I was about 70% sure. But I've been sitting on that General Gott nugget for about a month and had to release it or explode. You understand.

What exactly does "manually" in relation to a bunch of polygons mean?

For those of us trying to use smartphones with big sausage fingers: It has to be Swype.

That's because England doesn't have ultras.

Going out in the quarter finals on penalties awakened within me a pride I didn't know I had - upholding this most venerable and treasured of English traditions.

"Jack White himself weighed in: "I am honored that the Italians have adopted this song as their own," White said. "Nothing is more beautiful than when [UEFA] embrace[s] a melody and allow[s BMI to further engorge my already McDuck-like money vault]."

They can't have too many ladies getting into the sport.

The Italians don't play Football either. They play Calcio.

In 50 years, we'll all be saying Wimbleton. Might as well get used to it.

Oh. I thought this was going to be the world's first divorce sim. Never mind. ;)

Strafe comes from the German - who used the word in their phrase "Gott strafe England" ("God punish England") during the first world war. The English picked it up and eventually it was applied it to the action of 'punishing' ground positions with fighter aircraft during World War 2.

As a proud Londoner, I shall look forward to accepting the eventual victor as my undisputed overlord and king.

Great article. And funnily enough, the last Splinter Cell game was the first I can remember where I realised the enemy barks were a big part of why I was enjoying the game.

Your entire argument is hamstrung by several things:

You're too hard on yourself. Bunga Bunga parties are also worthy of pride for the Italian.

Do me a favour: Get a friend and get him to take a running flying kick at your shin.

With the result that now we have a sport where protective gear has made it so that participants are encouraged to make hits that the human body was not designed to take - leading to retired players spending their career earnings on medical treatment for fucked up joints and brain damage.

Watched that for about half an hour yesterday.

I didn't realise there were such massive differences.