Discussion on:

Geek Trivia: Spy versus spy-fiction

I want to nitpick - you say that 'Fleming?s creations outlived and outshined him' - the correct past tense of shine (and hence outshine) is shone - so 007 outshone Ian Fleming!

oeflynn, i think you intended to write "grammar" not "gammar". at least in the US, we spell it that way.

Sorry, oeflynn. Outshined is proper, at least in the US.

'Outshined' just sounds wrong to me. I know Americans are supposed to speak 'English', but it isn't really is it?

'Outshined' is a common 5-year-old's mistake here in England, quickly corrected. Of course language evolves and no matter how we may not like it, it does.

Interestingly, type 'outshined' into this 'Body of reply' text area and it is automatically underlined as incorrect. The options (on a right click) do not include 'outshone' (which, for me in my obvious dotage will remain correct), but several other 'wrong' options.

"English" in "the English language" is not a brand of ownership. The influence of the US over the English language overwhelmed that of Britain when the US population exceeded that of Britain. And Brits have been disheartened ever since -- first they lose the language -- then the Empire...

Nor will I. 'English' is nearly spoken in many countries across the globe, and this is a good thing. A common language is sort of important, really.

As for losing the Empire; that was a good thing too. Whilst I'll campaign for a single world government, abolishing all national boundaries, 'Empire' is not the way to do it.

(Before rampant patriotism gets on its high horse, let me add that a One World government does not mean you can't keep your culture :o) )

Hey, get it right! The correct mispelling of "grammar" is "grammer", NOT "gammar"!

N/T = No Text

you are wrong! I know I misspelt it (I left out the 1st R - even after checking it) - but there is no word 'grammer' - check it out at www.dictionary.com or www.oed.com . For Grammar, it references a number of US & UK sources (including the American Heritage Dictionary http://www.bartleby.com/61/ for those of you who don't speack 'English') - none for 'Grammer'.

Check your facts before starting a flame war!

Obviously you didn't get the joke Dr Solar made in that statement.

Giggle, giggle. Oh, 'titULAR', as in, related to the title. Um, nevermind.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who giggled a little and did my best Beavis and Butthead "He said titular, heh heh heh".

Even better...It appears that many of the torture scenes in the novels were acted out - by Fleming and his lover then wife - who were both apparently into S/M. Or so says the new bio coming out from the BBC to celebrate IF's 100th birthday. He kept a book of bondage photos on the bookshelf and when visitors would naturally enough take it off the shelf and give it a look he was quoted as saying "I say, is that turning you on?". Try the audiobooks with Simon Vance reading. They are great.

"She liked imaginary men best." Yet, would have entertained Mr. Fleming for cocktails without notice.

Wow - and I thought only geeky things aroused me... thanks for Bond trivia. Think I'll pop in a few DVDs this morning and continue the fantasy...

I preferred Roger Moore. I tend to like the more "bad guy" Bonds and Roger looked a little more dangerous. Ahem. Although all of those earlier movies had a good dose of silly built into them.