Blogs - 2015 - November 2 Weather Words 7 Diary Words€¦ · monsoon is a period of reversal of the atmospheric circulation, bringing persistent rain, heavy torrential downpours

2015 November p1 A of 21Blog Archive Pitman’s New Era Shorthand 2015 November p1 B of 21Blog Archive Pitman’s New Era Shorthand

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2 Weather Words

7 Diary Words

14 Quotes For Shorthanders

16 Sewing Machines

PDF Date: 28 April 2020

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Blogs - 2015 - November

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Weather Words

I like to know what the weather is going todo each day, so every morning I check theUK Met Office website. The map is coveredin weather icons of white or grey clouds,raindrops or shining suns dotted about.There is no icon for fog but, being a shortword, it does duty as an icon itself. It issmall, compact and can be repeated allover the map, just like a shorthand outline.The weather for my area of the UKgenerally arrives from the south or thewest. For the last few days we have hadvery thick fog in the mornings, clearing

slowly and with a few sunny* or brighterpatches in between. In the park all theshrubs were covered in cobwebs, lookinglike tiny white trampolines or hammocksstrung between the tips of the twigs anddrooping with the weight of water clingingto them. The grass was sodden but idealfor cleaning the mud off the soles of myshoes with virtually no effort.

* "sunny" Always put the vowels insun/snow, sunny/snowy

Weather Words

You may have seen the shorthandperpetual calendar which I produced someyears ago, which has two pages ofadditional vocabulary, for diary items andweather terms, as a way of encouraginglearners to use and practise shorthandevery day. This blog uses all the weatherwords in one place, so you can get thempractised and learned. You will then be ableto take down the weather forecast, as theytend to speak more slowly than other newsitems, but you need to know thespecialised* vocabulary first otherwise itwill seem faster, not slower. The weatherpresenters have taken to guarding their*predictions with words like possibility*,probability*, likelihood, or a fifty per centchance of a particular condition occurring,and similar phrases that let you know that*weather prediction cannot be as precise asviewers sometimes expect it to be.

* "let you know that" The "you" sign isjoined on its side so that it can also join theN stroke, to make this phrase, normally itwould be the right way up e.g. "will you"

* "specialised" Always insert the diphthong,to differentiate from "specialist"

* "guarding their" Doubling for "their"

* "possibility" Optional contraction

* "probability" needs to be written in full,as it is being presented as an exampleword. If you used the contraction, therewould be no way of knowing whether it was

"probable" "probably" or "probability"

www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/downloads.htm#shorthand-perpetual-calendar

http://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/downloads.htm#shorthand-perpetual-calendar





Weather Words

The weather at dawn is often entirelydifferent from mid-morning and midday,changing again in the afternoon, gettingcooler in the evening, with mist returningby dusk. There will be further changes atnight, with a drop in the overnighttemperature. Last week* may have beenfine, this week* will be changeable andnext week* we are likely to see furtherchanges in the weather patterns, leading toentirely different conditions for thefollowing week and on into the period

under review. The forecast for the nextmonth* has to take into account* themovements in the atmosphere and thefluctuations in atmospheric pressure,including the high pressure* and lowpressure* systems coming in from theocean and moving over the country.

* Omission phrases "last week" "this week""next week" "ne(k)st (mon)th" Similarly"this (mon)th" "take (into) account" "high(pre)ssure" "low (pre)ssure"

Weather Words

In summer we can expect dry, warm andhot weather, getting much warmer towardsmidday. When the weather is at its hottestor warmest, we say it is a heatwave orsweltering, especially if the great heatpersists for some days and is hotter thanwe would normally expect. If thetemperature remains high but the humidityis also high, the conditions are muggy andsticky. The body is unable to lose heat asrapidly as needed, as there is littleevaporation taking place to cool the persondown. This type of weather feelsoppressively hot and uncomfortable, withexcessive temperatures making us feel

drowsy and lethargic. As soon as the airbecomes cooler and fresher, we can enjoythe sunshine and warmth without thediscomfort of humid conditions. If the aircontinues to cool and freshen, then thepleasantly* moderate weather may cometo an end. The sky will become hazy andovercast. The haze will turn to patchy cloudand eventually the cloud cover will cause alowering of the temperature.

