Give it a couple shakes… June 18, 2009
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.trackback
Maybe it’s because I’m not quite awake yet, having worked late last night to get a good chunk of my e-learning modules finished (only 2200 words to go, so I’ll be finished with it today – YAY!), but this morning’s Adam@Home made me chuckle enough to want to share it with you all. The backstory is that he and the kids are cleaning out the basement this summer. There have been lots of jokes about procrastination, etc. I think you’ll see why I thought this one was worth sharing. I think I have a typewriter in my basement too. I’ll be sure to give it a couple shakes…
Musings from an overworked translator 
True story: my son came to me one day, and asked me: “Dad, you know those keyboards they used to have, where instead of a screen stamps would press ink onto a piece of paper? What were they called again?”
Oh that’s precious, Ryan. I can still remember the purple/blue ink of the mimeographs from tests at school. I remember some kids liked to sniff them to get a buzz (not me of course – I was a bit of a square). Ah, technology and progress are good!
Just found this link: http://glasspetalsmoke.blogspot.com/2007/07/perfume-of-mimeographs.html I love Bill Bryson! If you all haven’t read his stuff I recommend you run right out and get one of his books out of the library.
Ah yes, I remember the aromatic purple print of tests and notices in primary (grade, elementary) school. The word “mimeograph” was new to me, though, so that’s something I’ve learned today! In Britain the machine was known as a duplicator or a Gestetner (machine).