Sailing Terms That Seem Backwards and Confusing

[cyan]

Originally Posted by StuM

In actual fact, the "lazy" version grates incredibly every time a non-American hears or sees it misused.

Wow.
If true, then I fear that there are many more international incidents caused when my hillbilly friends go traveling to places where people are that word-sensitive.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by cyan

Wow.
If true, then I fear that there are many more international incidents caused when my hillbilly friends go traveling to places where people are that word-sensitive.

I doubt that anyone speaking an actual dialect bothers anyone. And Appalachian English (if that's what you mean by "hillbilly") is actually quite expressive, and a lot of what's in it which your English teacher might have told you is "wrong" is actually not wrong, but just archaic.

What "grates" is when supposedly educated people mangle the language. I don't agree with Stu that Americans are any worse than anyone else. We are bad enough, of course, but I think, in fact, that the English are actually leading the charge to degrade the language once and for all. My business partner is an Eton and Cambridge grad, and close relative of a famous poet, and he can't keep straight whether it's "Would you like to go with my wife and me . . ." or "Would you like to go with my wife and I . . . " Talk about cringing! I don't know any hillbillies that would make that mistake . . .

[cyan]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

My business partner is an Eton and Cambridge grad, and close relative of a famous poet, and he can't keep straight whether it's "Would you like to go with my wife and me . . ." or "Would you like to go with my wife and I . . . " Talk about cringing! I don't know any hillbillies that would make that mistake . . .

I remember a (US) grade school teacher making such an elaborate point of correcting children who might say "Tom and me are going..." that the unfortunate students started using a phrase like "Tom and I" for ALL situations such as "Would you like to go with Tom and I". I suspect your business partner had a similar "teacher" who caused horrible results with good intentions.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by cyan

I remember a (US) grade school teacher making such an elaborate point of correcting children who might say "Tom and me are going..." that the unfortunate students started using a phrase like "Tom and I" for ALL situations such as "Would you like to go with Tom and I". I suspect your business partner had a similar "teacher" who caused horrible results with good intentions.

Yes, I'm sure you're right, but at Eton?? It boggles the mind.

Another example of a gross error which is common in the UK, is the "greengrocer's apostrophe", which the Germans call the Deppenapostrophe -- apostrophe of idiots. You even see it in print in the UK from time to time.

Even on SIGNS!

[cyan]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

It's basically an abbreviated way to say the wind direction.

"Wind out of the North" becomes "North Wind"

When you don't abbreviate, it makes perfect sense.

Likewise, you could say a "current heading North" and there would be no confusion between wind and current.

Yeah, I get that. It's just that when you write those accepted abbreviated names on the little vector arrows that exist on a chart, you might cause a bit of confusion to a newbie.

[boatman61]

I dont have a bell.. but I do have a bolt rope..
Man theres a lot of inflamable statements being made here..

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Yes, I'm sure you're right, but at Eton?? It boggles the mind.

Another example of a gross error which is common in the UK, is the "greengrocer's apostrophe", which the Germans call the Deppenapostrophe -- apostrophe of idiots. You even see it in print in the UK from time to time.
Even on SIGNS!

Attachment 167339

This from a country that cant spell colour and pronounce aluminium..

[RidgeRunner]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Yes, I'm sure you're right, but at Eton?? It boggles the mind.

Another example of a gross error which is common in the UK, is the "greengrocer's apostrophe", which the Germans call the Deppenapostrophe -- apostrophe of idiots. You even see it in print in the UK from time to time.

Even on SIGNS!

Attachment 167339

You don't have to go all the way to the UK to experience it. I see many people posting here that think the plural of "dinghy" is "dinghy's", and that more than one Beneteau constitutes a fleet of "Beneteau's".

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by RidgeRunner

You don't have to go all the way to the UK to experience it. I see many people posting here that think the plural of "dinghy" is "dinghy's", and that more than one Beneteau constitutes a fleet of "Beneteau's".

Plural or possessive, I didn't know this was an English forum. If it's a test I'd fail. I hope they passed inspection.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Plural or possessive, I didn't know this was an English forum. If it's a test I'd fail. I hope they passed inspection.

Well, you didn't make any big mistakes in this post . You might have used a semicolon instead of the comma in the first sentence.

We use the English language on CF, so I don't think that some discussion about how we use that wonderful language is out of place.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, you didn't make any big mistakes in this post . You might have used a semicolon instead of the comma in the first sentence.

We use the English language on CF, so I don't think that some discussion about how we use that wonderful language is out of place.

I don't remember what a semicolon is? Something between a comma and a period?

[cyan]

Originally Posted by thinwater

• Why are the units for torque and energy the same?
• Why don't pounds work in E=1/2MV^2?
• Why use degrees for angle, temperature, and density?
• Why are an ounce (volume) and an ounce (mass) different?

I'm not looking for the answers--I know them. Obviously, I was not confused by the cathode definition. What I'm saying is that these things are not confusing to engineers and sailing terms arn't confusing to sailors.

No problem.

Now THERE is a proper list! Well done.

You already know that... torque is a vector not scalar thus when properly written there is no unit conflict; pounds is a force not a mass; angle degrees are not true units like radians; volume unit is not ounce, it is fluid ounce, you just left off a word.
Not ONE of these issues causes the math to fail like the traditional name of a wind vector that precisely flips the vector's polarity.

Now, as an obviously well-educated sailor, you already know that all these wind vectors are very important in the Hairy Ball Theorem of Geometric Topology. It states (sorta) that there is always at least ONE place on the planet with absolutely NO wind, probably at the center of a cyclone. (or wherever I bring my spinnaker)
If we were to flip the polarity of ALL the wind vectors on the earth because of a quaint old-fashioned convention... well then theoretically all the wind would fly off of the planet at a single point with a big whoosh.
This would put an end to sailing for all of us.
Pretty sure

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I don't remember what a semicolon is? Something between a comma and a period?

This: ;


To separate an independent clause. That is to say -- a clause which could be a complete sentence by itself; which has all of the elements of a complete sentence.

You need to use a semicolon to separate dependent clauses when there is no conjunction (this case):

Semicolons with Clauses


This is actually important. A comma invites the reader to trip on -- you are led to expect the "rest of the sentence", not a practically independent sentence. The semicolon tells the reader to stop and start over again.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

This: ;


To separate an independent clause. That is to say -- a clause which could be a complete sentence by itself; which has all of the elements of a complete sentence.

You need to use a semicolon to separate dependent clauses when there is no conjunction (this case):

Semicolons with Clauses


This is actually important. A comma invites the reader to trip on -- you are led to expect the "rest of the sentence", not a practically independent sentence. The semicolon tells the reader to stop and start over again.

I didn't mean physically; usage wise. I hope that was OK. Probably not. English is probably the most difficult language to learn as a second language, in my case the first.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Montanan

Often when the wind conditions kick up enough that one feels the need to heave to, one also may need to heave overboard. There being a strong correlation between rough seas and motion sickness. I just point to the closest side of the boat and say heave there.

You mean bugg person you!

When the wind conditions kick up, most people will be positioned to windward on the boat. Pointing at the closest side will be a case of "getting your own bacK".