A short haibun of the
moment.
Stump
rings
By Robert Kingston
As a child, I'd often hear the term plank or planks. Dad being a good all
rounder in the building trades would often speak of them.
As I grew older I became aware that the words were sometimes used in a less
than complementary term of speech between people. Sometimes humorous, sometimes
more serious; generally directed towards apprentices or those a little slow on
the uptake:
test and trace
they say they can govern
the pings
Copyright
Robert Kingston
As always, thought provoking. Plank a good word for somebody slow on the uptake. Like me...
ReplyDeleteHe can't control his hair let alone "the pings" he must think we are all planks. I seem to remember a comedy sketch called "The Plank" Norman Wisdom and one other. Reminds me of this current mob. More like a "pong" than a "ping". I trust you haven't been pinged yet Rob !!
ReplyDeleteNorman wasn't in it! Erik Sykes, Tommy Cooper, Jimmy Edwards, Stratford Johns, & Roy Castle:
DeleteThe Plank: Directed by Eric Sykes. Classic British comedy, full of stars, about two workmen delivering planks to a building site. This is done with music and a sort of "wordless dialogue" which consists of a few mumbled sounds to convey the appropriate emotion.