Main Focus

I was listening to song by Paul Kelly called "I'm on Your Side" recently when I came across these words in the lyrics:

The trees on the shoreline are all fresh from the rain

The ship on the water is heading for the main

I had to ask myself what was this "main" that the ship was heading towards? I'd heard of the Spanish Main but I realised that I didn't know what that was. So Bard to the rescue:

Main often refers to the open sea, as opposed to sheltered bays or harbors. So, when you say "The ship on the water is heading for the main," it means it's leaving the coast and sailing out into the open ocean.

"Spanish Main" refers to a specific historical region encompassing the Caribbean Sea and the coasts of Central and South America, particularly during the era of Spanish colonization and piracy. 

The word "main" has significance for me because my childhood home was located in a street in Milton, Brisbane, called Mayneview Street. The street often ended up being spelled as Mainview Street because it wasn't realised that the street was named after a person whose surname was Mayne. The error was encouraged because the street running parallel to Mayneview Street was Parkview Street. The former surmounted a hill and so did provide what could be considered the main view over the nearby Lang Park as it was then called and later to be renamed Suncorp Stadium.

I asked Bard for information about who this historical character called Mayne might be:

There is a street in Milton, Brisbane Australia, called "Mayneview Street". Do you have any information about the person called "Mayne" after which the street was named?

Unfortunately, pinpointing the exact "Mayne" who inspired Mayneview Street in Milton, Brisbane, proves a bit tricky. While historical records offer several possibilities, conclusive evidence linking a specific individual to the street name remains elusive. Here's what we can uncover:

Potential Candidates:

John Mayne (1800-1864): This John Mayne was a prominent early settler and businessman in Brisbane. He arrived in the colony in 1842 and quickly established himself as a successful merchant and landowner. Mayne owned considerable property in the Milton area, including land near the present-day Mayneview Street. He also served on the Brisbane Town Council and was a Justice of the Peace.

Charles Mayne (1832-1907): Charles Mayne was the son of John Mayne and followed in his father's footsteps as a successful businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for several terms and was also Mayor of Brisbane from 1885 to 1888. Charles Mayne also owned property in the Milton area, and some speculate the street might be named after him.

Other Maynes: Several other individuals with the surname Mayne appear in Brisbane's early history, including landholders, farmers, and community figures. While their contributions were significant, their direct connection to Mayneview Street is less documented.

Challenges in Identifying the Exact "Mayne":

Lack of official records: Unfortunately, there's no definitive official record stating the specific individual who inspired the street name. Historical documents often mention the street's existence but don't explicitly state its origin.

Multiple possibilities: With several prominent Maynes in Brisbane's early history, attributing the street name to a single individual becomes challenging. Without concrete evidence, it's difficult to definitively say who deserves the credit.

Despite the ambiguity, Mayneview Street undoubtedly holds a historical connection to the Mayne family's legacy in Brisbane. Their contributions to the city's development, particularly in the Milton area, likely played a role in the street's naming. While the exact "Mayne" may remain a mystery, the street serves as a tangible reminder of their influence on Brisbane's early history.

I asked Bard about the etymology of the word "main" and some examples of its use in compound words.

The word "main" has a rich and interesting etymology, boasting multiple origins depending on its meaning:

1. Direction/Open Sea:

This meaning of "main" traces back to Old English "mān," which simply meant "great" or "large." It likely referred to the vastness of the open sea compared to sheltered bays or harbors.

2. Emphasis/Most Important:

This sense of "main" originates from the Old French "maigne," meaning "strength" or "power." It later evolved into the Middle English "mayne," signifying "greatness" or "importance."

3. Sail/Mast:

This nautical meaning comes from the Middle English "mayne," referring specifically to the "mainsail" or "mainmast." It likely developed from the idea of the mainmast and mainsail being the largest and most important components of a sailing vessel.

Examples of "main" in compound words:

Direction/Open Sea: mainland, main channel, main course (nautical route)

Emphasis/Most Important: mainstay, mainframe, mainshaft, mainstream

Sail/Mast: mainsail, mainmast, mainboom, mainsheet

As you can see, the word "main" has versatile origins and applications, lending itself to various compound words across different domains. Its historical evolution and diverse meanings add a fascinating layer to its usage in contemporary language.

What's particularly interesting is that "main" derives from Middle English "mayne" signifying greatness or importance but originally from Old French "maigne," meaning "strength" or "power." One thinks of Charlemagne or Charles the Great as his name would be rendered in English. Speaking of Charlemagne and the Spanish Main, I happened to notice that there was a region between present day Spain and France that was called the "Spanish March":

The "Spanish March," also known as the Hispanic March, was a historical buffer zone established by Charlemagne, King of the Franks, in the late 8th century. It existed for several centuries and played a significant role in shaping the Iberian Peninsula's history.

Origins and Purpose:

In 778, Charlemagne conquered Septimania, a Visigothic region in southern France bordering the Muslim-ruled Umayyad Caliphate of al-Andalus (Iberian Peninsula).

To defend Frankish territory against Muslim incursions, Charlemagne established the Spanish March along the Pyrenees mountains.

This fortified frontier zone encompassed several counties ruled by Christian lords under Frankish authority.

Characteristics and Development:

The Spanish March consisted of various counties like Barcelona, Girona, Urgell, Pallars, and Ribagorza.

These counties served as military outposts and gradually expanded southward through conquests and assimilation of Muslim borderlands.

Over time, the counties gained increasing autonomy from Frankish rule, developing their own distinct cultures and identities.

Legacy and Impact:

The Spanish March played a crucial role in the Christian Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle to drive out Muslim power from the Iberian Peninsula.

