Fancy a shag?

Amazing what turns up at my favourite charity shop.

This cobalt blue ceramic pot (3 Euros) with 'Samson Shag' in large letters on both sides made me chuckle. The rather prim lady at the till informed me that Samson was a brand of Belgian rolling tobacco that came in two grades: Light Shag or Half Heavy Shag. Listening to her explain everything in Flemish, I could barely keep a straight face. Visions of two elderly Belgian men in a smoky cafe, one taking out his pouch of tobacco and asking his friend, "Fancy a shag?" were dancing in my head. She was mystified why anyone would find an ordinary object so amusing. Some translations are simply better left alone.

In the end, I gave the shag a miss. However, the cream Art Nouveau jug with the hand-painted flowers (2,50 Euros) sitting next to it came home with me.