Vorspeisenplatte

Mittlerweile kann ich bis ins Detail beschreiben, welche Pflanzen in dem Teil des Firmengeländes wachsen, der auf der anderen Seite des Zauns liegt, den entlang ich jeden Tag nach der Arbeit zur Straßenbahnhaltestelle gehe. Denn in diese vertiefe ich mich immer, wenn ich bemerke, dass mir von der Ferne ein Bekannter entgegen kommt. Was soll ich auch sonst tun? Ihn gefühlte zehn Minuten lang anlächeln? Knapp an ihm vorbei schauen, als hätte ich ihn nicht erkannt? Über 50 Meter hinweg einen Gruß rufen?
Es handelt sich um einen eindeutigen Fall von corriecravie. Denn wieder einmal war es Douglas Adams, der die oben beschriebene Situation als universal erfasste. Und ihre verschiedenen Abschnitte zusammen mit John Lloyd in The Meaning of Liff mit Namen versah:

corriearklet (n.)
The moment at which two people, approaching from opposite ends of a long passageway, recognise each other and immediately pretend they haven’t. This is to avoid the gastly embarassment of having to continue recognising each other the whole length of the corridor.

corriecravie (n.)
To avert the horrors of corrievorrie (q.v.) corriecravie is usually employed. This is the cowardly but highly skilled process by which both protagonists continue to approach while keeping up the pretence that they haven’t noticed each other – by staring furiously at their feet, grimacing into a notebook, or studying the walls closely as if in a mood of deep irritation.

corriedoo (n.)
The crucial moment of false recognition in a long passageway encounter. Though both people are perfectly well aware that the other is approaching, they must eventually pretend sudden recognition. They now look up with a glassy smile, as if having spotted each other for the first time, (and are particularly delighted to have done so), shouting out ‘Haaaaallllllooooo!’ as if to say ‘Good grief!! You!! Here!! Of all people!! Well I never. Coo. Stap me vitals, etc.’

corriemoillie (n.)
The dreadful sinking sensation in a long passageway encounter when both protagonists immediately realize they have plumped for the corriedoo (q.v.) much too early as they are still a good thirty yards apart. They were embarrassed by the pretence of corriecravie (q.v.) and decided to make use of the corriedoo because they felt silly. This was a mistake as corrievorrie (q.v.) will make them seem far sillier.

corrievorrie (n.)
Corridor etiquette demands that once a corriedoo (q.v.) has been declared, corrievorrie must be employed. Both protagonists must now embellish their approach with an embarrassing combination of waving, grinning, making idiot faces, doing pirate impressions, and waggling the head from side to side while holding the other person’s eyes as the smile drips off their face, until, with great relief, they pass each other.

corriemuchloch (n.)
The kind of person who can make a complete mess of a simple job like walking down a corridor.