Who's Toto Wolff?

Who's Toto Wolff?

Author
Discussion

Shivit

170 posts

120 months

Saturday 22nd March 2014
quotequote all
Tony2or4 said:
I feel my biting wit has got out of hand here.smile

The apostrophe in I chatted to her donkey's years ago is spot on. But my 'joke' was that somebody who used apostrophes for plurals would interpret the statement as 'Some years ago I was chatting to her donkeys'.

Hang on a minute, I think a whoosh parrot might be heading in my direction now.biggrin
rofl.

RichB

51,433 posts

283 months

Saturday 22nd March 2014
quotequote all
To be accurate it's donkeys ears or donkeys because the tradition with cockney rhyming slang is to only use the non-rhyming part of the couplet. So the only possible use of an apostrophe would be if it were the ears belonging to the donkey i.e. donkey's ears but it's not, it's donkeys ears i.e lots of them so the expression should be "I chatted to her donkeys ago..."

Tony2or4

1,283 posts

164 months

Sunday 23rd March 2014
quotequote all
RichB said:
To be accurate it's donkeys ears or donkeys because the tradition with cockney rhyming slang is to only use the non-rhyming part of the couplet. So the only possible use of an apostrophe would be if it were the ears belonging to the donkey i.e. donkey's ears but it's not, it's donkeys ears i.e lots of them so the expression should be "I chatted to her donkeys ago..."
I didn't know that donkey's years was rhyming slang and as such should be 'ears' not 'years': I always assumed the phrase was a reference to some (possibly misplaced) general belief that donkeys had a long life span. So, a good informative shout there, Rich.thumbup

However, I don't get your argument against the apostrophe: surely the phrase donkey's ears is indeed supposed to mean the ears of a donkey?

RichB

51,433 posts

283 months

Sunday 23rd March 2014
quotequote all
Tony2or4 said:
RichB said:
To be accurate it's donkeys ears or donkeys because the tradition with cockney rhyming slang is to only use the non-rhyming part of the couplet. So the only possible use of an apostrophe would be if it were the ears belonging to the donkey i.e. donkey's ears but it's not, it's donkeys ears i.e lots of them so the expression should be "I chatted to her donkeys ago..."
I didn't know that donkey's years was rhyming slang and as such should be 'ears' not 'years': I always assumed the phrase was a reference to some (possibly misplaced) general belief that donkeys had a long life span. So, a good informative shout there, Rich.thumbup

However, I don't get your argument against the apostrophe: surely the phrase donkey's ears is indeed supposed to mean the ears of a donkey?
This is fun isn't it, and indeed you're probably correct. I was thinking that because there is more than one year it would be plural but as you say the ears belong to the donkey, or donkeys, so perhaps it should be donkeys' indicating plural possessive and even indicating the missing word ears laugh ... mind you, I don't think many cockneys would worry to be honest!

Tony2or4

1,283 posts

164 months

Sunday 23rd March 2014
quotequote all
RichB said:
Tony2or4 said:
RichB said:
To be accurate it's donkeys ears or donkeys because the tradition with cockney rhyming slang is to only use the non-rhyming part of the couplet. So the only possible use of an apostrophe would be if it were the ears belonging to the donkey i.e. donkey's ears but it's not, it's donkeys ears i.e lots of them so the expression should be "I chatted to her donkeys ago..."
I didn't know that donkey's years was rhyming slang and as such should be 'ears' not 'years': I always assumed the phrase was a reference to some (possibly misplaced) general belief that donkeys had a long life span. So, a good informative shout there, Rich.thumbup

However, I don't get your argument against the apostrophe: surely the phrase donkey's ears is indeed supposed to mean the ears of a donkey?
This is fun isn't it, and indeed you're probably correct. I was thinking that because there is more than one year it would be plural but as you say the ears belong to the donkey, or donkeys, so perhaps it should be donkeys' indicating plural possessive and even indicating the missing word ears laugh ... mind you, I don't think many cockneys would worry to be honest!
You're right, it is fun.biggrin

If you keep staring at the word donkey it suddenly starts looking very odd, for some reason.


ETA: Anybody who picks up in the middle of this thread would probably not believe they were in the Formula 1 forum.smile

944fan

4,962 posts

184 months

Sunday 23rd March 2014
quotequote all
Thundersports said:
Would the lady be near a Williams if it wasn't for Toto?
Would he be anywhere near F1 if he wasn't married to a racing driver ?

robm3

Original Poster:

4,927 posts

226 months

Sunday 23rd March 2014
quotequote all
PiB said:
Lets see here . . .

