TOUTE DE SUITE.

What Knots, Volume 3, Issue 3, 17 December 1945, Page 4

TOUTE DE SUITE.

Thia was originally intended as a letter to the-Editor, but on further consideration and deep thought, I intend to submit this short paragraph as a. very earnest and sincere plea to all hospital ship announcers, for all indiv:' r - uals who happen to use the public Address System. I feel I am not asking too much, or unnecessarily taxing the integrity or intelligence of our worthy .. announcers,'when I would like to bring to their notice) the fact that repetition of a word can and does become, somewhat boring and even aggravating, after hearing it for at least thirty times a day. The time 'comes though when the day leads into days and then weeks and still the same word is repeated time after time, until it becomes absolutely shattering to the strongest of nervous systems and you just shudder in anticipation, each time the P.A. System is switched on. If readers have not already guessed the vord to which I am alluding, let me hasten to inform them before the P.A. does • Ji IMMEDIATELY". At the end of every announcement requesting a person or persons, that word blares ourwith terrible emphasis until it echoes in every ward, on every deck, through the departments, filtering into the ..cabins, lounges and vestibules,until the whole ship echoes and re-echoes with- that cursed word. Though.at 'times, and possibly for variety, we frequently hear different pronunciations of the said word, but even that novelty has worn off after two hundred- .times, and has become just as trying, if not worse. Y.hen the occasion arises, .which is somewhat frequently, that a member of the staff or a patient is required really urgently, may I humbly implore our 8.8. C. understudies to use some othe word from the English vocabulary such as "at once", "right away", "instantaneously" or even "pronto", and only in cases of extreme and absolute urgency, infact in a matter of life and death, might they lapse into "Toute de Suite". ’ ' —oOo— - sea pevo ‘"

Dear Sir, ■ " ' " Unless you. are made of sterner stuff, you too undoubtedly cringe at the tormenting daily calls for so-and-so to report to somewhere or other, IMMEDIATELY. Even the announcers must be sick of putting these calls over, aid. so, having in view, the relieving of this monotony, the following•suggestions for a "pleasanter paging" movement ore forwarded for your approval. ■ The undermentioned departments have been given a ; new name,-for the working of our movement, and suggestions are invited for further application. -These’ new names are as follows:- , R. and D. "RUBS AND DABS, UNLIMITED" "Little Rubs of ointment - Little dabs of paint". Dental. "SHELL HOLE" "■ • This is hell - that was! Lab. "POOLS, TOOLS AMD STOOLS" "Let us sort it out." Massage "THE METRONOME"' Eight strokes to the scar. Paymaster. "THE BANKER" ; "I’ll pay twenties." Telephone "8.8. C. Beautifully Bungled Calls. Patients* Mess. "THE LIONS’ DEH" "Dare to be a Daniel". And r .BO, as the Patients’ Mess is the .popular call of the day, let us try out our new movement on the patients’ Mess. It would be something like this:With signaturejtune,-•("Dare To Be a Daniel") playing quietly and invitingly in the background,'announcer’s voice.: says, "Paging all Daniels! Paging All Daniels! The . Lions’. Den. is now baited." There are no -'end of possibilities for this movement, but we have had enough. Thank you. .-• . , ■ . ' + . ° , - ■-d-000 ' ■ * The Capstans - There- was a young- man named Fred, - : There is a young man named Alf When ashed the other .day said: Mho said, "On account of my health "On account' of; my knee . ; My shorts I wear ldn£- :^; ’ - I am now on-E.D. ■-..... ' Down where they belong •’ ■' And think I should be in bed!" I’m setting a fashion myself!" -— 000—-