* "pleasantly" and "pleasingly" Insert thefirst vowel, to prevent misreading, as theoutlines and meanings are similar



Weather Words

Low cloud can bring either bright orsomewhat overcast days or more oftenmuch gloomier conditions, with greyrainclouds. There will be the possibility* ofa short sharp shower, intermittent orscattered showers, heavy rain or possiblyoutbreaks of thunderstorms in some areas.Before a storm arrives, the temperaturewill drop rapidly, with the wind becomingstronger and colder. Light levels decreaseas the whole sky darkens and gustsincrease in strength. The rumbles ofthunder will be heard over long distancesand the lightning may affect unprotectedbuildings, tall structures and trees. Iremember a night when it thundered and

lightened all night, the thunderclaps weredeafening and the sudden bursts oflightning went on until the early hours,when the sky finally cleared. Precipitationmay fall from the thundercloud as hail, withhailstones as big as marbles, or soft andslushy as it turns to sleet and melts on theground. Hailstorms can flatten a crop in thefield. Weather is called foul when it is cold,wet and windy all at the same time*.


* "at the same time" Halving to representthe T of "time"

Weather Words

In winter the conditions are often cold andwet. Frost may cover the grass, calledhoarfrost, as the heavy dew becomesfrozen* overnight. Ice that cannot be seenis called black ice, a thin glaze on the roador path, and these icy and slipperyconditions make the route* very dangerousto travel on. Once the snow arrives, it willbe bitterly cold, and in the UK wesometimes experience a bitter seast windbringing prolonged periods of freezing*weather. Heavy snowfall combined withwind is called a blizzard, and the snow maycollect in deep drifts. After severesnowstorms, the snowploughs will beneeded to clear the roads and gritter truckswill be sent out to help break up the iceand slush. Householders will be out

shovelling the drifted soft snow from theirpaths, sometimes while it is still snowing,with the snowflakes settling faster thanthey can be swept away. Next morningthey may find it has snowed againovernight and any melted snow has turnedto treacherous* smooth ice.

* "frozen" and "freezing" Always insert thevowel, as outlines and meanings are similar

* "route" Vowel advisable, as it is similar to"road" although the latter is a more commonword so could be left unvocalised

* "treacherous" Ensure the hook on the T isclear, so it does not look like "dangerous"



Weather Words

When the temperature increases, the frostyweather is gone and a thaw will set in. Theicicles begin to drip and the thawing snowturns to sleety showers and muddy slush.The slushy puddles that thawed yesterdayafternoon* may freeze overnight andbecome hard, crunchy and slippery,causing people to prefer to walk in the softsnow nearby, which gives a firmer footing.A slight rise in temperature will cause theweather to turn misty, foggy and dampwith grey skies. The fog settles in thevalleys and the mists cover the trees andlow buildings. The sun appears hazy anddim, with a weak watery light. When fogcombines with smoke, the result is calledsmog, which is a 20th century portmanteau

of these two words, although nowadays italso means fog combined with vehicular*and industrial emissions. Mist maygradually turn to drizzle which is fine rain,and the in-between stage is mizzle, anotherportmanteau word.

* Omission phrase "yesterday af(ter)noon"Keep the final hook clear, so it does notlook like "yesterday ev(en)ing" - see thisrange of phrases on www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/phrasing2-theory.htm#FVHook

* "vehicular" If you prefer to indicate the Hsound, use the 3rd place dot vowel withDot Hay over it, instead of the diphone

Weather Words

These gentle if uncomfortable conditionsare in stark contrast to the more severeweather conditions that can occur. Stormyweather and tornadoes, also known astwisters, are a regular feature at certaintimes of the year in some areas. Themonsoon is a period of reversal of theatmospheric circulation, bringing persistentrain, heavy torrential downpours andflooding, after a dry phase of heat anddrought. A cyclone is a rapidly rotating

storm system, with a low pressure centre,producing thunderstorms and gusty high-speed gale-force winds. It is also called ahurricane, typhoon, tropical storm, tropicaldepression or cyclonic storm. They cancause extensive storm damage and flashfloods. Coastal areas may experience astorm surge due to high water and higherwaves than normal. Once a cyclone makeslandfall, it weakens and dissipates.

http://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/phrasing2-theory.htm#FVHook





Weather Words

At this time of the year there is a stronglikelihood of damper air and more dewymornings. Sometimes this is followed byfurther wintry weather arriving. This wouldresult in worsening conditions on the roads,and things could deteriorate quickly as thethermometer plunges to below zerocentigrade. An easterly or northerly windwould significantly increase the likelihood of

widespread unsafe driving conditions anddangerously slippery roads. The forecasterswill keep us up to date with the developingfeatures and approaching weather systems,with warnings of unusual or less typicalfeatures that we need to know about andwhether the outlook is getting better orworse for those who have to travel throughit.

