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Malone

Thanks. I am going to the gym again tomorrow, not particularly for fitness purposes, but to look for further errant apostrophes.

I first saw fo'c's'le with its 3 apostrophes in an Agatha Christie novel and it has them in my old Chambers. I am sorry that Mr Amber's has now dropped one and added it to his own name.

I always get confused with naval words. I never know where to put the apostrophes in b'o's'u'n, so I always use boatswain.

Jigjag, aren't words fascinating? I really don't like 'fo'c's'le', it looks such an unlikely word - and really rather ugly. You'll be pleased to hear that my old friend Collin S, has it - he's been around since 2004, so slightly more modern than Agatha. My other old chum, often referred to as ODE, uses only 'foc's'le'.

Your boatswain also has variations - bo's'un and bosun from Collin, bo'sun and bosun in ODE. There's a wider choice still in Chambers - bosun, bo'sun, bo's'n and bos'n.

Malone

Delighted to hear that your friend Colin has it with 3 ap's. Pity your poet friend doesn't recognise it. I love those bosun variations. I am not sure what one does but it is a lovely word.

Jigjag, aren't you glad those cumbersome words are ones we'd seldom - if ever - use? I bet the spelling variations are partly to blame for the virtual disappearance. If I was writing a book, I think I'd have the captain/skipper talking rather than the 'bo-whatever-sun'. I'd also have everyone going to the bridge, rather than the F- place. That'd make things much easier!

Malone, Jigjag

Thanks for all the nautical stuff. I have never said or written f''''''''e, or b'''n in my life, but love the words even though I dont know what they mean. I suppose a boatswain swains boats but what does that mean?

I have been on a few ferries but do they have the F-word?

Malone

I am looking forward to your next book - Tales from the 7 Cs (or C's).
I hope it stars the purser or bursar. I dont know the difference.

Grunger

If you have been on F-boats, surely you have visited the F-word place. I don't think I have ever used the F-word in speech either.

Grunger

Glad you enjoyed the nautical stuff - esoteric though it was. (I've always like 'esoteric', nice to have the chance to use it.)The B looks after 'a ship's boats, rigging, flags etc'. 'A ship's boats'? What on earth does that mean? It can't just be a ship's lifeboats, it would have said so. No, a sailor's life is definitely not for me!

Jigjag
My next book certainly won't have any pursers, bursars or bosuns in it - I couldn't cope with all the technical knowledge required. I'm tempted to do some sort of travel book, guide, featuring trips to islands around the world. At the moment it's provisionally titled 'Island Fling' - the opening chapter details my very first bout of seasickness.

`I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by; And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking, And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.`

Sailing always was a `male` preserve Malone, (until Ellen MacArthur stuck her oar in!) ... although the ships always seem to be female!

To continue the nautical theme ...

... dodgy `homophone` in a recent crossword, SHORE & SURE

It may work for some I suppose.

Tyke, that homophone was definitely dodgy for me.

Thanks for your poem post - that took me back years, to my school days!

I don't mind boats at all, it was the rather arcane terminology that was more of a nuisance - especially when there were four versions of the B word. I'll stick to being a passenger and forget all the pesky words - well, I think most people have done that anyway, the sailors are free to keep using their jargon, terms.