I wonder why the computer generation chose avatar over totem.

I have to admit, I can't recall the last time I saw anyone playing hopscotch. Except in the movies. Do kids still do this, or is it now online like everything else seems to be?

I can't say if I've ever actually heard it said. I've just always pronounced it as if it were French when I read it. I must say, I prefer the wrong version.

Usually it's used to describe the face a cute girl makes on occasion. Now she's sounding like a cow?

Well, I'm saying you'll know jack-all after reading this, but it does have some nice bits about jack and his trades:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/jack ... rades.html

Should anyone be confused as to what a mondegreen is, here is the tie-in, courtesy of the Dr.

Turns out our "nonce" has been treated here in the Agora. Complete with a "(Beware the British slang usage of this word to refer to a sex offender.)" from the Good Doctor.

Here it is.

Hmmm. I was thinking gravitas and gravity were two words meaning the same thing, in the sense that "gravity" means a serious matter and not the law of nature. We can also toss in "grave" to confuse the matter further. If something is grave, it has gravity, and the speaker may we...

Interesting botanical word. I have a tree in my backyard (don't ask me the name of it; I haven't a clue) that has long, thin pods. Every year the pods literally explode with a loud popping sound and seeds rain down. I like to see it when it happens. I think I need to get a life. I'm not sure about ...

Never underestimate the power or prowess of the elderly (or a man with a roll of duct tape).

I know the WD-40/Duct Tape bit, but you've lost me on this one.

See? You learn something new every day. I love this site!

I'll go along with that.

I gather that Google does a lot of readjusting in its rankings, with no explanation. An explanation would provide the tools to beat the odds and scam the algorithm, so I guess they are right to do this. Then again, as it's all a scam in the first place, does it really matter to us the users? However...

"Stove in" seems to have a familiar ring, though I can't supply a source. "Stove up" is new to me.

Funny how many different images are conjured up by the same word. When I think of "plastic", I think of reconstructive or cosmetic surgery. Never had any of that done, so go figure.

Given that it's root is related to molded, I'd say plastic surgery fits right in.

Treated here: http://www.alphadictionary.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5041

How's about the neutral "observed"? Or even simply "saw, " as long as we're talking about text.