If you spot someone waling along the street with his trouser zip down, what do you do?
Nothing - or tell him?
'Debrett's New Guide to Modern Manners' gives the following advice:
"Weigh up the situation and embark on the path of minimal embarrassment.
If their shirt (or worse) is on display, the chances are that others will notice.
Discretion is critical.
If you are on friendly terms, by all means take him to one side and indicate his omission, but never smile first.
If someone draws your attention to your own zip, trust that they have your best interests at heart, smile and thank them."
When I was a school-kid all trousers were buttoned and there were no zips.
However, when we saw a boy with one fly-button undone, to draw his attention, we would say "It's one o'clock in Chinatown".
Have you heard that expression before? Do you know other phrases to fit the ocaasion?
Finally, in my youth I remember seeing the following sign in many gents' public conveniences:
Perhaps that is the way to do it - to stop the problem at source.
Yes, I heard another phrase used by a lady of aristocracy in 1956 in the Southwest of England. I was a girl-groom for her hunters and she was in her early seventies. I was ready to head-out to the stables early one morning when my lady shrieked, "There's a star in the east child!" Not understanding what that meant I just stood there like a fool. "There child, there! A star in the east!" she was pointing to my groin area. I looked down, saw a button undone on my corduroys and started to fasten it in front of her. "Turn your back child" she shrieked, "turn your back!"