Boson or Bosun?

[milltech]

The Telegraph quick crossword clue this morning was Bosun, to which the answer was Boatswain. However when the Lady Wife asked my view over breakfast I did resort to "A to MARKWORTHY" the first volume of the Oxford Shorter Dictionary.

In this leviathon of the English language I couldn't find a reference to Bosun, only Boson.



<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[jhr]

Odd, unless they've spelt Bosun as Bo'sun - which I suppose might put it at the head of the listing of words beginning with bo, rather than half way down. Or they don't list it because it's an abbreviation - but that also seems unlikely because it's a word in common usage.

A Boson is something to do with particle physics, isn't it?

The OED and its various siblings are very worthy and scholarly products but not necessarily the best for use in the real world. I prefer Chambers' myself!

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[milltech]

Didn't think of looking for Bo'sun, good thinking. The description of Boson though was accurate.

I was pleased to forget my O level physics the day I left school 40 years ago!

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[david]

My Newfoundland name is Bosun and that is how Lord Byron spells it too, what was good enough for him will do for me /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>David

 

[Evadne]

If they taught you about Bosons for O-level physics at school it must have been a pretty advanced one!

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[milltech]

Yeah, worked on it all afternoon and knitted one myself when I got home.


<hr width=100% size=1>John
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[peterb]

My Concise Oxford lists it as one of the alternative spellings of the full name "boatswain".

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[Cornishman]

The Plymouth Branch of the RNSA sail BosUn dinghies - never heard of Bosons, what rig are they?

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[muchy_]

Don't be silly, a boson is not a kind of rig. It's a big creature bit like a cow.

By the way, whats the difference between a buffalo and a bison.......you can't wash your hands in a buffalo

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