Living in Brazil, we learnt Portuguese. Boating, we learn words and phrases like lockwheeling, skeg and pulling pins. The last of these is a bit like what our friend and practice nurse Shirley did with my best beloved's knee this evening. Snip, snip – out came the staples, all 27.
That pulling pins is usually done in the morning is irrelevant. As half the readers of this blog will know, it means you're leaving your mooring, getting underway on the next stage of your journey. That's what it felt like as we left the surgery. Flexibility and freedom, if still somewhat restrained by the cut.
It's the first visit to the physio tomorrow. Lockwheeling is still some way off!
My word, how I hate that term! I don't know where it came from, as it's only used by some canal bloggers. It's not traditional; the old boaters used to 'let go' in the morning, after 'tying' the night before.
ReplyDeleteIt's so seldom accurate is what gets me; most of the time these days, you are on rings or piling hooks or piling chains.
It's like hanging your stern line on the tiller pin...
;)
Rant over, gosh I feel better for that!
All the best
Bruce
Ha Bruce, I enjoyed your rant..
ReplyDeletePulling the pins is something I started I am afraid, so I will put my hands up to that, but I like the term that's why I invented it.
It makes me smile now to see many use the term.. To be quite honest we pull pins more than we slip hooks.. Ah now maybe I should start that one..
"We slipped the 'ooks".. Come on Bruce that sounds good dunnit! ;-)
Margaret, so pleased you are on the mend, won't be too long 'till you are running around again.. best wishes
An innocent abroad, you see, Bruce. It seemed too good a picture of Margaret's staple removal to ignore. That's the politics of language for you! Sue, perhaps as a penance you should start an extra page in boatersblogs with a glossary of words of doubtful provenance which ought not to be used in polite boating company.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Margaret says thanks for the good wishes. There must be some parallel with exchanging gearboxes that I can use sometime!
Best wishes to you both.
Martin
I dunno about pulling pins, but the addition of a humble T results in pulling pints - now you are talking my language.
ReplyDeleteAndy
Nice one, Andy. Unfortunately, one of the anagrams of the offending phrase is "sipping null", so it looks as though the barrel was empty!
ReplyDeleteMartin