Russian
I took GCSE Russian, and I was, I admit, fairly hopeless at it. I got horribly daunted by some of the grammatical rules (which are odd), and that became a vicious circle of under-achievement. Combine that with a girl in the class who seemed to take to it naturally, and my confidence was shattered.

Notwithstanding that, it was not all that hard to get a good mark if you knew the right tricks. For example, by using the phrase "tchai c'limonom" - lemon tea - in the right place, you got three marks for the vocabulary, and many more marks for using the correct grammar. And you could use the phrase up to three times and get credited for each.

Once you'd used your three, you simply started talking about "tchai s'malokom" instead - tea with milk - and you'd accrue more marks on the same rubric.

The point is that getting an A wasn't all that hard. And I did get an A. I wasn't proud - it was a dirty strategic grade, rather than anything that rewarded scholarship. Nevertheless, I was a bit taken aback by the frankness of my erstwhile teacher when I went back in the VI form. "Oh, Enzyme, you got an A."
"Um, yeah."
"You don't deserve it."
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 10:17, 21 replies)

Russian Shcmussian...!

Who needs that stuff anyhoo? (apart from the Russians)

Being less-than-brilliant at Russian simply meant that your bulging brain had a bit more space for more worthwhile stuff

To quote Homer, one of the great philosophers whom I'm sure you're familiar with:

"Every time I learn something new it pushes some old stuff out of my brain...Remember when I took that home winemaking course and I forgot how to drive?"
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Thu 5 Feb 2009, 10:27, closed)

Hehehehe
It's true. I once read the back of a Pot Noodle and forgot where I lived.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 10:38, closed)

Heh,
I used that Homer quote in a lecture last week on memory and information decay. It's the theory of retroactive interference.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 10:39, closed)

Well DUH! Everybody knows that...*

*might be a lie
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Thu 5 Feb 2009, 10:47, closed)

I read Homer and thought
Ancient Greece.


Imagine my surprise when the quote mentioned driving.

Doh!
( chickenlady b3ta's very own Elizabeth Taylor, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 13:54, closed)

I think you have to have an aptitude for languages like you do for art.
I tried learning Russian once. I used to watch the Open University courses on BBC2 when I was on the dole years back.

Got as far as hello, goodbye and have you seen my furry hat.
( girlinthehole, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:03, closed)

No, I haven't seen your 'furry hat'...

No matter how many times I've begged you, you still won't show it to me...
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:12, closed)

Well since we're at school.
I'll show you mine if you show me yours.
( girlinthehole, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:16, closed)

Woo!

Although I don't have a 'furry hat' I just so happen to have a veritable multitude of photos of my 'Hairy sausage'...

Will they do?

*sends photos anyway*
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:17, closed)

Furry hat...
... in Russian, is "shapka". In the Cyrillic alphabet, that looks like this: Øàïêà.

Oh, how we lauged at that.

EDIT: Bugger. It doesn't like Russian letters here. It looks like "Wanka".
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:18, closed)

What's the russian for 'Hairy Sausage'?

More specifically, 'Hairy cocktail sausage', I'm sorry to say :(
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:20, closed)

a uni friend of mine could speak russian
obviously it helped that she was hot, but it was so sexy hearing her speak it.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:07, closed)

you get a click for persevering to an A
because Mrs W put me off after one year of it.
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:16, closed)

...
She was an odd one. Used to disappear every lesson, clearly for a mid-morning shag with Mr L in the language lab.


Quite fancied her daughter for a while, though.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:20, closed)

...
I thought he was gay? Or was it a differant Mr L?

It's pratically a reunion!
(MrHungry, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:41, closed)

he so was gay
and he used to say things like "I shall now glide elegantly about the room and collect your homework"

See?

Gay.
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:48, closed)

Yeah
But I doubt that'd've stopped her.

*swishes head elegantly around*
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 12:11, closed)

congrats for finishing it...
I took the Russian GCSE course at the same time as doing A-levels. Did 5 out of 6 terms and then dropped out, due to lack of time for studying. I regret it now.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:18, closed)

Hmm
I'd like to relearn.

Hell, if 250 million Russians can do the grammar, I ought to be able...
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:20, closed)

for no apparent reason
I read "timewarp" where you had clearly typed "grammar"

and then giggled.
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 11:52, closed)

Oh, I like that image...
Though I think they'd more probably be dancing to "Ra-Ra-Rasputin".
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 5 Feb 2009, 12:12, closed)