Sideswipe: Red light nesting

Photo / Supplied

A thrush has made its home in the lights outside St Kevin's Arcade off Karangahape Rd. "Must like the sound of the pedestrian buzzer and the nightlife," says a reader.

Fun with words

Tony Miller of Takanini says it's comforting to know a sense of humour is alive and well in the public service. "In the latest Prescriber Update - an information service for GPs - an article warns of the dangers of patients using a range of herbal products that may be adulterated with quantities of prescription medicines usually found as the active ingredient in Viagra or Cialis. Therefore, it must have been tongue in cheek when the author came to heading the article 'Adulterated erectile dysfunction products on the rise in New Zealand'. The talents of this wordsmith are being wasted in writing technical copy relating to medicines."

Drunken revellers in for a shock

Tired of having his property urinated upon by drunken revellers, Irish shopkeeper John O'Connor decided to wire up an electric current to the pavement outside. He said he could no longer put up with his premises being used as an outdoor toilet by a steady stream of late-night partygoers. "If anybody persists and continues with the anti-social behaviour they'll know all about it," he warned.

Classified hilarity

Ad spotted in the Classifieds:

GOLD FISH: Needs good home. Is irritable but enjoys TV, $2.

(Source: Criggo.com)

The Oxford explains all

New words in the Oxford American Dictionary:

* BFF n. informal, a girl's best friend: my BFF's boyfriend is cheating on her. (1996: from the initial letters of best friend forever).
* bromance n. informal, a close but non-sexual relationship between two men. (blend of brother and romance).
* LMAO abbr. vulgar slang, laughing my arse off.
* TTYL abbr. informal, talk to you later: Anyway, gotta run now! TTYL.
* unfriend v. informal, remove (someone) from a list of friends or contacts on a social networking site: she broke up with her boyfriend, but she hasn't unfriended him.
* Tweet - a posting made on the social networking site Twitter.

Webb Ellis Cup goes public

Robert Park writes: "In the 80s when I was working part-time in a tobacconist and newspaper/magazine shop, the owner of the shop was the son of a high-ranking rugby union board member. After the All Blacks won the World Cup in 1987, we were allowed to have the cup in store for about a week. No burly bodyguards or high security, it just sat on the shop counter for all to see and touch ..."

Billboard set for take-off

A commentator named Ant on Geekzone.co.nz reckons tireless campaigning is one thing ... "Muppet of the night award goes to the guy towing the enormous 'Tenby Powell for Council' mobile billboard in Herne Bay. Mate, what on earth made you think that towing a big, tall billboard on one of the windiest nights for ages was a good idea?"

Today's Webpick: Great clip from the 1986 The Benson and Hedges Fashion Design Awards (feat. Bob Parker and a teen Rach Hunter) plus, the new Ok Go music video. Go here and discuss.

Follow Ana Samways on Twitter.