Ms Stoney Broke here is taking her kids for a 'Five go mad in Dorset' type camping holiday this year, but we've decided to splash out for a pitch with electric hook-up. I might not be an expert, but even I know the conventional £1.99 extension lead from the Thrift Shop wouldn't be suitable, so I called Maplins to ask if they had anything in stock. Here's the conversation:
'Um, this isn't Millet's. We're an electrical store.'
'Yes, I know. I want an electric cable - to go camping with.'
'Oh. Wait a minute.' Cue irritating music. Then: 'You mean, like, the kind of thing you'd use for outdoor activities and such?'
'Yep, that's the one.'
'Sorry, we don't stock them. But what you're looking for is a Commando plug.' And then she laughed like a drain.
I've since found what I'm looking for on ebay, but honestly, what was so funny? Ohhh, I get it - outdoor activities ... going commando. Ha bloody ha Ms Ibitha Drawers. Okay, so maybe calling the Electronics Superstore WAS a mistake, but their ad quotes they stock EVERYTHING electrical. It's not like we're even going to that kind of a campsite.

While I'm at it though, why DO we say 'laugh like a drain?' I don't see the connection. I mean, laugh like a hyena, yes - though Kookaburra is more accurate, in my opinion - and stink like a drain definitely. But the last thing you'd connect a drain to is laughter, even of the dirty joke kind. Who the hell thought that one up? More to the point, why does it become the automatic default in an otherwise sane conversation?

Why would it not work?

Wires is wires usually.... Unless you have fancy ones we do not get down here in the colonies...

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

It's a safety issue I guess - commandos don't trust square pin plugs, so they make sure the outdoors sockets on campsites are of the round pin variety. The only bit that fits conventional electric goods is the bit you have indoors, where it's dry. I grew up with round pin plugs indoors and out, but that was back in the days of jolly hockey sticks and lashings of ginger beer!

I suppose if you're going commando, it pays to be careful.

The old, small 3 round pin plugs were rated at 5 amps max. the standard U.K 3 square pin plug is rated at 13 amp max. and the big 3 round pin plug is 15 amps max.

Why not cheat and take a 50kva generator?

Never consciously heard 'laugh like a drain'.

As for smell (or stronger) the Python reference to an Australian wine in that 'it has a kick like an aborigine's armpit' has yet to be bettered.

Also, when kookaburras 'laugh' it is a warning sign that they feel their territory has been invaded. (Applies to North Melbourne football club as well).

But don't you just love it when Tarzan or someone in the African jungle or on some tropical island has the sound of Kookaburras in the background? They are loud buggers, but not that loud. Also not tropical.

Have often wondered about the phrase "laugh like a drain".. something to do with gurgling??

Strange this whole clumping thing. I had never heard the expression until it got raised here - then all of a sudden three occurences since . . . is there some strange force at work?

Watch out for falling pianos.

Or up. Up is good also.

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

It's not just falling pianos, we're at real danger from spontaneous cream pie fights here, and there aren't any handy people to use as shields around at the moment! Horror!

CannibalRabbit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Strange this whole clumping thing. I had never
> heard the expression until it got raised here -
> then all of a sudden three occurences since . . .
> is there some strange force at work?


The mentions of clumping are clumping. Obvious result, really.

And now the mentions of clumping have stopped clumping. Coincidence? I think not!

I suspect that having mentioned that they've been clumping they can no longer unselfconsciously clump, as the quantum states have now collapsed due to observation. Probability has caught up in a vicious way.

----

The school of mathematical pseudo-nonsense.

*headsplosion*

Blasted mathematicians....

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

(Not a bad response for made up gibberish!)

I think that that is why it hurt.

Actually, on rereading, it makes a fair amount of sense. Provided I turn my brain off. :P

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

I see. Perhaps my next major report should be full of made up gibberish. It seems to work!

Aah, now you are learning the secrets of academia...

It's taken months and months but the secrets are coming now. Next lesson will be which foreign coins can safely be used to cheat the vending machines...

Just make friends with the local machine-work lads. Especially the ones with die cutting equipment.

...............vending machines.




Q: What do you use 'zlotys' for?


A: to put in Polish zlot machines.


Sorry about that....I think the cream cheese with garlic may be off.

Will need to take several smarties and a malteser to rectify problem.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2008 12:25PM by bunyip.