Cleverpants Newsletter - September 2010

1. Newsletter September 2010
www.clever-pants.com
e-mail: james@clever-pants.com
Welcome back!
While you were all down at the beach having a whale
of a time, here at Clever Pants H.Q. we have been
working really hard getting geared up for another
jam-packed year of interactive theatre in 110% English.
Some proof of that is in your hands (or on your screen)
right now in the pink ‘n’ cuddly shape of the 2010-11
season’s first CLEVER PANTS monthly newsletter
with more fun content than you can shake a stick at.
Well, sunny summer has flown by leaving misty
September in its place! So it’s off with the crazy
swimming costumes and on with the sensible autumnal For more information about CLEVER PANTS’ shows
wear as we start packing our set squares, compasses and dates look out for our e-shots and consult our
and new pens for the first day of school. website: www.clever-pants.com
Everyone at CLEVER PANTS is really excited about So, without further ado... apart from wishing our Spanish
the forthcoming tours of Spain, Portugal and - for the footballling friends a big ‘enhorabuena’... here’s the
first time - Italy too! September issue.
Back to school quotes from the great and good!
The philosophy of the school room in one generation
will be the philosophy of government in the next.
– Abraham Lincoln
I had a terrible education. I attended a school for
emotionally disturbed teachers. – Woody Allen
He who opens a school door, closes a prison.
– Victor Hugo
It's a mistake to think that once you're done with school
you need never learn anything new. – Sophia Loren

2. Some stuff you didn’t realise you didn’t know about September!
September. Ninth month of the year, seminal 1970’s Earth Wind and Fire song, first month of the school year
for most of us. But how much do you really know about September? Do you have a few choice bits of trivia
up your sleeve for this month’s dinner parties/uncomfortable silences? We have hand selected some prime
facts you never knew you never knew for you and here we present them for your delectation...
ou
Did y ...?
kno w idn’t)
d
bly
proba
(you
• The very first comic strip appeared in a newspaper
on September 11th, 1875.
• Apparently Autumn officially starts on September 23rd.
• September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate
Day... Ahoy Matey!
• September Better Breakfast Month, so have a banana
instead of a chocolate biscuit!
• On the island of Zanzibar, Farrokh Bulsara was born
on September 5th, 1946 (you may know him by another
name; Freddy Mercury of Queen).
• The World record for the longest kiss was set on
September 24th, 1984. It lasted 17 days, 10 1/2 hours.
This month’s jokes yes?
with no e
all a fish
do you c
Q: What
A: A fsh.
Q: What a
bout a de
A: No-eye er with no
deer. eyes?
e ?
he jungl
s in t
no a spirin -all!
there ts-ate
- em
Wh y ar e Paro
Q: the
aus e
A : Bec
A pessim
ist's blood with
is always type someone
b-negativ A gossip is or.
e. nse of rum
a great se

3. Do you spk txt?
It’s often seen as a totally new development in language,
but actually, abbreviating words in English did not start
as a result of SMS phone messages or internet chatrooms.
It’s been around for a lot longer than that, as an
exhibition opening in London this month demonstrates.
The exhibition at the British Library, which is about
the history of the English Language over the last 1,500
years, shows that what we now know as text speak,
or txt spk, dates back to as early as 1828.
The practise of taking away the vowels and using
letters that sound like words is now extremely common,
especially among young people who send a lot of text
messages. So for example, “How are you?” becomes
“HW R U?”, while “See you later!” becomes “C U L8R”.
In the exhibition, There will be examples of the linguistic
games people used to play, and a poem from
“Gleanings From the Harvest-Fields of Literature”,
published in 1867. In it, 130 years before the arrival
of mobile phone texting, Charles C Bombaugh uses Here are some messages written in txt spk. See if you
phrases such as "I wrote 2 U B 4". Another verse can work them out. If you need help, you can use this
reads: "He says he loves U 2 X S,/ U R virtuous online translator, or check the answers at the bottom
and Y's,/ In X L N C U X L/ All others in his i's. of this page!
http://www.transl8it.com/cgi-win/index.pl
For present day kids who use their language skills in
ways that are most creative, one of the most important
SMS abbreviations seems to be this one: “prw, ttyl”, HI HW R U?D U WNT 2 C ME LTR R R U BSY?
meaning 'Parents are watching, talk to you later."
YS I WNT 2 C U! WHT DO U WNT 2 DO?
C A FLM R HV A CFFEE?
I HD A GR8 TM LST NGHT. THNX 4 TH PRTY!
OMG! ME 2! LOL!!
CNT W8 2 C U SOON! LTS OF LV, CLVR PNTS!
For more info on txt spk, have a look at these
websites and articles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_language
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/claire-gordon/txtspk-
4eva_b_668339.html
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2009/02/study-
confirms-txt-spk-doesnt-hurt-kids-language-skills.ars
to see you soon! Lots of love, Clever Pants!”
Also! The wonderful British linguist David Crystal has the party!” / “Oh my God! Me too (laughing out loud!)” / “Can’t wait
written a book about txt spk. You can see him talking film or have a coffee?” / “I had a great time last night. Thanks for
about his research into txt spk here: busy?” / “Yes I want to see you! What do you want to do? See a
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7WSzxQ0nX4
Answers: “Hi how are you? Do you want to see me later or are you

