News You Can Bruise for 2006 March 11 (entry 1)

(5) Sat Mar 11 2006 16:33: Where are the boats? In the ocean, silly.

Comments:

Posted by Nick Moffitt at Sun Mar 12 2006 01:07

Um, no.

Boats go on rivers or lakes.

Ships go on the ocean or sea.

Posted by Leonard at Sun Mar 12 2006 08:33

I think I saw this exact conversation on The West Wing.

Posted by Nick Moffitt at Sun Mar 12 2006 12:50

Ah, so this was a reference to some TV show?

Posted by Leonard at Sun Mar 12 2006 13:47

No, I used the wrong word, independently of a fictional character on some TV show using the wrong word.

Posted by Nick Moffitt at Sun Mar 12 2006 15:21

Well I must confess that I learned the distinction from a Tara King episode of The Avengers. John Steed lectures to an attractive young lady who has been entrusted in his care: "Boats on the river, ships on the sea."

That epsiode rocked because the central puzzle eventually hung on the distinction between a canon and a cannon. We'll not see the like of those mysteries again!