09/19/01 Ha ha. I like Herkel. I like his hat. I feel a need to explain the "put the sock a foot in" joke, since it is somewhat obscure. Most people have heard the phrase "put a sock in it," which is a way of saying "shut up." You'll notice that this phrase is always directed at a noise that is in progress. The reason for this is that the phrase means something like "make that noise quieter," or "turn the volume down." In fact, this is exactly what it means. The phrase originates from the era of mechanical phonographs, record players for which there was no volume control. The only way to make these machines quieter was to stuff something into the duct through which the sound was amplified. From an annoyed neighbor, then, the traditional derogatory request was to "put a sock in it." You can now see how it would be possible to put the sock a foot into the phonograph. ...I think. That explanation may not have made much sense.

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