Random trivia...can we make this work

[merlin2375]

I was reading my spinnaker book yesterday evening, and came across an interesting fact. Anyone care to hazard a guess:

What is the origin of the name "nylon"?
Answer the question and post a new question

[eryka]

Great idea! No Wikipedia, right?

Got me - I thought nylon was a made-up word by an ad agency, like Xerox, made to sound good.

[TrueBlue]

Didn't know so used Snopes, (didn't set any ground rules merlin) - the name "nylon" (polyhexamethyleneadipamide . . . that's a mouthful), came about from "the conflatation of New York (NY) and London (Lon)".

Next trivia question.

What are (were) "thole pins"?

[TrueBlue]

Alright - sorry, I missed the key phrase "hazard a guess", which eliminates the use of any research sources. Besides, there's no challenge if using Google or Wiki, so will concede and pass.

[merlin2375]

Well let's set this rule

First 5 minutes NO researching online of any kind (by the time of the post)
after that it's a free for all, it's all good if we're learning something

Just fill out forms 2938-a, 329j-b, and 2938-c then mail them in triplicate to your local representative if you think that's too complicated

Fair enough?

[mstern]

Thole pins are pairs of short dowels that stick up straight from the gunwhales of a boat; they are used to hold oars in place while rowing.

Next question: why do they call it a "Crow's Nest"? (credit to this month's issue of Lats and Atts).

[Moonfish]

Nylon - Sounds like a person from New Zealand saying "no" to Lon Chaney, Jr.

Crow's Nest? Hmm, should have read the whole issue. Don't tell Bob...

I have a production company called Crow's Nest Productions. My guess is that crows (or other birds) used to make nests at the point where the top mast joins the main mast. Good vantage point. When sailors made their little buckets or platforms up there to gain a better view, they must have referred to them as "crow's nests".

[TrueBlue]

Mf,
I'm telling Bob B. you film his shows but don't even read his cruising rag. Shame on you.

Actually, as close as your guess was, I can expand upon it. The navigators aboard early sailing ships would actually bring crows along on sea journeys. Whenever the navigator lost his bearings and/or sight of land, he would release one of his crows from it's cage situated up high on the mast - usually by the platform he used to navigate from.

Being land dwellers, crows always flew towards land - enabling the dim-witted navigator to take a bearing to steer the ship by.

[merlin2375]

Now that's interesting! /\/\

What's the origin of the term starboard? (might be an easy one)

[flyingwelshman]

Originally Posted by merlin2375

Now that's interesting! /\/\

What's the origin of the term starboard? (might be an easy one)

My understanding is it's a corruption of 'steering board', 'cause that's the side of the boat that the rudder was attached.

Close?