In the "Cock-up" thread, dodyskin writes:
I was watching a history programme the other day and a fletcher was demonstrating archery. He asserted that the phrase cock-up came from archery, when the arrow is drawn with the feathers in the wrong position (unsure what that is), misfires and spins away.
- which reminds me of another question I'd been meaning to post here (so many questions, so little time! so many brain cells dying off from being here so late at night!):
Does anyone know what the verb for the art of archery is? "Fletcher" seems to be an alternative word for "archer" but unless I'm much mistaken, fletching means flaying the blubber off a whale carcase...? But we don't talk about archers arching....Is there a verb for the act of archery, or is it just referred to as "shooting arrows"?!
Let us go in peace to love and serve the board.
