Posted by Fred on May 12, 2003 at 00:03:14 from 203.221.140.78 user Fred.
When the Swallows were setting off for Wildcat Island for the first time, their mother held out a packet of matches which had been forgotten. I could not (and still can't) understand John's comment, "By Gum". ( "One might almost say, By Gum, " said John. "We could never have lit a fire without them.")
On Ed's comment, when growing up in Sydney during WWII (I was very ypung), we referred to visiting Americans (mostly sailors) as Yanks (rhyming slang - Septic Tanks), not Yankees. Sorry if the rhyming slang, which may have come into (not common) usage at a later date, causes any offence.