To have only just understood this pun...

[Cardboardeaux]

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?

I never even thought about that, but it makes sense now i know 🤣

Read your first paragraph and thought "well, duh". But then your second paragraph..omg how could I not have gotten that?! It feels like a revelation 🤣

To be fair I think most people will have got it.

@MrDoovde

how is it a bit rude?

@Cardboardeaux & others

if you didn't get it, why do you think it was spelt that way?

Ooh. I knew it was a pun, but I thought it was on perk, like your coffee perks you up. Percolate never occurred to me!

Oh. My. God. In the words of Janice. No this never occurred to me, and I don’t think most people will have got it either.

I didn't and I doubt I'm alone. I'd actually be surprised if most people made the link.

Now you've said it, it seems so obvious. 😊

Even Phoebe didn't get it until season 2 ("We didn't do any of the romantic things I had planned, like having a picnic at Central Park and coffee at Central Perk - oh, I just got that!")

Not I,said the walrus...

This is what I assumed too

Same here.

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

Tbh I hadn't given it much thought but just assumed it must have referred to a perk as in a good thing/bonus. I've never heard "perk" used in the context of making coffee (I'm in the uk if yhat makes a difference).

Same!! Even in the episode (the last one?) where Phoebe says 'oh I just got that' I was confident that I'd got it all along! But if it DID mean percolate......

I knew you were going to say that!!
Before I even read your post 😆
I realised about 2 years ago...
Shall we get our coats??

*Phoebe is the one who doesn't surprise me!

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

I thought it was on perk, like your coffee perks you up.

I still think this. Plus Central Park.

I WAS TODAY YEARS OLD!!!!

Aren’t you clever 🤣

Im guessing you haven’t read the other replies if your surprise at others not knowing it is still
hypothetical… and the voting balance suggests most didn’t know this variation of the pun.

Perk for percolate isn’t really common parlance in the UK.

Oh good there's loads of us!

Yes but she doesn't explain it! I knew it was a pun (well duh!), just thought it was a lame one but it makes sense when you know the alternative usage.

No, I'm sure it's from percolating coffee + Central Park.
Americans talk - at least they used to - about coffee "perking" when the percolator had finished.