When she sat down to watch a video of Notting Hill bought from the Pennant Hills Vinnies shop, Karen Dailly of Cherrybrook was surprised to see instead David's 21st. "It looked like everyone was having a lovely time eating, drinking and dancing, but we don't know David," she says. She returned the tape to Vinnies and it has been put aside just in case David wants the video back.

More disturbing movie news. Sharyn Clark of Mosman went to see the latest Nicolas Cage film Knowing , "a story about a young boy who ends up with a piece of paper which contains a series of jumbled numbers which happen to correspond to the dates of every world disaster ", she says. "When I looked at my ticket stub I was alarmed when I saw what time the film finished - 9:11."

John Newman of Naremburn writes: "Today I saw in a Chatswood pet shop a 'for sale' sign for one of those designer dogs. It said '7/8 English spaniel and 1/4 dachshund'. And there was only one dog in the cage."

Stephen Dearnley of Newport read in his local paper that the damage from a burst water main was caused by "the typography of the land". He wonders: "Could the water board have used the wrong font, by any chance?"

Our reports on trans-Pacific language confusion are being taken seriously by high officials. Julia Bickerstaff of Coogee writes: "Descending into Sydney on a United Airlines flight from LA, I was surprised when the chief cabin crew person announced: 'Passengers are reminded that Australia is not a US destination.' "

Nick Walker of Springwood travelled to Cedar Mountain, North Carolina, to work as a summer camp swimming teacher. "I was rather taken aback at the first-night disco to be asked by one of my attractive female co-workers from South Carolina: 'Do you know how to shag?' I assured her that I did." To his disappointment, he discovered that the Shag is the official state dance of South Carolina. To her disappointment, she discovered that Nick dances "about as well as Mr Bean".

Jeff Gehrig of Waterford, Queensland, says: "Never make the mistake of ordering two entrees in an American restaurant thinking that you'll get two small portions. In the US, it's the main course."

Working in Canada in the early '80s, Tim Parker of Balmain asked the office manager if she had a rubber he could borrow. "I was surprised when she ushered me into a meeting room, closed the door and said, 'Mr Parker, I'll get you anything you need, but please ask me discreetly.' " He says it was "most puzzling for a naive 21-year-old".

On the danger of tiny safes in hotel rooms (Column 8, Saturday), Carol Cruikshank of Warilla writes: "When staying in a hotel in San Francisco recently I opened the safe to find a condom and a card stating 'Safe sex'. I guess we shouldn't be surprised at anything that goes on in those small safes."

Column8@smh.com.au(no attachments please).Phone 9282 2207 fax 9282 2772. (include name, suburb, daytime phone)