Weather Words

The least interesting weather is mild andmoderate with temperatures near normalfor the time of year or slightly aboveaverage, with no significant change in theusual normal daytime or night-timetemperatures. We are then mildlyinterested and moderately pleased with theimproved outlook and settled conditions,and relieved that no prolonged periods ofrain or unsettled conditions will delay ourjourneys. The milder the better, withmaybe a pleasantly* sunny afternoon tobrighten things up, good visibility and awarm southerly or westerly breezeimproving the air quality over the cities. Weprefer it to be drier with blue skies,

pleasantly* breezy but not blowy, with norisk of showery interludes. We don’t want itbecoming wetter or raining with a violentstormy gale and chilly blustery north windsblowing. At least we will be forewarned,with our friendly weathermen and women*telling us what will be happening in thenorthern, southern, eastern and westernareas of our particular part of the world.

* "pleasantly" and "pleasingly" Helpful toinsert the first vowel, to prevent misreading,as the outlines and meanings are similar

* Omission phrase "weathermen (and)women"



Weather Words

There is one last batch of vocabulary thatour weather presenters like to amuse* uswith. At the beginning of the* slot, we arereminded that it might be shirt sleeves andsandals weather at last, advised to storeaway the winter coat, put on the sun blockcream, stock up on the hay fevertreatments, get out the umbrella (or brollyas they like to call it), don’t forget to take araincoat, hold on to your hat during thegales, or wrap up warm for a chilly start tothe week. The tennis may be washed out,the football held up by snow, gardening canstart with the glorious spring sunshine,plant the daffodil bulbs before the frostcomes, or hurry up and finish the

Christmas shopping before the blizzardsarrive. The only thing they never tell me todo is get out the knitting needles to makesome more mittens, or settle down with theshorthand books to occupy my time as I sitout the stormy* blasts of winter with myfeet on the hot water bottle. (1714 words)

* "amuse" and "amaze" Always insert thevowel

* Omission phrase "at the (be)ginn(ing) ofthe"

* "stormy" Insert the final dot vowel, as"storm blasts" could also make sense

Diary Words

This article practises words that you might*wish to use in your diary, as listed in theShorthand Perpetual Calendar, so that youcan make brief entries on each month’sprinted page. At least, that is the plan,whether it is an extensive description ofyour day, or just jottings to remind you ofitems and events coming up. When I waslearning shorthand, as soon as we hadfinished the theory book, I did my best touse it for taking notes in all the othercommercial lessons. This meant that I wasconsolidating what I had learned as quicklyas possible* after learning it. One day wehad a lesson on the different types oforganisations and the word oligarchy cameup. I made my best effort and the wordmade its way accurately into my longhand

course notes. And of course I looked it upso that next time* I would get it right. Idon’t think it ever came up again but all theother shorthand that I was writing certainlydid pay off when I came to sit the variousspeed exams.

* "might" Not phrased, so it does not looklike "may"

* Omission phrases "as quickly asposs(ible)" "ne(k)s(t) time"







Diary Words

Shorthand learning is best done inmanageable amounts every day, more onsome days and perhaps less on others,depending* on your other activities andtime available. It is like exercising, gainingweight, losing* weight, filling up a bath,using up the fuel in a tank, waiting for thebread to rise, the cake* to cook, the glueto set or the paint to dry, watching ice meltor a kettle boil, waiting for Christmasmorning to come, or the Christmas snow tosettle thickly enough to make a snowman.The minutes and hours pass, the days slipby and before you know it, "crunch time" ishere, the speed exam, the job interviewrequiring a shorthand certificate, or thelong-awaited opportunity to use theshorthand to make life easier or moreefficient. Or it might just be the end of anopportunity and spare time* for seriousstudy, which some are glad they did andothers wishing they had applied themselves

to in a more focussed* manner. Of course,you are the former, as you are reading thisblog shorthand, ever watchful for newoutlines and phrases.

