THE PASSING SHOW

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22201, 18 September 1937, Page 19

THE PASSING SHOW

A winner at the Auckland Park races was Late Night by Full Dress out of Dissipated. Does not sound like a subject for training. if :~ ■» ' Small catches for young scholars: "What is the Latin for asparagus?" The Latin for "asparagus" is "asparagus." "BIG JAPANESE OFFENSIVE IN THE EAST." —Headline. Particularly to the Chinese. * * * Dice Are Always Loaded | Boldness pays in throwing dice. I Sixes, fives, and fours are more likely to turn up than the lower numbers, Dr. Poulton told the British Association Congress. He said I hat the discovery was made after 4096 throws. The tiny holes scooped out of the ivory and marking the figures makr Ihe dice lighter on the high faces than on the lower. * * * Tree That Yields Wine Llewellyn Williams, the curator of Chicago's Field Museum, recently returned from an expedition to the Mexican jungles. He found there a tree the sap of which, when allowed to ferment in a trough cut into the trunk, becomes a "luscious red wine." * « * / Naval Strength in Far Fast The Japanese and Chinese navies compare as follows, in vessels built: Japan. China. Battleships . . 9 None Aircraft carriers 4 None Heavy cruisers .. 12 None Light cruisers .. 20 *9 Destroyers .. 98 None Submarines .. 57 None Total . . 200 9 Total tonnage: 745,604 25,500 * Obsolete except two of 2500 tons each. Besides these vessels Japan has about 20 torpedo boats, numerous sub-chasers, and mine-sweepers, mine-layers, and an aircraft tender. She can also draw on Manchukuo's navy—l 6 gunboats and six patrol vessels. She is building two aircraft carriers, four light cruisers, 14 destroyers, and three submarines, and is thought to be building two battleships. China has 23 gunboats, mostly old, 12 torpedo boats, 14 patrol boats, and two seaplane carriers. She is building two new gunboats. * * * No More "Hello Girls" The New York Telephone Company has repudiated one of the I oldest traditions associated with the telephone. In a booklet entitled "You and Your Telephone," a treatise on telephone usage, the following paragraph occurs: "When you answer, avoid such old-fashioned, indefinite, and timewasting words as 'Hello' and 'Yes.' " The best way to answer is to identify yourself by saying your name, or that of your company or department." For instance, you might say: "Rug department, Mr O'Brien speaking," the booklet suggests. This is a great change from the early days, when telephone operators were called "Hello girls." The booklet emphasises other changes from the early conversations carried by telephones in the eighteen eighties and eighteen nineties. The theme of the tract is " 'Phone as you would be 'phoned to," and it is pointed out that the voice which you send over the wire usually must represent you, and form a picture of your features, smiling, or grimacing; your manners—courteous or grouchy; and your general character—trustworthy or crafty. For this reason, telephone users are urged to speak clearly and tactfully. * * * Cow Eats Clothing and Bank Book A story of a cow with ostrich tendencies is being told in the village of Randolph, Vermont. It is said that a 14-year-old boy was entrusted with his father's bank book to make a deposit at the bank. He deposited the money and started for home, the bank book in the pocket of his shirt. It was a hot day and the stream which ran beside the highway was very tempting. The boy ran across a strip of pasture, shed his clothes, and plunged in. It was deliciously cool and the minutes ran into half hours. Finally he decided he had better return home. Emerging from the water, he was just in time to see a cow quietly chewing the remnants of his underwear and shirt. A search revealed I portions of the outside cover of the bank, book, but apparently the cow had swallowed the inside pages, including all the figures. J

The Longest Miles Americans who visit Europe naturally expect to find many differences, but not all of them are prepared for the differences that exist in such common things as weights and measures. A few weeks ago an American set off for a Sunday afternoon walk with a Norwegian friend in Oslo. It was to be a walk of only a couple of miles, the Norwegian explained. "Norwegian miles," he added suddenly. "Well?" "One Norwegian mile is seven American miles." Norway is thus entitled to the r>roud boast that its miles are far and away the longest in Europe. The Danes have a mile which is a bit more than 4 i English or, American •niles, and the Austrian postal mile i~ about the same. When the French I'd Germans speak of a mile, thev ■-ran a nautical mile, which • •u.":es to about 6080 feet. When •!'.<• Dutch refer to a mile they mean ;\ I ilometre, which for walking pur--1 .cs can safely be reckoned as five- ■ : <?hths of a mile. Kilometres, in'ced, are the only way out of the "onfusion, for the metric system he one system which never varies n Europe. # * * Anglicising French Names English Christian names, and more particularly English nicknames, are becoming very popular in France. Many French names of long standing are being translated into short English forms. This tendency is noticeable on the stage, in recent books, and particularly' in real life. If a French boy's name is Richard, in all probability he will be called Dick by his friends. Robert easily becomes Bob; Charles develops into Charlie, and James into Jimmy. Although Richard, Robert, and Charles are authentically at home in the French language, the same cannot be said for the English diminutives; they are distinctly nonFrench, yet they are gaining increasing popularly in France. Some of the young people baptised Jean sign their names John. Many a French girl christened Jeanne rejects this name, and adopts its English translation, Jane, which is supposed to be very fashionable in France. Patrick is now being occasionally substituted for Patrice. * * * Only a Suggestion—- " The world-suggestion can exist in no bodily form. The suggestion —the thoughts source—is only world-spiritual conscious individual 'thoughts—-good without physical self-form under refusal of every fortuity. The suggestion is eternal thoughts-work—with pause."— German circular on psychology, as translated by author.