The Hermaphrodites of Lyme Regis

The Communist frequently talks in code, which is only to be expected. Sometimes he claims old age as his excuse, but verily, 'tis not so, he's been doing it for years.

"You're mum's got some dandelions. Can you get a jamjar for them?"

This means:

"Your mother has picked a beautiful bunch of flowers from the garden. Could you supply her with a vase?"

Or, sometimes you get,

"The one who was in that film. You know, with the rabbit. The one who died."

In this case it was James Stewart. In many other cases you don't get much of a clue, except "The one who died" is the usual ending.

I have to say that my mother has always done it too. Cousin Frank once marvelled when she said to me,

"Daphne, can you get that thing? It's in the thing on top of the white thing"

and I instantly fetched it.

Tonight the Communist came up with a new one.

"When we were in Lyme Regis we walked along that place where Meryl Streep walked in The French Lieutenant's Woman. And then there's that place under the cliffs where you can collect things."

"What things?"

"You know. Hermaphrodites."