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chained_bear commented on the word fearnought screen
I'm still not entirely sure what this means, but I'll probably find out if I keep reading.
"The cry of a parson untimely roused came up through the hatchway, where they were laying the fearnought screens and wetting them."
--Patrick O'Brian, The Ionian Mission, 63
February 11, 2008
reesetee commented on the word fearnought screen
C_b, this blog post about the old brass monkey phrase might help. It mentions fearnought screens in the second numbered list. :-)
February 11, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word fearnought screen
Ah yes: "Powder monkeys fetched gun powder from the magazine, hidden deep in the ships hull, behind a dampenned “fearnought screen�?, because the worst thing that could happen in a sea battle would be to get so much as a spark in the magazine."
However, it still doesn't explain what they were or looked like. I'll just keep reading.
February 11, 2008
reesetee commented on the word fearnought screen
Ah! I have something--from A Sea of Words: A Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales, which I'm sure you have on your wish list. :-) (I ran a Google book search.)
"A stout woolen cloth used as clothing in cold weather. Also, a thick felt used to cover the outside door of a powder magazine, portholes, and hatchways during battle. Also called 'dreadnought screen.'"
February 11, 2008
gangerh commented on the word fearnought screen
I love this word. Install a 'fearnought screen' into your subconscious and be not afraid of anyone or anything.
It would make a great name for an integrated firewall, anti-spam, anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware, access control, etcetera. You heard it here first!
Also, I feel a new list coming on - 'noughty words'.
February 11, 2008
reesetee commented on the word fearnought screen
Waste nought, want nought. :-)
February 11, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word fearnought screen
Thanks reesetee! I have that book checked out from the library, on my desk but didn't think (duh!) to check it! I'll look up figgy-dowdy next.
February 11, 2008
reesetee commented on the word fearnought screen
No problem. I'm having fun trying to figure out what all these words mean!
February 11, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word fearnought screen
Another usage:
"Once the preliminaries were over—once the drum had beat, once the disguise had been cleared away, once all the cabin bulkheads had been knocked down so that there should be a clean sweep fore and aft, with the decks wetted and sanded, damp fearnought screens over the hatchways to the magazine, and all hands at their action stations, the pigtailed members of the gun-crews... doubled their queues and tied them short..."
--Patrick O'Brian, The Reverse of the Medal, 83
February 24, 2008
Prolagus commented on the word fearnought screen
How does it work in Wordie PRO!, c_b?
October 20, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word fearnought screen
See gangerh's comment below: "Install a 'fearnought screen' into your subconscious and be not afraid of anyone or anything.
It would make a great name for an integrated firewall, anti-spam, anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware, access control, etcetera. You heard it here first!"
October 20, 2008