Alfred's Serif Users' Forums — Plastic Wine bottle corks make pencil erasers

Re: Plastic Wine bottle corks make pencil erasers

2022-07-24T14:10:06Z

Joe wrote:

In the States, to be 'knocked up' was getting someone pregnant.
The first time my brother in law and his wife visited us, they whooped and had to take a photo of a sign that said "Humps for 200yds"

Similar language, yet so many different meanings/associations.

Re: Plastic Wine bottle corks make pencil erasers

2022-07-24T11:28:04Z

In the States, to be 'knocked up' was getting someone pregnant.

The first time my brother in law and his wife visited us, they whooped and had to take a photo of a sign that said "Humps for 200yds"

Re: Plastic Wine bottle corks make pencil erasers

2022-07-24T10:39:48Z

Back in 1980 I went on a trip to the US with a group of fellow Barry Manilow fans. The flight home out of Las Vegas was very early so one of the ladies asked the receptionist if they could arrange to knock us all up at 04.00. The look on his face was priceless.

Over here in the UK, during the Industrial Revolution people were actually employed to knock on people's doors to get them up in time for work, a form of human alarm clock. Hence the phrase was born. As it happens I actually caught mention of it as a job at the tail end of a quiz show last night before we settled down to watch the Bond film, which brought this to mind.

In the States, to be 'knocked up' was getting someone pregnant. As there were about 50 of us, ranging from girls like me, barely 20 at the time, to women of a more mature age, as I am now, I can imagine the thoughts running through his mind, until we cleared the meaning up.

Re: Plastic Wine bottle corks make pencil erasers

2022-07-24T05:27:20Z

When I worked/lived in Pennsylvania these are just three of the many questions I was asked.

In response to me answering a question about London and the pavements packed with people. "Why do people walk on the pavement?" Pavement to them was the tarmac on the road.

I had a machine modified and the cutter body comprised of a set of 4 intricate blades costing just over $1000/set. On the initial setup the Supervisor came to inform me that they broken two sets of blades in the first half hour. I wasn't happy, went to see the machine and asked the Supervisor to get a torch. His face dropped as he asked "What are you going to do?" I said I wanted to look down this gap. With a relieved expression he said "Oh you want a flashlight. I thought you wanted to cut the machine up with an oxy-acetylene torch."

"What language do they speak in England?" asked a young assistant in a local store.

Re: Plastic Wine bottle corks make pencil erasers

2022-07-23T19:42:45Z

I was working in a San Francisco office and asked the secretary if she had any drawing pins. "Drawing pens, with ink in them?" I learnt they were called thumb tacks.

BTW, the refreshments truck with coffee and doughnuts and the like that stopped in the street outside at morning break times was called the Roach Wagon. I have seen one here in the UK, but many years ago.

Re: Plastic Wine bottle corks make pencil erasers

2022-07-23T00:09:34Z

pencil erasers

We used to call them rubbers, but I got funny looks when I tried to buy one here in the US.

Re: Plastic Wine bottle corks make pencil erasers

2022-07-22T18:30:02Z

“Other plastic pencil erasers are available.”

Plastic Wine bottle corks make pencil erasers

2022-07-22T17:02:53Z

I have several synthetic wine bottle corks (hic!) which consist of a smooth sleeve over a soft mass. I cut a piece of the inside plastic mass and found it makes a good pencil eraser.

May be useful to an old fogey, like me....