Meanwhile, my aerial ping-pong team (Northern Kangaroos) seem to have managed a rather heart-stopping tie.

OK, what in the world is aerial ping-pong.

Um, I don't think so. "Fille" (girl) is pronounced "fee", with a slight y-y wobble between the ees.

Erm, that's what I said, isnt it?

Oh, I think I misread you, billytea. You said in front of and I read after. Sorry.

OK, what in the world is aerial ping-pong.

What Angus, sadly erroneously (but we must make allowances), terms 'real football'. Otherwise known as Aussie Rules.

"Aerial ping-pong" is a NE Australian putdown of Aussie Rules, because they can't understand a game that actually involves grace and athleticism rather than brute force.

'Healthy' is a good example of a word with a -y ending, but it doesn't mean the same thing as 'Health'.

Does this make sense?

Perfect, naturally. I would shop in a “Health-y Food Shop” in an instant but walk straight by a “Health Food Shop”

The French pronounce double L, don't they? I thought it was just Spanish that makes it a Y.

No “fille” is almost pronounced “feey” but I see a few people have already posted on the subject.

Who are your team?

I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.

What Angus, sadly erroneously (but we must make allowances), terms 'real football'.

Aha! See, I wouldn't put it past the Aussies to have invented some team sport involved ping-pong balls and bungee-jumping, or gravity boots, or something. Hence the dumb question.

Man, judging by how I've been doing so far this morning, I really need a second cup of coffee.

Ahh well, the Aussies went to Ireland and nicked the gaelic rules and gave them a respray ;-) ...see you all at the next game.

"Aerial ping-pong" is a NE Australian putdown of Aussie Rules, because they can't understand a game that actually involves grace and athleticism rather than brute force.

Again, pfffft. I've watched said game. You get much the same effect by tossing a handful of sweets into the middle of a kindergarten class. (Though I confess to laughing like a drain at the game a couple of years ago where the umpire took a mark.) This is why they call it Aussie Rules. As Sir Humphrey was fond of mentioning, you get the difficult part out in the title.

And seriously, if you think you win rugby league through brute force alone, or for that matter that Plugger weighed in on the 'grace and athleticism' side...

Ahh well, the Aussies went to Ireland and nicked the gaelic rules and gave them a respray ;-) ...see you all at the next game.

Pretty much. Which is just as well, because it means that the AFL is now able to join League and Union in actually forming an Australian side with a point to it.

ETA: I actually quite like Rules. It doesn't lack for excitement, and since Irish jokes aren't always appropriate it's good to have Collingwood to take up the slack. But for a thinking man's game, I have to go with league. They're both games of skill, but league is weighted more towards the strategic end, and Rules the tactical.

Looks like the French spelling is "filet".

Now, we need to find out if they pronounce a single "L".

t Obsessed-- it's sad

Now, we need to find out if they pronounce a single "L".

Yep. Even when it ends a word (eg 'bel'), which it shares with 'd' and 'c', and IIRC no other consonants.