In looking through my file for information I needed for today's column, I was diverted by notes from readers that amused me, or might someday be useful. Here are a few of them:

A gentleman wrote about the confusion in Japan when it comes to names and titles. Somehow one of his Japanese listings was transferred in part to a mail-order house in the U.S. From them, he receives mail addressed to Mr. Brown P. Sama (the honorific "san"). Similarly, there is a phone response I occasionally receive when I say, "This is Jean Pearce calling." What I hear: "Just a moment, Miss Calling."

Then there was a TV commercial with a father making a bowl of instant ramen for his son. The boy says: "Watashi no papa GOOD desu." Understandable in either language.

A man sent a copy of a fax he received after he had to cancel a lunch date: I am glad very much that I can't meet you for lunch tomorrow. This reminded me of a letter I once received from a reader: I enjoy your column very much. We use it in my English class. Of all the columns in The Japan Times, it is the one we can get along without the most. (I interpret it as a compliment.)

Another? From a man who had sent delivery charges in advance : I am sorry to trouble you. If anything should happen to you, I wish you to tell me. Then I must send back the carry cost.

Surely we all sympathize, especially nonlinguists who try to express themselves in Japanese. I wish Japanese readers would send me the misusages that are amusing (or pathetic) to them. We should be able to see the other side of this coin.

Then there are letters that demonstrate how much alike we are. A gentleman selected a tube of coaulking to use to fill cracks when he was remodeling his apartment. The saleswoman explained that it shrank when it dried and recommended a powder instead. "Just mix it with a little water until," and at that point she touched her earlobe. He had no idea what her ear had to do with it until he realized she meant that the texture should feel like an earlobe.

That night as he recounted his story to demonstrate how ingenious the Japanese are in their descriptions, a European friend pointed out that the same comparison is used in Germany. I suppose while languages can vary, the texture of an earlobe is international.

And then I found the pamphlet I was looking for from a pet support group in Kansai, but their advice applies anywhere. It may be too late for the gentleman who wrote about his lost dog, but it may help others whose pets disappear. Bear in mind that city dogs are not allowed to roam freely in Japan, and dogs on leashes do not get lost. In fact, they have been known to lead a lost owner home. However, in case you lose your dog or other pet, here are some precautions you can take.

Have your pet neutered. Neutered pets, we are told, are generally less inclined to roam and are healthier and calmer. In the case of cats, neutering helps prevent overpopulation. Keep gates, doors or whatever confines your pet locked so that no one can get in and your pet can't get out. Your pet should have an ID tag with its registration number and your name, address and phone number. Have a few extras made in case the original is lost. It is a good idea, too, to write your phone number on the pet's collar.

Local advertisements often work. Take a photo of your pet and make copies. You can run off a sheet of them quickly and inexpensively at a convenience store. Now, most can do them in color. Make posters giving an accurate description of the pet, its name, the area where it was lost, and your name, address and phone number. It is advisable to offer a reward. The poster should be in both English and Japanese and distributed throughout a broad area. Search your neighborhood thoroughly every day, calling your pet and asking people to help you find it. Children can be enthusiastic helpers.

Notify authorities -- your ward office, the local police box. Remember lost animals are not kept long at shelters. Find the shelter for your area and go every day to check. Don't rely on phone calls. And always carry copies of the pet's photo. Don't overlook checking at veterinary offices. Your pet may have been taken to one after being injured.

Surely you know that being prepared makes such problems less likely to occur.