(How It Might Have Happened)
We add this because it came to us in a dream, and because sometimes we get bored writing a sensible newsletter. Where’s the fun in that?
(Scene: A London club 1860, November, 3rd, around tea time.)
Chaps in morning dress or evening dress, possibly afternoon dress (dress, not dresses, it’s not that kind of club) sit around in leather chairs debating the great issues of the empire (no, not that empire. No dark side here.)
“I say chaps, can’t pronounce this uiscy what’sit.”
“Sounds foreign.”
“Welsh?”
“No, don’t think so, not enough rrrrs”
(Pause as chaps contemplate.)
“Not British definitely,”
(Murmurs of agreement among the geographically-challenged membership.)
“What about “Eau de Vie?”
(Cries of “shame”, “shame”, “bring me a double” echo around the room, as the member who spoke sits in a corner and sulks.)
“What about adding a ‘w’,” suggest a bright spark. “Good English letter ‘w,’ pretty sure there’s one in Waterloo.”
“And ‘h,’ you know, Hastings, 1066 and whatsit.”
(More battle related letters are suggested as the members become more excited.)
“Inkerman.”
“Sebastopol.”
“Khushab.”*
““Was that a battle?”
“Oh yes think so, the mater got a gong from there.”
“Good show.”
“Right so what about W-H-I-S-K.”
(Members aren’t convinced.)
“We could put a ‘y’ on the end, sounds sort of Anglo-Saxon thingy.”
(Much applause and jubilation followed by knighthoods and medals all round.)
(*1857 Anglo-Persian War)
Well it could have happened that way, you never know.
