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Groups > alt.usage.english > #577180

Re: What animals need oiling?

From charles <charles@candehope.me.uk>
Newsgroups alt.usage.english
Subject Re: What animals need oiling?
Date 2015-12-26 14:13 +0000
Organization None
Message-ID <5538102905charles@candehope.me.uk> (permalink)
References (3 earlier) <6067cdab-6c17-4208-b2a9-6f45743e4300@googlegroups.com> <5i5s7b1rehqrcjh0oocga2h2k6jc6aj2u2@4ax.com> <38fb9351-f9dd-49d8-834f-0bf04ff64140@googlegroups.com> <MPG.30e886d02a906e59945@news.individual.net> <e5106ae2-f4a9-4969-bd06-7265d0142255@googlegroups.com>

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In article <e5106ae2-f4a9-4969-bd06-7265d0142255@googlegroups.com>, Peter
T. Daniels <grammatim@verizon.net> wrote:
> On Saturday, December 26, 2015 at 6:14:02 AM UTC-5, Janet wrote:
> > In article <38fb9351-f9dd-49d8-834f-0bf04ff64140@googlegroups.com>,
> > benlizro@ihug.co.nz says...
> > > On Saturday, December 26, 2015 at 5:26:22 PM UTC+13, Tony Cooper
> > > wrote:
> > > > >On Friday, December 25, 2015 at 7:04:55 PM UTC-8, Peter T. Daniels
> > > > >wrote:
> > > > >> On Friday, December 25, 2015 at 7:52:57 PM UTC-5, Peter Moylan
> > > > >> wrote:
>  
> > > > >> > Do all English-speaking countries have the tradition of corny
> > > > >> > jokes inside the cracker? The ones we had yesterday were
> > > > >> > scraping the bottom of the barrel. Nobody even bothered
> > > > >> > groaning. I suppose the merely bad jokes had been used up in
> > > > >> > previous years.
> > > > >> The US doesn't  have "crackers," so _a fortiori_ it doesn't have
> > > > >> corny jokes inside them. (Nor in fortune cookies, the other
> > > > >> locus for little printed slips of paper.)
> > > > Crackers never, to my knowledge, crossed the pond.  I don't think
> > > > I've ever seen them for sale here. 
> > > Um, they managed to cross the pond to Canada, on the experience of my
> > > youth. I don't see wny they shouldn't have been popular south of the
> > > border, where hand-held explosive devices are positively cherished. 
> > 
> >  :-)  For those who have never experienced the joy of crackers, usual 
> > practise is to lay one at each place at the Christmas dinner table.
> > They are seized by two people and pulled in half, detonating a small
> > explosive device with a loud bang; out falls a rolled up paper hat, a
> > terrible joke or riddle, and  a couple of small toys or gadgets. The
> > hat is worn throughout the meal. The jokes and riddles are told round
> > the table.

> Ah, that would explain why everyone on the Christmas episode of
> *Vicious*, rebroadcast last night, was wearning a stupid cap while they
> ate their tiny dinner sandwiches ("rounds" were not mentioned).
>  
> From the literature, however, I never got the impression that "Christmas
> crackers" were edible -- they seemed to be something that was pulled at
> from both ends, made a loud snap, and a bit of paper fell out and a toy.

> If there's an actual explosive -- like the caps of a cap pistol -- and
> it's a comestible, isn't there a rather large possibility of a child
> ingesting some gunpowder? Hm, anything to do with the myth that boarding
> schools put saltpeter in the food to tame the boys' randy urges?

You are confusing the two different meanings of the word "cracker".  The
Christmas one is NOT a comestible.

> >       In my childhood, crackers held far more exciting toys; sea shells
> > which which when dropped in your water glass, opened, grew, and
> > blossomed into a beautiful flower. Or indoor fireworks to be ignited at
> > the dining table with satisfyingly incendiary or loud results.

> So were Christmas fires an expected phenomenon?

