The article reports on humorous anecdotes shared by readers in response to a previous column in the Herald's travel section. The key examples include unnecessary translations in phrasebooks, such as "At The Hairdressers" meaning "the water is too hot", and a woman jogging while holding an open laptop in public. Several individuals share witty observations about modern life, including a man who jokingly suggested renaming countries to sound more like companies, and another who joked about the absurdity of issuing a prescription for only six tablets. The article appears to be a collection of lighthearted opinions and humorous stories shared by readers in response to previous columns.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A series of humorous letters and anecdotes were published in the Sydney Morning Herald, featuring comments from readers on various topics.
No specific date or time was given for when these were published.
Peter Riley's theory that urine could be used as a potential alternative fuel source for electric vehicles, referred to as "vehicular urination," drew criticism from Col Burns of Lugarno, who warned that doing so would be "electrocuted."
Beverley Fine of Pagewood suggested that the world might eventually be renamed in a corporate fashion, with examples including Tentariff, States Of HormUS, and Costco Rica.
Eric Scott of Bondi Junction made a joke about renaming the Strait of Hormuz as "The Strait of Schrödinger" due to its seemingly contradictory status as both open and closed at the same time.
Geoff Gilligan of Coogee shared his frustration with unnecessary translations in phrasebooks, including one from a Greek phrasebook that translates "At The Hairdressers" as "The water is too hot, you are scalding me."
Paul Koff of Glenhaven observed a jogger carrying an open laptop while conversing on it, speculating whether she was working from home.
Written for “Hot Springs Controversy” on 2026-09-10,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 7469 · logged 2026-09-10
A writer in the Herald travel section, recently mentioned unnecessary translations in phrasebooks, such as ‘Help!’” notes Geoff Gilligan of Coogee.
asserted
Gilligan → mention → Coogee
“One of the most needless I can recall was from a Greek phrasebook.
asserted
I → recall → phrasebook
In the chapter, ‘At The Hairdressers’ was, ‘The water is too hot, you are scalding me.’
asserted
you → scald → me
That said, I don’t know if it can match, ‘My postilion has been struck by lightning’.
asserted
postilion → say → lightning
”
“The things one sees,” muses Paul Koff of Glenhaven.
asserted
Koff → see → Glenhaven
“I was taking a morning stroll when I spied a young lady jogging towards me.
asserted
I → take → me
Bedecked in designer lycra, she carried, in the crook of her arm, an open laptop, into which she was cheerfully conversing.
asserted
she → bedeck → which
Beverley Fine of Pagewood thinks the renaming of the world in the image of the US (C8) may take on a sometime corporate bearing and provides some excellent examples: Tentariff, States Of HormUS, Paypalgeria, RusCIA, Chile Dog and Costco Rica.
It’s a Strait flush, according to Eric Scott of Bondi Junction: “Since the Strait of Hormuz seems to be open and closed at the same time it can join the list of renamed locations as The Strait of Schrödinger.”
“Moving to the St George district to escape dragonflies is not advisable (C8),” says Sean Lenehan of Kogarah.
uncertain
Lenehan → think → Kogarah
“On Saturday, my wife called me out to the backyard where there was a swarm of them and on Sunday I encountered them on the 5th hole at Bexley Golf Course.
asserted
I → call → Course
I blamed them for my woeful round.”
asserted
I → blame → round
“Speaking of tablets (C8), at lunch the other day, a retired doctor related this story,” says Edward Loong of Milson Point.
asserted
Loong → speak → Point
“An ailing elderly patient, advised by his doctor that he will need to take certain tablets daily for the rest of his life, is then issued with a prescription – for six tablets!
asserted
he → ail → tablets
Regarding Peter Riley’s theory (C8) on gaining a possible green light for vehicular urination, Col Burns of Lugarno warns: “Should Peter take relief on the driver’s side rear wheel on an EV, he will be prosecuted [or electrocuted – Granny].
asserted
he → regard → EV
Andrew Taubman of Queens Park adds: “While in the army in World War II, Spike Milligan used to wonder why men would pee on their truck’s wheels, when they had the whole of North Africa to pee on.”
asserted
they → add → Africa
