Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 6]

[Onelastattempt]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Onelastattempt said:

How did the phrase " don't teach me how to suck eggs " come about ?
I said it to my eldest granddaughter today and she just looked at me as if I was a total idiot , ( to be fair she does that a lot ) , and asked why the hell I would want to suck an egg.

It was a thing back in the days of our grandmothers. Hence the phrase.

It was a thing to make two small holes, one in either end of an egg, and blow (not suck) the contents out of the egg and then decorate the shell. Sort of like egg taxidermy. It was a skill that was so known that it was a case of "don't try to teach someone older than you a skill that everyone bloody knows like you invented it or something" which, let's face it, every generation does.

You could maybe say "Don't teach me how to log onto the internet" to your granddaughter.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Saturday 8th March 20:50

Thanks for the explanation .
As for saying " Don't teach me how to log onto the Internet " , with my computer skills that is the sort of thing I would ask . If you look up computer illiterate on Google then my name is probably one of the first hits. No lie but up to about 15 years ago I thought that posting on the Internet meant actually physically posting a letter to somewhere , God only knows where, and then some computer expert would transfer the contents onto the Internet. I had never sent an email until I was 50 years old which was only 17 years ago.
It is a total mystery to me how computers and the Internet actually works, people don't believe how dumb I am with computers considering I spent the last 10 years of my working life programming CNC Lathes, they don't seem to understand that is just basic maths with a few preset G codes etc. And I also have absolutely no idea how CNC lathes actually work either.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Onelastattempt said:

Thanks for the explanation .
As for saying " Don't teach me how to log onto the Internet " , with my computer skills that is the sort of thing I would ask . If you look up computer illiterate on Google then my name is probably one of the first hits. No lie but up to about 15 years ago I thought that posting on the Internet meant actually physically posting a letter to somewhere , God only knows where, and then some computer expert would transfer the contents onto the Internet. I had never sent an email until I was 50 years old which was only 17 years ago.
It is a total mystery to me how computers and the Internet actually works, people don't believe how dumb I am with computers considering I spent the last 10 years of my working life programming CNC Lathes, they don't seem to understand that is just basic maths with a few preset G codes etc. And I also have absolutely no idea how CNC lathes actually work either.

Fair enough. My 80+ year old mum manages it, but she just gets her head down and learns stuff rather than saying "oh it is too hard for olds like me". She's amazing.

edit: Just to clarify, I did not mean that as an insult to you or beratement or denigration. If you've had no need of the internet then that is absolutely fine. Absolutely no offence intended.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Saturday 8th March 21:41

[Austin Prefect]

Onelastattempt said:

How did the phrase " don't teach me how to suck eggs " come about ?
I said it to my eldest granddaughter today and she just looked at me as if I was a total idiot , ( to be fair she does that a lot ) , and asked why the hell I would want to suck an egg.

The story I heard was that it was to do with infants feeding, 'eggs' being a euphemism.

[StevieBee]

mickythefish said:

48k said:

He got them removed for being relentlessly disruptive and ruining the show for the thousands of others in the audience. There's a line, and they crossed it. Simples.

Like accusing someone of beastality lol

Anyway just pointing out how modern comedians are very thin skinned.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1145897.s...

That's a story from 2001 and relates to a person claiming a comedy character in a sit-com is based on them. Hardly a case study in thin-skinned.

What other examples of thin-skinned comedians are there?

[StevieBee]

Austin Prefect said:

Even money from the proceeds of crime is a grey area. If it's stolen or embezzled then it should go back to the rightful owner. But what about drug deal money. If the drug user has actually got the drugs they paid for, should the money be treated differently from selling something legal?

A question related to this.....

If a criminal's house is burgled and what's burgled is what he stole, is he still entitled to the services of the police to track down the thief and if the thief is caught, would they be prosecuted? In other words, can you burgle a burglar and get away with it?

Obviously only theoretical as I'd doubt many burglars would report such a crime.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Austin Prefect said:

The story I heard was that it was to do with infants feeding, 'eggs' being a euphemism.

That's one that I have never heard

Not saying mine was correct, though, and I am starting to doubt it. But I never heard of yours.

[98elise]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Austin Prefect said:

The story I heard was that it was to do with infants feeding, 'eggs' being a euphemism.

That's one that I have never heard

Not saying mine was correct, though, and I am starting to doubt it. But I never heard of yours.

I understood it to be a version of your explanation.

[119]

Not sure if this is the correct thread, but the little outlets in the road kerbstones for water is called and 'offlet'.

Jus thought it was called a gulley like all the rest!

[Chauffard]

98elise said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Austin Prefect said:

The story I heard was that it was to do with infants feeding, 'eggs' being a euphemism.

That's one that I have never heard

Not saying mine was correct, though, and I am starting to doubt it. But I never heard of yours.

I understood it to be a version of your explanation.

Like a lot of these things, it comes from nautical terminology.
The main masts have futtock shrouds which are are oval wooden blocks through which guide rigging runs, hence the egg name, to clear them of salt and lubricate them with tallow is called sucking, a laborious but essential task which is even the most junior seaman knows how to do.

[Dog Biscuit]

popeyewhite said:

Women need more time and attempts to pass driving test.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/feb/14/gender....

