The word is....

I know absentgrana, but at least it made everyone in the meeting laugh when I said it!
I also remember one meeting when we were told to keep shoulders to the wheel, noses to the grindstone, ears to the ground and heads below the parapet. I am still trying.

Mamie The envelope that is so often pushed by politicians and other users of endless clichés has never been stationery. If you think about it, why on earth would you push a paper envelope and what would you expect to achieve? It's actually a piece of slang to do with aerodynamics – although one wonders if politicians and other users of endless clichés are aware of that.

When my DS was v.small we were going up an escalator and he asked what would would happen if you couldn't find a dog. I couldn't begin to understand what he meant and asked him to explain. He pointed to the sign that stated "dogs must be carried"

Hah Ha..that reminds me of the horrified look on my daughter's face when I was on the phone hearing news of a new cousin and I said 'Oh@, Clare with no i'

To save any misunderstanding, this was an actual road sign on a road that had just been re-surfaced!!

I like "cats eyes removed". (The poor things!)

I liked the one outside Birmingham that said, ' to Pink Green only' honest!

Or 'Slow old people crossing'.
The best sign is on the M62 and just says 'Do not throw stones at this sign'.

Bags - I am glad even the 'natives' find the 'heavy plant crossing' funny. Imagine what it feels like for a 'furiner' who is new to the language though

I also like the instruction that used to be on jar lids
'Pierce with pin and push off!' where to?

yes, nag, or the ents in Lord of the Rings.

Heavy Plant Crossing is one of my favourites too, jura. I always imagine trees shuffling across the road. One of them stops and holds up a crossing lollipop until all the wee saplings are safely over

Heavy Plant Crossing always makes me think of triffids...

The other one was at our local garage, and my French students always wanted to have their picture taken behind it 'Air con £60' - they would make stupid faces and say they could have it for free (avoir l'air con = looking stupid (the actual word meaning 'twit' with a vowel change!!).

Never heard of it?

Is 'fed up' slang?

The sign 'get off the grass' always made my foreign students laugh (as they idea of 'grass' was slightly different.

My favourite English signs as a newcomer to the UK were:

'Heavy plant crossing'. I always joked that on April Fools day I'd dress up as a big plant and jump onto the road by that sign. But never dared!

The other ones which made me laugh were opposite each other on the A3 down to Guildford. 'soft verge' (verge in French is the popular name for the male member), and on the other side, a business selling sheds with a big 'free erection'.

Sorry

You are quite right about 'off of' - a very strange use which I had never heard of until we moved to Kent. I don't think anyone here has suggested using it.

As "fed up" is slang, can there be a correct form? Just asking...

Wonderful, nanaej!

'of' should not be used after bored or off!

I am bored of this music I am bored with /by this music

Get off of the grass Get off the grass

'of' is a preposition it can tell you where something /someone is from as in I am Bored of the Music and this is my friend Lord of the Manor!

Can you get Off of The Grass to play in the concert? etc etc!

Oh, good, I can honestly say I am never bored - even when I have a long wait at airports I always have a book of sudoku with me. My problem is finding time each day to do all the enjoyable things available to me. I used to be bored when I was married because my ex used to get tetchy if I wanted to read or listen to Radio 4. I had to make conversation with him, usually about his hobbies.

Or, if you are either of those dreadful things, not to mention it. Actually, I do think it's in bad taste to say you're bored, and even worse to say something is boring.

The thing is never to be bored or fed up and avoid the problem .