You go to the head of the class, Martin.
At 01:04 PM 6/8/2005, you wrote:
> >This *john*/* */is a variant on *jack* //, *jacks* or// *jakes*, all of
> which have meant "privy" since the early 1500s. Their origin is uncertain
> but it is very likely that they originated in someone excusing themselves
> with "I must speak with my friend Jack" or some such.<
>mj
>Mark Weiss wrote:
>
>>Which must have made painting the hull ever so much more pleasant.
>>
>>Does google say who "john" was?
>>
>>Mark
>>
>>At 12:01 PM 6/8/2005, you wrote:
>>
>>>No sooner asked...Thank Google (which should be replacing that other big
>>>G round about now):
>>> >One of the most vilified pieces of equipment aboard our boats is the
>>> toilet�or as most sailors like to refer to it, the head. The old
>>> salts among us tend to cling to this bit of archaic nautical jargon to
>>> remind ourselves of the days when the only toilet facilities aboard
>>> sailing ships was to saunter up forward to the bow, or head of the
>>> ship, and let your backside hang over the bulwarks to do your business.<
>>>mj
>>>
>>>Mark Weiss wrote:
>>>
>>>>Both bog and can refer back to pre-indoor plumbing--with the overtone
>>>>of "bog people" in the one case and permission in the other. "Head" is
>>>>too awful to talk about--would be nice to know the origin of that one.
>>>>
>>>>There's also "privy," presumably from "private."
>>>>
>>>>Mark
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>At 10:37 AM 6/8/2005, you wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>A well brought-up British yob in my day, (cough, expectorate) would
>>>>>say "bog".
>>>>>mj
>>>>>
>>>>>Halvard Johnson wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On Jun 8, 2005, at 10:13 AM, Mark Weiss wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Lavatory is accurate if you wash your hands in it. Crapper makes the
>>>>>>>recipient the active party. Loo sounds like it's instead of
>>>>>>>something. WC (watercloset) is just silly, tho the idea of a set of
>>>>>>>shelves for water is kind of neat--like a wine cellar? Harrington is
>>>>>>>too long--by the time you've asked where it is it might be too late.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Leaving us with, among others, "head" and "can"--short and . . .
>>>>>>well, sweet?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Hal
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Halvard Johnson
>>>>>>[log in to unmask]
>>>>>>[log in to unmask]
>>>>>>website: http://home.earthlink.net/~halvard
>>>>>>blog: http://entropyandme.blogspot.com/
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>--
>>>>>M.J.Walker - no webpage, no blogspot, no idea -
>>>>>
>>>>>nobody dies, 'nothing happens', we call it music,
>>>>>it is time rushing past the shabby portals of our ear
>>>>>
>>>>>and I am just a terrible mistake.
>>>>>Robert Kelly
>>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>>M.J.Walker - no webpage, no blogspot, no idea -
>>>
>>>nobody dies, 'nothing happens', we call it music,
>>>it is time rushing past the shabby portals of our ear
>>>
>>>and I am just a terrible mistake.
>>>Robert Kelly
>>
>
>--
>M.J.Walker - no webpage, no blogspot, no idea -
>
> nobody dies, 'nothing happens', we call it music,
> it is time rushing past the shabby portals of our ear
>
> and I am just a terrible mistake.
>Robert Kelly
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