* "depending" Keep the Ing its correctlength, so it does not look like a halved N =

"dependent/dependant"

* "losing" The outline for "lose" has upwardL

* "cake and "cookie" Insert the vowels todifferentiate

* "spare time" Halving for the T of "time"

* "focussed, fixed" Always insert the firstvowel, as they are similar in outline andmeaning

Diary Words

Practice sentences are written, passagesread from your comfortable armchair, shortbursts of almost impossible dictation areattempted from the newsreader. Diaryentries are made and read back correctlylater on, telephone messages are scribbledon the pad, and shopping lists compiledand read back in the shop without theslightest qualm. The shorthand hasestablished itself in your mind simply bybeing used for the real necessities of life,and eventually flows out of the pen orpencil on command, just like your longhand

already does. Like the birds eating thecrumbs from the lawn, shorthand prefers toget on with its job undisturbed, while youare busy thinking about something else*.Even if you are annoyed with yourself atapparent slow progress, this does meanthat you are still with the game and havenot given up. The following paragraphs arefictional and use all the diary words in thePerpetual Calendar list.

* "something else" Note that "else" on itsown is written upwards



Diary Words

This is a schedule for a typical 7-day period.On Monday morning I go to the office toget my assignments for the rest of theweek. On Tuesday I am generally withclients all day and working out at the gymin the evening. Every Wednesday I meetour suppliers and other contacts to discussand make all the arrangements. ThursdaysI travel to head office which is a longjourney on the motorway. On Friday Ireturn to the office to catch up on thepaperwork. Saturday is spent shopping andtaking the children to their clubs andactivities. Sundays are full of activities aswell, starting with a dawn exercise run,

followed by music practice, then a churchservice, and a special Sunday lunch withgrandmother and grandfather, or otherrelatives. On Sunday afternoon* we oftenvisit the sports club and during Sundayevening* I check over my diary for thecoming week and write in all the remindersthat I shall need.

* Omission phrases "Sunday af(ter)noon""Sunday ev(en)ing" both using the hook forthe F/V instead of stroke. Ensure the final Nhook is very clear, otherwise the two wouldbe similar.

Diary Words

Last year was quite an interesting one forus. In January we enjoyed the sales, andescaped the cold by going on a short winterholiday break somewhere warmer.February was when the pipes burst and wehad to have the plumber in. In March webought a new car and in April we spentEaster down on the coast enjoying someunusually* warm spring weather. DuringMay we had a wedding to attend and inJune we had to go to a funeral. During thehot summer weather of July we spent twoweeks* on vacation on the West Coast. InAugust we celebrated the college exampasses of our son and daughter. InSeptember we had a late autumn or fallholiday, before our youngest child startedpre-school. October brought the good newsof promotion* at work. November wasquite eventful with various importantmeetings and conferences around thecountry. In December we enjoyed anextended break over the Christmas period

and finally saw in the New Year with ourfamily in the Highlands.

Cap signs are not necessary for days of theweek or months, but may be helpful withNovember (same outline as "never") andTuesday (which might be misread as"outside"). Vowel in "May" helps withreading back.

* "unusually" The -ly is included in thebasic short form, but writing the stroke L isessential here, as both "unusual" and

"unusually" could make sense

* Omission phrase "two wee(k)s"

* "promotion" Always insert the seconddash vowel, so that you can leave theidentical outline "permission" unvocalised,and so distinguish them



Diary Words

Monday: Today has been quite busy. Idrove to the airport to pick up my motherand father after their night-time flight andtake them to their apartment. Then I hadan appointment at the dentist for a routinedental check-up and on the way I bought acard for my aunt and uncle’s weddinganniversary. I made arrangements for theflorist to deliver a bouquet of spring flowersto their house and I arranged to meet mynephew and niece at three in the afternoon

at the restaurant, where we had organiseda surprise celebration for them.Approximately ten* of us attended andAuntie Mary and Uncle Jo were very pleasedwith the surprise party and their specialcards and present.

* "ten" and "eighteen" Always insert vowelsigns when writing the outlines for thesenumbers

Diary Words

Tuesday: First thing I booked anappointment at the hairdresser and thenwent to the bank to obtain a statement ofmy account. I drove to the doctor’s surgeryto pick up my grandmother and then to thepost office* to pick up a parcel for mygrandfather. After her examination by theduty nurse, Grandma was happy to getback home in time for a visit by her brother.Grandad was delighted with the item that

had been posted to him by his sister. I tookmy car to the garage for its annual service.I ordered a taxi so that the whole familycould go shopping downtown at the mall.My cousin telephoned me but I missed thecall and so she had to text me the message.She said she had texted me yesterday but Idid not receive it.

