A guide to what's hot and what's not
WHAT'S HOT
SoDa The best name for all cool places South of Dame Street. We like it better than Dublin City Council's misappropriation of SoHo, for South of Heuston Station.
Scarlet women Wedding dresses in saffron, red, orange and magenta. Not necessarily a statement, just an option. Colour is hot, white is not.
Scooters The coolest way to face down oil-price hysteria. Go for a Vespa or Honda Zoomer.
Movies from a machine DVD rentals at €1.50 a go, from SuperValu on Aston Quay, Dublin 2.
247Guitar.com Love playing but hate paying? This Irish website knocks 10-20 per cent off the list prices of many electric and bass guitars. It also throws in free delivery when you spend more than €44.99.
Voicemail greetings as Gaeilge Want to be removed from marketers' telephone databases? Try leaving your answering-machine message in Irish.
Thermal tops We love long-sleeved Howies tops. The logo is barely visible on the side seam and they don't retain odour like other synthetics. Good for running when you don't need rain gear.
WHAT'S COLD
'The Vagina Monologues' Shut up, already.
Dashboard dining We're not crazy about eating in the car, but if we must, then how about a few mergers. Volvo and Ikea? Mercedes and Gaggenau?
Dual parking One car, one space, please. Let's not cross that line.
Enjoy! Do the waiters who say it think we live on the set of Friends?
Income acronyms We've had Yuppies, Dinkies and Nimbys. Now meet Clopsies (children living off their parents still) and Kippers (kids in parents' pockets eroding retirement savings). Who thinks these up?
Petrol mowers Yes, they can cope with lots of grass, but must their starter cords and control cables snag on every shrub?
University College Dublin's black-tie-free 'ball' Show a little more sartorial flair next year, will you, please?
E-mail your Hots and Colds to index@irish-times.ie or text 086-8884161. Thanks this week to Colm Banville, Denis Fahey, Angela Leahy, Philip Quested, David Bateman