Thursday 29 April 2010

Gaff - the proper word...


When Derek, the past-time barman at 'The George Hotel' in Rye told me once that his real love was sailing in his boat, it was like describing a technique for splitting the atom to me, because I'm not a sailor.

His pride and joy was his boat which was a 'Gaff rigged sloop', and this is actually the only single thing I've ever known about sailing. I did have the chance to get involved many times, but they were a dreadful lot down at Rye Harbour, very snooty and unpleasant then, and I really couldn't be arsed to try and fit in there, because there were much better things to do on a Sunday, like wake up slowly after a bruising rugby day at 'The Polegrove', then 'The New Inn', or 'The Two Sawyers' - usually all three. And none of my friends bothered either, so it wasn't a difficult decision to make.

But the one word to describe Derek's boat has stuck as a reminder that there are some good things in life, and I hope he still sails it, (but I doubt it as he would be about 98 now)!

And the word 'Gaff(e)' lives on! Wikipedia is off the mark pretty quickly - see last item on 'Politics' here.

Even funnier, was watching Harriet Harman squirming on the hook last evening, totally out of her depth, and coming out with the statement - many, many times, that 'Gordon didn't mean it...'! Even the journalists eventually took pity on her, and asked her about flower arranging or something, because she looked as though she was going to resign there and then; but there's a few more days to go yet before she has to, and we can look forward to that.

8 comments:

lilith said...

I would have liked to see Harman squirm. Now the nation has seen what we have been aware of for a long time now.

Trubes said...

Oh what Joy to see Harriet to squirm..
Talking about Yatchies, they can be a snooty lot, quite right Scrobes, best ignored. I always preferred the Rugger Buggers...great fun...My first love was a Rugby player..He played for New Brighton RUC.
Lovely guy...Boo Hoo!
Di.xx
word veri. peepi

Philipa said...

Gordo keeps saying 'vote for me' not 'vote for us' or 'vote Labour'. The Harpie has mostly been covered up so a rare moment there.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Oh she was awful Lils, I couldn't help remembering the weakest of kids at school (when I really was a tot, and that's a squillion years ago), coming out with 'I didn;t mean it', as an excuse for everything from a capital offence to punching some other kid...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Trubes, see above re Harperson, but we just didn't feel like getting imvolved with them - probably to do with money, although many of my lot were farmers, so they were a much friendlier crowd!

Agree about the rugger though, Mrs S let me have a few pints after a game, then expect me back (before we were wed that is), by 'Dad's Army' at 7.30pm!

Plenty of time that was!

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Very astute Pips, she has been kept back hasn't she - I hadn't realised until now.

Mandekson is really showing how he is such a bad loser as well, which is uplifting.

rvi said...

Been away for a few days so now just catching up. Not that I have anything to contribute here as all I know about sailing is the expression "poop deck" (whatever that is/was!)

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Reevers; you take as long as you like to respond, I'll still be here for the next two minutes...

Poop deck; my A***!