Who'd a thunk it.

My beloved daughter took 5 attempts to pass her driving test.

I gave her our Panda 100hp as her first car. After 12 months it was covered in scrapes and kerbed wheels.

15 years later and she's slightly better. No accidents ever, but manages to scuff all four bumper corners and wheels.

She's exceptionally clever academically, but will always be a crap driver

[Roofless Toothless]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Onelastattempt said:

How did the phrase " don't teach me how to suck eggs " come about ?
I said it to my eldest granddaughter today and she just looked at me as if I was a total idiot , ( to be fair she does that a lot ) , and asked why the hell I would want to suck an egg.

It was a thing back in the days of our grandmothers. Hence the phrase.

It was a thing to make two small holes, one in either end of an egg, and blow (not suck) the contents out of the egg and then decorate the shell. Sort of like egg taxidermy. It was a skill that was so known that it was a case of "don't try to teach someone older than you a skill that everyone bloody knows like you invented it or something" which, let's face it, every generation does.

You could maybe say "Don't teach me how to log onto the internet" to your granddaughter.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Saturday 8th March 20:50

There is an episode of Montalbano where the famous Sicilian detective finds himself on a farm and is offered a bag of freshly laid eggs. He carefully makes a hole in one end of the shell and sucks the contents raw out of it. I have assumed ever since that this was a traditional way of eating eggs, one that there was no need to teach your grandmother to do.

All the other suggestions are very interesting though.

[trackdemon]

Dog Biscuit said:

My beloved daughter took 5 attempts to pass her driving test.

I gave her our Panda 100hp as her first car. After 12 months it was covered in scrapes and kerbed wheels.

15 years later and she's slightly better. No accidents ever, but manages to scuff all four bumper corners and wheels.

She's exceptionally clever academically, but will always be a crap driver

I wonder if she leaves a note on all the cars she's picked up the bumper scuffs from...

[Dog Biscuit]

trackdemon said:

Dog Biscuit said:

My beloved daughter took 5 attempts to pass her driving test.

I gave her our Panda 100hp as her first car. After 12 months it was covered in scrapes and kerbed wheels.

15 years later and she's slightly better. No accidents ever, but manages to scuff all four bumper corners and wheels.

She's exceptionally clever academically, but will always be a crap driver

I wonder if she leaves a note on all the cars she's picked up the bumper scuffs from...

They come from car park walls/posts generally

The last one was from a large rock face in Wales

[trackdemon]

Dog Biscuit said:

The last one was from a large rock face in Wales

[Rich Boy Spanner]

My wife is the same. I once asked her why the front bumper was hanging off and the bottom of the grill full of grass, and she had no idea. Same for the dent in a front wing and sidewall bulge in the tyre under it. Must be a dent or crease in every panel now. She also managed to reverse into the garage door. She said she didn't see the (large white) door that had been there for 20 years as she reversed on the driveway. That's why she drives an 18 year old car and isn't allowed to drive mine.

[Error_404_Username_not_found]

Chauffard said:

Like a lot of these things, it comes from nautical terminology.
The main masts have futtock shrouds which are are oval wooden blocks through which guide rigging runs, hence the egg name, to clear them of salt and lubricate them with tallow is called sucking, a laborious but essential task which is even the most junior seaman knows how to do.

You're thinking of "deadeyes" or "blocks". Futtocks (probably a corruption of foot-hooks) are a different thing entirely. So are shrouds, although both blocks and deadeyes are used for tensioning shrouds.
I've never heard of them being called eggs though; that's a new one on me but the greasing with tallow bit is plausible.

[Chauffard]

Error_404_Username_not_found said:

You're thinking of "deadeyes" or "blocks". Futtocks (probably a corruption of foot-hooks) are a different thing entirely. So are shrouds, although both blocks and deadeyes are used for tensioning shrouds.
I've never heard of them being called eggs though; that's a new one on me but the greasing with tallow bit is plausible.

Bless you Error, but I made it all up, I did learn though that futtocks are an actual thing in ship's rigging.

[Error_404_Username_not_found]

Parrot for 404!
Apols for the wooden ship geekery, and nicely spoofed.
They are indeed present on some sailing vessels masts, as support timbers in way of topmast shroud bases. Not necessary where no topmast or monkey island is present.
More usually, they are to be found as parts of the ship's hull framing.
Now; about that parrot...

[wiggy001]

StevieBee said:

A question related to this.....

If a criminal's house is burgled and what's burgled is what he stole, is he still entitled to the services of the police to track down the thief and if the thief is caught, would they be prosecuted? In other words, can you burgle a burglar and get away with it?

Obviously only theoretical as I'd doubt many burglars would report such a crime.

An honest citizen isn't entitled to the services of the police when burgled so what on earth makes you think a burglar would be?!

[Chauffard]

Error_404_Username_not_found said:

Parrot for 404!
Apols for the wooden ship geekery, and nicely spoofed.
They are indeed present on some sailing vessels masts, as support timbers in way of topmast shroud bases. Not necessary where no topmast or monkey island is present.
More usually, they are to be found as parts of the ship's hull framing.
Now; about that parrot...

On its way, a lovely Greenland Lorikeet.