|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Dunno bout no Patrick O'Brian etymologies. When I was in the Navy they said it was a corruption of docked watch with dock in the sense "to cut short." Its purpose was to allow people who would have the 1600 to 2000 watch to eat dinner, which was served from about 1700 to about 1900. People who had the second dog watch would get early chow line privileges and could eat and relieve those on the first dog watch in time for them to eat.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Corruption of docked watch sounds more likely to me. The Naval officialdom was never noted for its sense of humour! But O'Brian can be forgiven such a minor slip. I used to believe that no one would write better novels dealing with the Royal Navy of this period than CS Forrester. Now I think no one will ever do better than Patrick O'Brian. A strange man, however, and a shame that he is dead.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Cur-tailed may well have been a popular folk etymology/in joke of the time. I certainly wouldn't put it past Mr O'Brian to have researched up that bit of information.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear Faldage: It just occurred to me that Patrick O'Brian was slyer than
either of us realized. He knew your obviously correct derivation, and
changed "dock = cut an animal's tail" into "cur-tail".
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Oh, it's a good enough pun, as puns go.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,372
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
767
guests, and
1
robot. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
|
|
