RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33384, 16 November 1973, Page 14

RANDOM REMINDER

LOTS IN A NAME

It is surprising that the use of Christian and surnames in our everyday conversation is so widespread. Without even scratching the surface a Cashmere correspondent who cannot be regarded as a simple Simon has provided us with adequate proof of the contention. He avers that some people have the cheek of old Nick; but adjures us, for Pete’s sake not to go into details; that there are many cheerful Charlies to make our working days more enjoyable and that it pays to be Frank. By George, the thought as he made his way to his letter box on a" recent morning, here’s another Bill and I haven’t got a Bob in my pocket but about every Tom, Dick and Hany is probably faced with the same dilemma. He finds that it takes the patience of Job and the strength of a

Samson to wrestle with his fiscal problems. But a busy word which appears to be becoming even busier is jack. It seems to be about the most overworked word in the English language. Jack is a man’s name, a sleeveless leather coat, a drinking mug, a playing card, an Indian tree, an electric contact, a male salmon and a slang expression for money. When one is unaware of a man’s name one invariably says “Hey Jack.” Then there are wordweddings such as lumberjack, jackanape, jack-tar, jack-of-all-trades, jack rabbit, jackass, jackpot and Union Jack. One may jack up the price — or an evening date — hi-jack a plane, use a car jack, but not before removing the jack handle. For decorative purposes one may hang a Jacko’lantem on the patio and use a jack hammer whilst doing so. A painter can be

a crackerjack at his trade and a steeplejack seldom susceptible to vertigo. A man’s garment is sometimes referred to as a jacket and if attending a fancy-dress ball in the guise of Napoleon he would undoubtedly wear a pair of jack boots. That is, if he were something of a jack -a - dandy. Bowlers know the meaning of jack high; children that of a jack-in-the-box; hunters and fishermen (as they hook a yellowjack) an appreciation of having a jacknife in their possession, and a jack-plane is an important unit in a carpenter’s kit. Seafaring men are-fami-liar with jack-stays and as quickly as one can say Jack Robinson are prepared to talk about them —every man Jack of them.

But one sinister visitor will not be making his presence felt for many months to come. Jack Frost.