Naked Science Forum
On the Lighter Side => That CAN'T be true! => Topic started by: Hadrian on 27/04/2006 21:09:52
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Cobblers
A lot of people thing shoemakers are cobblers in fact they are shoe menders. The correct term for a shoemaker is a cordwainer.
Do you know any other examples of wrong term being used like this?
What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.
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Bill hooks! [:D]
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More than just science
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The bill hook or bill-guisarme was, in the 15th and 16th Centuries, the main close combat weapon of English infantry. Descended from agricultural billhooks and the pollaxe, the bill was a chopping blade with several spiking projections mounted on a staff of six or seven feet. The blade almost universally had one pronounced spike straight off the top like a spear head, in addition to a hook mounted on the 'reverse' side of the blade. George Silver, a great supporter of the bill, recommended that the overall length should be from the ground to as high as the user can reach with his hand, with the distance between the wielder's hands when the weapon is held added to that length, making it 9 feet long or so. It is similar in size, function and appearance to the halberd.
One advantage that it had over other polearms was that while it had the stopping power of a spear and the power of an axe, it also had the addition of a pronounced hook. If the sheer power of a swing did not fell the horse or its rider, the bills hooks were excellent at finding a chink in the plate armour of cavalrymen at the time, dragging the unlucky horseman off his mount to be finished off with either a sword or the bill itself. These characteristics also made it effective against heavily armoured infantry, dragging them into the melee or exploiting the weak points in their armour.
During the 16th Century when most European states were adopting the pike and arquebus, the English preferred to stick with the tried and tested combination of bill and English longbow that had been so successful during the Hundred Years' War, the Wars of the Roses and in constant conflicts with the Scots. Even in the Elizabethan period bills were still common with levies sent to fight the Scots.
[:D][:)][:D] [:D][:)][:D]
What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.
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polecat here in the U.S.
here, it is used to refers to a black and white skunk, not a smelly, less chunky european weasel, although I believe thay are related to weasels.
By the way - did Cromwell's army use long billhooks or pikes and arquebus?
The mind is like a parachute. It works best when open. -- A. Einstein
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cromwells army used mainly match-lock and ball,which would at the time totally ruin your day.......up the parliamentarians !
http://www.armybarmy.org
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Considering that an arquebus is a matchlock, I guess the very long combo-weapons Cromwell or one of his captains invented (modified?) and used were pikes.
The mind is like a parachute. It works best when open. -- A. Einstein
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The ole Ball and Chain? Wife or Husband is the meaning...hehe
"Lo" Loretta
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quote:
Originally posted by Hadrian
Do you know any other examples of wrong term being used like this?
Yes, I have been referred to in many terms...only the nice ones have been true [:D]
Men are the same as women, just inside out !
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Uh, is this really true Neil? there is a hidden lie detector written in the encoding of program..Depending on how big lie is depends on which rotten food gets thrown at you...so answer carefully and correctly.
"Lo" Loretta
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phew !,ive just got back from the supermarket with a case of rotten tomatoes,has he lied yet ?
http://www.armybarmy.org
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Could be close, as he is having a bit of trouble with the perfect "lie" to go unnoticed by detector...hey, don't I know you???? LOL You are from the other place!
"Lo" Loretta
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Oh just chuck all that fruit and veg at me...oh yessss !!..[:D]
Cripes !!..there are places where one would have to pay for such a service..but here I get it for free...YAYYYYY !!! [;)]
Men are the same as women, just inside out !
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Uh, Oh Ray, I thinketh he is telling the truth here! Can't chuck a tomato, but we can throw him peanuts! You do like nuts right? hehe
"Lo" Loretta
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quote:
Originally posted by neilep
Oh just chuck all that fruit and veg at me...oh yessss !!..[:D]
Cripes !!..there are places where one would have to pay for such a service..but here I get it for free...YAYYYYY !!! [;)]
Men are the same as women, just inside out !
Paying for abuse ?????? How repressively English!
[:p]
The mind is like a parachute. It works best when open. -- A. Einstein