So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[HudsonHawk]

According to my mother, curtains cover the window, drapes cover the wall. In other words, if they go from the top of the window to just below the bottom of the window, they are "curtains". If they go from ceiling all the way to the floor, they are called "drapes". If they hang somewhere in between...well, that's just tacky. I have no idea how correct or common that usage may be.

 

[Hercule]

To me curtains are simple every day, translucent, usually white cotton, or similar type window treatments whereas drapes are made from heavier and probably longer material used primarily to block out light and drafts. It's been interesting to read everybody's take on this. In the end I suppose it's all a matter of how you were brought up as to which is which.

 

[sheeplady]

I don't think I've ever used the term drapes in my life.

On the other hand, I use both sofa and couch interchangeably.

 

[swanson_eyes]

Trivial:
Is it just me but it feels like it was just a while ago I was reading about a
young couple who thought it best telling a little kid that there is no Santa.

My how time flies !

I refuse to even buy so much as a candy cane before Thanksgiving. I even bought a fall wreath today.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

As for the throne room....being in the trade I've heard just about every name for it conceivable.

You mean The Contemplation Chamber?

 

[staggerwing]

Silly phraseology -

At a nice restaurant with my wife, waiter asks "How's it tastin' guys?" My reply usually invokes my wife's wrath, but I just can't help myself, "Gee, I don't know how it's "tastin" anything, seeing as its tongue is probably in a can of Alpo."

Or at the coffee place - "Do you want room?" Room to do what? What the heck is wrong with "Is everything okay?" or "Do you want cream with that?"

 

[dh66]

You mean The Contemplation Chamber?

The fortress of solitude.

 

[GHT]

Silly phraseology - "Do you want room?"

That's a new one on me, best answer would be, "Room? No we'll just go at it on the table, and you can film us."

 

[LizzieMaine]

Or at the coffee place - "Do you want room?" Room to do what? What the heck is wrong with "Is everything okay?" or "Do you want cream with that?"

I can't even begin to fathom what "Do you want room?" means, or how it's derived, in that context. I don't go to coffee places, but I didn't realize they spoke a meaningless tongue in them.

 

[swanson_eyes]

Room for cream or filled to the top. I've been hearing that phrase for 20 years.

 

[2jakes]

So trivial...yet it really ticks me off

 

[tonyb]

Room for cream or filled to the top. I've been hearing that phrase for 20 years.

I've heard it said on hundreds if not thousands of occasions. I'm confident the usage predates me.

 

[Stearmen]

The fortress of solitude.

We call it "The Roses Room" for obvious olfactory reasons!

 

[Zombie_61]

Room for cream or filled to the top. I've been hearing that phrase for 20 years.

Thank you! I've never heard "Do you want room?" used in that context either, so it stumped me as well. And I'm a coffee drinker!

 

[Trenchfriend]

Aaah, got it!

"Do you want room?

No, super-size me!!"

 

[Hercule]

So trivial...yet it really ticks me off

I ABSOLUTELY HATE that phrase! Your bad what?

 

[swanson_eyes]

Thank you! I've never heard "Do you want room?" used in that context either, so it stumped me as well. And I'm a coffee drinker!

Now that I think about it, the phrase was always ended with "...for cream?" And that's what I say to people also.

 

[Zombie_61]

Now that I think about it, the phrase was always ended with "...for cream?" And that's what I say to people also.

Now that I think about it, I've probably never been asked because I normally order "Coffee; lots of cream." Except on those rare occasions when I stop into Starbucks or Coffee Bean--they invariably ask, "Would you like more foam?", and my response is, "No, I'd like more coffee."

 

[GHT]

Coffee & Americans, an observation. On my many travels in The States, I have never come across a diner/eaterie/coffee house where every single cup of coffee is made fresh, perhaps I've just been unlucky. A pot of coffee is made, then left on the hot plate and served to guests until it's empty, only then is a fresh brew of coffee made to replenish the pot. If you are unlucky enough to get the last cup that's been on the hot plate for more than an hour, it will taste like liquorice, just disgusting. I have complained, and in fairness, the waiter has always served up fresh coffee......gratis. The English accent probably helps.

When entering through immigration, the rules on bringing in any food stuff is really tough. The flight attendant on the plane will tell passengers to leave all uneaten sandwiches, fruit and anything else on the plane. Bearing in mind the above tale about coffee, I took the risk of bringing in my favourite blend. It's a Kenyan variety called Peaberry. In order to get past the Officials, I hid the bag inside The French Press that I had also brought along. The bag went through the x-ray scanner, then they put it through again, unable to work out what it was inside The French Press, they opened the bag. The Officer asked me what it was, "Coffee," I said as innocently as I could. He took the coffee out, opened the bag, sniffed cautiously inside, smiled and said: "Man, that is seriously good coffee," and let me keep it. So that was one day when I really wasn't that ticked off, although, up to then, all the hoops that we had to jump through, and the time it had taken to clear the plane load of passengers, had me at boiling point.

 

[2jakes]

Coffee & Americans, an observation. On my many travels in The States, I have never come across a diner/eaterie/coffee house where every single cup of coffee is made fresh, perhaps I've just been unlucky. A pot of coffee is made, then left on the hot plate and served to guests until it's empty, only then is a fresh brew of coffee made to replenish the pot. If you are unlucky enough to get the last cup that's been on the hot plate for more than an hour, it will taste like liquorice, just disgusting. I have complained, and in fairness, the waiter has always served up fresh coffee......gratis. The English accent probably helps.

When entering through immigration, the rules on bringing in any food stuff is really tough. The flight attendant on the plane will tell passengers to leave all uneaten sandwiches, fruit and anything else on the plane. Bearing in mind the above tale about coffee, I took the risk of bringing in my favourite blend. It's a Kenyan variety called Peaberry. In order to get past the Officials, I hid the bag inside The French Press that I had also brought along. The bag went through the x-ray scanner, then they put it through again, unable to work out what it was inside The French Press, they opened the bag. The Officer asked me what it was, "Coffee," I said as innocently as I could. He took the coffee out, opened the bag, sniffed cautiously inside, smiled and said: "Man, that is seriously good coffee," and let me keep it. So that was one day when I really wasn't that ticked off, although, up to then, all the hoops that we had to jump through, and the time it had taken to clear the plane load of passengers, had me at boiling point.

I can relate to what you are saying.
On my several visits to Europe, specifically to several counties or provinces mostly ending in shire. I have never come across a diner/eaterie/tea/coffee house
where every single cup of tea is made fresh, perhaps I’ve just been unlucky too.