Misused Words.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 938, 7 December 1933, Page 10

Misused Words.

'J'IIE PRACTICE of omitting “ the ” before

ships’ names is not British in origin, and it can probably be traced to the de mand for condensation in modern newspapers.

The old yacht America, which won the cup that Sir Thomas Lipton’s Shamrocks failed to recapture, has given its name to the race, and we speak now’ of the America’s Cup. But some American writers want to drop the article, and Mr W. O. M’Geehan has a timely note on it in the New York “ Herald-Tribune ’’ of October 22.

“ There is one point which I hope will be settled before the next America’s Cup race starts, ’ he writes, “ and that is whether or not the article should be used before the name of the yacht in writing of this nautical matter. The last time experts, who reported in yachting caps, would write, 4 Shamrock was over the starting line first; Enterprise crossed a little later.’

Reporters, w’ho had no yachting caps, but who wrote of the sea in derbies or fedoras, would write: ‘The Shamrock crossed the line first. The Enterprise crossed a little later.’ Not owning a yachting cap, I stood with the latter school of yacht writers. “ I recalled an early ballad, ‘ Waiting for the Robert E. Lee.' The author, who must have known his boat lore, xised the article before the name of the vessel. Old Ironsides was THE Constitution. In the Spanish War it was THE Oregon. Also how do you account for the fact that even the experts with the caps write of it as THE America’s Cup if the article is to be barred before the name of the challenger and the defender? It is nothing to me, but why toss the article overboard when a yacht race starts, unless, of course, it is a menace to navigation? “It must be that I have reached the stubborn age, for my motto for yacht races now is, 4 Don’t give up the article.’ It is mv sole nautical tradition. I hope to ship for the next race with a crew of article users. If it should happen that we founder, we shall nail the article to the mast and go down to Davy Jones’s locker like men.” 44 Touchstone ” agrees with Mr M’Geehan. TOUCHSTONE.