RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 259, 31 July 1939, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights On Current Events (By Kickshaws). It may bo true, as Crawford says, that the new tennis balls require a shave, but some of the players have had even closer shaves. » * o Judging by exaggerated claims of air casualties on the Mongolian frontier, a few plane facts are badly needed. Well, anyway, whatever the merits of America’s abrogation of her trade treaty with Japan, experts seem unanimous that Roosevelt has a pretty good nip on Japan.* “‘A.W.’ queries my authorship of the “Maori alphabet,” writes “Mitch." “My information thereon was imparted to me by the late Lawrence Marshall Grace, J.P., third son of the Rev. T. S. Grace, Church of England missionary in the early days of New Zealand. He yyas born at Bishop’s Court, Parnell. Auckland, in 1854, and died on January 10, 1934, aged 79. In 1885 he married Te Kahui Te Heuheu, a daughter of the paramount chief of Taupo. He was an authority on Maori language, laws and customs —none better than he. He was of the second generation of Graces —a family founded by the first missionary to Taupo in the middle of last century. Regarding Lee and Kendall’s Grammar, quoted by ‘A.W.,’ I wish to state emphatically that I accepted the late L. M. Grace’s authorship of the Maori alphabet by French Roman Catholic priests, rather than that of Messrs. Lee and Kendall, whose only view of New Zealand (possibly) was per medium of an atlas.”

First-class tennis players in the American matches are complaining that the balls have too much nap. The "whiskers,” they contend, slow down the ball. One may well believe this, and wonder how much faster these aces wish to propel their tennis missiles. A player of the calibre of Crawford hits the ball, in a hard service at some 130 miles an hour. Tilden has been credited with a speed of 128 miles an hour and many other famous players are round about this figure. These speeds are usually attained with overhead shots, including volleys. Straight underhand drives cannot usually attain speeds of much over 90 miles an hour because of the fact that at greater speeds the ball, _ in theory, goes out. Whiskers, therefore, probably affect services more than other shots. By putting top spiu on a forehand drive it is possible, however, to attain greater speeds and still keep the ball in the court. Johnston, for example is credited with a forehand drive of 120 miles an hour.

Usually we tend to underestimate the speed of bails and other missiles used iu sport, except in ping-pong where 10 miles an hour is the maximum. The speed of the average football after a hard kick appears slow. too. Actually the ball travels at about 40 miles an hour, or twice as fast as the fastest runner. In contrast a golf ball travels at about 130 miles an hour as a result of a good drive. The power In a golf ball is usually misjudged. A test showed that the ball is capable of peuelrating right, through a book of 1000 pages. One hears u lot about, cannon-ball bowlers in cricket, and now experts have measured the speed of the ball. A really fast bowler slings them down at 90 miles au hour. A batsman, therefore, has about half a second in which to do something. As the messages along the nerves travel at 80 miles an hour he may be out before he reacts to the situation. The boxer uses uo ball in his game, but he makes effective use oi his fist. Some idea of what this means may be had from the fact that careful electrical measuring devices show that a kuock-out blow is delivered at. 127 miles an hour; at least it is when Joe Louis is behind the fist.

The humorous reference in football phraseology to current political trends at the Government farewell to members of the Rugby League at least emphasizes the manner in which sporting phrases have entered daily conversation. There was, of course, no reference to bouncing the ball this time, yet even this phrase has its significance. In almost every other sentence there pops up some phrase well known in some Add of sport. ‘ Going strong” and “riding for a fall” take us to the days when everybody hunted. ‘(Coming a cropper” and "getting wind of” are heard even in Parliamentary circles. Even that well-known political expedient, “a red herring across the track,” has a hunting origin. For some reason a red herring was stpposed to throw the hounds off the scent. The use of aniseed, it is understood, is even more effective, but the old phrase still stands. From the gunroom we have "lock, Stock and barrell.” It is used these days in a most far-ietched manner, but it is understood as well as “line, hook and sinker.”

Naturally, the racecourse has influenced our language to an extent that appears to be -permanent. People who are far from “horsey” may yet be ’full of beans” or “off their oats.” “Can t stay the counse” is another well-used phrase, as is “looking a gift horse in the mouth.” Indeed, this last phrase has lost some of its meaning these mechanized days. Looking a horse in the mouth was one way of estimating its age. Moreover, a “daisy cutter originally had nothing to do with cricket, A horse was called a 'daisy cutter” when it refused to lift its teot properly. Although we still have out race meetings, there are few archery contests these days. Nevertheless, we still speak the language of the bowmen, “Straight to the mark” takes us back to far-off days of bows and arrows, as also does ‘‘wide of the mark. "Hit the bull’s eye” is older than the rifle, and comes from archery. “Bolt upright” is used today. The word “bolt" is the old word for arrow. Moreover the "upshot” was originally the deciding shot tliat won the match.

“What constitutes a Cockney?” writes “Grog.” “Trench H. Johnson, in his ‘Phrases and Names—Their Origin and Meanings,’ sets forth: —'Cockney: From cockayne, a fool’s paradise, where there is nothing but eating and drinking, described in a satiric poem of the thirteenth century- The word was clear!< derived from eoquerc, to cook, and hud reference to London, where the conduits on occasion ran with wine, and good living fell to the lot of men gen erally.’ ” 4: * “If you are not tired of settling, disputes, could you please settle this one?’ says “A.C.” “Did a tire occur at the Terrace School. Wellington, during the Duke of York’s visit to New Zealand. Long life to your column and yourself.”

[The Deputy-Superintendent, Wellington Fire Hoard, advises thin: — “No outbreak at. these premises was attended by the Wellington Fire Brigade during that period.”])