Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan Pan

[Dangerous]

Mayday comes from the French for Help Me (aide moi or something...)
So what is the origin of "Pan Pan"?

 

[bedouin]

Perhaps from the French "En Panne" - broken down?

 

[Shanty]

Also from the French - panne. According to my (1881) French dictionary "etre dans la panne" = to be in difficulties.

 

[vyv_cox]

Derived from the ancient practice of banging kitchen utensils together to attract attention when in difficulties?

 

[WayneS]

Speaking of which, did anybody hear the callout for the boat on fire in Portsmouth over the week-end. Twas called a Pan Pan. I always thought that a boat on fire or sinking = Mayday.

Wayne

 

[robp]

The baker's here, the baker's here!

 

[Dangerous]

That's the incident that started the question. See the picture on page 5 of Tue's Portsmouth The News - taken on our boat! NOT a Pan Pan. We saw the smoke then heard the Pan. Flames soon followed! Mayday would have been more appropiate!

 

[Piers]

Both are French derived.

Mayday - m'aider - Help me / to my help

Pan - panne - broken

Piers du Pré
MBM Cruising Club enthusiast
www.dupre.co.uk/fsPlaydeau.htm

 

[chas]

That explains the expression "down the pan".

 

[Gunfleet]

Help me is aidez moi. M'aidez doesn't really work. Also Je suis en panne has san fairy anne (ca ne fait rien) to do with pan pan. Took ages to work out that ghastly pun pun.

 

[Gunfleet]

Shurely that's charivari? sp?

 

[Guest]

Can I suggest Mayday Selonce ;-))

 

[Gunfleet]

seelence feenee, as they put it in the manual. But your point is taken

 

[Guest]

Re: Pan Pan, tim_mac

Tim writes

> Also from the French - panne. According to my (1881) French dictionary "etre dans la panne" = to be in difficulties.

My (1991) dictionary has "to be in difficulties" = etre dans la merde!



Regards

Fred

 

[Gunfleet]

Re: Pan Pan, tim_mac

Perhaps we should be calling 'je suis au chocolat' if we're confining ourselves to the banlieu (sp?)

 

[trib]

>> Pan - panne - broken

Aww shucks .. and I always thought it was short for
pan(ic) pan(ic) ... PAN(ic), PAN(ic) ... PAN(IC), PAN(IC) !!

 

[Piers]

Oh pan(ce)

Piers du Pré
MBM Cruising Club enthusiast
www.playdeau.com

 

[Guest]

On hearing a pan pan from a sailing vessel nearby,and after deciding that i am in a position to be of assistance, could you please give me an example of my voice message reply. I am about to start a vhf/gmdss course at collage,I have rya booklet g22 any advice would be helpfull

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[VicS]

Re: Kitchen utensils

I' m impressed, not many people know that.

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[pugwash]

Short for \"panic\"? nm

x

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