-- 
Please note new email address:
charles@CandEhope.me.uk

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Thread

What animals need oiling? Harrison Hill <harrisonhill2345@gmail.com> - 2015-12-25 05:48 -0800
  Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> - 2015-12-26 11:52 +1100
    Re: What animals need oiling? Jack Campin <bogus@purr.demon.co.uk> - 2015-12-26 01:03 +0000
    Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@verizon.net> - 2015-12-25 19:04 -0800
      Re: What animals need oiling? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-12-25 20:15 -0800
        Re: What animals need oiling? Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2015-12-25 23:26 -0500
          Re: What animals need oiling? Ross <benlizro@ihug.co.nz> - 2015-12-25 23:14 -0800
            Re: What animals need oiling? Janet <nobody@home.org> - 2015-12-26 11:13 +0000
              Re: What animals need oiling? charles <charles@candehope.me.uk> - 2015-12-26 11:55 +0000
              Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@verizon.net> - 2015-12-26 05:38 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? charles <charles@candehope.me.uk> - 2015-12-26 14:13 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@verizon.net> - 2015-12-26 06:48 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? charles <charles@candehope.me.uk> - 2015-12-26 15:28 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Katy Jennison <katy@spamtrap.kjennison.com> - 2015-12-26 15:45 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? charles <charles@candehope.me.uk> - 2015-12-26 15:55 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Paul Wolff <bounceme@two.wolff.co.uk> - 2015-12-27 10:35 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> - 2015-12-29 11:41 +1100
                Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter Duncanson [BrE]" <mail@peterduncanson.net> - 2015-12-29 12:28 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-02 14:29 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> - 2016-01-03 10:15 +1100
                Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-04 11:04 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Harrison Hill <harrisonhill2345@gmail.com> - 2015-12-26 08:08 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? charles <charles@candehope.me.uk> - 2015-12-26 16:41 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2015-12-28 00:36 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Janet <nobody@home.org> - 2015-12-28 12:03 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? snidely.too@gmail.com - 2015-12-28 12:00 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> - 2015-12-29 11:49 +1100
                Re: What animals need oiling? RH Draney <dadoctah@cox.net> - 2015-12-26 19:00 -0700
                Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> - 2015-12-29 11:38 +1100
            Re: What animals need oiling? Athel Cornish-Bowden <acornish@imm.cnrs.fr> - 2015-12-26 12:19 +0100
          Re: What animals need oiling? Cheryl <cperkins@mun.ca> - 2015-12-26 07:07 -0330
            Re: What animals need oiling? msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) - 2015-12-26 16:52 -0600
              Re: What animals need oiling? Athel Cornish-Bowden <acornish@imm.cnrs.fr> - 2015-12-27 12:55 +0100
          Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-02 14:27 +0000
            Re: What animals need oiling? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2016-01-02 09:49 -0800
              Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter Duncanson [BrE]" <mail@peterduncanson.net> - 2016-01-02 18:17 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2016-01-02 10:50 -0800
              Re: What animals need oiling? Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2016-01-02 14:17 -0500
                Re: What animals need oiling? Charles Bishop <ctbishop@earthlink.net> - 2016-01-02 15:41 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-04 11:03 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? RH Draney <dadoctah@cox.net> - 2016-01-04 04:58 -0700
                Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-04 13:18 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman@yahoo.com> - 2016-01-04 08:46 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Janet <nobody@home.org> - 2016-01-04 17:40 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2016-01-04 23:30 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-05 10:44 +0000
            Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> - 2016-01-03 10:17 +1100
              Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-04 11:04 +0000
        Re: What animals need oiling? pensive hamster <pensive_hamster@hotmail.co.uk> - 2015-12-27 06:47 -0800
          Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Young <pnyoung@ormail.co.uk> - 2015-12-27 16:16 +0000
            Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> - 2015-12-29 11:58 +1100
              Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@verizon.net> - 2015-12-28 20:18 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> - 2015-12-29 20:16 +1100
                Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@verizon.net> - 2015-12-29 06:57 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Richard Bollard <richardb@spamt.edu.au> - 2016-01-05 08:43 +1100
                Re: What animals need oiling? richard@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Richard Tobin) - 2015-12-29 15:33 +0000
              Re: What animals need oiling? Charles Bishop <ctbishop@earthlink.net> - 2015-12-29 19:24 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? bill van <billvan@delete.shaw.ca> - 2015-12-29 20:57 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Charles Bishop <ctbishop@earthlink.net> - 2015-12-30 10:29 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> - 2015-12-31 12:08 +1100
                Re: What animals need oiling? Charles Bishop <ctbishop@earthlink.net> - 2015-12-30 18:18 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? CDB <bellemarecd@gmail.com> - 2015-12-31 08:32 -0500
                Re: What animals need oiling? Richard Bollard <richardb@spamt.edu.au> - 2016-01-05 09:21 +1100
                Re: What animals need oiling? CDB <bellemarecd@gmail.com> - 2016-01-04 20:44 -0500
                Re: What animals need oiling? ErrolC <Errolgc@hotmail.com> - 2016-01-06 00:52 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? CDB <bellemarecd@gmail.com> - 2016-01-06 16:30 -0500
      Re: What animals need oiling? bill van <billvan@delete.shaw.ca> - 2015-12-26 00:09 -0800
    Re: What animals need oiling? Katy Jennison <katy@spamtrap.kjennison.com> - 2015-12-26 09:54 +0000
    Re: What animals need oiling? "Mr Macaw" <no@spam.com> - 2015-12-26 16:35 +0000
  Re: What animals need oiling? Dingbat <ranjit_mathews@yahoo.com> - 2015-12-26 00:10 -0800
    Re: What animals need oiling? Harrison Hill <harrisonhill2345@gmail.com> - 2015-12-26 01:11 -0800
      Re: What animals need oiling? Katy Jennison <katy@spamtrap.kjennison.com> - 2015-12-26 12:16 +0000
        Re: What animals need oiling? Harrison Hill <harrisonhill2345@gmail.com> - 2015-12-26 06:51 -0800
          Re: What animals need oiling? Katy Jennison <katy@spamtrap.kjennison.com> - 2015-12-26 15:27 +0000
            Re: What animals need oiling? charles <charles@candehope.me.uk> - 2015-12-26 15:31 +0000
              Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@verizon.net> - 2015-12-26 12:03 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Harrison Hill <harrisonhill2345@gmail.com> - 2015-12-26 14:14 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> - 2015-12-26 23:31 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Richard Bollard <richardb@spamt.edu.au> - 2016-01-05 09:23 +1100
                Re: What animals need oiling? Katy Jennison <katy@spamtrap.kjennison.com> - 2016-01-05 17:26 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2016-01-05 13:41 -0500
                Re: What animals need oiling? the Omrud <usenet.omrud@gmail.com> - 2016-01-05 18:46 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Janet <nobody@home.org> - 2016-01-05 19:40 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter Duncanson [BrE]" <mail@peterduncanson.net> - 2016-01-05 22:35 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Katy Jennison <katy@spamtrap.kjennison.com> - 2016-01-05 21:47 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2016-01-05 23:44 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2016-01-05 23:47 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-06 13:48 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Katy Jennison <katy@spamtrap.kjennison.com> - 2016-01-06 16:19 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-07 09:12 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Katy Jennison <katy@spamtrap.kjennison.com> - 2015-12-26 22:20 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? GordonD <g.davie@btinternet.com> - 2015-12-27 10:51 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-04 10:53 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Richard Bollard <richardb@spamt.edu.au> - 2016-01-05 09:24 +1100
                Re: What animals need oiling? Robin Bignall <docrobin@ntlworld.com> - 2016-01-04 22:51 +0000
            Re: What animals need oiling? Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2015-12-26 10:43 -0500
              Re: What animals need oiling? Katy Jennison <katy@spamtrap.kjennison.com> - 2015-12-26 19:21 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2015-12-26 15:38 -0500
                Re: What animals need oiling? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-12-26 13:19 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman@yahoo.com> - 2015-12-27 09:10 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2015-12-27 12:17 -0500
                Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter Duncanson [BrE]" <mail@peterduncanson.net> - 2015-12-27 18:12 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> - 2015-12-27 18:15 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? RH Draney <dadoctah@cox.net> - 2015-12-27 14:01 -0700
