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?

Wowsers- I never knew this! Thanks OP what a revelation. I used to watch Friends all the time and never tweaked..just thought it was a play of words on Central Park!

It never occurred to people wouldn't get it.

the world is a weird place at times🤣🤣

@Cardboardeaux

maybe I 'got it' because growing up we had a coffee perc. Mostly only used for after dinner coffee when we had guests. I loved putting the filter in & measuring out the scoops & watching it drip through....

had we not moved to NZ & had that, I'd probably have been just as clueless 🤣🤣

I never got this pun, and never really even wondered why it was Central Perk not Park, just accepted it. Wouldn’t have got it unless you’d said 😆

Team 'I didn't know that either'.

We had a percolator, I loved it, it broke eventually. I did get Central Perk though.

It took 20 years however, for me to realise that Larry Grayson's friend Everard was innuendo.
I just thought mum and dad laughed because it was an unusual name.

🤯🤯🤯

Ah, I'd never heard anyone talk about a coffee perc before so that's why I didn't get it. Reassured I'm not the only one though 😅

I’d never thought of this, there again I don’t drink percolated coffee.
I thought it was referring to Central Park

Sinisterdexter

It took 20 years however, for me to realise that Larry Grayson's friend Everard was innuendo

Oh my God!
That never occurred to me.

What am I missing with "Slack Alice"?

I got it, and assumed most people did, but I’ve just asked DH and DS, and they hadn’t realised, they thought it was to do with coffee ‘perking you up’. As with previous posters though, it’s probably because mum had a coffee percolator when I was growing up.

Larry Grayson's friend Everard was innuendo. This, on the other hand, has just blown my tiny mind ! How did I not ever notice this!!

This is what I always thought it meant.

It's an age thing. Those of us my age (60+) will remember coffee percolators bubbling away in kitchens. So the pun was never lost on some folk.

I’ve heard of a percolator or coffee percolating but never heard it shortened to ‘perk’ so totally didn’t get this.

I was a teenager when Friends started and I got it straight away (and I wasn’t a coffee drinker then or even now as I hate the stuff).

Surprised by this thread that so many didn’t know that’s what it meant

I didn't realise either...

Interesting and lovely.

I live in the Thames Valley in England and used to drive past this dry cleaning shop every time I went to the nearest supermarket. It took me way too many years to get the pun... Embarrassing.

I didn't have a clue either but I think like others on here it's more to do with I just never really thought about it

Shaun the sheep had me wondering for many years 😂

Perk is short for perquisite.x

I’m not sure what you mean, but glad something has amused you in some way. I think.

I thought it meant to perk you up as well!

I don’t think so. I was late teens when Friends was first on TV so would probably be what you’d consider to be among your contemporaries. And I don’t lack intelligence either. I think it’s a US/UK thing more than anything.

And I don’t lack intelligence either. I think it’s a US/UK thing more than anything.

I agree. I was born and raised in the UK but spent a couple of years living abroad and going to school with mostly Americans. Think I picked "perc" up then.