Today is Lucille Ball's 100th birthday, and The Hallmark Channel is running an "I Love Lucy" marathon all day, which my wife is watching.
An episode on right now features Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel on the SS Constitution (American Export Lines) on the way to Europe, where Ricky's band has some performances. They have docked in some unnamed English port (probably Southampton, although in real life American Export Lines mainly operated the New York-Genoa route. Artistic license prevails). Lucy and Ethel want to buy some souvenirs, and Lucy asks Ricky for some money. He gives her a 10-pound note. Lucy asks, "What is a pound, 16 ounces?" Ricky groans and replies that it's $2.80 in US money (it was, then) and that she has $28.00 to spend. Then he explains that a pound is 20 shillings, so each shilling is 14 cents, and that there are 12 pence in a shilling. Lucy's eyes glaze over and she replies, "No wonder the Pilgrims left for America." Carleton
