February's Coffee

LOL......................... well?????????????? go on then!!

I cheated - I looked it up on the website. (now hanging head in shame)

hahahahahahahahahaha...................... did it actually say????

What did it say???

I had a memory of my DGM and the story about the penny, but I looked it up too. Sleeping policeman was easy to guess and I was right, but had to look it up to confirm that too! Hanging head in double shame for doubting my own memory.

it said.......
This refers to the (former) use of coin operated locks on public toilets. It was used mostly in the UK and mostly by women (men's urinals were free of charge

Spend a penny.................
It comes from public toilets, to use a cubicle you had to put a penny in the slot to be able to open the cubicle door..... But that was before decimalisation in 1971...!!
Hence, spend a penny

Yes but the mens cublcles also cost a penny to use................

Ok, here is one for you all....................... where does 'Mad as a Hatter' come from

WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Something they used to make the hats with would eventually make them crazy? An ingredient or fumes from making the hats? (I wanted to say "Alice in Wonderland'!!)

hatters were actually very apt to get "mad" from the chemical [dang I forget which] in the felting process.

I forgot to raise my hand.

Mercury!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They worked in unventillated work houses and the Mercury made them crazy after a while...........

I knew it was something like that.... A for effort??

Yep................... definately A for effort.................. boy we are gettin good!!!!

Now...................

What about 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' ??

does it mean you get to eat? LOL 1 bird in the pot in better than 2 birds running loose?

errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! But good try.............

Mr C,
My content advisor (filter we have for the kids) won't let me go to your quiz site! As I don't remember the password, could you tell me what a sleeping policeman is??

LOL Dave!! Stopped by the device you put in place! Thats priceless!!!!!!!
It's a speed bump.

You content advisor wont let you???? The site is made by kids............. there is nothing on there that is nasty!!

Anyway.................. a sleeping policeman is a manmade hump in the road to stop people speeding!

Sorry Mark, we crossed posted. But I couldn't help but laugh at Dave's predictament.

I enjoy the irony of my situation! (although I sometimes wonder if my wife changed the password and never told me!)

Mark, these things are weird. You never know what will set them off.

Dave - you can go into Control Panel from the Start Menu, select the Internet icon and allow that website inspite of the content advisor. I once had one of my favorite bead shops blocked because they sold "fetish" beads.

Re: Mad as a Hatter - isn't Danbury, CT referred to as "Hat City"? I think there was a lot of hat making or at least felting going on in Greenwich. I think it was the felt making process that used Mercury causing the evential brain damage to the felters.

Yes i saw we crossed............
Those content advisor things are such a pain..............................LOL

Few people who use the phrase today realise that there’s a story of human suffering behind it; the term actually derives from an early industrial occupational disease. Felt hats were once very popular in North America and Europe; an example is the top hat. The best sorts were made from beaver fur, but cheaper ones used furs such as rabbit instead.

A complicated set of processes was needed to turn the fur into a finished hat. With the cheaper sorts of fur, an early step was to brush a solution of a mercury compound — usually mercurous nitrate — on to the fur to roughen the fibres and make them mat more easily, a process called carroting because it made the fur turn orange. Beaver fur had natural serrated edges that made this unnecessary, one reason why it was preferred, but the cost and scarcity of beaver meant that other furs had to be used.

Whatever the source of the fur, the fibres were then shaved off the skin and turned into felt; this was later immersed in a boiling acid solution to thicken and harden it. Finishing processes included steaming the hat to shape and ironing it. In all these steps, hatters working in poorly ventilated workshops would breathe in the mercury compounds and accumulate the metal in their bodies.

We now know that mercury is a cumulative poison that causes kidney and brain damage. Physical symptoms include trembling (known at the time as hatter’s shakes), loosening of teeth, loss of co-ordination, and slurred speech; mental ones include irritability, loss of memory, depression, anxiety, and other personality changes. This was called mad hatter syndrome.

It’s been a very long time since mercury was used in making hats, and now all that remains is a relic phrase that links to a nasty period in manufacturing history. But mad hatter syndrome remains common as a description of the symptoms of mercury poisoning.

I think you are right about Danbury..and should be right about Greenwhich.

Well guys, its 11pm here in good old England, so am away to my bed................. you all take care and have a good evening!!!

Oh by the way.................. the bird in the hand means:

The things we already have are more valuable than the things we only hope to get.


Good night

Mark

Well what a sucky weather day here - it's been quite a few years since we haven't gotten above 0 for a high.

It didn't feel as cold as I thought it might when we went out to dinner tonight. It's the best night of the year to try a great new restaurant and it was a grand meal with great service. Right now it's reading 22 but that doesn't show the wind chill factor.

Al, your arctic frost has headed our way.

ok...it's 7° outside......brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Well you all had a good time yesterday. I went in to my brother's and spent the day there. My 6 year old niece was very sad to see me leave. She thinks it will be too long until she see's me again. I reminded her that she could always call me. Her response is that she gets home from school before I am home from work. My job is to call her when I get in the car to go home. It's wonderful being loved!

I don't know, because no one loves me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, if ever I heard someone fishing for a hug, so here it is (((((Mark)))))

Don't feel bad Mark, there's probably a reason.


Kids and wife got that snow day they wanted - except it's a cold day, no school today.

Oh Al! Do you ever behave? Poor Mark - I bet he has a bevy of beauties but just isn't talking about them! You men! That is NOT the same as saying, "You guys". There's a whole thread about that one and a few people are a bit upset with me over it.

You're even hogging the snow, Al! Not fair. I want my share.

Gram - you're sweet to send hugs to Mark.

no snow here Pirl, just -16 temp.

Al - we're not lagging far behind. It's -7 here.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww thanks Gram............................ needed that!!!!!

A whole bevy of women................ Hmmmmmmmmm LOL
Nooooooooooooooooooooo i dont think so....................

You just don't want us to know, Mark!

Oh, if i did have a bevy of women, i would tell you.............. no problem!!!