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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;User 67, post: 2345, member: 67&quot;]<font face="Verdana">I ran across this list in my notes today and thought folks might get a kick out of it.</font></p><p><br /></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana">From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0860514528" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0860514528" rel="nofollow"><i>Cabinet Secrets</i></a>, (1987) by London antiques dealer Alistair Sampson, member of the British Antiques Dealers Association,</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana">Selected from his cheeky glossary of terms in the book.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>A touch of worm</i>: Infested. If you buy the object, check all floorboards, beams and so on with great regularity.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>I&#039;m not sure about one leg:</i> I am sure about one leg; we had it made.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>Difficult to date</i>: Easy to date, made yesterday.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>It&#039;s a tremendous bargain and a wonderful investment</i>: I am sure it will come back into fashion some day.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>Rare</i>: It&#039;s been a month since I&#039;ve had another one.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>Very rare</i>: Fairly uncommon.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>Unique</i>: One of a pair.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>It&#039;s gone a lovely color</i>: Our refinisher is brilliant.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>Mint</i>: We defy you to spot what&#039;s wrong with it.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>You are the first to see it</i>: I have sworn all others to secrecy.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>I very nearly took it home</i>: I very nearly had to.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>I am only making the teeniest weeniest little profit</i>: I am barely doubling my money.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana">Furniture dealers have their own vocabulary. Sampson writes:</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>Bombe</i> is not a place in India but the protuberant front on a chest or commode.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>A tester bed</i> is not a demonstration model but an expensive name for a four-poster.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><i>A long case clock</i> is not a clock for timing cases at court but the term for grandfather clocks.</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana">Sampson advises:</font></p><p><font face="Verdana">Do carry a pin at all times, The mere production of a pin will concentrate the mind of the ceramics dealer quite wonderfully. Just as you are about to cause the expensive repair to be undone again (by poking it with the pin) the concerned dealer will slap himself upon the brow and bleat, &#039;Don&#039;t do that - I do now recall that the person from whom I acquired it did mention that there was a small crack bisecting the entire piece which he had taken the liberty to have sprayed out&#039;</font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><br /></font></p><p><font face="Verdana">.</font>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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