>>By the way, you lost me with your Brit colloquialism ... I think I know what >Brits call swings and roundabouts (playground equipment), but I don't get the >phrase "it's swings and roundabouts." Does that mean similar difficulty and >similar results whichever solution you choose? (For which the equivalent >American phrase would be "six of one, half a dozen of the other.") Oh, I hope >the term "Brit" doesn't offend you...(maybe I should write disclaimers for a >living.)
>
>>My next guess, does "it's swings and roundabouts" mean you're trying to >compare two things which aren't really comparable? Similar American phrase >would be "it's apples and oranges." (or "you're comparing apples to oranges.")
>
>I do try not to use colloquial terms, but sometimes they slip through.
>
>Barbara has the correct explanation when she says, what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts.
>
>Cheers, Mark

Thanks, Mark. There's a lot of American slang flying around these forums, no need to apologize or explain!

(Now I've probably offended my Canadian and Mexican colleagues by referring to U.S. as American!)

Cheers,
Rich.