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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379 |
>>and sound as erudite as the rest of youse guys<<
That's you'ze guys.
;)
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
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addict
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619 |
That's you'ze guys.I cannot compass what "you'ze" means. 
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
This site gives an interesting brief history of the compass rose. It has apparently been appearing on maps since the 1300s. http://www.gisnet.com/notebook/comprose.htmlThe expression ‘boxing the compass’, by the way, means to name all 32 points of the compass in correct order. It has come to figuratively indicate a state of confusion.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619
addict
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addict
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 619 |
Re "Boxing the compass": It has come to figuratively indicate a state of confusion.
Good one, dxb.
It's like "You're all over the map."
Or you're "spinning your wheels" ... except with a needle.
Which reminds me ... I should start a new thread.
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
I learned to box the compass when a young sailor in Uncle Sam's Navy. It struck me as such important and necessary knowledge that I taught it to my children when they were wee. Each of then could stand at attention and box the compass, loudly, by the time they were five years old. It is a nautical thing ... or perhaps a salty form of child abuse.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Hey, ya only gots ta know one direction. East. Then ya'll never git disorientated.
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
Unless you are in Hawaii - where N.S.E.W. are useless!
For example, on O'ahu (where Honolulu is) directions are given as toward Diamond Head, toward Ewa (pronounced evah) toward the mountain -mauka or toward the sea - makai.
So you might hear directions as "Go Diamond Head three blocks then turn mauka and Kinau Street is the first left."
Since all the Hawaiian islands are basically volcanos they all have a mountain and - must I mention? - they are all surrounded by the sea!
There are similar directions based on local landmarks on each of the majotr islands - Maui, Hawaii (the Big Island) Molokai, Kaui and Lanai - but I'm not going into all that, thank you! ;)
While I'm on the subject - as a matter of courtesy the contiguous states are called The Mainland - never as The States. After all, Hawaii is a state!!
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