Sideswipe: Does my bum look big in this?

Photo / Grant Southam

Back when Mt Albert was established, cars were small and so were garages. But no worries these days; if your car is a bit long ... she'll be right.

Pet narcissism

If you are thinking of adopting a dog, The Pedigree Adoption Drive has come up with a fantastic way to woo you. Their online project, Doggelganger, matches you with your dog doppelganger because dogs and their owners often look alike! Using what they call "human to canine pairing software", the slick site suggests which pooch you look most like and hopes the pairing will result in a few real-time adoptions. Check it out at www.doggelganger.co.nz.

Shampoo with a shudder

If the thought of placenta in a shampoo - such as one brand spotted at a value store in Westfield, St Lukes - makes you squeamish, perhaps you can draw some comfort from the claim that it's really just a marketing buzzword. "Placenta shampoo ... is popular primarily in Spanish-speaking countries," says Wisegeek.com. "Some people wonder if human placenta was used in the making of the shampoo. It's actually sheep placenta that is used in some brands of shampoo - it is generally believed that the protein from placentas may help coat the hair and make it appear shinier."

Tonic-water pirates

"Did you know that Schweppes Indian Tonic Water does not come from India at all but is pumped out of the ground in bulk form in the Middle East?" writes Robert Finley of Howick. "It is shipped to a refinery in Singapore or NZ, then piped, trucked or shipped to major distribution points and trucked to a store near you. It must be, because it costs more than bloody petrol. This week a 1.5 litre bottle at Countdown Highland Park cost $3.69! Who is making the coin here and why? This is outrageous piracy. And you all thought petrol was expensive!"

Thanks, Max

* "What an interesting piece of info from word expert Max Cryer," declares another reader. "It seems that some words are more easily pronounced by the use of metathesis. Now I am enlightened as to why the Mad Butcher always seems to say Manuwera instead of Manurewa. I sometimes get stuck on precipitation."

* David Smith from Te Atatu South writes: "Metathesis. Thanks to Max Cryer for putting a name to this Kiwi habit. Here's another flagrant example I noted on a sign next to McDonald's at the Auckland Airport domestic terminal: Hamner Springs."