Start with this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceBqD8AUTpw

smokin
What's with the kids soccer match? Is Toto playing?

Chrisgr31

13,440 posts

254 months

Sunday 23rd March 2014
quotequote all
944fan said:
Would he be anywhere near F1 if he wasn't married to a racing driver ?
Which came first though? On second thoughts perhaps that needs rewording. Did he meet Susie through his involvement in motor racing or was it because he met Susie he got involved in racing. I assumed it was the former.

Mojocvh

16,837 posts

261 months

Monday 24th March 2014
quotequote all
robm3 said:
PiB said:
Lets see here . . .

Start with this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceBqD8AUTpw

smokin
What's with the kids soccer match? Is Toto playing?
Since were being silly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jHXu86O01w

bubney72

1,097 posts

152 months

Tuesday 25th March 2014
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robm3

Original Poster:

4,927 posts

226 months

Wednesday 26th March 2014
quotequote all
It's hard to see Wolff doesn't have a conflict of interests in being a major investor in Williams while working at Mercedes.

I would have thought Mercedes would have made him release his interests in other teams when he joined them.


Shivit

170 posts

120 months

Wednesday 26th March 2014
quotequote all
RichB said:
To be accurate it's donkeys ears or donkeys because the tradition with cockney rhyming slang is to only use the non-rhyming part of the couplet. So the only possible use of an apostrophe would be if it were the ears belonging to the donkey i.e. donkey's ears but it's not, it's donkeys ears i.e lots of them so the expression should be "I chatted to her donkeys ago..."
That's a commonly held belief. But in reality you'd find that even a pearly king would actually say Donkey's years, not Donkey's ears, or Donkeys. It's just about unique in that respect. There is a lot of confusion about the origins of that particular saying, it may not actually be a Cockney rhyming slang phrase at all. Another one is 'clever clogs'. There is a suspicion that the word 'Clog' was changed from the original 'Boot' which meant fellow or chap, in order to add Alliteration. I wonder if Toto wears Clogs.

Agent Orange

2,194 posts

245 months

Wednesday 26th March 2014
quotequote all
Shivit said:
it's just about unique in that respect. There is a lot of confusion about the origins of that particular saying, it may not actually be a Cockney rhyming slang phrase at all.
Given I'm from a near as damn it pure line of 'ampshire 'ogs and the north for us starts at Winchester I'd say "donkeys" isn't Cockney at all.

I can recall my great grandparents and aunts mentioning donkey's years - well donkey's years ago. To me it's always been a southern Hampshire colloquialism.

RichB

51,433 posts

283 months

Wednesday 26th March 2014
quotequote all
Shivit said:
RichB said:
To be accurate it's donkeys ears or donkeys because the tradition with cockney rhyming slang is to only use the non-rhyming part of the couplet. So the only possible use of an apostrophe would be if it were the ears belonging to the donkey i.e. donkey's ears but it's not, it's donkeys ears i.e lots of them so the expression should be "I chatted to her donkeys ago..."
That's a commonly held belief. But in reality you'd find that even a pearly king would actually say Donkey's years, not Donkey's ears, or Donkeys. It's just about unique in that respect. There is a lot of confusion about the origins of that particular saying, it may not actually be a Cockney rhyming slang phrase at all. Another one is 'clever clogs'. There is a suspicion that the word 'Clog' was changed from the original 'Boot' which meant fellow or chap, in order to add Alliteration. I wonder if Toto wears Clogs.
Someone's been listening to Ken Bruce biggrin

FourWheelDrift

88,381 posts

283 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
quotequote all
He's a real terminator now, half man, half metal implants.

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/207026/1/mercedes-bos...


thepawbroon

1,146 posts

183 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
He's a real terminator now, half man, half metal implants.
Pah! Preferential treatment for the Germans again. You don't see Paddy Lowe getting those, do you?

Lost soul

8,712 posts

181 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
quotequote all
944fan said:
Would he be anywhere near F1 if he wasn't married to a racing driver ?
Which came first the Toto or the Wolff

Mikey G

4,723 posts

239 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
quotequote all
thepawbroon said:
Pah! Preferential treatment for the Germans again. You don't see Paddy Lowe getting those, do you?
He's Austrian, hence the terminator jibes he's been getting...

deadslow

7,962 posts

222 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
quotequote all
Shivit said:
Tony2or4 said:
If I was a greengrocer, I'd be remarking that I didn't know Susie kept pet donkey's.smile
Ohhhh dear, the good old apostrophe catastrophe.
Which is nothing compared to failure to employ the subjunctive 'were'. Really biglaugh