Saying nothing but using lots of words

I apologize for not posting since a long time ago here but, Holy Harry Potter, not one gotdemmed thing has happened in England since my last post (and even THAT post was a nonsense fluffer) so it's your fault, really. Hell, it's still January in Scotland.

Well, let me try to make something up so the wide world of my readership will think her majesty's Untied Kingdom of GREAT britain and NORTHERN ireland, by god, is rolling on as usual and not simply stuck like a stunned MULLet in the kwagmire of WILL N KATE anticipations. Donchaknow.

I love this blog. I can spell it anyway I damned well please and yall think it's correct, only the American way of spelling. And them what don't will just put it down to my sorry American education, so it's win-win one way or tother. But here's a few Us for U: UUUUUUUU. Catch me up, hey?

Moi discovered a new British word this week. "Previous." I won't embarrass her/him by mentioning the name of the person who used it on me. Ok, ok -- Americans KNOW the word previous. But we don't use it like, "I guess I was a bit previous in saying that." We would say "preematoor" if we wuz meanin "spoke too quick" like he/she did. So (since I think it is really slang - which is okey dokey with regard to this blog's intent) not to embarrass her/him, I'll just hint that his/her initial is somewhere in the alphabet before the letter "B."

Speaking of Ireland, (if you are following my non-embarrassment drift) everything was agoan s'well. Leave the Guinness though, I reckon. Not the stout. Pteu-wee! I've been getting a lot of my BritishSpeak lately from this same reader. Which I appreciate, since the rest of you don't seem to give a royal rat's ass about my collection anymore.

Where was I?

Oh, I wanted to take this opportunity to express my displeasure at your lack of wit in responding to my "O Fair Lancashire" post, or whatever the name was. It was pitiful. Not the post (that was just shy of magnificent - especially the "Scarborough, so fair" portion) but your "Yeah, Leeds is in Lancashire, what of it" uninspiring retorts. Not even retorts, really. "Clever" British humouuuur at best. Thank you all for reading my blog here but sometimes you make me sick. No offense. If Alison were still among my readers, SHE would have set me straight. And she's never even BEEN to Yorkshire. I'd wager. Speaking of non-readers, Catherine Sharp (who claimed to be Something-Upon-Taff-born) has a new blog though her old one has rearisen as a commercial endeavor. Endeavour? Discovery? Atlantis? Don't leave and go there now, though.

God, I have so much more to say. Especially JUICY gossip about Expat Mum, link coming soon, but I will reluctantly (and previous) stop here now.

Squinty Max on Monday

Muskets and Fusiliers

A musket is a muzzle-loaded smoothbore shoulder-fired long gun, designed for infantry (foot soldier) use. The musket was preceded by the arquebus and replaced by the breech-loaded rifle. Muskets were rifled during the end of their era, but during their heyday in the 18th century, their effective range was only 50 to 70 yards.

Another name for the flintlock musket was the fusil. Fusil is a French word that means, um, flintlock musket.

A soldier who used a fusil was called a fusilier.

[Pictured: the uniform of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in the 18th century, American Revolution reinactment. Notice they are carrying Land Pattern ("Brown Bess") flintlock muskets of the period.] Click picture to enlarge.

Flintlocks were used since at least the English Civil War (1642-1652.) Early military organizations of foot soldiers were simply called infantry. One early (1712) unit to be called fusiliers was the 23rd Regiment of Foot - later called the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers. The Royal Welsh Fusiliers served in the American Revolution.