Wordie: Gumbril: Comments

Comment by reesetee, 9 months ago

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:27:28 +0000

No! You trice puddings athwart the starboard gumbrils when sailing by and large?? Say it ain't so!

Comment by chained_bear, 9 months ago

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:21:13 +0000

"'...There is an art in puddings, to be sure; but what is art without suet?'

"'What indeed?' said Graham. 'But there are also puddings in art, I understand — in the art of managing a ship. Only yesterday I learnt, to my surprise, that you trice puddings athwart the starboard gumbrils, when sailing by and large.'

"Graham's surprise was nothing to that of the wardroom: 'By and large?' they said. 'Gumbrils? starboard gumbrils?' Jack's spotted dog hung in his gullet for a moment before he understood that someone had been practising upon the Professor's credulity, an ancient naval form of wit..."
--Patrick O'Brian, The Ionian Mission, 83-84

Comment by chained_bear, 9 months ago

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:47:09 +0000

"'Such tales have I heard of Captain Bentinck's palls, or rather shrouds, and his triangular courses, of Captain Pakenham's newly-discovered rudder, of Captain Bolton's jury-mast, of improved iron-horses, dogs, dolphins, mouses — or mice as some say — puddings...'

"'Puddings, my dear sir?' cried Graham.

"'Puddings. We trice 'em athwart the starboard gumbrils, when sailing by and large.'

"'The starboard gumbrils ... by and large,' said Graham, and with a passing qualm Stephen recalled that the Professor had an unusually good memory..."
--Patrick O'Brian, The Ionian Mission, 76