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AIBU?

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Original poster

To have only just understood this pun...

156 replies

Cardboardeaux · 04/09/2024 20:44

In a book I'm currently reading, a character talks about putting some coffee on the hob "to perk". I hadn't heard that use of the word "perk" before but it obviously derives from "percolate".

But then I realised... Central Perk (the coffee shop in Friends)!

Obviously I got the "Central Park" bit of the pun but it has taken me 25 years to get the "Perk" bit.

AIBU to think I can't be the only one not to have twigged?

OP posts:
TheMarzipanDildo · 05/09/2024 08:45

Allthehorsesintheworld · 04/09/2024 23:08

No you’re not, you’re just too young to know of coffee percolators. You’ve grown up with coffee machines.
One of those damn things you put on a hob once exploded showering me with broken glass and scalding hot coffee. Never used one again.

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Thank you for understanding. Grin

I have seen them but didn’t know what they were called. Americans don’t use kettles do they?

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 05/09/2024 08:44

Procrastinates · 05/09/2024 07:57

A few decades ago was the late 90s early 2000s. Percolators were not common at all after the 70s and 80s in the UK were they?

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OK, I should have said ‘several’. IIRC we had one in the early 80s, a blue ceramic thing.

TheMarzipanDildo · 05/09/2024 08:38

Soldieringnonosoldiershere · 04/09/2024 22:50

Sweet Jesus. I hate Friends but this isn’t a revelation, it’s the fucking obvious

Clearly it isn’t fucking obvious given the amount of people on this thread who didn’t know it.

LifeofBrienne · 05/09/2024 08:28

ReadingWorm · 04/09/2024 21:11

I wonder if this is an age thing? Has the word “perk” fallen out of the vocabulary? Or is this just exposing the intelligence of type of person who uses MN?

I was around when Friends first aired and it never occurred to me my contemporaries wouldn’t get the pun.

The word ‘perk’ is common in UK English as in ‘a perk of the job’ or ‘it perks you up’. I’m mid-40s and have never heard ‘perk’ in relation to using a coffee percolator. I don’t think that’s a reflection on my intelligence.

DogInATent · 05/09/2024 08:27

Wait until you start reading hairdressers and chip shop names on the High Street...

Original poster
Cardboardeaux · 05/09/2024 08:18

Jc2001 · 05/09/2024 07:57

It's always funny to me how some people need to validate themselves by trying to be superior to people they've never met on the Internet. Something's lacking somewhere 😀

Edited
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Yeah some of the other replies are quite funny.

"Hitting me where it hurts, my ski skills!"😉

OP posts:
Original poster
Cardboardeaux · 05/09/2024 08:15

Justleaveitblankthen · 05/09/2024 08:06

You are Phoebe OP 🤩

😁

OP posts:
Jc2001 · 05/09/2024 08:13

x2boys · 05/09/2024 08:08

Is that the coffee equivalent of a teasmaid ,,,?

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Kind of I suppose. Just set it all up the night before and it starts to percolate 10 mins before we get up.

LaMarschallin · 05/09/2024 08:08

TeamPolin

To be honest, it's all a bit of a moo point... 🐄

FlowersSmile

x2boys · 05/09/2024 08:08

Jc2001 · 05/09/2024 08:06

I still have a percolator with a timing feature. Nothing better than waking up to the smell of a jug of fresh coffee.

Is that the coffee equivalent of a teasmaid ,,,?

Jc2001 · 05/09/2024 08:06

I still have a percolator with a timing feature. Nothing better than waking up to the smell of a jug of fresh coffee.

TeamPolin · 05/09/2024 08:06

To be honest, it's all a bit of a moo point... 🐄

Justleaveitblankthen · 05/09/2024 08:06

You are Phoebe OP 🤩

LaMarschallin · 05/09/2024 08:03

x2boys

Where a man invites a women back for coffee and pretends its percolated by making noises in the kitchen ,rather than instant, I think real coffee was a thing at the time.

I remember that now you've said it.
Yes, the idea being that this instant tasted as good as "real" coffee.

I bought my first coffee maker 2nd hand when I was a poor student. It was from a lovely old (to me then; probably younger than me now Shock) couple who'd been given it as a present.
They'd tried it once but, as it turned out, "We're more Mellow Birds folk, love".

Procrastinates · 05/09/2024 07:57

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 05/09/2024 07:52

I’m not surprised that anyone after my generation wouldn’t get it - who on earth uses a percolator now? But they were fairly common a few decades ago. Even in the U.K.!

Edited

A few decades ago was the late 90s early 2000s. Percolators were not common at all after the 70s and 80s in the UK were they?

Jc2001 · 05/09/2024 07:57

Sunplanner · 04/09/2024 20:51

Always understood this and would be surprised if others didn't 🤔

It's always funny to me how some people need to validate themselves by trying to be superior to people they've never met on the Internet. Something's lacking somewhere 😀

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 05/09/2024 07:52

I’m not surprised that anyone after my generation wouldn’t get it - who on earth uses a percolator now? But they were fairly common a few decades ago. Even in the U.K.!

Wordsmithery · 05/09/2024 07:50

I'm queen of puns and didn't get that until I saw your post!
To be fair, it's more likely to be lost on a British audience. I'd never have associated perk with percolating.

x2boys · 05/09/2024 07:49

TheMarzipanDildo · 04/09/2024 20:53

Well I had to google percolate, so what you’ve got to remember is that some of us are thick as mince.

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It might depend on age, there was a coffee advert in the 80,sMaxwell House maybe?
Where a man invites a women back for coffee and pretends its percolated by making noises in the kitchen ,rather than instant, I think real coffee was a thing at the time.

YeahComeOnThen · 05/09/2024 07:48

1offnamechange · 04/09/2024 23:51

most people don't spend their lives pondering on the etymology of real shops and businesses, let alone fictional ones....

Some quite rude responses pretending to be shocked that anyone couldn't have possibly worked it out, it's hardly as if percolate is a hugely common word. Lots of people don't drink coffee at all, of those that do many drink instant only...and even more just wouldn't bother thinking or caring about the meaning behind the name of a random coffee shop in a 30 year old show....

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It didn't take any pondering

My parents had friends around for dinner a lot (sadly not those friends) so yes coffee perc was common useage.

im not pretending to be shocked 🙄🙄 I was just surprised, but thinking about it, I can see why it was natural for me to instantly make the connection & not do for others and as I said, I probably wouldn't if we hadn't had the perc.

30 years ago, it was a 30 year old show & as I said, not even a seconds worth of pondering, just an instant appreciation of the play on words.

IDontHateRainbows · 05/09/2024 07:39

I got it but more as in coffee perks you up.

Is that the same as something being perculated?

YeahComeOnThen · 05/09/2024 07:37

HaddyAbrams · 04/09/2024 23:18

I've heard of a coffee percolator, but never heard it shortened to perc, so it never occurred to me. Mind you, I never thought about it because friends is shit

@HaddyAbrams

wssh your mouth out!!

strikethrough is not saving you here!

TruthThatsHardAsSteel · 05/09/2024 05:19

I only really very very recently that Adrian edmonson played Vivian in the Young ones. 😳 While watching a documentary about Bottom featuring Ade himself.

malmi · 05/09/2024 04:29

This is the new wipe sitting down vs stand to wipe. Everyone's in one group or the other and nobody can believe the other group exists...

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 05/09/2024 00:18

I've always known this. I thought it was really obvious and am surprised that so many missed it 🤷🏼‍♀️