Coded message!

Robin over at Pink House Studio - (this is another favourite blog site of mine), mentioned Monkey's last week, which reminded me of something that happened around 1985/6 or thereabouts, when our children were very young.  We were on a family outing, to who knows where! - just an average family day out with the kids.  On our journey, husband spotted a sign to Monkey World (which I had missed completely, typical me).

Well, picture the scene, you have 2 small kids in the car, if you say "we are going to........." and it doesn't happen, then all hell breaks loose, so husband decided to use Code to me (remember I hadn't seen the sign, so had no idea what he meant).

Conversation goes:

Husband:   "We could go to that place which begins with MONmouthshire"

Okay, I think I've got that bit........MON  (so far so good)

then Husband says:    "and ends with the thing you close a door with"


........?!?!......I'm thinking hard and he has to repeat it a couple of times, but Ah  - I get it, and I'm thinking

......HANDLE !

(doh!   you 'close' a door with a 'handle' - made complete sense to me)

but I'm still thinking, how is that a word?

Of course, husband is slightly perplexed that I haven't cottoned on yet


In the end, he decided I had better say what he had tried so hard to keep in Code.... so I said:

"but what's a MONHANDLE ?"  to which husband and the kids laughed .....and husband says, in between laughing and trying to drive....

"MONKEY, you daft bat"


I STILL TO THIS DAY, believe his clue was wrong!   I think he should have said:

"What do you lock a door with"   - not -  'close' a door!!

and, to this day, we always refer to Monkeys as Monhandles!   Oh, and by the way, we did get to stop and visit and had a lovely day, with lots of laughing at my expense.


Thank you Robin for reminding me.