* "post office" omits the lightly sounded T



Diary Words

Wednesday: My sister arrived with her newbaby, after their hospital appointment andvisit to the nursery. She has had manyvisitors now that she is a new mum and herhusband is a new dad. I had ordered aspecial gift online and the driver hademailed* me with confirmation of today’sdelivery time. I had made the payment andmy order was on its way. During themorning there was an urgent knock at thedoor, and the package was handed over.After that, we telephoned for a table at therestaurant and we drove there through theheavy traffic that evening. They had madeour reservation and had remembered toput out the special flowers on our table. We

sat down at our reserved table andreminded ourselves of the last time* wewere here, looking forward* to thiscelebration. We paid for our meal, and onthe way home stopped off to post someletters. Then I remembered* I should haveposted the enquiry form so I made a noteon my phone in order to* remind myself todo it tomorrow.

* "emailed" Always insert the vowel, todifferentiate from "mailed"

* Omission phrases "las(t) time" "lookingfo(r)ward" "in ord(er to)"

Diary Words

Thursday: I spent most of the day in theoffice. In the morning I checked all the newenquiries and other mail, and in theafternoon I interviewed some new staff.One applicant had phoned in to say hecould not attend his interview, and anotherrang to say she would be late due to herjourney on the trains being delayed. Afterthat I sent lots* of emails and fortunatelymet the deadline for finishing my report.The phone seemed to ring constantly. Onthe way home I stopped at the servicestation to fill up the car and get somegroceries, and then picked up the kids fromschool. Thursday evening* I helped thechildren organise their notes for their*homework which they had to hand in totheir teacher* tomorrow. We had soon

finished the homework, which the tutors*said had to be ready by the deadline ofearly Friday afternoon*.

* "lots" "masses" Always insert the vowel,as these are similar in outline and meaning

* "Thursday evening" "Friday afternoon"see paragraph 4

* "for their" uses full outlines, only "if" canuse doubling for "their"

* "tutors" Always insert the diphthong, asthe outline is similar to "teachers". Thesingular "tutor" is T doubled because the Udiphthong is able to be joined on.



Diary Words

Friday: As soon as I arrived, I received amessage asking me to meet Mr Black inreception in order to* finish our discussionson the forthcoming trip, and to confirm allthe details for the flights and transport. Themanager’s car had been serviced andsomeone had to collect it from the garageby the church, return it to our premisesand leave it in the reserved parking space.I decided to send out the new employeeMiss Brown and she collected it, paid thebill on the company visa card and soonreturned. Later on I had to organise ahome visit to meet a client called Mrs White.I soon found the house and she was happy

to hear all the details of the trip we hadorganised and booked. I asked her toconfirm her details and send them to us ina letter so that we could* check themagainst our records. I requested that shepay the amount due as soon as possible*,as we have* to book the flights well inadvance.

* Omission phrases "in ord(er to)" "assoon as poss(ible)" "(a)s we have"

* "could" Avoid phrasing "could, might,note" to prevent misreading as "can, may,know"

Diary Words

Saturday: Today is my birthday and I havebooked some places at this evening’sconcert. I confirmed the booking by email*and they emailed* me back with the ticketcodes. I prefer to buy tickets online so thatI can request a particular seat. I spentsome hours catching up on writing lettersto friends. Some of them* wrote weeks agoand it has taken some time* to finish myreplies and get them mailed "emailed" and

"mailed" " Always insert . In the afternoon Idelivered some clothes to the dry cleanersand heard about Mr Green who is going tocelebrate his eightieth* birthday nextweek*. We are going to arrange to havesome flowers and chocolates delivered tohim and see if we can manage to visit himone day in the week. Later on I made a

start on sorting my home office paperwork.By the time I had it sorted, the daylightwas almost gone and daytime becamenight all too soon.

* "emailed" and "mailed" " Always insertthe first vowel in "emailed"

* Omission phrase "some (of) them". Notethat the phrase "some other" doubles the M

* "some time" Halving to represent the T"of "time"

* "eightieth" Diphone sign essential, asotherwise it would look like "eighth"



Diary Words

Sunday: Today has been a very fine dayand after all the usual Sunday morningactivities, we were ready to start on someof the easier repairs around the house. Wefetched the tools and expected to befinished quite soon. Neither of us was anexpert at Do It Yourself but we had takensome advice, after enquiring online about it,and so there was no delay to the start ofthe work. We met few difficulties, got onwith it and were done in next to no time. Ithad taken only about an hour. After that,we visited some friends and went for a walk

in the park. We walked about two milesand were soon looking forward* to gettingback indoors. I wanted to ask my friendshome for a meal but we found the buseswere cancelled. I did not want to cancel ourdinner, so we walked to the town centre tofind a taxi to take us home. Very soon wewere back home enjoying a lovely meal.

