobody does it like we do. www.backlisted.fm/episodes/257...
257. Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis — Backlisted
Dr Rowan Williams, theologian, poet and former Archbishop of Canterbury, joins Andy and John for a thoughtful and moving discussion of Till We Have Faces (1956), the last novel by C.S. Lew...
www.backlisted.fm
February 10, 2026 at 7:41 AM
False modesty is bullshit. So this is an exceptional episode of the podcast I have poured my heart, soul and brain into for ten years. It was a privilege to discuss C.S. Lewis with Rowan Williams, knowing a) you'd get to hear it and b) nobody does it like we do. www.backlisted.fm/episodes/257...
Putting my insomnia to good use by making a little star garland. Snip snip!
February 10, 2026 at 5:42 AM
Putting my insomnia to good use by making a little star garland. Snip snip!
Reposted by Fretful Porpentine
Oh THANK GOD for Small Prophets.
February 10, 2026 at 12:40 AM
Oh THANK GOD for Small Prophets.
That foolish baby cat bit my arm when we were playing and left the cutest little round bruise. I am most taken with it.
February 9, 2026 at 9:11 PM
That foolish baby cat bit my arm when we were playing and left the cutest little round bruise. I am most taken with it.
Reposted by Fretful Porpentine
Finding so many treasures in the record collection of my wonderful father-in-law who died recently, aged 90.
Lovely to find that on this recording of Holst conducting The Planets, his daughter, Imogen Holst, wrote the sleeve notes. She was also a composer.
Lovely to find that on this recording of Holst conducting The Planets, his daughter, Imogen Holst, wrote the sleeve notes. She was also a composer.
February 9, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Finding so many treasures in the record collection of my wonderful father-in-law who died recently, aged 90.
Lovely to find that on this recording of Holst conducting The Planets, his daughter, Imogen Holst, wrote the sleeve notes. She was also a composer.
Lovely to find that on this recording of Holst conducting The Planets, his daughter, Imogen Holst, wrote the sleeve notes. She was also a composer.
Reposted by Fretful Porpentine
One day, quite suddenly, when you're not expecting it, I'll take a hammer from the folds of my dark cloak and crack your little skull.
February 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM
One day, quite suddenly, when you're not expecting it, I'll take a hammer from the folds of my dark cloak and crack your little skull.
I have eaten
the chocolate buttons
that were on offer
in the Co-op
the chocolate buttons
that were on offer
in the Co-op
February 9, 2026 at 5:57 PM
I have eaten
the chocolate buttons
that were on offer
in the Co-op
the chocolate buttons
that were on offer
in the Co-op
How many of you can say your kitchen window was replaced by a handy old university pal who now has a main role in the new GoT series? Not many, I’d wager 💅🏻
February 9, 2026 at 5:19 AM
How many of you can say your kitchen window was replaced by a handy old university pal who now has a main role in the new GoT series? Not many, I’d wager 💅🏻
My big brother got his first record player in decades, so I’m getting him some vinyl for his birthday. In tribute to all our childhood rows, I will make sure each one has a solitary scratch.
February 8, 2026 at 11:14 PM
My big brother got his first record player in decades, so I’m getting him some vinyl for his birthday. In tribute to all our childhood rows, I will make sure each one has a solitary scratch.
Do not think about all the Smiths records you left at your ex’s place Do not think about all the Smiths records you left at your ex’s place Do not think about all the Smiths records you left at your ex’s place Do not think about all the Smiths records you left at your ex’s place Do not think about
February 8, 2026 at 11:10 PM
Do not think about all the Smiths records you left at your ex’s place Do not think about all the Smiths records you left at your ex’s place Do not think about all the Smiths records you left at your ex’s place Do not think about all the Smiths records you left at your ex’s place Do not think about
Reposted by Fretful Porpentine
Tori Amos in 1994:
February 7, 2026 at 9:29 PM
Tori Amos in 1994:
Reposted by Fretful Porpentine
Time for McSweeney to move to the phase of his career where he writes the same column monthly saying that the Govt’s woes are a consequence of them having failed to stay the course he charted for them.
February 8, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Time for McSweeney to move to the phase of his career where he writes the same column monthly saying that the Govt’s woes are a consequence of them having failed to stay the course he charted for them.
I use FB for work but I think I need to delete it. My blood pressure can’t cope.
February 8, 2026 at 7:26 AM
I use FB for work but I think I need to delete it. My blood pressure can’t cope.
I’ve gone nocturnal and the cats are thrilled. Suddenly they’re allowed out in the middle of the night. For the first time in my life, I am the cool parent.
February 8, 2026 at 4:38 AM
I’ve gone nocturnal and the cats are thrilled. Suddenly they’re allowed out in the middle of the night. For the first time in my life, I am the cool parent.
Reposted by Fretful Porpentine
The video for the first single "But I'm Getting Used To It" is live now
February 6, 2026 at 9:06 AM
The video for the first single "But I'm Getting Used To It" is live now
This is SO FUCKING GOOD. I am obsessed.
It was my extreme honour to step in for Philip Larkin, who was unavailable, and speak a key line from This Be The Verse on the GREAT new single from @simonloverules.bsky.social. Preorder his new album safe in the knowledge that I appear only on one track. @backlisted.bsky.social
You’re on the audio only version but the director thought it was too much for the video. What with the piss xylophone.
hurrahmusica.bandcamp.com/track/feels-...
hurrahmusica.bandcamp.com/track/feels-...
February 8, 2026 at 4:35 AM
This is SO FUCKING GOOD. I am obsessed.
We’ve been to see Bridget Christie in Lancaster and I have never seen so many fair isle yoke jumpers together in one place.
February 7, 2026 at 11:27 PM
We’ve been to see Bridget Christie in Lancaster and I have never seen so many fair isle yoke jumpers together in one place.