Sideswipe: Downbeat marketing

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"Do real estate agents just like to pluck a one-liner out of the air, without any regard for its context?" asks a reader from New Windsor. "It used to be 'Pandora's Box' - which according to Greek mythology contained all the evils of the world, not a 'surprising number of great features'. Now it's The Lovely Bones, which is a very dark tale (a book and a film) and really has nothing to do with sturdy construction."

Recession bonding

Britain's recession has sparked a level of neighbourly comradeship not seen since WWII, it is claimed. In a recent study 40 per cent of those polled said they now regularly chatted to their neighbours over the garden fence about how the recession had affected them. And one in 10 said they'd made new friends as a result of recession bonding. (Source: Newslite.tv)

Roving letterbox

Claire wonders if any readers recognise this letterbox? "It has been left on an unused grass verge in Greenbank Drive, St Johns, which backs on to the Remuera Golf Course. Looks like it could have been left there as a joke but it's been there for two weeks now ... anyone want their letterbox back?"

As a 4-year-old sees it

A reader writes: "A friend told me today her nephew, who is 4 years old, is usually read a story at daycare by the teacher who is a bit chubby. She cuddles him while reading the story. She was off sick one day so her fill-in, who is very thin, read him the story. He asked the new teacher: 'Do you have boobies?' The woman was a little embarrassed, but told him, "of course I do!" and the kid answered: 'So please can you bring them with you tomorrow?'"

Wising up on liquor laws

Peter writes: "Ann's comments that Trade Me has double standards about selling alcohol show she obviously hasn't read the rules, or is unaware of the Sale of Liquor Act. To sell alcohol to the public for consumption, you need a licence. For auctions, where the alcohol will be consumed 'off-premises' you need an off-licence or possibly a special licence. Even if you're just selling one bottle, if it's alcohol, you need a licence. Trade Me is just upholding the law. Those selling alcohol on Trade Me presumably have presented their licence to Trade Me for verification."

Word muddles

Word expert Max Cryer writes: "'Whakawerawera' is an example of a very noticeable characteristic in New Zealand English. It is called 'metathesis' - the turning back-to-front of the middle of a word. Other very frequent examples are vunlerable ( for vulnerable), aks ( for ask), eck-cetera ( for et cetera), progidies (for prodigies), [and] anenomes (for anemones)."