* "looking forward" If there is space, thiscan be phrased, omitting the R hook

"looking-fo(r)ward"

Diary Words

By bedtime I was ready to fill in my diaryfor the day. If I hadn’t learned shorthand, Iam sure I would not have been able torecord all the details so quickly and notedall the things I needed reminding of. It was

all done very rapidly, with nothing left out,and so I turned off the light and slid downunder the blankets for a good night’s rest.(2062 words)



Quotes for Shorthanders

I am sure you can supply the shorthandlearning equivalent of all these quotes:

Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything. Or:speed is fine but accuracy is final. Wyatt*Earp

Accuracy of observation is the equivalent ofaccuracy of thinking. Wallace Stevens

Employ every economy consistent withthoroughness, accuracy and reliability.Arthur C.* Nielsen

We learn by example and by directexperience because there are real limits tothe adequacy of verbal instruction. MalcolmGladwell

It is the worst of madness to learn whathas to be unlearnt.* Desiderius GerhardErasmus

In the end we retain from our studies onlythat which we practically apply. Johann*Wolfgang* Von Goethe*

* "Wyatt" The diphthong and dot givegreater scope for accuracy than thetriphone sign.

* If using strokes for the initials in a name,ensure clearly written and with vowel, asmany come in pairs - P B, T D, F V,Gee/Jay/Aitch, S C etc.

* "Unlearnt". If using halving, that couldalso be "unlearned", so the stroke can beused instead for greater clarification. This isa non-theory alternative, but does comewithin the general advice traditionally given,to use full strokes wherever greater clarityis needed.

* German pronunciations also given i.e."yohan, volfgang"

* "Goethe" Dash vowel written parallel tothe stroke to represent this sound




The most interesting thing about a postagestamp* is the persistence with which itsticks to its job. Napoleon Hill

Mechanical difficulties with language arethe outcome of internal difficulties withthought. Elizabeth Bowen

I am not a speed reader. I am a speedunderstander. Isaac Asimov

What good is speed if the brain has oozedout on the way. St. Jerome

To me, speed is really about convenience.Marissa* Mayer

I share my name with an aerobatic birdthat can whiz across a whole summer skyin seconds. A swift is so equipped for speedthat it can scarcely cope with beingstationary. Graham Swift

* Omission phrase "postage s(t)amp" The Tof postage is omitted in the basic outline,so does not count as a phrase omission

* "Marissa" Insert all the vowels, to ensureit does not look like "Marcia" (pronouncedmarsia or marsha)


In any moment of decision the best thingyou can do is the right thing, the next bestthing is the wrong thing, and the worstthing you can do is nothing. Attributed toTheodore Roosevelt.

Success is the sum of small efforts,repeated day in and day out. Robert*Collier

Success seems to be largely a matter ofhanging on after others have let go. WilliamFeather*

Hard work spotlights* the character ofpeople: some turn up their sleeves, someturn up their noses, and some don't turn upat all. Sam Ewing

Any act often repeated soon forms a habit;and habit allowed steady* gains in strength.At first* it may be but as a spider's web,easily broken through, but if not resisted itsoon binds us with chains of steel. TryonEdwards

* "Robert" Compare "Albert" which usesupward L and halved Br stroke, in order todistinguish* "Feather" Use full strokes for this name,as the doubling covers several endings: ter,der, ther* "spotlights"Insert vowels, so it does notlook like "spoils"* "steady" Archaic usage, nowadays wewould say "steadily"* Omission phrase "at (fir)st"



Quotes for ShorthandersIf people knew how hard I worked to getmy mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderfulat all. Michelangelo

The perfection of style consists in the use ofthe exact speech necessary to convey thesense in the fewest words consistent withperspicuity, at the same time* havingregard* to appropriateness* and harmonyof expression. Its greater excellencies* aredirectness, accuracy, appropriateness* andperspicuity. Joseph P. Bradley

I hope you survived the above writer’sverbosity, even though the advice given isadmirable. The answer might be a space-time notepad that writes the outlines for

you, a possibility* that the following writerseems to hint at:

It is theoretically possible to warp space-time itself, so you're not actually movingfaster than the speed of light, but it'sactually space that's moving. Elon Musk(577 words)

