Column 8

Avid Eddie of Berkeley Vale is truly in his element when he says: "The SMH article 'Heating Up' stated that the temperature at Cape Jessup, the world's most northerly weather station, was about 35 degrees above normal. Looks like we're closing in on the day we can 'sell ice to the eskimos' ".

"Like Ron Elphick, I, too, spent much of my working life around hot metal and never came across the term lead overshoes (C8)," writes David Atherfold of Avalon Beach. "I am, however, very familiar with other fascinating printing industry terminology: Type lice, hammering of the stones, father of the chapel and printer's devil are just a few that spring to mind." Clearly a denizen of the wayzgoose, Allan Gibson of Cherrybrook asks: "Did Ron Elphick ever hold the position as the printer's devil or was he more a cold type rather than a hot type?" It's in the fine print.

Don Bain of Port Macquarie says: "In a local women's clothing shop is a sign that reads 'Fleece from $29.95'. A directive to staff?" Hopefully they didn't pull the wool over your eyes, Don.

"It may surprise Steve Cornelius to learn that movies aren't shot in real time (C8)," says Brian Himsley of Glenbrook (NZ). "Getting their lines wrong is no problem. The director will simply call for another take, or do a 'pick-up'. To cover any obvious jump cut, a few seconds of a moody close-up 'cutaway' of the person they're talking to will be inserted in post-production. Count them in the next movie you watch. You will be surprised. So a great memory is not a prerequisite for being a good actor. That's why most of them desperately need those notes for a 60-second Oscars acceptance speech." Keith Ridler-Dutton of Killara's theory is a little more trenchant: "It gives them something to do with their hands."

Dr Jack Dikian of Mosman writes: "Sometimes I think the move towards gender neutral toilets mightn't be a bad idea. At a cafe in Mosman, the signs on the toilet doors are really very basic — a graphic showing a toilet seat up and the other down. Go figure."

We're starting to think the various IBM interpretations (C8) have no end, so to finish, it's over to John Chapman of Guildford – "It's a Bloody Mess", Dave Horsfall of North Gosford – "Instant Befuddled Mind" and Geoff Gordon of Cronulla – "It's Better Manually". Thanks all, It's Been Marvellous.