I read what was supposed to be a funny story the other day: a couple was at a checkout counter, and the clerk asked where they were from. The wife said, "Florida; we're Tampans". The husband had to turn away, and the clerk turned red.

After a minute's thought, I decided that they must have felt there was a reference to the feminine hygiene product. My question(s): am I correct in thinking that the word for denizens of that city is pronounced TAM-puns; and is there anyone out there who says the product that way? Here, it is pronounced TAM-pons; almost TAMP-ons. On, here, being pronounced as a syllable exactly the same way as the word; not un. Also, for the product, the TAM is held for a couple of beats before adding the second syllable, whereas the denizen name would be said with equal time for both syllables. Point being: I would never have confused Tampans with tampons: is it just me?

I would never have confused Tampans with tampons

I'm sure millions of local residents are breathing a collective sigh of relief.

'Can't say, 'never been to Tampa.

But seriously...Maybe the clerk was a silly 15 year old, and the husband... well I'll just let it go, in the spirit of Rule 10. I'm sure I would not have been confused as to the wife's meaning, nor would I have giggled, or blushed.

They could be referred to as Tampians, but there might be confusion with tampion :- " A plug or cover for the muzzle of a cannon or gun to keep out dust and moisture." AHD.

I would have laughed. just like everyone in church laughed when I was speaking about my typing skills and I stated I was a hunt and pecker.

Ack--as long as we don't get back to that British expression, 'keep your p----r up'!

Down here in Flahrida we sometimes say things like "ray-un",
"ny-lun" and "tamp-un". I don't hear this as much as in the past. Still, I've been to Tampa and don't think I've ever heard anyone claim to be a Tampan.
Probably 'cause it might bring on a lot of snickering.

as in keep your pecker up does not refer to male anatomy, Jackie. That's a vulgar Americanism which is understood on this side of the pond, but rarely used. It's actually a 16th century expression for "nose". Even women have them. How else could they be so nosey?

this side of the pond Listen to you, actin' like you belong there or sumthin'. PPPhhhbbbbbbbbbbbt!

Well, as the world-famous Eccles once said, "Everybody gotta be somewhere!"

world-famous Eccles Whodat?

'world-famous Eccles' Whodat?
The woman who invented the eccles cake of course!

Eccles was a rather famous character on the Goon Show on the BBC. One of his lines was "Everybody's got to be somewhere."

Thanks Padre. Yep, it was Eccles. As a matter of fact, he only said it once to my knowledge (and I've recently listened to all of the Goon shows, four years' worth plus The Very Last Goon Show Of All while driving between Irchester and Derby each day during the week).

Okay, Capfka, now come clean about the Eccles cake.

Okay, Capfka, now come clean about the Eccles cake

errm, wasn't that Zed?

um...yep, had that, plus one pint of Bazza's Bonce Blower and four pints of Old Speckled Hen, so I'm not exactly making sense at the present. Even to me.

Baz's Bonce Blower, made by Parish Brewery in the Mother Country, is renowned for its alcohol content: 11%!


Old Speckled Hen is an English ale put up mostly in casks but also available in cans and bottles, which generates such loyalty in its drinkers that they have formed an "appreciation society" -- or perhaps the brewer did it for them.

Ah, Padre, now you begin to understand why I can never return to that benighted country, the Zild!

Eccles cake is a flat, rounded cake sweet puff pastry filled with sweetened currants, raisins or satsumas. It was named after the village of Eccles, Lancashire, England, which has been assimilated into Greater Manchester. One cannot say with certainty who was "the woman who invented eccles cake" nor that she was necessarily of the female gender, but the cake is very good.

And I'm not talking about Eccles cakes ...