Champagne over the Atlantic.

There are two Britain-related expressions that I would like to never hear again. Both of them are trite, tired and, I suspect, never used by residents of the British Isle. The are "bubbly" and "across the pond." I know that bubbly is idiotic because I got it from a fabulous source, Lord Freddie Laker. In 1981, at Miami's Hume-Smith-Mickelberry, when the copywriter for Laker Airways was fired, I had to take over the account. Among this writer's many gems was, "a bit of the bubbly." in reference to the champagne served on every flight. When I objected to this nauseating expression, I was voted down as everyone at the agency thought it was wonderfully charming and very British. Happily at the recording session Mr. Freddy himself referred to it as, "Fucking ridiculous. Who says that?" Unfortunately I don't have any anecdote to back up my hatred of "across the pond" and with the recent wedding it was used endlessly by all the network anchors.

Note: I didn't agree with Sir Freddy on everything. In late 1981, knowing Princess Diana was pregnant, I wanted to use as a billboard slogan, "Air to the British Throne." It was rejected. Not that it mattered. The Princess gave birth in June 1982, but Laker Airways went bankrupt the previous February.