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Hydromet wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 04, 2022 10:35 pm

Excuse my ignorance, but could someone please tell me how come sailors named Wilson are always nicknamed Tugg. The origins of most nicknames, if not obvious, can usually be guessed, but I've drawn a blank on this one.

Derived from the nickname of a former First Sea Lord (1909-11) Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Kynvet Wilson, also awarded the VC when fighting with the Naval Brigade at the Battle of El Teb in 1884 in the Sudan during the Mahdi rebellion. Admiral Wilson's nickname reputedly comes from an incident when he repeatedly ordered a battleship to try and come alongside and in exasperation offered her Captain a tug to assist.

Thank you C16 & Ricardian. I may be none the wiser, but I'm better informed.

I think some of them make sense, like 'Dusty' Miller, but what was 'Nobby' Clark all about?

Mr Google tells me:

Why are Clarks called Nobby?
In his first autobiography, the multi-talented Bryan Forbes (real name John Clarke, he's probably best remembered for his role of the nudist guitarist Turk Thrust in an early Inspector Clousseau film) explains that "Clarkes are called Nobby because clerks used to wear top-hats in the City.

So it seems a top hat is a 'nob'?

So it seems a top hat is a 'nob'?

Isn't it more likely a Topper, to be worn on your nob ?

The definitive guide to "jackspeak" was written by the doc at Culdrose that did my aeromeds for a few years, and is available from the big river store:



Well written, and also illustrated by Tugg Wilson.

ricardian wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 04, 2022 10:51 pm

Hydromet wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 04, 2022 10:35 pm

Excuse my ignorance, but could someone please tell me how come sailors named Wilson are always nicknamed Tugg. The origins of most nicknames, if not obvious, can usually be guessed, but I've drawn a blank on this one.

Derived from the nickname of a former First Sea Lord (1909-11) Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Kynvet Wilson, also awarded the VC when fighting with the Naval Brigade at the Battle of El Teb in 1884 in the Sudan during the Mahdi rebellion. Admiral Wilson's nickname reputedly comes from an incident when he repeatedly ordered a battleship to try and come alongside and in exasperation offered her Captain a tug to assist.

Funnily enough that came up at the dinner table only 2 weeks ago.
Along with Dusty we also had Chalky, then Dinger and Digger.
But with the Navy, why Jimmy? (looked it up ). I guess 'mate' also has a nautical origin and spread from the sea ports.

Pontius Navigator wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 05, 2022 8:21 am

I guess 'mate' also has a nautical origin and spread from the sea ports.

Mate comes from matelot, and was a French word for a seafarer originally. There are lots of everyday words in English that have their origins in the RN. Reading Rick Jolly's book I was surprised at just how many everyday words come from naval slang. Reminded me of a friend at school who was the son of a butcher. They had their own secret language (back slang) that has probably died out now, but he taught some of us bits of it so we could have secret conversations with each other as kids.

Have you got a joint?
Show us a leg.

When I was thinking of the lad that taught us the butcher's language earlier I had to write his name down to work out what his real name was, as 60 years later I still think of him as Nala Srednaus

Computer shop!

VP959 wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 05, 2022 6:41 am

The definitive guide to "jackspeak" was written by the doc at Culdrose that did my aeromeds for a few years, .....

My copy of Jackspeak is a well worn first edition copy, limited to 1000 copies, signed by VP's doc, the late Rick Jolly. The initial aim was to raise £2500 for local Cornish and Naval charities. He was the only participant in the Falklands Conflict to be decorated by both sides.

Surgeon-Captain Richard Tadeusz Jolly OBE was a Royal Navy medical officer who served in the 1982 Falklands War and was later decorated by both the British and Argentine governments for his distinguished conduct during the conflict. He went on to practise and give lectures to medical establishments on his experiences

CharlieOneSix wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 05, 2022 2:19 pm

VP959 wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 05, 2022 6:41 am

The definitive guide to "jackspeak" was written by the doc at Culdrose that did my aeromeds for a few years, .....

My copy of Jackspeak is a well worn first edition copy, limited to 1000 copies, signed by VP's doc, the late Rick Jolly. The initial aim was to raise £2500 for local Cornish and Naval charities. He was the only participant in the Falklands Conflict to be decorated by both sides.

Surgeon-Captain Richard Tadeusz Jolly OBE was a Royal Navy medical officer who served in the 1982 Falklands War and was later decorated by both the British and Argentine governments for his distinguished conduct during the conflict. He went on to practise and give lectures to medical establishments on his experiences

My copy has a similar provenance, not signed by Rick Jolly but I remember being "persuaded" to buy it at the time, because of the donation to charity. IIRC I was press ganged into buying it by Vic, the landlord of the Beehive in Helston.

I remember getting dressed at the end of a medical and saying to him that it was a relief to get a clean bill of health, a bit like a car passing its MOT. He just said something like "You're every bit as likely to drop down dead in the next minute as you were before you walked in here". I remember feeling a bit deflated by his words. I still have the remnants of a first aid kit he put together for me many years ago, when I mentioned to him that I was a caver and sought his advice on the sort of first aid kit and training that might be best suited to that environment. Didn't know he'd died, though, or reached the rank of Captain. He was still a Surgeon Commander when I last saw him, some time in the mid-80's.

I did a spell in the Sea King Simulator before 'going outside'. Rick would stand in as P2 sometimes if the victim trainee pilot had turned up on his own. He had better spatial awareness and handling abilities than some of the junior squadron P2s and would have made a good pilot! He only refused one suggested entry for Jackspeak - I can't repeat it as it contains a very naughty word...

I did an hour or so in the Sea King sim at Culdrose. Someone in the gliding club thought it would be a good idea for us glider pilots to get an appreciation of flying IFR if we were ever stupid enough to find ourselves caught out in cloud (not that unlikely given the infamous "Culdrose Clag"). Someone in the sim had re-jigged it to disable the collective and get the control response somewhat similar to a glider. Not sure it did more than further convince me to try and avoid getting caught out if at all possible.

Rick always struck me as someone that would go out of his way to help, even when he didn't have to. The first aid kit mentioned earlier was a good example. He went out of his way to put a kit together and spend time explaining what he thought would be the best we could do in a cave rescue situation, far more than I'd asked of him, and he'd clearly put a fair bit of thought into the challenges faced by someone trying to give first aid in a confined space with little chance of timely outside assistance by trained professionals.

What a coincidence C16 - I just read this article this morning in the Daily Tripe Mail! At least it's usually good for a laugh, like this clip of a Mamma's boy whose a Mamma forgot to pack his undies or wasn't there to wash them for him.
What a quandary - win the race or be done for exposure!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... rwear.html

'Furious' Alberto 'Nonickers' Nonino reacts to press reports of 'dongle swinging'.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/u20-wo ... YLW4HPQDQ/