I assumed wrongly again

You think you are speaking the same language, but then you find that you are not at all! It's more difficult than trying a new language I think. When I lived in MN, one of my work colleagues got a new kitten. One day when I asked her how her pussycat was she looked quite startled.

@SophiaMorros Oh yes even here I always used to have a laugh with the mechanics when I'd go in saying I needed a screw : )

@Fleura . That one got me in trouble as well! As did asking someone to borrow a rubber (an eraser) and telling someone I needed a screw (because my glasses were broken).

I would never use it in any other context other than when I tell people about the poof in our house.

@JudyEv I wonder if some words are specific of your country, or if British people understand them.

@LadyDuck It seems it's known in Britain and/or was in use years ago.

@JudyEv I think some people do.

I don't either but I thought the word might be offensive to some people.

It was a really good year for melaleuca blossoms. The tree was just beautiful.

It's hard to know sometimes what words are in common use and what aren't.

Some know the word but it seems just as many don't.

@JudyEv Yes, that's true.

It does look a bit like a broccoliflower or even a cauliflower.

We have plenty of derogatory terms for them too unfortunately.

@JudyEv Is Melaleuca not native to Australia?

Tea tree oil has a good name too and comes from an Australian native plant.

@DWDavis Yes, it is one of our natives. I hadn't heard of the medicinal qualities of melaleuca but am very familiar with tea tree oil, lotions, etc.

It was a good year for them. They were absolutely covered in blooms.

We said that when we had a pouffée but we don't have one here.

@JudyEv It's a mindset which seems to be taking over this country at the moment, the whole place is going to the dogs, as my Dad would say. Thankfully he isn't here to see it. Has it not got over there yet? I hope you can escape this scourge. Basically to be 'woke' means to be sensitive to racial or other prejudice, so it started with good intentions. But now it's gone so far that no-one dares say anything for fear of being jumped on and accused of being a racist, an Islamophobe, or a 'TERF' (trans-exclusionary radical feminist). This is leading to all sorts of ludicrous situations, for example using fake tan leaves you open to accusations of 'blackfishing' and using the word 'mother' instead of 'birth parent' gets you branded a TERF. Any references to women are being removed, Christmas is obliterated, children are encouraged to question their gender and believe in 'white privilege'. It goes on and on. Maybe we should emigrate.

@Fleura If you come here, I give you about ten years before you'd need to move on again. And how about the group that want an individual referred to 'they' and 'their' when there is only one of them? Much of this is only encouraging bigotry and hatred by calling such attention to it.

Have to ask - what's the 'woke' brigade? Yes, it pays to be careful with your terminology nowadays.

It was spectacular that year. Just covered in blossoms.

They had to change the movie and we watched 'Bad Moms'. Some of the more conservative there found it a bit confronting.

@CarolDM It's funny enough but the language is very, very rough.

@JudyEv Have not seen this one.

Okay. I thought it would be in more universal use.

'Gay' sees pretty acceptable here. You have to have some term although I guess homosexual is probably the best.

@JudyEv It is beautiful.

I fell in love with that melaleuca. It was just beautiful.

It seems very few knew it so I was worrying for nothing.

Yes, it is very pretty. I'd love to have one like it.

@JudyEv me, too