Shipping forecast occasionally

[Telstar26]

There must be a shorter word to use than "occasional/occasionally" - it's such a mouthful for the poor announcers, and it's there 26 times in the current forecast!

Wouldn't "some/sometimes" do? eg.

Forties
Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, sometimes 5 in south.
Sea State: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Some rain, fog patches in south.
Visibility: Moderate or good, sometimes very poor in south.

instead of

Wind: Easterly or northeasterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 in south.
Sea State: Slight or moderate.
Weather: Occasional rain, fog patches in south.
Visibility: Moderate or good, occasionally very poor in south.

 

[Aardee]

"Sometimes" gives no indication of frequency, whereas "occasionally" clearly means not very often.

 

[Seajet]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9QumF93PpY

 

[Giblets]

According to Dr Simon's weather book the phraseology in the shipping forecast has been very carefully chosen to avoid ambiguity and confusion.

 

[JumbleDuck]

According to Dr Simon's weather book the phraseology in the shipping forecast has been very carefully chosen to avoid ambiguity and confusion.

True, but "occasionally" doesn't seem to be one of the officially defined terms:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/marine/guide/glossary.html

 

[LittleSister]

Cyclonic is quite long, too. Save time and just say whirly?

Southerly, northerly, could be abbreviated to up, down....

 

[Daydream believer]

Cyclonic is quite long, too. Save time and just say whirly?

Southerly, northerly, could be abbreviated to up, down....

But then, by inference, east & west would be left & right
So south easterly blow would be a "right downer"
Or "down right" orrible !!!
Which would be just my luck when I cross the channel next Wednesday!!!

 

[Daydream believer]

There must be a shorter word to use than "occasional/occasionally" - it's such a mouthful for the poor announcers, and it's there 26 times in the current forecast!

Are you sitting at work counting that???:sleeping::sleeping::sleeping:
I hope you do not work for a local authority as I might be paying your wages
Or do you work on a phone in help line-- like the HMRC or something-- sadistically noting customers waiting for the queue to get shorter before you say " Good morning -- this is Brian , how may I help?" then cut them off so you can listen to the shipping forecast:encouragement:

I cannot believe I actually took the time to post 2 replies!!!!!

 

[DJE]

True, but "occasionally" doesn't seem to be one of the officially defined terms:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/marine/guide/glossary.html

Neither is "mainly" and they use that occasionally too.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Neither is "mainly" and they use that occasionally too.

I think it's like the Interpretation Act in law which says that (I paraphrase as one who is NAL) "unless a word has a specific legal definition it takes its generally understood meaning in normal usage".

 

[Daedelus]

Are you sitting at work counting that???:sleeping::sleeping::sleeping:
I hope you do not work for a local authority as I might be paying your wages
Or do you work on a phone in help line-- like the HMRC or something-- sadistically noting customers waiting for the queue to get shorter before you say " Good morning -- this is Brian , how may I help?" then cut them off so you can listen to the shipping forecast:encouragement:

I cannot believe I actually took the time to post 2 replies!!!!!

That's pretty impressive: turning an idle question about the shipping forecast into a rant about local government etc. Give the poor bloke a break his post was at 1850 on a Saturday.

 

[James_Calvert]

I think "occasionally" is a really useful long word.

I like to write the forecast down when I hear it, otherwise I forget what it said. Words like that give me a chance to catch up with my version of shorthand.

 

[Sandy]

There must be a shorter word to use than "occasional/occasionally"

How about now and then?