Choosing your Username

I was just looking for something Scottish and thought of thistle, but that sounded as though I was a bit prickly so my DH said, Oh that will do, and I replied, what thistle will just do, then it hit me....... Thistledoo.!!

Dragonfly I was so touched by your story, thank you so much for sharing that poignant moment with us. I have always loved dragonflies, such beautiful creatures.

We seem to have got off user names and on to bugs.
I have got more philosophical since living abroad, probably because it's an old house. I don't mind spiders too much but I hate Portuguese centipedes. They are horrible wiggly things up to 6 feet inches long.

I like mini armadillos too [woodlice] harmless things and I enjoy watching them roll up into a ball.The only things I don't want in the house are spiders!

Exactly Ana They find it strange because they are typically French expressions- so don't expect them to be used by English people.
Mind you, you use German phrases like 'Schadenfreude' too.

Love languages, me ;)

Granjura what about au fait and apropos. We also use billet doux ,generally pronounced in English when we hear from the income tax inspectors.

granjura, why is the English use of 'bête noir' so unbelievable to your students? Don't the French have some pretty odd phrases and sayings themselves?

My favourite character in a book, I decided on a change when I came here from mumsnet, I fancied a bit of annonymity (spelling?)

Sorry, I digressed ;)

Stansgran, I just told my students that British people use the expression 'my bête noire' and they just didn't believe it will show them your post. The one that really makes them laugh is 'genrE' - they find it hilarious. They love 'ménage à trois' too- although I of course reserve that one for older students

Stansgran , we call them that too.

I don't mind them, they seem reasonably benign, but then I ALWAYS wear slippers when I get out of bed at night in case there are any other creepy crawlies about.

Silverfish there are umpteen ways to get rid of silverfish on Wikihow. You could have hours of fun. My bête noire is the mini armadillos which trudge across the floor in the loo.

This isn't my name. But I can play the old Joanna.

Dragonfly in a similar way I always think of a late relative when I see a ladybird.

activist
a person (in my case a granny) who believes strongly in political or social change and takes part in activities such as public protests to try to make this happen.

Mine's obvious - isn't it?

My eldest DGS couldn't say grandma he had trouble getting his way around the "r" but he started using glam-ma and the rest is history been called that for 20+ yrs now.

The Jura is the region where I was born and bred, on the Swiss side, and where we have now returned after I spent my whole adult life married to a Brit- and of course I am a Gran- so it made sense.

(Our region is straddled over the Canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, and the Doubs Region of France).

Not therapeutic I still hate the little b......s.

That has actually shocked me!

If I had stuck with my original username - going back to mumsnet time - I would have had it 11 years now!

Mine reflects my fondness for chickens.

silverfish - does it help you think about them differently? i.e. is it therapeutic?

However silverfish as ana says, it's a bit odd you choosing it as you have a phobia about them? A bit like someone with a spider phobia calling themselves tarantula

I really like silverfish, they appear magically in the bathroom at night, usually about 2 of them and glide about and are really pretty.

My name, like When's, relates to the special birthday that I'm sure made so many of us sing the song.

Dragonfly - lovely way to remember your daughter

silveefish I am pleased to say that my DHs family are all Norfolk and southwards... He always introduces himself as Brad's cousin