What's in a name?

[Matthew P]

Let's hope Andrews's answer is swift and ends his punishing posts

Matthew
ex-Mystery

[Graham W]

Sorry Graham, I have just realised what Apus 2, very common means. How dim am I?

Charles, I would expect only hardcore twitchers to get that one.

[Ape Ears]

SWIFT

Apus is Latin for a Swift. Thought by the ancients to be a Swallow with no feet, the name is partly derived from Greek.

The common swift is superficially similar to the barn swallow and house martin, though as they do not stem from the same passerine species, they are not directly related. Swifts are amongst the fastest birds in the world.

The name is also an abbreviation of my initials with the 'US' Bermudan rig as opposed to the original Swallow Boat Gunter rig, which some claim as a better option. Hence she may not be considered a 'true' Swallow.

I 'swallowed' a Thesaurus(1)  for synonyms of Swift and came up with the following: expeditious, fleet, rapid, fast, quick, speedy.
You may guess what type she will be.

I am reminded of the bad joke about multi-storey car parks. They are just wrong on so many levels. On the other hand there may be a grain of truth in all of the above.

To answer Roger's original question: what is in a name ?
There are so many contextual connections from one four letter word you could be sorry you asked !

(1) For John's benefit. A Thesaurus is not a dinosaur with a pain in the backside. However the boat may possibly be Better Under Motor compared to Craic.

Thank you all for your contributions and enlightening replies.Charles wins the prize for the specific correct answer. I appreciate some of you are biting your tongues to prevent further puns.

I too am suffering from Dental Dysphagia. I am finding it increasingly hard to Swallow with the long waiting list for a new boat !

[jonno]

Apus?  How about A pun?

[boomerangben]

Gobhlan Goithe is Gaelic for Swallow or literally "bird of the wind". I hope to goodness I never have to make a mayday call for a whole heap reasons. I'd have to lean over the side and look at the spelling (upside down). It's bad enough calling the local harbour master when leaving the harbour (who is probably a native speaker and I'm not!). But it is a very beautiful name and sounds lovely when properly pronounced - something like gofvlan go-ee, ish but it's more complicated than that!  And when she sails I can't help feeling how well named swallow yachts are

[Charles Scott]

Andrew, many thanks for the prize, but of course it ought to go to Graham who was there well before me, but had the wit to keep things going. Are you buying a new boat? If so, what is happening to Craic?

[Ape Ears]

Charles. I shall stop having a Lark as I think Graham has Bittern his tongue as an Ornithologist for long enough. I promise from Heron I shall not Rail on or Duck any questions Oriole drive you all Quackers (or CraiCers).

I am buying a new boat but there is a Myna problem as I have to take my Tern on a long waiting list. I shall not Snipe on as I left Tit too long before ordering. I shall not be able to get Macaws in to her any sooner than Wren she is made. I intend to wait patiently Teal then.

In the meantime CraiC is being refitted re-rigged and repainted in her original true colours by Swallow Yachts to maintain her character as Sea Raider No1. She will be participating in Sail Caledonia and Swallow Events next year with the same old nut on the helm, all being well.

The new boat was described by the synonyms of swift as 'expeditious, fleet , fast etc', so hopefully she will live up to her name as a 'Swift Swallow' in due course, as you suggested.

[Sea Simon]

"Two Sisters"
It perhaps seems appropriate to the boat style to use a bit of a "trad" name?
Not the first boat we've had with this name. If only I'd kept the new-build, all-varnished, tideway that was our original
(See below!).

The boats are named for my two daughters, without whom I might perhaps now have that hybrid Romilly (reportedly e11000 for the drive system) 

Meanwhile, we now have a wedding in 2022....

[Graham W]

we have a wedding in 2022....

1W≥1BR

[Sea Simon]

Do you speak from personal experience GW?

I wonder if Tony of "Four Sisters" has any comments/advice 

[MarkDarley]

I am not even going to try to jump into the match with the balls moving so fast.  If I ever had a hope of returning a volley from Andrew it was only late of an evening after several glasses of scotch on the Caledonia Raid!  Looking forward to 2022.

"Pippin" is fairly simple: I enjoy the occasional glass of cider, and various Pippins can make good cider.

[Graham W]

Do you speak from personal experience GW?

X 2

[Ape Ears]

Matthew, Mark, Xxxxx, John,

What is the missing Peer's name?

Lucan !

I might rethink a more appropriate name for my new boat.

Pee-wit ?

[Charles Scott]

Matthew, Mark, Xxxxx, John,





I might rethink a more appropriate name for my new boat.

Pee-wit ?

Andrew, if you put in a few more posts like Graham, you could have God-wit, or at least demi-Godwit. I am glad you are not losing Craic, I thought you must have gone Raven mad.

[johnguy]

Merlin got her name because I used to own a company with that name and that's what paid for the boat. As I live in Wales a Welsh wizard is also appropriate. However, there are at least two other Merlins in my club, so when racing my radio name is Little Merlin, as the smallest one.

On short names being easier, I was once Mate on a bulk carrier named Nosira Madeleine. Every port, every VHF call, every form to fill was a nightmare. The same company also had Nosira Sharon and Nosira Lin. Easier but still tricky when calling a Korean coastguard station on a windy winter night.