Posted by Ed Kiser on February 26, 2004 at 05:09:24 from 152.163.252.196 user Kisered.
In Reply to: Re: Book for when you go to the Lakes posted by Adam Quinan on February 26, 2004 at 03:50:41:
I understand the meaning of "torch" to be what I would call a "flashlight". Then what do you call a bundle of rags, wrapped around the end of a stick, perhaps bound by a twist of bailing wire, then dipped in some flamable fluid then lit with a match to make a flame? Now you have a "torch", at least that's what I would call it. If you want to qualify the term by saying, "electric torch" then that separates it from a burning bunch of rags on a stick.
As for that fluid,I would call it "kerosene", but others might have some other name for it such as "paraffin" which is what I thought one made candles out of, or sealed the tops of home made jelly jars.
Then to think people on both sides of that Pond claim to speak English.
Reminds me of the problem that was encountered with misunderstanding the language when the Goblin was in Flushing, and they got all mixed up with petrol/benzine/paraffin. At least the word "gasoline" did not get into that fiasco.
But all this adventure into the oddities of language is really just a part of enjoying All Things Ransome. And that is what this is all about.
Ed Kiser, South Florida