A very hip ambassador

“I was about Granny’s age and watched in amazement at the five-hour, 45-minute marathon between Murray and Kokkinakis with some friends who have artificial joints,” says Patricia Fraser of Balgowlah. “How long, I wonder, before Andy is offered a sponsorship by the manufacturer of his prosthetic hip?”

Made for the game. Springwood’s Nick Walker was “very amused to see that one of the players at the Australian Open is American Katie Volynets”. Chatswood’s Kin Wong remains on the field and thinks Rafael Nadal’s injury “has to be serious for the ABC to call it a battleship injury! Let’s wish him a speedy recovery.”

“George Manojlovic, I know your bird (C8),” claims Susan Newman of Mona Vale. “Many years ago one of them woke me up with ‘Chappaquiddick! Chappaquiddick!’ always followed by “It’s terrible! It’s terrible! It’s terrible!’ Are you braiding it next?” Probably not the primaries.

“My son Scott was actually still in his shoes when they disappeared down an airport baggage carousel (C8),” recalls Cabarita’s Bob Phillips. “As a toddler he decided to explore the carousel while we were busy identifying our luggage. After a frantic ‘Someone took my baby!’ In between he emerged through the flaps undamaged and looked very happy with his free ride.”

Seppo Ranki from Glenhaven, who has seen his ups and downs, also has advice for Meri Will and Peter Neufeld: “They use an elevator (C8) to take grain into a silo – think of Grain Elevators Board, later renamed GrainCorp would. Some used bucket elevators, others were pneumatic.” Bruce Graham of Waitara adds, “In Hollywood’s golden age, little cowboy actors had elevators in the heels of their boots.”

“Discussing elevators reminded me of how I learned the delightfully handy Cantonese translation for an elevator when I lived in Hong Kong,” writes Sheba Brener of Rushcutters Bay. “The translation is sing gong geiwhich means ‘ascending falling machine’ – perfect!”

Randwick’s Fee MacGregor would like to thank Arian Bell for “attributing the tagline to Teague’s Bread (C8), but I’m still in the dark. What on earth does that mean?”

Fairlight’s Toni Stevenson recalls a similarly creative slogan “at Hurstville Station in the 1950’s/60’s on the back wall of a store with the sign ‘If your hair doesn’t suit you, you should come to us.’ Not my station, so I never found out if it’s true.”

Column8@smh.com.au
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