yoyo, it was originally to do with horse riding as the crup is the part of the animal behind the saddle; towards the rump. So to 'come a cropper' (crupper) was to fall off quite painfully. Today we use the expression when someone has either physically fallen but more usually when something has 'befallen' them, probably by not foreseeing a problem eg making a bad mistake at work and getting the sack.

Thanks Veer !

OK, how about someone who is a "nosey parker", and what distinguishes a "metaled road"?

Does "night stored heat" really mean that power is being stored during off hours to generate the heat later?

I never could figure out why a lot of people would gather for a "boot sale" until I read the manual for my Austin Healey. LOL

A nosey parker is someone who sticks his/her nose into other people's business.
A metalled road in Oz has small grey rocks covering the surface (called "blue metal", no idea why). The rocks are about the size of the end digit of your thumb and have rounded off sharp edges (not round like pea gravel).

chisue, 'night stored heat' usually just called 'night-storage' in the UK, is a system whereby cheaper night-time-rate electricity is collected in wall mounted units and 'pumped out' during the day. Never seems a satisfactory system to me as you have to anticipate the need for heat the day before, so a cold day might be followed by a warmer one and the heat saved will be wasted. Also when it is cold all day there is often not enough heat 'saved' to last all the following day and evening.

I well remember my youngest brother's Austin Healey, in a time when all 'real-men' needed a sports car. Sitting about 3 inches above the road surface in the passenger seat with no bolts attaching it to the floor and no seat belt was quite a white-knuckle ride. ;-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Austin Healey