High powered kettles & vacuum cleaners plan to ban them in EU stalls

That's about the nearest we'll get to a sensible answer.

In article , Mike Tomlinson writes

If I could I wouldn't have asked the question.

To you it doesn't apparently.

He did, the first time (as you knew what he meant).

Nooo, it's 'just' 30 times less. ;-)

There are loads of things that people say that don't necessarily make literal sense but the meaning is very clear to those who use them.

"If you don't smoke you are 20 times less likely to get cancer (than someone who does)'.

The point to putting it that way is that it is being presented as a positive (if say trying to encourage someone to stop smoking).

Cheers, T i m

If we interprets ' X times less' to be the inverse ratio, (1/X) then it is in fact perfectly clear.

Of course, is that a common meaning of X times less?

If we consider that 30 times more is times 30^1, then thirty times less is 30^-1 and is indeed one thirtieth!

Yup. So, can you explain how the water is alters chemically between each subsequent boiling?

Quite possibly, by some peoples scales. Luckily, I don't value those people scales because *I* determine what things are important to *me*. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Tap water contains entrained/dissolved air. Boiling removes this. Might also remove some dissolved lime.

I once read a story, probably Readers Digest, about an apprentice tea taster being admonished by his supervisor for *burning the water* by allowing the kettle to continue heating after reaching the boil.

Personally, my taste buds wouldn't know the difference:-)

It's funny, whilst understanding the bastardisation of the word 'asked' (by you 'yoofs' ) and how it's use has now become common, I still prefer the original.

eg 'I couldn't be bothered to do it even if you asked me nicely'.

Cheers, T i m

My bro managed to burn the water. He put a pan of water on the stove - the fire alarm went off and the fire brigade came.

(Actually, he's so rubbish at cleaning that the layer of dust on the stove smoked and set the alarm off - but burning the water makes a better story)

My ex wife told ne that Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall said that a 'rolling boil is hotter and cooks food faster than just boiling, and must be used for pasta'.

When I pointed out that in fact its exactly the same temperature and even used a jam thermometer to indicate the fact, she got all huffy.

Of course the extra mechanical agitation helps stop the pasta sticking together, but that wasn't what Her Hero said, was it?

In message , T i m writes

A misunderstanding? Doesn't arsed in that context mean bothered, not asked?

In message , Tim Streater writes

When I first left home (1974!), money was tight so I used the gas cooker left behind by the sellers and bought a cheap aluminium kettle to heat on the gas. Kettle had to be replaced at least twice because I put the kettle on, then wandered off to do something else ...

Yes, but I believe 'arsed' is a bastardisation of 'asked'. If you think about it, there is no real correlation between using the word 'arsed' (before the link with 'asked' etc) when it comes to 'doing things or not', but people *are* asked to do things (and may not want to)?

Cheers, T i m

It's simple, you use it on cold. Soap and shampoo dissolves in cold water, as does washing machine powder. What is this obsession with heat for cleaning?

But it is T I M....

In message , T i m writes

You could be right, but in my experience, I have only heard 'I can't be arsed' to mean 'I can't be bothered', whether or not one has been asked to do anything. D'you go down the pub last night mate? Nah, couldn't be arsed.

Can't be arsed Idiom:

To be seriously demotivated.

Mine does too, but I don't use them as such. I use this weird idea that if I fill my tea cup with water and put it in th e kettle (which still has a little water from the previous boil, I'll have enough water in the kettle to fill my cup. So provided I use the cup(s) to fill the kettle as the same I'm going to us e for tea I'm sorted for the right amount of water. Doesnt; seem that difficult to me.

It also has the added advantage that I donl;t need to carry my kettle to t he sink, so don;t need to take it off the base which must mean the connecto r has less connecting cycles so may last longer too.

I know my demands in advance. I usualy use a pint glass for filling up my k ettle, usually about 2/3 pint is enough for one mug of tea.

It takes longer to boil a full kettle than a 1/2 or 1/4 filled one. For me the biggest reason for not fiulling teh kettle to the brim for one cup.

yes so you add a little more than you need, I don't find that difficult to do.

True, but it's still not that difficult to work out is it. I managed last night with 3 people wanting tea.

I find the water left in the kettle can do that short term.

teh best option wouild be for teh remaining hot water to heat up a heat exc hanger that is able to but the volts and amps back into the electricity sup ply a bit like wind and solar but I don;t think it's very practical at the present time/technology. With a peltier device I could perhaps get nearly

IMHO ... Yes, that was how the bastardisation (of 'asked') went in the

Sort of. By definition the usage normally forms part of a response or statement, as you suggest with:

That could also have been just an unprompted statement ... 'I couldn't be arsed (or asked) to go down the pub last night', because they both mean the same (now), even if 'arsed' is derived from 'being asked' to do something and not wanting to.

"I don't fancy going to the pub tonight, I would go even if you asked me to"

"Nah, I can't be asked to go to the pub tonight ..."

or, now (since the 90's and for no loci cal reason other than it being misheard that I'm aware of))

"Nah, I can't be arsed to go to the pub tonight ... "

Cheers, T i m

And another massive whoosh for the poor old Turnip. ;-)

Cheers, T i m (see, *my* Windows newsreader *can* handle single letters without capitalisation).