Taradiddle?

The last few weeks of the Summer holidays bring a rash of cancellations for a private tutor, as the parents suddenly realise how little time is left to get out and about, especially if the weather suddenly takes a turn for the better. (This means anything less than persistent rain in 2016). As a result, tutor gets nothing but time to play with. In a few weeks, it would be time pushed into a part-time degree, but now it is mainly spent on breaking stories or trying to invent new super-cheap and lightweight railway locomotives. This is not a joke. I almost had an idea, a wonderful idea...

Another thing that can be done on days of unexpected freedom is to explore the classics of computer games, which in this case means 'Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis', from the golden age of adventure games. Yes, that wondrous time when LucasArts was pumping out such awesome 'point and click' efforts as 'Day Of The Tentacle' and 'The Secret Of Monkey Island', so long ago and yet still as fresh as ever. Indeed, the LucasArts games have endured very, very well, mainly because a whole suite of applications has been developed (ScummVM and ResidualVM) to make them playable on modern operating systems of all types. Ah, Sophia Hapgood, I missed you.

What else happens on slow tutoring days? The Marx Brothers have been making appearances recently, and English lessons get ground out with great deliberation and diligence. English lessons must be planned and written that way, due to the great importance of language, and the great difficulty in teaching any of it. Language, like mathematics, is mostly only learned and not taught. Is that a defeatist attitude for a teacher? No, not at all! The goal is to teach what can be taught, and otherwise lead the student around to learning the rest by themself. It's just a question of setting up the trail correctly. On this occasion, it's a trail that involves... A lot of confusion. Oh no, a lack of plan! What to do? Panic! Panic!

<madness, panic and bedlam, then chairlam, and finally cushionlam>

A plan is formed, and so secretly that it may not even be divulged in the sacred pages of the Quirky Muffin, the blog that time forgot. This blog must be preserved for the perpetuation of taradiddle in perpetuity. Hold on... 'taradiddle'? TARADIDDLE? This Wednesday has gone on too long. What on Earth does 'taradiddle' mean?

taradiddle: pretentious or silly talk or writing

Oh, it makes perfect sense in context. Let's give up. Au revoir, Wednesday, you did your job well.

O.