Dear Ralph (Amazing Us Once Again Ralph, I mean),
Fascinating. I was pretty sure I'm found the term pushpit in a book by Hal Roth, whom I believe was born in the 20's in Ohio. But maybe he's "English" the way I'm "Scottish"-several generations away. Well, at least I was born in 1953, so I'm young enough (imagine that!) to use foolish slang. So rail isn't just the side rails? I like taffrail-but it's gonna get a blank look from my wife when I use it the first time. Not quite as interesting as where the word "head" came from (relative to boats) but pretty good detective work. Thanks for the info! Dave Shaddock From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ralph E. Ahseln Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 7:56 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: catalina27-talk: Just a quick hi ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Shaddock" < <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Hi, Steve. On my boat, which was built just four units after yours (#3495), > I had a pushpit. Well, that's what I called it--got the name from a book, > which apparently not everyone has read <grin>. I sold mine to Mark (since > he didn't seem to find anyone who wanted to swim in Lake Ponchartrain) and > he calls it a Stern Pulpit, something he is fully entitled to do because > he's paid for it. I'm welding my own new davit/stern rail system just to > avoid the naming controversy. > I may have to ....RALE (second definition) with a RALE ( look it up) about this one.... :-) Controversy ? Controversy? Nah ...We got no controversy.... Tracing the history of the word " Pushpit " reveals ..... That it's a Slang word that the English sailors invented... As they would say.... "You know, Old Sod, If there's a PULL-PIT, there must be a PUSH-PIT ".. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink,... "And Old boy, after all the English literary character Dr. Doolittle had an animal called the PushmePullyou.... " Har Har Har !! "Those Yanks have no sense of humor.. They insist on calling it .... STERN RAILING.." "How Colonial of them"... The English sailor started using the word somewhere around the 1950s. They meant it as a Joke... You'll not find the word used in any reference manual prior to that... What you do find is the more correct terms.... TAFFRAIL, or just plain RAIL, But IF you are English and born after 1950.... Well,, ROFLMAO, ralph ahseln "Oblio" Gresham OR
