Jargon, you gotta love it...
What am I supposed to think when I come across Red Box - Consignment For Destruction in my peaceful bookselling life. Any idea what it means?
I had visions of apocalypse - blood raining from the sky - flaming streets - Danger!
(It is in fact quite a dull little phrase to do with the most depressing side of bookselling - returns!)
Next thing you know a bloke comes in to collect a copy of Unspeak and comes out with a brilliant slang word...
Rumbledethumps!
Anyone in cyberspace have ANY idea what that means?
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My favourite is the sinister MUSTDESTROY.COM on the A13 in Dagenham...
ReplyDeleteRumbledethumps is a Scottish version of bubble and squeak — fried lumps of mashed potato, cooked cabbage and cheese.
Be warned - this is going to be dull anecdote. I was involved with the book trade Supply Chain Initiative that was looking at dealing more efficiently with Returns. Group 4 (remember them?) had put a proposal together which offered the use of our ever-growing prison population in, get this, drilling holes in 'red-box' returns. The only levity in such a depressing conversation was the vision of Jeffrey Archer or Jonathan Aitken having to destroy copies of his very own books....
ReplyDeleteStun - you win a prize! (Well a hug if you come and see us in the shop!)
ReplyDeleteGoes very well with Haggis I'm told...