George Zivkovic of Northmead read about the opulent state dinner French President Emmanuel Macron held for his US counterpart, Joe Biden recently. “Apparently this included a finale of chocolate, strawberries and raspberries, shaped like a rose, enlivened by a coulis of ‘carnal thorns’. A what of what?”
“Do rainbow lorikeets have an inbuilt clock?” queries Judith Allison of Bexley. “Why do so many of them arrive and then loudly squawk non-stop from 8.30 am to 9.30 am every morning in the tree adjacent to my backyard? They then abruptly depart. I’ve read they’re noisiest at dusk but around here, it seems this isn’t the case.”
You wouldn’t read about it. “Like Andrew Raymond (C8), l too, am delighted to be identified as a lifelong librocubicularist,” declares Christa Farrell of Bangor. “I hope l will never be cured of the ‘affliction’ because it’s one of life’s greatest joys. I hope others will respond to further recommend this wonderful habit as a very gratifying means of relaxing after a stressful day.”
“I note that there’s an upcoming series on ABC TV called Stuff the British Stole,” says George Manojlovic of Mangerton. “I’ll be interested to see with what, and if it’s a shawl, liturgical garment or academic vestment.”
Jeff Stanton of Strathfield saw the first Rocky movie in the Netherlands. “It naturally had Dutch subtitles (C8). I was sorry that I couldn’t read Dutch because then I would have understood Sylvester Stallone’s mumbling.”
“Some years ago, going to work in a Middle Eastern country, for entertainment, we went to the cinema,” recalls Brian Collins of Cronulla. “We soon realised that the weekly main features were always English-speaking action movies. Gunfights, car chases, the whole gamut. I asked a more seasoned ex-pat if this was a reflection of the culture of the place, only to be told it was simply that there were fewer subtitles to hinder the following of the plot.”
“As I am approaching the time when I should surrender my driving licence, the thought occurred to me that if I bought a ‘driverless’ car, would I need a licence?” asks John Munro of Middle Ridge (Qld).
“Years ago, while travelling on the subway in Washington DC, we came into a station called Foggy Bottom,” says Richard Leader of Baulkham Hills. “I would love to learn the origin of that name. Maybe some knowledgeable Column 8-ers could enlighten me.”
Column8@smh.com.au
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