“While perusing a supermarket ad, my wife came across a popular imported wine being offered in a ‘Kanga Pack’,” says John Brown of North Sydney. “What’s a Kanga Pack? I enquired. She held up the photograph. It’s a big bottle and a little bottle. Presumably only available in Australia.”

George Zivkovic of Northmead “couldn’t help but notice the pile of ‘relaxed knit tops’ on sale while shopping today and wondered what the anxious or nervous tops looked like. A much tighter knit, no doubt?”

The effervescent Nola Tucker of Kiama asks: “Could someone explain why, after winning a sporting event, it is necessary to spray champagne over one’s team? Is it a comment on the quality of the brand? Do they use the stuff that nobody could drink? Is it written into their contracts? Or just, what?”

Ben-Hur vibes here. “Wonderful Lear (C8) at Belvoir,” comments Tony Sullivan of Islington. “We ended up in the front row and were advised to tuck in our legs, lest we trip an actor. The play has enough serious incidents! Could’ve joined in, but the death rate made it too risky. Amused at seeing a cast member wearing a watch in one scene that was gone in the next.”

Chris Roylance of Paddington (Qld) was impressed with the mention of sweet elephant garlic from Osteria Stef & Co in the Herald’s Good Food spread on how we ate in 2025, but wonders: “Does one pop the presumably giant clove in one’s mouth whole – or is it best to truncate?”

“A little one-upmanship on Edward Loong’s (C8) local get-together,” exults Donald Hawes of Peel. “My wife and I found ourselves next to a fellow chorister (who is a carillonist) from Bathurst at a City Recital Hall performance. Her husband didn’t give us a 200 kilometre ride home, but sneakily paid for our evening meal down at the Quay.”

“I recently had an online exchange with a friend, saying we must catch up soon as we hadn’t seen each other for months,” adds Margaret Grove of Concord. “That night I went to a concert at the Recital Hall and my friend was sitting in the next seat!”

“Barry Riley (C8) asks a good question,” reckons Jack Dikian of Mosman. “The biggest joke on mankind is that computers now ask us humans to prove that we’re not robots.” Fair point, Jack. Assuming this is you.

Column8@smh.com.au

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