Doing a word puzzle recently I discovered that Roger is American slang for vomit [is that true? Friends in USA please confirm or deny!] I thought about this at 1:30am in Liz's bathroom on Sunday. I blame the sausages I'd had for Saturday tea [fortunately I was the only one to eat them, nobody else was poorly] I'm fine now. But I wasn't going to let being unwell in the night ruin my day. I deliberately looked for things to make me smile.
This week they were selling Christmas trees, and the pair of us couldn't help giggling at the tree funnels. Have you seen them? They seem to be everywhere this year. They are like giant sausage machines.
They wrap each tree in a nylon net to make it easy to carry home. For some reason Rosie and I thought the gadget was really funny
Less amusing was the John Lewis "Santa's Grotto". It cost £20 per child plus £2 for each accompanying adult. 
"Each child has their photo taken, and receives a plush toy worth £10" But you had to pay extra for the photo - and accompanying adults were not allowed to take their own pictures. My SIL bought an elf like that for just £5 on Friday - Waitrose are currently selling them half price.
I felt it was wrong to charge for the adult. No way would I let my two precious children go unaccompanied to meet a hairy old stranger on the other side of the curtain! I'm not saying I suspect the guy of nefarious behaviour, but it goes against all the safeguarding principles. Parents ought to be allowed in free of charge. Rosie thought it was very expensive too and pointed out it would cost us £44. I admired her maths and bought her a little felt elf for the tree. As her Dad said "the real Santa would never charge that much"
*This comes originally from Proverbs 17 :22 "a merry heart is good medicine". Happy to report that I've quickly recovered from the Roger-interlude.
How much would you pay for a child to see Santa?
Should the carer have to pay extra?
I remember bring taken to see Santa at a Big London Department store when I was little. A sorg of train ride ( I think the carriage stayed still and the scenery moved) and Santa and a toy.... I shudder to think what that would cost now. I don't think I would pay ££ for anything less than a really good effort, and all children to be accompanied foc.
ReplyDeleteThat was Kirstenm
ReplyDeleteI was taken to Selfridge's to see Santa when I was little. It must have cost a lot less back then. I never had a photo of the event.
DeleteDoes seem expensive! Very sorry to hear you were unwell! Rosie is a cracker! Kx
ReplyDeleteShe is a real tonic, and Jess is equally delightful. Rosie cottoned on to the fact that mentioning the absent parents might upset Jess. So we had great conversations involving winks and spelling out M U M.
DeleteGoodness - all very expensive. Much too much for the average family
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts too
DeleteSorry to hear that you felt unwell during the night. I know they use Roger to mean that a message has been received and understood, but, I've never heard of Roger being used to mean vomit!
ReplyDeleteThank you Bless. Yes, in the UK, Roger is used in that sense too. Roger, over and out!
Delete£20 per child!? Outrageously expensive!
ReplyDeleteI took my grandson to see Santa at Roy's of Wroxham years ago. I waited outside and overheard the conversation between them. Santa asked if he had been a good boy this year. Sam (about 5 years old) replied "not all the time".
Santa replied " well, none of us can be good all the time". Bless you Santa!
And well done Sam for his honesty!! 🎅
DeleteAngela I've not heard the term "Roger" used in my part of Canada (Ontario) for throwing up. Roger over & out is. The term of "ralphing" is often used for throwing up - it's a slang term. I agree with you about not letting children go alone to sit on Santa's knee, plus some kids are SO scare of Santa they wouldn't go without Mom or Dad, so charging for parents is nothing short of a money grab IMO.
ReplyDeleteThank you PP. Perhaps the British person who set the puzzle got the wrong word? Ralph and Roger are both boy's names of 5 letters beginning with R, after all!
DeleteI've never heard of "Roger" being used in that way. I'm sorry you weren't feeling well. I do think that it sends mixed messages to children to tell them in one breathe, "Don't talk to strangers." and in then in the next, go ahead and send them off with some random guy. And no, I think it's ridiculous to charge the parents!
ReplyDeleteI think PP is right - it should be Ralph.
DeleteI'm such a wuss, if I vomit I cry! Commiserations, glad you didn't let it get you down. Those prices - lovely that your granddaughter could do the maths and didn't demand to go in.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
👍😊
DeleteYes, it's Ralph that means vomit. My brother used to say "talking to Ralph on the big white phone"! Anne in WY
ReplyDelete🤣🤣🤣
DeleteI never heard of Roger or Ralph as a term for vomit. Seems that I am out of touch as several people mention Ralph!
ReplyDeleteJanF
😉
DeleteRe Christmas tree funnels - I used these when I used to help out at a local garden centre. If the customer had chosen a particularly full tree it could be a real challenge to get it through the funnel though. We also had a gadget a bit like a pencil sharpener for trimming the trunk down so that it would easily fit in the tree stand.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of a giant pencil sharpener!
DeleteSeems a bit steep to see Santa, especially as we know he's not real!! LOL.. But the twigs? Well my daughter gave me some 5 years ago bought from Waitrose and I still have them, safely wrapped after each Christmas ready for the next!
ReplyDeleteI applaud your diligence in keeping them for future use!
DeletePS. Roger or Ralph what ever you call it, why do children's sick always have carrots?
ReplyDeleteDiced carrots!
DeleteHow grasping of John Lewis to charge that amount, I told Iris and she said she wouldn't let me pay that anyway as its not the real Santa! Hope your tummy has settled down now. Hugs Gill Xx
ReplyDeleteWell done Iris!
DeleteSo sorry to hear about your upset tummy. Sausages can be an unknown quantity at times, but usually it is more a question of flavour and texture than toxicity, thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteThey use those funnels in Vienna and they also nail the bottom of the tree to a cross piece stand! No opportunity to put them in water, it seems.
I think they keep better in water
DeleteGlad you are feeling better.
ReplyDelete👍
DeleteI've not heard of Ralph or Roger used that way, but I'm often (mostly) out of touch with current slang (music, too)! I'll ask some colleagues who have kids, providing I remember. I've plenty of twigs in the back garden if I want any.
ReplyDelete😉❤️
DeleteTotal rip off by John Lewis to charge £20 for a visit to see Santa, a soft toy, and then want extra for a photo. They are clearly no longer the same store which once promised 'never knowingly undersold!’
ReplyDeleteAs for not allowing parents to accompany small children, that’s truly shocking in this day and age of safeguarding rules.
They DO allow parents, but only if they pay extra
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