Nautical terms

[John Callon]

I was watching a programme tonight on TV about Prince Charles, or more to the point the wife was. The programme touched on his time at sea in the RN and the commentator made the point that Charles liked to watch the ship in bad weather when she was pitching from stern to bow. the word bow was pronounced as it is in BOW and ARROW. Where on earth do they dig these people up?
Regards
John C.

[Ivan Cloherty]

when she was pitching from stern to bow.
Regards
John C.

He was always a Spike Milligan fan, so his ships went like the song, walking backwards towards christmas

[j.sabourn]

#1 John,From Where Robin Hoods arrer fell in Sherwood Forest. ???? JWS

[John Callon]

Yes John the very same Bow. The narrator pronounced the word bow, as in the bow of a ship as BO. So we have a ship pitching from stern to BO.

[j.sabourn]

Wasn't an American was he as they say buee instead of boy when describing a buoy. JWS

[happy daze john in oz]

That is nothing, we had a reporter here inMelbourne last year when a ferry hit the quayside as aresult of poor mooring skills and high seas. He spoke of the right and left side of the ship!

[Gulliver]

Some can be quite amusing.
I had a cousin working in Hong Kong who came to visit me at the container terminal. She was amazed to see "All those TINS flying on and off the ship "
My favourite amongst Asian crews is TOPSIDE TAXI for aeroplane,especially those that take them home,e.g. " Sahib, I go home next week-topside taxi to Madras-see wife and pfifteen pficaninnies- maybe one more jig-a-jig then ektum kallas (finish) !

One Chinese Chief Steward used to get quite excited when receiving stores by helicopter drop off the Cape. Forever coming to the bridge asking " Sah ! What time YELLOW PLOCTER come ship ? Can do now ? "

[Captain Kong]

Hi Davy I may have been in that Yellow Plocter off the Cape.
I spent 3 months flying with Court from Cape Town storing ships off the Cape, and it was Yellow. In 1976
Cheers
Brian

[Brenda Shackleton]

#1
They are probably the same people who have lots of 'rums' in their 'howse'~ in fact for 'yurs and yurs' (don't know how they pronounce the things attached to the side of their heads............ ) Nicholas Witchell (BBC Royal Corresspondant) is the one to listen to for these pearls of mispronunciation. It must be BBC speak as Rita Chakrabati is guilty as well ~ although I do like her reading the News. Another reason why we yell at the telly. Somebody has to !
Regards
Brenda

[Chris Allman]

Well HRH would have wet feet now, as his stern and bow have sunk in Birkenhead Docks. Well the stern has sunk the bow is still showing above water and the only things pitching are the kids throwing stones at the wreck. YA .......