Ideas: Wrapping phrase/ Code Accent/ Tea and Coffee signal/ Message Mugs/ Kiss in the cup/ Reversable ‘Help!’ T-shirt/Sweatshirt/ Also: Beating Heart sweater/ Plus: Non-monotone clap Also: Possible social benefits of Virtual reality

Word idea (identification of something which already exists) : Wrapping Phrase and its potential as a genre

A wrapping phrase is a phrase similar to the common English expression ‘with knobs on’  or ‘pretty please with sugar on top’; words said, either before or after a phrase or word, which describe a phrase or word as if it were an object in order to ornament the phrase or word.  A wrapping phrase is almost like a verbal greeting card and there is so much potential for all kinds of wrapping phrases.

For example -  A big, sparkling, golden ‘I love you’  or ‘I love you’ in letters a hundred foot high or A sugar coated ‘Happy Birthday’ with glittering fireworks shooting out of it or A singing dancing ‘Happy Birthday’; A snow covered ‘Merry Christmas’ with a robin chirping on top or A cobweb covered, slimy and ghoulish Happy Halloween.

Espionage Idea – Code accent

Based upon the idea that people find thick, unfamiliar accents impenetrable, particularly when speakers are speaking quickly, it occurred to me, “Why not create an artificial accent, a thick accent only used when speaking in code, that makes  understanding difficult to a listener who is unfamiliar with the accent”.

Imagine for example an American spy listening to two Glaswegian agents speaking in code. Their accent would be like a second layer that the listener had to penetrate before they could begin to decipher the code.

Espionage Idea - Tea/Coffee taste signal

This is not a complicated code for sending complicated messages but simply a way of signalling danger.

Basically, what if you signalled to a spy that they were in danger by putting salt in their tea instead of sugar. You give the enemy agents in the room normal tea but them a cup with salt in it.

Because people drink tea and coffee socially several times a day, it would be easy to pass on this signal just by offering tea to your associate.

Espionage AND Commercial idea –  Message Mugs

Espionage aspect: For more complicated messages, why not have mugs with messages printed at the bottom. When the spy finishes the cup of tea, they look at the bottom of the mug to see the message. The message could be in code so that it looks innocent to enemy agents.

Commercial aspect –

Why not have proverbs; jokes or messages printed on the bottom of mugs so that, when a person has finished their tea or coffee they can read them.

Kiss in the cup café –

This is an idea inspired by Ben Jonson's 1616 poem "Song. To Celia." Why not have cafes in which pretty waitresses can put a kiss in your cup by kissing either the tea spoon or leaving a lipstick kiss on the cup or in some way signifying that they have kissed the cup. I think that a lot of men would like this idea but also there’s nothing ‘dirty’ about it because it’s just an old fashioned kiss.

Reversable “Help” T-shirt/Sweat Shirt for abducted people

Printed on the inside of this T-shirt/Sweatshirt is the universal sign for ‘Help, I’ve been abducted/ am being held against my will’. The abducted person simply turns their T-shirt or Sweatshirt inside out and wears it that way so that people can see it and report it to the police.

Beating Heart Sweater

Signal your affection for your loved one with the beating heart sweater; a sweater with a heart shaped, solar powered  red light over the area of your heart that will flash on and off and even make a loud heart beating noise at the push of a little button.

Non-monotone clap

1. This is a clap that is not monotone
2. First clap your right hand with your left thumb between your right thumb and first finger.
3. Then clap your right hand with your left thumb between your right first finger and right middle finger.
4. Finally clap your right hand with your left thumb between your right middle finger and your right third finger.
5. You should hear a different sound depending upon which space you put your left thumb into.

Possible social benefits of Virtual reality (Unemployment/Environment)

1. How the virtual work place could end unemployment

It is inevitable that, one day, most people will work
from home; working in a virtual office or factory, interacting with colleagues
as avatars rather than in the flesh. Even job interviews and visits to the job
centre might become virtual. And, even better, British people would be able to
work in jobs in any country in the world (think how they are, at present, thanks
to the internet, able to converse with people all over the world) and this
would make it much easier to find a job since no one would be limited by their
geographical location.

One could, in fact, even, via a satellite, work ‘virtually’
on other planets; controlling a robot.

Furthermore, old and physically disabled people could
work virtually as well.

2. How the virtual work place could save the environment

The more people travel virtually, the less people will
have to use their cars. They won’t need to travel to work because they’ll work
in a virtual work place. Furthermore, if most people work in virtual offices
then office blocks can be demolished and replaced by parks and woodland or
homes.

In the future, the famous Manhattan skyline may be
replaced with forests. The future, I think, will be post-industrial; more green
and pastoral than grey and urban.