Posted by Robert Dilley on December 12, 2003 at 19:30:10 from 65.39.15.73 user rdilley.
In Reply to: Re: BAIL or BALE? posted by Dave Thewlis on December 12, 2003 at 17:50:00:
Sorry to be late in on any word controversy -- very busy marking end-of-term exams.
Chambers under bale2 simply says "see bail5" which takes us to what Chambers thinks is the primary spelling for both the noun and verb associated with emptying water out of boats.
However, it does suggest bale out as the more usual spelling for "to escape from an aeroplane by parachute; to escape from a potentially difficult situation".
Hope this suitably confuses the situation.