* "at the same time" Halving for the T of"time"

* Omission phrase "having (re)gard"

* "appropriate" Insert the diphone, and thedash vowel in "proper", as these are similarin outline and meaning



It's a strange world of language in whichskating on thin ice can get you into hotwater. Franklin P.* Jones

If the English language made any sense,lackadaisical would have something to dowith a shortage of flowers. Doug Larson

The human brain is a wonderful organ. Itstarts to work as soon as you are born anddoesn't stop until you get up to deliver aspeech. George Jessel

It usually takes me more than* threeweeks* to prepare a good impromptu*speech. Mark Twain

Paralyze resistance with persistence.Woody Hayes

* Initials, see paragraph 1

* Omission phrases "more (tha)n" "three(w)eeks"

* "impromptu" omits the second P sound,so uses M, not Imp



Sewing Machines

Each item bears the marks of a long life ofservice, with the paint and patterns worn invarying degrees, but the amazing*thing isthat all of them look as if they would neverwear out. The ones from the mid eighteenhundreds look as robust and ready forservice as those of more recent date andindeed we were told that many of them arein working order, given just a little moreoiling to get them going. Some had twoneedles or three or five. Some were giants,ready to stitch up any fingers that were notskilled at feeding the material through. Justlooking at them in their rows brought tomind the thundering noise of theworkshops in which some of them* musthave been* used. Some might have been

the only machine in a back room of a smallworkshop, maybe tailoring, repair or someother* small scale* production of goods.

* "amazing" and "amusing" Always insertthe vowel

* Omission phrases "some (of) them""must (have) been"

* "some other" Doubling to represent"other"

* "scale" on its own has the normalanticlockwise circle

Sewing Machines

A few weeks ago* we went to visit a sewingmachine museum. It fills two large roomsover a sewing machine workshop and isabsolutely packed full of machines of everysize and shape. In the centre are treadlemachines and on shelves all around arehundreds more. I knew I was going to bespending some time* in there! Thereseemed to be a machine for every purpose,joining, binding, edging and makingbuttonholes, and for every material, fromlace and fabric to canvas and leather*.Some were for normal sewing, others for

stitching boots, straw hats or edgingcarpets. There were* the familiar uprightmachines and others with needles enteringsideways, for non-flat objects like boots.

* Omission phrases "few wee(k)s ago""there (w)ere"

* "some time" Halving for the T of "time"

* "leather" A lone stroke L is only doubledfor -ter, not -der or -ther



Sewing Machines

When not sewing, I would play with it usingpaper, and make sheets of pretend postagestamps, by making rows of holes in bothdirections. Sometimes* it was just fun totreadle it to see how fast it would go, andalso how long it would continue on its ownbefore it stopped (not long). As I learned touse it, it became easy to keep fingers safebecause really the needle is only going upand down, it is not moving about andhaving to be avoided*. The real danger, aswith modern machines, is if you pull thematerial through, which pulls the thread,and so bends the needle tip which thenmisses its hole in the base plate and breaks,maybe sending a piece of metal flying intoyour face. Before starting to sew, you have

to give the wheel a push in the correctdirection and then it carries on. For reversedirection stitching, the wheel is pushed theother way. With use the drive belt becamestretched and too loose to turn the wheelsproperly*, and then it had to be shortenedby cutting the existing join and re-joiningwith a staple.

* "sometimes" Halving for the T of "times

* "avoided" "evaded" Helpful to insert thesecond vowel

* "appropriate" Insert the diphone, and thedash vowel in "proper", as these are similarin outline and meaning

Sewing Machines

The first sewing machine I owned wasbought as a Christmas present from myparents at age about 12, an old Singertreadle machine on a dark varnished tableon an ornate iron stand with decorativewheel and footplate. It was what I askedfor, when Mum enquired what I would like,and I am sure she was delighted that wewould have such a useful item in thehouse* and solve the Christmas presentproblem as well. It came with a box ofattachments, for hemming, ruffling,pleating, ribbon binding and many more.The ribbon binder was particularly

fascinating as you had to thread the narrowribbon down a cone and the ribbon wasfolded to both sides of the fabric edge andstitched in place. The pleater was quiteingenious, pushing up the material intolittle folds at regular short intervals, justbefore the needle stitched each one inplace. We also had the well-known littlegreen Singer booklet, full of intricatediagrams and grainy photos, showing allthe attachments in use and the fantasticresults that could be obtained with littlework.



