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On 16/07/2015 11:15, john wrote There is a Wikipedia entry on Crosland that does not make him sound a very attractive customer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_William_Hodgson_Crosland A poem of Crosland's called 'The Muddied Oaf' picks up on Kipling's phrase. Here's part of it: I don't know, my dear Muddied Oaf, How you like being called a Muddied Oaf. The average Muddied Oaf of my acquaintance Will not in the least understand What Muddied Oaf means, And even when a dozen reporters Have explained it to him, dictionary in hand, He will not care. You cannot take the glory of having crumpled up the Footleum Otspurs out of a man By calling him Muddy; And as for Oaf, When all is said It is a poor synonym for "dashing forward." No, my dear boy, Phrases out of poems cannot damp your ardours. And, so far as you are concerned, Mr. Rudyard Kipling May Be Blowed! The full poem is in Outlook Poems, at project Gutenberg, which also has other books by him. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37085/37085-h/37085-h.htm George -- George Simmers's research blog is at http://greatwarfiction.wordpress.com