ship names

[gfish]

For some reason, I have always wondered what I would name a sailing ship. It just seemed like I should have a name ready, just in case. Reading The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649 - 1815, I think I have finally found the proper name.

In the 17th century, Britain fought a series of naval wars against the Dutch. Not much came out of any of them, mostly because the Dutch weren't very organized and the British were pretty dumb about naval strategy. The Dutch were odd critters back then, motivated by commerce, led by a weak central republican government and boasting a very tolerant policy towards religion and a very modern banking system. (Which is why they were so successful, of course.) The British and the French tended to look down on them, and always assumed that, in the next war, the cowardly Dutch merchants would be crushed by their gallant gentlemen warriors.

In response to this ridiculous snobbery, in the Third Dutch War at least 3 Dutch privateers were named 'Getergde Kaasboer'.

The Provoked Cheesemonger.

Comments

[grinninfoole.livejournal.com]

Presumably, you farm cheese the same way you farm any other dairy product: heard cows, collect their milk, and then process it.

[kamiilyaan.livejournal.com]

That was just Kees musing over the definition. For him, kaasboer automatically has both meanings; it's while explaining to me, his american girlfriend, that he stops and really thinks about the literal translations. When he thinks of farming, the english word, he sees a farmer growing and harvesting corn, grain... So 'farming cheese' is a really weird image.

I love the history lessons I receive when I ask him qustions like this;)

[grinninfoole.livejournal.com]

Give Archer Daniels Midland ten years, and it will start to seem ordinary.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

I was hoping you might have some input on this post. :)