4. Monthly trivia - Texting! The first text message was sent in 1992.
On New Year's Day 2005, the highest daily total 77% of people have admitted to text
ever recorded by the Mobile Data Association was messaging while driving.79% of people have
reached, when 133 million messages were sent. text messaged while using the bathroom.
On average, 0.3 million messages Over 18.5 billion text messages are sent each month.
are sent every hour in Britain. There are over 68.7 million text users.
Viral Videos
Obviously, we here at Clever Pants H.Q. are a very
serious group of hard-working individuals.
However, when we’re not hunched over a desk penning
hilarious comedy routines or stitching together costumes
by candle-light, we like to be distracted by something
with slightly less intellectual value, such as a video of
a cat falling off a table (literally days of work lost as
we couldn’t stop watching him...).
So here are our favourite current viral videos!
Sit back and take a few minutes off to enjoy them!
1. At number one is the literal video for swaggering
screecher James Blunt - a good antidote for a man
who perhaps takes himself a little too seriously!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOlI5Qiq-9g
2. Next up is the aforementioned cat. Short but
somehow perfect!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBA_lxUiwSg
3. We love this IKEA advert directed by Spike Jonze.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsQXQGaasUg
4. This is a little bit old but we still use it with our
students EVERY YEAR! You can find it subtitled in
Spanish and Portuguese online too, and we think it
should be essential viewing for teenagers (and adults!)
everywhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8

5. Recipe: “Carne de Porco à Alentejana”
As you probably know, we love Portugal. And here at
Clever Pants H.Q. there’s one dish that gets our mouths
watering at the mere mention of it. A Portuguese
classic, it’s our favourite Portuguese treat, “Carne de
Porco à Alentejana”!
For those of you who haven’t tasted it, here is our
recipe for you to try at home. We’ve compiled elements
from many recipes from Portuguese friends and we
believe that this is the ultimate “Carne de Porco à
Alentejana”, but if you know a way to make it better,
then drop us a line and let us know!
Method
1. In a large bowl, combine wine, paprika, salt and
pepper; blend well. Add halved garlic cloves, bay leaf
and cubed pork, and mix to coat thoroughly. Marinate
for as long as you can (well, not more than about six Ingredients
hours, obviously...) turning occasionally.Take out the
pork but keep the marinade! • 350ml dry white wine
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in large frying pan. Add pork, • 1 teaspoon paprika
stirring frequently so that the meat colours quickly and • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
evenly. When it looks cooked put it in a bowl. • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3. Pour the marinade into the frying pan and bring to • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
the boil over a high heat. Boil without a lid until the • 1 bay leaf
marinade has reduced by about 1/3. Pour over pork • 1kg (2 1/4 lb) pork fillet, cubed
and set aside. At this point it should smell SERIOUSLY • 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
AMAZING in your kitchen. • 2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4. In the biggest pan you have, heat remaining oil; add • 4 cloves garlic, minced
onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until • 2 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
onion is soft but not brown. Add minced garlic, tomatoes • 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed chillies
and crushed chillies. • 24 small clams in shell, scrubbed
5. Spread the clams over the tomato sauce; cook over • A handful of chopped fresh parsley
medium to high heat until clams open. Stir in pork and
juices. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat thoroughly. Sprinkle Warning! After eating this, other food may seem really
with parsley and serve with fresh bread. boring due to extremely high levels of deliciousness.
A-CET
This year we will once again be working with the
African Children's Educational Trust, donating money
Top eco-tip: if you print the newsletter out, do it in black
for every show we do to helping develop educational
and white at low resolution to reduce your use of ink.
projects in Africa.
For more information visit their website at © Clever Pants 2010
www.a-cet.org www.clever-pants.com