Notes from Southend

Despite salvaging the missing word file late in the day, I still managed to lose half of the notes from today's class in Southend. After our discussion of gambling and the difference between either electronic or casino-based roulette and Russian roulette (click here for an audiovisual example from The Deer Hunter) we looked at the use of language in this Guardian article about a couple who have just won £56million on the lottery. Issues that came up were white vans, the verb "reveal" and the differences between "job" and "jobs", and "quit" and "hand in your notice". We also spoke about culture of understatement and irony that seems prevalent in Britain...something that you might be able to spot in this clip from the film Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail.