.....to tell you a true story:Way back in the 80`s; just after my post-grad. studies, I got my first 'real' job; as research manager for an aerospace company in Northern California.....first day, I was soooooo-proud: `got myself an office, an undergrad-intern assistant (whom was an Iranian mysogynyst, but that`s another story) and having introduced myself to my co-workers, I thought I`d go to the front-office and get stocked up on supplies.
Asked for all the usual office/stationary-stuff but got the most odd reaction when asking for a large-box of rubbers...there was a kind of stunned silence in the office, thinking I had asked for too much stuff all at once I tried to re-group by saying I needed them as I was surely going to be making plenty of mistakes in my first weeks with the company!.....further stunned silence followed.....I got worried, so asked if there was a problem?
"I`m not exactly sure if we can get THEM!.....but if you like, I can ask at the Drug-Store at lunch break if you
really would like me to?" said
'Barbara' the dutiful, but now rather worried-looking company secretary.
I said "great".... and went about my business; only later to discover the full, embarrassing horror of my request when the secretary returned from lunch and took me to one side (thankfully privately) and showed me a pharmacy bag containing several boxes of various types of 'rubbers'...and believe me; they weren`t erasers!!!!!!

Oh boy!......did I 'pay the price' for several months after that, as news of my
faux-pas spread through the company.
'Relentless ribbing' jokes need not be made!
