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Penny Fights and Aldershot it: Penny fight (I assume) because it is seen to be trivial. Aldershot because the home of the British Army was (I also assume) a place for mock battles, where there was no real danger. John Masters, in his memorable "Bugles and a Tiger" comments on a British soldier on the NW Frontier who had had "too much Aldershot" who commented indignantly (as real bullets started to smack into the rocks around him), "Look 'ere sir, them buggers is using ball!" [I quote...] Which might cast some light on the matter! _____________________________________________ Professor Tim Connell Division of Languages Room A2.49 College Building City University, London EC1V OHB Tel: 020-7477 8265 Fax: 020-7477 8266 Homepage: http://www.city.ac.uk/languages %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%