                Re: What animals need oiling? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-12-27 13:14 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? pensive hamster <pensive_hamster@hotmail.co.uk> - 2015-12-27 17:42 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-12-28 02:24 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter Duncanson [BrE]" <mail@peterduncanson.net> - 2015-12-28 10:54 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Janet <nobody@home.org> - 2015-12-28 11:53 +0000
              Re: What animals need oiling? "John Varela" <newlamps@verizon.net> - 2015-12-27 00:28 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> - 2015-12-29 12:04 +1100
                Re: What animals need oiling? Jack Campin <bogus@purr.demon.co.uk> - 2015-12-29 01:43 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? RH Draney <dadoctah@cox.net> - 2015-12-28 20:44 -0700
                Re: What animals need oiling? Bertel Lund Hansen <gadekryds@lundhansen.dk> - 2015-12-29 09:28 +0100
                Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-04 13:17 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? snidely.too@gmail.com - 2015-12-28 18:03 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? "John Varela" <newlamps@verizon.net> - 2015-12-29 21:47 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? GordonD <g.davie@btinternet.com> - 2015-12-31 09:53 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-12-30 16:43 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> - 2015-12-30 13:13 -0500
                Re: What animals need oiling? nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2015-12-29 14:16 +0100
                Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@verizon.net> - 2015-12-29 07:00 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Cheryl <cperkins@mun.ca> - 2015-12-29 11:37 -0330
                Re: What animals need oiling? nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2015-12-29 21:41 +0100
                Re: What animals need oiling? Charles Bishop <ctbishop@earthlink.net> - 2015-12-29 19:21 -0800
          Re: What animals need oiling? charles <charles@candehope.me.uk> - 2015-12-26 15:28 +0000
          Re: What animals need oiling? CDB <bellemarecd@gmail.com> - 2015-12-26 10:31 -0500
            Re: What animals need oiling? Harrison Hill <harrisonhill2345@gmail.com> - 2015-12-26 11:33 -0800
              Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@verizon.net> - 2015-12-26 12:05 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-12-26 12:20 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@verizon.net> - 2015-12-26 12:44 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Dingbat <ranjit_mathews@yahoo.com> - 2015-12-27 23:54 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2015-12-28 14:22 +0100
                Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@verizon.net> - 2015-12-28 06:20 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2015-12-28 18:49 +0100
                Re: What animals need oiling? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-12-28 10:29 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman@yahoo.com> - 2015-12-29 10:42 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2015-12-29 11:03 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? Athel Cornish-Bowden <acornish@imm.cnrs.fr> - 2015-12-30 19:22 +0100
                Re: What animals need oiling? Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman@yahoo.com> - 2015-12-31 07:19 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter Duncanson [BrE]" <mail@peterduncanson.net> - 2015-12-29 20:00 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman@yahoo.com> - 2015-12-31 07:16 -0800
                Re: What animals need oiling? msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) - 2016-01-01 23:22 -0600
                Re: What animals need oiling? musika <mUs1Ka@NOSPAMexcite.com> - 2015-12-29 21:14 +0000
                Re: What animals need oiling? Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> - 2015-12-29 12:08 +1100
                Re: What animals need oiling? nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2015-12-29 14:16 +0100
                Re: What animals need oiling? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2016-01-04 10:56 +0000
              Re: What animals need oiling? RH Draney <dadoctah@cox.net> - 2015-12-26 19:03 -0700
  Re: What animals need oiling? Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2015-12-28 00:21 -0800
    Re: What animals need oiling? Harrison Hill <harrisonhill2345@gmail.com> - 2015-12-28 12:30 -0800
      Re: What animals need oiling? pensive hamster <pensive_hamster@hotmail.co.uk> - 2015-12-28 15:52 -0800
        Re: What animals need oiling? "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@verizon.net> - 2015-12-28 20:13 -0800
          Re: What animals need oiling? pensive hamster <pensive_hamster@hotmail.co.uk> - 2015-12-30 11:31 -0800
        Re: What animals need oiling? Janet <nobody@home.org> - 2015-12-29 12:11 +0000
          Re: What animals need oiling? pensive hamster <pensive_hamster@hotmail.co.uk> - 2015-12-29 08:11 -0800
  Re: What animals need oiling? grabber <gr@bb.er> - 2015-12-28 10:09 +0000

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