Do You Have A "test Phrase"?

[sean1e]

There once was a lady from Venus...

 

And a man with a very large P...elikan M800

[milkb0at]

Usually:

One two three four five six seven eight nine ten.

Sometimes I go wild and count up to twenty instead.

 

If not that, then some or all of Jerusalem. But if I'm in a bad mood I use a shortened and modified version:

 

And did those feet in ancient time

Walk upon England's mountains green?

No.

Edited August 30, 2014 by milkb0at

[Floreat]

Sean1e wins the thread

[Freddy]

 

Fred

...like the fella said...Ain't that a kick in the head...Dino

Edited August 31, 2014 by Freddy

[Miles Hand]

Los muertos abren los ojos a los que viven.

 

A Spanish epigraph to a Scot's poem largely borrowed from a Welshman's prose in English, quoted by an Irishman. Perfect.

[Rocket1]

I generally quote Chamberlain's Declaration of War.

 

"This morning, the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final note, stating that unless we heard from them, by 11 o'clock, that they were prepared at once, to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently, this country is at war with Germany".

This is fabulous! I love it!

[XiaoMG]

First line of a short poem, usually:

一道殘陽鋪水中

 

In English I just write random stuff.

[Freddy]

 

Fred

Outside of a Small Circle of Friends ~ Phil Ochs

23/10/83

[sunsparkle]

Wenn das die Lösung ist, will ich mein Problem zurück.

 

Translation: If that is the solution, I want my problem back.

 

Works for me...

[sirgilbert357]

Some of you guys are pretty fancy; I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but I just write the make and model of the pen, the nib size and then the ink being used.

[GandalfTheGrey]

I have started using a new test phrase and I really like it. I hope you folks like it too.

 

"Listen! We have heard tales sung of the Spear-Danes,

the glory of their War-Kings in days gone by,

how princely nobles performed heroes deeds!"

Brilliant! Oft I write the same thing, but in the original Old English:

 

Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,

þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,

hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

I also have a habit of writing the lyrics to "Greensleeves":

Alas my love, you do me wrong to cast me out discourteously,

for I have loved you for so long, delighting in your company.

...and so on

[Freddy]

 

 

 

Fred

Or....

I wanna look like a Dickensian character that

walks the wharf's of London....Stevie Nicks....

[XiaoMG]

Some of you guys are pretty fancy; I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but I just write the make and model of the pen, the nib size and then the ink being used.

That is smart; when I am smart, I do the same thing. I get grumpy when I look at an old note and can't remember what ink or pen it was.

[tendollarword]

My latest choice:

 

From the dusty mesa, her looming shadow grows

Hidden in the branches of the poison creosote.

Edited October 21, 2014 by tendollarword

[BernieC]

I write the Yang Tai Chi long form, section one. If it feels good, maybe the whole form.

[Kataphract]

Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant. - Gladiator's salute

 

In war, truth is the first casualty - Aeschylus

 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

 

If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that. - The Red Queen

 

Gotta work in something from the Iliad....

[chas0039]

What would you do if I sang out of tune...

[carlos.q]

Some of you guys are pretty fancy; I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but I just write the make and model of the pen, the nib size and then the ink being used.

This is a very good idea for an ink journal!

[ekmoore]

 

 

Brilliant! Oft I write the same thing, but in the original Old English:

 

Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,

þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,

hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

I also have a habit of writing the lyrics to "Greensleeves":

Alas my love, you do me wrong to cast me out discourteously,

for I have loved you for so long, delighting in your company.

...and so on

 

 

 

Ah! I'm in an Old English graduate seminar at the moment, and quite like the idea of an old english test phrase.

 

have any tips on forming your eths? I can never quite decide if it ought to be top down or bottom up.

Edited November 8, 2014 by ekmoore

[Freddy]

 

Fred