Sewing Machines

After I started work, I decided to buy anelectric model that did zigzag* as well asstraight stitch. It was set in a smart tableand could be folded down out of sight. Iwas impatient to master all the controlsand I set about finding out immediatelyafter delivery, playing around with endlessscraps of fabric. The old treadle machinebecame neglected and was used as just acorner table, with dust and cobwebsgathering on the treadle plate and wheel.One day we decided that we no longerwanted it and it was given to a passing rag-and-bone man (junkman) who took it awayon his cart. I felt a slight twinge at seeing itgo, but knew that we were unlikely to use

it again. But now I would just love to sit infront of it again and get the treadle moving,listening to the smooth clacking and gentlewhirring of the well-oiled machinery*. Ihave to hope that it eventually passed intothe hands of another person whoappreciated its usefulness.

* Always use stroke Z for the Z sound atthe beginning, but circle can be used withinthe outline (unless there is some otherreason for using a Z stroke e.g. derivative,facility, or a final vowel)

* "machinery" Optional contraction

Sewing Machines

I tried my hand at making dolls’ andteddies’ clothes, headscarves, pencil casesand fancy shoulder bags, but soon movedon to the more attractive pursuit ofproducing clothes for myself. A few yearslater I made the summer dresses for myschool uniform. This meant I could havemore dresses than would be affordable ifthey were bought ready-made. The schoolmaterial was a choice of blue or green, andalso patterned or plain, and as long as thestyle was nothing wild or immodest, I could

choose one that was comfortable and easyto make. That was where I learned thewisdom of trying it on at every stage toensure it fitted properly*, and leaving largeseam allowances, that could be trimmeddown later, or used to gain back somewidth.

* "properly" Insert the dash sign, and thediphone in "appropriately", as these aresimilar in outline and meaning



Sewing Machines

In total contrast, my favourite* is the slim-line model in the photo, a Whight and MannExcelsior from 1865, with goldornamentation and mother of pearl* inlay,delicate in appearance* but with a longarm so that it can accommodate anyamount of fabric placed under it. I wouldsimply be looking all the time for excusesto run something up on it and probably notwant to fold it away or cover it up for toolong. I think the first thing I would make onit would be a transparent plastic cover, so Icould see and admire its beauty every day,while still keeping it in pristine condition.Another interesting machine is a small handheld stitcher, looking like an oversized pairof garden secateurs or eyelet pliers. It was

threaded up with a thick thread and I canonly* guess that it would have been* usedon a loose fabric such as sacking whichwould not need very much force to stitchthrough.

* "favourite" Note "favoured" uses normalVr stroke

* Omission phrases "mother (of) pearl""that it would (have) been"

* "appearance" Insert the first vowel, sothe outline does not look like "patterns"

* "I can only" On its own, "only" is writtenwith full N and L strokes

Sewing Machines

Back to the museum, where we have nowentered the second room, full of smallermachines displayed in glass cabinets, andmore treadle machines in the centre of theroom, this time ones more suited to homeuse. The treadle footplates, instead ofbeing big rectangles, are now two little footshapes, to match or flatter the owner.Some were designed to fold away and turninto writing desks, a popular feature ofVictorian furniture, in order to* haveseveral uses and also be a talking point.Two in particular I noticed were clearlydesigned to impress visitors. One is a figureof a standing lion on a wooden plinth, with

a hinged head so it can be opened to revealthe workings, in order to* thread it up. Theother machine has the main body in theform of* a chunky fire hydrant, a noveltymaybe for the gentleman* paying for it,and I am guessing tolerated by the lady asa necessary evil!

* Omission phrase "in ord(er to)" "in (the)f(orm of)"

* "gentleman" above the line, "gentlemen"on the line, following the last vowel, inorder to differentiate (same aswoman/women, human/humane)



Sewing Machines

Once home, I glanced at my presentmachine, a small portable tucked under mycomputer corner beneath its white plasticcover. It is an electric table-top model, andalthough it does the job admirably, fast andwithout much effort, I still have ringing inmy ears from 45 years ago the gentle noiseof the treadle, its greater ability to go veryslowly without stopping, and the feelingthat it would last forever, with a little help

from the machine oil and the occasionalnew drive belt. I am sure I could find thetime to play more earnestly with all thosepleating attachments, despite not having areal use for the result - or maybe I couldget away with a few ornamented ruffleedged pillowcases around the house.Whether for practical or frivolous purposes,all my sewing machines were definitely agirl’s best friend. (1444 words)

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