Conversationalist

Speaking of reference books, I'd also like a pocket book of things to talk to taxi drivers and workmen about, to save me having to end every sentence with the word MATE.

It's not fooling anyone :(

Writers Block

Christmas is a bad time for me, as I have to do a lot more writing in cards than I'm accustomed to. I struggle to write anything in cards at all, usually spending on average 10 minutes trying to think of something witty or thoughtful to say. After that I look at what everyone else has written and try to amalgamate them into something fitting. Then I wonder if plagiarism should be tolerated in cards, and decide that it's a slippery slope downwards from there. I always give up and write something insensitive like "I hated you anyway" (if it's a leaving card) in the hope that the next person in line for the card spots it and accidentally laughs.

I would like very much to be given a small pocket reference book of acceptable things to write in cards, indexed by occasion. That would be a good present.