POSTSCRIPTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 62, 10 September 1937, Page 8

POSTSCRIPTS

Chronicle and Comment

BY PERCY FLAGB

X. —Nomenclature: Panic (by Second. Test —Lancaster Park). •s * * The only raw material that the Fatherland does not lack is gunfodder. * -t # The Prime Minister stresses listener- . interest as a big factor in effective broadcasting, yet he is preparing to let the politicians loose over the air! * # * If the New Zealand heavyweight champion boxer does meet Tommy Farr we may have to change his name to Strickenland. * » ♦ C.G.F.—-Mr. Adam Hamilton: "Even if the election was called tomorrow we Would not be caught. . . ." Would they still be on the run? Henry.—"Heat in the Diet," said a "Post" billboard in reference to the discussion on the British Note to Japan. We would suggest that the Japanese try the effect of food reform, or take a little more water«with I it. ■ * • • PERSPIRATIONAL. "One on Me" sends in this one—from : an American weekly: For every '• eighteen holes of golf, the average * player gives off enough heat to raise ' the temperature of a ton of water one degree. He also will lose enough water through perspiration to fill two average ' ; tumblers. These statistics were calculated by A. H. Reinach, of the Kelvinator Company, who winds up to a . smashing climax with the statement that enough human heat is dissipated on the ayerage golf course each week, to melt six tons of ice and bring the water so obtained to a boil. * • • BARBADOES PENNY. "Curious" (Foxton): Mr. Allan Sutherland, secretary of the New Zealand Numismatic Society, answers your inquiry as follows:—According to the latest list of Seaby's, numismatists, London, the Barbadoes penny, 1788,----"Negro's head crowned and pineapple," is valued at 3s in very fine condition. The coin is rare in New Zealand. Incidentally, adds Mr. Sutherland, in the same list Seaby's refuse to show New-Zealand coins struck after, the death of George V, as coins of that monarch, but of Edward VIII. The New Zealand florin, 1936, for instance, in extra fine condition, is shown "Edward VIII (with bust and title of George V, numismatic value 3s 6d" (or over 4s in New Zealand money). This is purely an overseas numismatic value, and in any case there is still a ban on the export of New Zealand English coin from this country. *_ * » MARATHON WORDS. Dear Flage,—-I would like to thank "ACK H," through you,' for the very entertaining pastime he afforded me ' this weekend, in the form of inspiring my perusal of all the latest English . dictionaries, in the hope of finding one in which his twenty-two-lettered word' appeared. Would he be as kind as to put my mind at x*est? Does it originate from some ancient encyclopaedia? Should he be compiling an ultra- \ modern dictionary of his own I meekly offer -my assistance with ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM. ; Another conglomeration of alphabetical characters. E.F.X.B. Northland. Dear Percy Flage,—l- think that you'll agree that both E,L.F.B. and ACK H will retire into their shells (or dictionaries) *after this word, which I think dan safely be said 'to be the longest word in the language and - which takes no difficulty in pronouncing:— . SEMIANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISTICALLYi (38 letters.) LEXICOGRAPHER. * * * LIMERICKS. A dour old man of Argyll Dressed up in a most natural styll; The nudist .girls caught Him well wrapt in thought, All the rest that he wore was a smyll! G.L.C. Nelson. A dour old man of Argyll Met Cleor the lure of the Nyll. Said she, "Well McClusky I can't gi' you whusky, But drink up my poison—and smile!" WITY-CUS. A' dour old man of Argyll . Only once has been known to smyll-* And that once, if you please, Was when, in a high breeze, He helped a gal over^styll^^ A dour old man of Argyll, One day tripped over a tylle; The unlucky old blighter Lost the flint from his lighter; Do you wonder that now he cant Smyll6? I.MANASS. A dour old man of Argyll ■ _ Decided he'd try hard to smyll; But all 'twas in vain, For it gave him a pain, And sadly distorted his dyll. SHANGRI-LA. Karori. A dour old man of Argyll Said: "Good whisky I wouldna defyllj So dihna ye greet, I'l just tak mine neat"— And he'd never a smyll on his dyll. PLIMMERTON. Honourable mention: "Robin" (Ka-« rori), E.M.M. (we hope to revive the brain teasers later on), Scotty Morris, J.D.K.Z. (alias "square face"?), "Par* Pram," and "Keepa Going." No most individual limerick this week, and how we miss it. • * * WHAT'S IN A NAME? A further batch of quaint surnames' from the London Telephone Directory, —as promised: Coinage gives us Farthing, Halfpenny. Penny, "Tanner," Shilling, Crown and. ■ Pound, whilst the variety of "colour" names is prodigious: Blue, Brown, Black, Fawn, Green, Gray, Gold, Orange, Pink, Silver, Violet, and White - being a few. Badman is balanced by, Goodman, Bigman by Smallman, Whiteman by.Blackman, Woodman by Fieldman, and Silverman by Goldman. Sewing contributes Bodkin, Cotton, and Needle, whilst to turn to gruesome subjects there are Body, Bury, Coffin, Death, Grave, and Life. Metals include Copper, Gold, Iron, Silver, and Steel; other materials embrac- Cork, China, Glass, Horn, Ivory. LeatVur, and Wood. Minerals reveal Agate. Alabaster, Coral, Diamond, Pearl, and Ruby, the Woodworker's Trade giving such names as Hammer, File, Plane, Plank, and Saw. The older trades give us Archer, Falconer, Hunter, and Skinner, whilst Cartwright, Cheesewright, Sievewright, Wainwright, Wheelwright, Clerk, Banker, Butcher, Cooper. Collier, Goldsmith, Ironmonger, Joiner, Merchant, Nailer, Sawyer, and Turner. This by no means ends the tale, but a profler summary of tha marvels in "A to X and L to Z" would need many reams of foolscap to dot them justice.