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?

Get away! I got this 30 years ago 😂(even before Phoebe got it!)

I thought it was obvious that the "perk" in Central Perk refers to coffee perking you up.

I think it's from percolate not perk.
Surely?

Googling!

We had an electric coffee percolator at home when i was kid, so yeah, i got it.

No it is derived from percolate

Yes that’s what most of us are saying, but OP has pointed out a variation of the pun as for Americans perc = percolate (coffee) and it’s in New York so Central Perk as a play on words to connect percolate (coffee) and the location…

The most obvious play on words for UK folks seems to be perk as in perk you up.

To be fair, I haven’t seen a proper coffee percolator since about 1985 (DM had one, which I suspect may still be up in the loft somewhere).

Perk as in benefit is short for perquisite.

Well…. I feel thick!! Nope, didn’t get that!!

Google says it's from percolate

Join the bench apparently there's quite a few of us keeping it warm. 😅

I knew, but probably because my in-laws are American and always make coffee with a percolator as do all their friends.

I would have thought Joey would be the last to get it

Yeah I obviously got the Perk sounds like Park bit, but I had not got the “percolate” pun

I always thought it was because coffe perks you up

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.

Whenever a poster wants to really make a point on here they always say "and so does everyone I know."

As if they've asked everyone they know!

I know about 50 people properly and have no intention of checking or asking if they all have something just to prove a point.

sunplaner-i previously been shredded on here for shite grammer,sentance structure bla bla AND m scottish(i just like adding this today) ...i always got it/didni even think bout it tbh.
actual lol @Howdoesitworkagain using "parlance" n sniding cos you didnt fly with the crows. with all due respect. THIS =mumsnet.

Nope, not a clue!

Not feeling as dim as the moment I realised Beat-les was a pun though

Which book is it out of interest? I have a vague feeling I had a similar revelation after reading a similar sounding book!
And I think percolating coffee is much more common in the US so not surprised that UK people didn’t get it.

Americans probably get the Central Perk pun, at least in the ‘90s as percolator coffee makers were common. The word was in some coffee adverts. My sister has an electric percolator which makes good coffee & keeps it hot … not available in UK as I desperately want one.

@TheMarzipanDildo

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I thought it was perk as in, getting a boost from coffee. ‘This is perk (coffee buzz) central’. Not percolating. I think I’m right 😂

Totally today years old - always thought it was perk you up

‘To perk coffee’ - every day is a school day!

Oh. My. God.
Could I BE any more dumb? 😂