h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

While we were in a shop today I saw a doorstop in the shape of a character from a beloved 1960's childrens TV series. I picked it off the shelf, held it in my hands, and then let go so that it would fall to the floor.

My wife looked at me somewhat puzzled. "I dropped a Clanger", I explained.

But, followed on from this, I have a question: have you ever knowingly, or realised after the event that you had, acted out a figure of speech? Have you, like I clearly did, realise that there was a figure of speech just waiting to be made real, and acted on it?


Geggs

You mean, like finding some way to jump to conclusions or push my luck, etc? If there were a town named Trouble, I could head for it, but I don't think such a place exists. Come to think of it, I could go to the town of Hell, which is Michigan.


Except that I don't particularly want to go there.

Correction: which is *in* Michigan.

Once, while out cycling with a mate, I recalled that I made this lads girlfriend feel uncomfortable by saying something stupid. Within minutes of saying I'd put my foot in my mouth I crashed spectacularly and managed to boot myself in the face.

I was once having a row with my husband as we were constructing a dog kennel. I was standing in the middle of the half-built frame when I started giggling, and asked "Am I in the dog house?"

I like to cook and don't like to wear shoes. So I've pointed out a few times in the past that I'm barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen

My husband has demonstrated both sweating bullets and sweating cobs (although he wasn't in either case *actually* sweating them, just throwing them around - but it was funny at the time).


Mol

I've/we've done 'blind leading the blind', most spectacularly.... A 'conga', of about a dozen or more blind/visually impaired people, basically in order of 'sightedness', with the most sighted at the front, and useually ending with me at the back of the 'conga', the best time of which had to be when at a training centre/place, and we were heading to the pub... yeh.. to get blind drunk... The conga was all the more amusing after we'd gotten blind drunk, trying to find our way back to the accomidation in a strange town... ,ale>

A friend of mine got sunburnt at the beach once. I was slightly dismissive of this, noting that 'worse things happen at sea'. He then went in for a dip to cool off, got salt in it and claimed it was agonising, thereby proving my point...

sprout

I hope you didn't feel the need to rub salt into his wound...


Geggs

Brilliant thread.
When I saw the OP yesterday I knew exactly what Geggs
was trying to say about that moment of realisation when
we see reality conforming to an imagined metaphor. I have
indeed experienced that sort of euphoric epiphany on
several occasions of wonder and joy.

But I'm damned if I can recall the specifics, just the overall
elation and amusement that accompanied the moment, as if it
were a great personal accomplishment or a 'dream' come true.

So I am most grateful for the examples others have given of
their own experience. I may now be able to fill in some of
the details - though I think I can safely dismiss any possibility
of ever having been pregnant AND barefoot in any kitchen.

I do remember a time when my motto was 'If ya canna live
it down; live it up.'


~jwf~

While returning from a convention at Warwick University, I did ask how best to make my way, which was via Coventry train station. Arguably, that means I was "sent to Coventry".

I've just greeted the plumber with

"Hello? Is it me you're looking for?"

after watching him go to the wrong house.....

Always had problems with the expression "Up a creek
without a paddle". Seems to me, and experience has
proven, that being upstream with no paddle is not a
big problem since the current will carry you down.
The only difficulty that might arise is encountering
white water rapids but this is unlikely in any stream
described diminutively as a mere creek.


~jwf~

I vaguely recall hearing about some eccentric who went around doing this sort of thing on purpose, for the sake of it, including once changing horses in midstream.

I can't recall now where I read this, and fear it may have been a footnote in a Terry Pratchett novel. Or it may be real. Really can't remember.

TRiG.

Who among you have more sense than money?

I have almost no money... but probably still fit that description, I fear. I'm sure I've literally not had two pennies to rub together, but right now I'm afraid I own a large jar* full of change, so can't own up to that one in particular.

* well, a pint-glass.

>>..it may have been a footnote in a Terry Pratchett novel. <<

That may well be the case!
He is so brilliant at making use of, and illuminating, the
most commonplace sayings and situations we often just
take for granite. I still savour a comic image he created
in my mind of a leopard changing it shorts.



~jwf~

http://wiki.lspace.org/wiki/Olaf_Quimby_II

Was it former patrician Olaf Qumby II you were thinking of?

Bob, I get sent to Coventry by work quite frequently...