"Back in the 1920s Gladys was a relatively common name, writes Leo Schofield of Potts Point. "One thinks of the great British actress Gladys Cooper and the admired contralto Gladys Ripley, a favourite of Elgar's. Here we had that magnificent musical comedy star Gladys Moncrieff, so beloved of the public that her name was, in the great Aussie tradition, diminutivised. Will our new Premier generate sufficient affection to be dubbed, as was Moncrieff, Our Glad?"
I had exactly the same response from Australia Post as Ms Park (C8) when I advised that I had not received several letters, says Theresa Smith of Illawong. "I'm wondering if this display of indifference to customer service is all part of their strategy to discontinue that pesky snail mail service."
But, for balance, from Ann Babington of Shortland. "I was much luckier because I posted a card to my granddaughter from Neutral Bay to Denistone West on Thursday 26th (a public holiday) and she received it yesterday, Friday 27th. Sometimes Australia Post works way above its reputation."
From Aiko Hagiwara of North Turramurra. "The green plastic grass in Japanese sushi boxes (C8) is a cheap substitute for bamboo leaves (sasa-no-ha).Originally real sasa-no-ha leaves were placed in the box but they wilt so here comes plastic leaves."
One cannot get more Aussie than Chesty Bond, right? asks Dave Horsfall of North Gosford. "Imagine my distress when after purchasing a size 22, I found in the rear bottom right-hand corner "Designed in Australia / Made in Cambodia".
Electronic sign at local primary school: WE MODEL FOR CHILDREN HOW TO BEHAVE. "Let's hope they don't model for children how to write," says Jim Dewar, North Gosford.
Now naming the pig hybrid (C8). "As English is not averse to having words with more than one meaning, I think human-pig hybrid embryos could be called pigmalions, or porkupines,"James Moore, Kingsgrove.
Margaret Atwood called them "pigoons" in her novel Oryx and Crake says Melody Lord of Five Dock. While Erik Nielsen of Longmont, Colorado writes: "Tim Donovan assumes it is a male. It may as well be female in which case 'Miss Piggy' may fit the bill."
"How about Porkemon? suggests John Huxley of Westleigh. George Manojlovic of Mangerton has this. "I assume the embryos began as ham and eggs. I suggest Crackling Rosy. Anyhow, whatever they're called, they will be anthroporkmorphous." Anyone else?
Twitter: @Column8SMH