Dear Isabelle,
Today �s "Word of the Day", CONUNDRUM, requires a history lesson to explain it.
At first, I thought that I thought that it was Conan Drum, the brother of the author, Conan Doyle. But I was wrong!
Then, by word-association, I thought of the brother-in-law of Sherlock Holmes, Old-Person �s Homes. Again, wrong!
One has to be very careful with personal names. I remember searching in the library for the musical work, "Carmina Burana", by Carl Orff. I must confess my ignorance that, until the male assistant enlightened me, I did not know that Carl Orff had a brother, Nick.
However, when I pointed to a musical score entitled "Bach �s Organ Works", his only remark was: "Well, his wife should be pleased about that!"
You can understand why Diana Dors refused to marry an Irishman, because she didn �t want to be associated with anyone called Paddy O �Doors.
And why Whoopi Goldberg refused to marry Peter Cushing, because she would become Whoopi Cushion.
There was the Irish sergeant in the Army, in charge of Rifle Practice, Richard O �Shay. Everyone called him Rick O �Shay.
But, in the case of CONUNDRUM it is quite straightforward. It refers, of course, to Conan the Barbarian, the Demon Hairdresser of Fleet Street, (where the British ships anchor in London).
A Conan Drum is one of those drums that you hear at a football match, which goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on (for 16 pages!).
A CONAN DRUM = boring monotony of the worst kind.
Les Douglas (LD the Magic Man).
(just for Jim and Justin... by the way... my 3 year old baby girl absolutely loves him....) lol!!! 
