Ceiling Wax

Date: 26 November 2006 23:09:18

I have been thinking about the line at the top of the page:

The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things; of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings

Today it is the time to talk of sealing wax, and indeed ceiling wax, which is more interesting, being imaginary.

For the record, while on the subject, I do not recommend sending letters sealed with sealing wax through the post in the UK. The automated sorting machines crumble it into tiny bits. This can be avoided by using a padded envelope if it is crucial to send it. Likewise, the little packets of mayonnaise, ketchup or brown sauce that appear in cafes sometimes arrive burst and oozing through the envelope. Teabags, on the other hand are fine to post.

What would ceiling wax be for? What size and shape packaging would it have? Does my ceiling need a waxy sheen, or is it a substance that the ceiling produces analagous to ear wax? I suppose that if I had a panelled ceiling, then it would need to be waxed in the same way a panelled wall or floor is.

If, to take this word association a little further, a ceiling can wax, then surely it can wane too. Perhaps ceiling wax is a phrase used to describe a glass ceiling gliding into place.

Is it a trick ceiling, which whacks you when you make a wrong move?

Enough, I think. Isn't language fascinating?

In other news, I bought and fitted some clever mudguards to my bike today. I have been looking for mudguards which don't interfere with the suspension and now I have them. Hurrah!