Column 8: Adverb advocates mobilize quickly
Fear not, Claire Edmonds (C8), you have the support of the C8 squad, to the extent that Rosamund Turkington from Rockdale is considering extending an invitation to the Guerrilla Grammarians (est. 2008). Laurie Le Claire, from Epping, also spoke up: “Recently in a queue a teenager nearby said: ‘It’s going slowly’. I replied, “slowly – it’s an adverb.” Her mother thanked me.”
Like Claire And George Zivkovic and Evan Bailey from Glebe would also like to put up some community signs such as: “Falling Rocks Do Not Stop.” “This sign raises perplexing questions about Newton’s laws and could make me ponder truths, motionless in the dangerous rock impact zone!”
David Atherfold from Avalon Beach noted: toilets on the lower deck (Manly Ferry), koalas crossing here (Avalon) and no gum in the urinal (RNS Hospital).
Here is some crucial FNQ research from St Clair’s Stein Boddington in response to Caz Willis: “I’ve never been to Dimbulah (C8) in Queensland so I thought I’d just call someone and the friendly and helpful barmaid at The Junction Hotel assured me it was pronounced Dim-BYOO-la. The name was originally spelled like the Victorian town, but for unknown reasons it was changed. It is the local Aboriginal word for ‘long waterhole’.”
“Joy Heads (C8), perhaps we have sparked a new craze among ladies of a certain age as I too have a rose tattoo that says ‘Made in England’ on my forearm,” says Rosemary Seam, from Kempsey. “Mine was copied from an older friend, so there are at least three of us in total.”
Ian McNeilly, from Darlinghurst, is firmly in the “don’t ask” camp: “This is from a recent journey on the London Underground where my fellow passenger had the shower scene Psycho on his right calf and Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster on the left. He gave me the impression that he didn’t want to get involved.”
And then there’s this sample from Tony Sullivan of Adamstown Heights: “The nurse who did my last blood test had several tattoos, one of which said ‘Born Sick.’ She said she had it done before her current career and it led to interesting discussions.”
We won’t delve into the adventures of Moose in Tautology (C8), as mentioned previously, C8 fans will be aware that we played around with this not too long ago, and besides, like Gordon’s Tony Hunt says: “I personally detest tautology.”
Column8@smh.com.au
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