Are Narrowboats getting uglier?

[Athy]

3 minutes ago, Tonka said:

I do not know but is it to do with the English language 

1 staff, 2 staves

So, your suggesting that "staves" is simply the plural of "staff"? That's possible I suppose, but "stave" can also be singular - for example a musical stave.

Edited May 14 by Athy

[Richard Carter]

1 hour ago, Athy said:

So, your suggesting that "staves" is simply the plural of "staff"? That's possible I suppose, but "stave" can also be singular - for example a musical stave.

 

The same uncertainties and arguments over the use of staff or stave for the singular of staves "rages" in the musical world too ... my 1930s Shorter Oxford allows stave, describing it as a back formation from staves, the plural of staff. It also allows "staffs", presumably as in "Staves and Worcs Canal"

[Athy]

2 minutes ago, Richard Carter said:

 

The same uncertainties and arguments over the use of staff or stave for the singular of staves "rages" in the musical world too ... my 1930s Shorter Oxford allows stave, describing it as a back formation from staves, the plural of staff. It also allows "staffs", presumably as in "Staves and Worcs Canal"

...and Bickerstaves Narrowboats?

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Athy said:

So, your suggesting that "staves" is simply the plural of "staff"? That's possible I suppose, but "stave" can also be singular - for example a musical stave.

 

You conjure up an image in my mind of musicians fighting each other using their staves as weapons....

[Athy]

4 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

You conjure up an image in my mind of musicians fighting each other using their staves as weapons....

Sounds like a fair description of avant-garde jazz.

[Alan de Enfield]

Staff can also be plural.

 

The staff of both schools .........

 

We employ three part time staff .........

 

He is  a member of staff ...............

 

"The staves of both schools disagreed" Doesn't quite flow.

 

 

Staff(meaning a collection of employees) is both the singular and plural of the noun. Staff is a collective noun so you need to think if the staff are ...

Edited May 14 by Alan de Enfield

[Athy]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Staff can also be plural.

 

The staff of both schools .........

 

We employ three part time staff .........

 

He is  a member of staff ...............

 

"The staves of both schools disagreed" Doesn't quite flow.

Hmmm...in that sense it's a collective noun, which is singular.

But "the STAFFS of both schools" is plural.

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Staff can also be plural.

 

The staff of both schools .........

 

We employ three part time staff .........

 

He is  a member of staff ...............

 

"The staves of both schools disagreed" Doesn't quite flow.

 

 

Plural of "fish" gets difficult, too. 

 

Normally the same word is used for the plural, but not when used to describe breeds of fish. 

 

E.g. The chef used three fishes in the pie; cod, salmon and hake. 

[Mike Todd]

13 hours ago, PD1964 said:

I wouldn’t worry about the bible preacher who thinks the sun shines out of the “Foxes afloat Arse’s” He hasn’t a clue.

I'm not a bible preacher (at least in the sense I guess you mean) but I do believe that the sun shines out of most people somewhere - of course there may be an exception.

 

Actually, with regard to memorials I do have a little bit of a clue but others may well have more. If noddyboater had said 'churchyard' then he would generally be right as most diocesan authorities (who set the rules for what can be put in a parish churchyard) explicitly ban such things, even if sometimes the rules are broken - believe me, that's a nightmare scenario!) However, cemeteries run by the local authority are often much more relaxed especially when it comes to matters that are identifiably cultural or ethnic in origin.

 

The old Victorian burial companies allowed a wide variety of constructions - which is part of the reason that their initial bumper profits turned sour when  the memorials started to fall down and become a danger. However, this is why places such as Highgate are such intriguing places.

[Alan de Enfield]

13 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

However, cemeteries run by the local authority are often much more relaxed especially when it comes to matters that are identifiably cultural or ethnic in origin.

 

 

 

[Tonka]

The plural of wotaclotamus is wotaclotami

[IanD]

Here's a good starting point -- which no doubt some will object to on the grounds that "it's not a Josher"...

 

It's not -- and it won't have rivets either... 😉

[PD1964]

13 minutes ago, IanD said:

Here's a good starting point -- which no doubt some will object to on the grounds that "it's not a Josher"...

 

It's not -- and it won't have rivets either... 😉

Are you saying your having an ugly boat built? as that’s what the Thread is about😂

Edited June 15 by PD1964

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

Are you saying your having an ugly boat built, as that’s what the Thread is about😂

 

I sincerely hope not... 😉

 

(anyway, posts saying "no" are just as relevant as ones saying "yes", this is a *discussion* forum not a soapbox :-)

Edited June 15 by IanD

[Victor Vectis]

Yeahbut......

It's got a big hole for a girly button.

[IanD]

1 minute ago, Victor Vectis said:

Yeahbut......

It's got a big hole for a girly button.

 

It has. Also lots of other things that hairshirt "we don't need no steeenking modern technology" boaters will hate, as well as no rivets or brass to polish... 😉

[David Mack]

1 minute ago, IanD said:

 as well as no rivets or brass to polish... 😉

 

You know boaters who polish their rivets?

[IanD]

6 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

You know boaters who polish their rivets?

 

I've certainly seen ones who seem to polish everything possible so I wouldn't be surprised... 😉

 

(expecting that you know perfectly well how ambiguous English is, and that the verb could apply to both objects or just the second one...)

 

Anyway they'll probably be blinded by my LED headlights reflecting off all their shiny brass... 🙂

Edited June 15 by IanD

[The Happy Nomad]

1 minute ago, IanD said:

 

I've certainly seen ones who seem to polish everything possible so I wouldn't be surprised... 😉

 

(expecting that you know perfectly well how ambiguous English is, and that the verb could apply to both objects or just the second one...)

 

I think it was a 'joke' - remember those?

 

 

[IanD]

34 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

I think it was a 'joke' - remember those?

 

 

I know it was -- as was my reply... 😉

[David Schweizer]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

Here's a good starting point -- which no doubt some will object to on the grounds that "it's not a Josher"...

 

It's not -- and it won't have rivets either... 😉

 

No it isn't, but it is a traditionally profiled, and attractive graceful bow, with reasonably long swims. Who is the builder?

[IanD]

11 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

No it isn't, but it is a traditionally profiled, and attractive graceful bow, with reasonably long swims. Who is the builder?

Tim Tyler. Here's the stern at the same early stage, note the long swim...

Edited June 15 by IanD

[Tonka]

Passed a lovely boat yesterday moored on the Shropshire Union, called Duck and was built by David Kemp

[The Happy Nomad]

8 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Passed a lovely boat yesterday moored on the Shropshire Union, called Duck and was built by David Kemp

 

 

[Tonka]

1 minute ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

 

That is the one