Who knew that a leisurely browse through the Yellow Pages could be such an eye-opener? Check it out. There, between the ordinary listings (florists, lawyers, plumbers), are a wealth of unfamiliar classifications that sound fascinating, perplexing, even bizarre.
For example, what’s an accumulator? People with crammed basements and attics might feel they deserve credit under this heading. One can only guess at the activities of flashers, couplings and the unfortunate boring contractors. Then there are cad systems and services. Chances are we’ve all met a cad or two, but who knew there were professionals? As for listings that mention mud jacking, shot peening, naprapaths and diatomaceous earth, we are left scratching our heads.
To satisfy the curiosity piqued by these mystery listings, it’s fitting to let the fingers do the sleuthing.
A few simple phone calls revealed that an accumulator is actually an insurance brokerage firm assisting people with pensions and benefits that have “accumulated.” A flasher has more to do with warning lights than raincoats, couplings are brass caps for garden hoses, and boring contractors are probably interesting people who merely bore holes in things.
A cad is no rogue after all but instead an acronym for computer aided design. Mud jacking is raising and restoring sunken concrete; shot peening is a service in which metal BBs are shot at stress points on mechanical parts to prolong their life spans (who knew?); naprapaths provide preventive muscle massages; and diatomaceous earth is a mild abrasive often used in pool filtration.
Now we’ve all learned something today. Chiefly, that the work world is a diverse, intriguing place, with occupations that can intrigue the imagination.