The counties within the March became the nuclei of future Iberian kingdoms, including Catalonia, Aragon, and Navarre.

The cultural and linguistic influences of the Spanish March laid the foundation for the development of Catalan, Aragonese, and other Romance languages in the region.

Therefore, the Spanish March was more than just a border zone; it was a dynamic frontier that facilitated cultural exchange, political evolution, and ultimately, the Christian reconquest of Iberia.

Further resources:

Wikipedia article on the Spanish March: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_March

Britannica article on the Spanish March: https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Spain

History Channel article on the Reconquista: https://www.ncpedia.org/anchor/spain-and-america-reconquest

It's clear that Mayne would be the surname of choice for a family wishing to emphasise its status and importance in a region. In the United States, "Mayne" ranks around 16,000th based on census data and in the United Kingdom, it's estimated to be even more common, falling within the top 5,000 surnames.

While the prefix "re" is the only common one added to the root word "main" to give "remain" (continue as the main element), the following suffixes can be added:

• -stay: Denotes a state of being the main element, e.g., mainstay (a pillar of support)

• -line: Emphasizes centrality or direct relevance, e.* mainline* (the primary course or direction)

• -stream: Refers to the dominant or popular trend, e.g., mainstream (the prevailing current of thought)

• -force: Highlights power or influence, e.g., mainforce (the principal driving force)

• -ship: Denotes a position or role related to the main element, e.g., mainship (the leading vessel in a fleet)

The name "Mayne" crops up is a wide variety of contexts, even on the labels of wine bottles.

One can't end this discussion without mention of the homonym "mane" which has the following etymology, to quote from Bard:

• Origin: Proto-Germanic mano "neck hair of a horse"

• Evolution: Old English manu, Middle English mane

• Meaning: The long hair growing on the neck and head of some mammals, especially horses and lions.

Of course in Indonesian, "main" means "to play" and is pronounced like the English word "mine". Here is its etymology:

• Origin: Austronesian language family.

• Evolution: Proto-Austronesian ma-en "to do, make, act."

• Development: Over time, the meaning in Malay and related languages like Indonesian specialized to focus on recreational activities, hence "to play."

The Indonesian translation of the word "main", in the sense of important, would be "utama".

Oche

 

 
Figure 1: a recent finish to my daily
Round the World dart game

Interest is darts has increased dramatically following the exploits of Luke Littler and it was in an article about this young prodigy that I first encountered the word "oche", pronounced as to rhyme with "hockey". According to the from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it is defined as the line in the game of darts behind which a player must stand when throwing.

Naturally I asked Bard for more information:

Can you provide a definition of the word "oche" as well as some information about its etymology and some examples of its use in sentences.

Absolutely! Here's the information you requested about "oche": 

Definition:

Main meaning: The oche (pronounced "OH-kee") is the line in the game of darts behind which a player must stand when throwing. It's essentially the throwing line.

Other, less common meanings: "Oche" can also refer to a similar throwing line in other games, such as quoits. Additionally, it's the name of a small village in South Sudan.

Etymology:

The origin of "oche" is somewhat disputed. Some theories suggest it comes from:

Old English: The word "hocken," which meant "to spit." This theory claims the throwing line length was based on how far someone could spit from a certain position.

Turkish: The word "ok," which means "arrow" or "dart."

Archery term: The word "ock" or "nock," referring to the notch on an arrow shaft.

Examples of its use in sentences:

"The throw wasn't valid because the player stepped over the oche."

"She practiced for hours, perfecting her throws from different distances behind the oche."

"The tournament rules stipulate that the oche must be 7 feet 9¼ inches from the dartboard."

(Metaphorically) "He stood on the oche of uncertainty, unsure which path to take next."

Bonus fact: The diagonal distance from the bull's eye on a dartboard to the oche is exactly 9 feet 7 3⁄8 inches. This precise measurement is important for ensuring fair play in competitions.

Figure 2 shows the dart board distances for competitive darts: 

Figure 2: source

The angle formed by the horizontal and the line from the oche to the bullseye is about 36°07'40". Figure 1 shows a recent finish to my daily Round the World game of darts. I've downloaded a counter to my iPhone that I can use to keep track of how many throws I take to finish a game. This will give me a target to aim for and allow me to amass some statistics. In my variation of Round the World, I proceed from 1 to 20 and then finish with a dart in either the red of the bullseye or the green ring.

A Fertile Site

If I can't sleep, I most often think about patterns amongst words. For example, what are all the monosyllabic words that rhyme with "ush"? Last night, I was thinking about words that have "fusion" as their root. I came up with confusion, transfusion, effusion, diffusion, infusion but I decided to look at what a new site that I discovered yesterday had to say on the matter. As it turned out, a lot! The site is called English - Word Information. The information I was looking for was contained within eight pages with a heading as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

The amount of detail contained on this topic is quite impressive. Let's look at the first two entries:

affuse (verb), affuses; affused; affusing

To pour upon; to sprinkle; such as when using a liquid.

affusion (uh FYOO zhuhn) (s) (noun), affusions (pl)

1. The pouring on of water or another liquid on a person's head, as in the rite of baptism: Lester's young son was having an affusion as a religious celebration that he is a Christian.

2. The pouring of a natural fluid on the body or any of its parts for therapeutic purposes: David was getting a cold affusion by a doctor in order to reduce the temperature of his fever and to calm his nervous condition.

Well, I wasn't aware that affuse and affusion were words and this blog's spell checker flags their presence as errors. Clearly, they are not in the spell checker's database and thus are relatively uncommon. 

One of the interesting features of the site is the use of cartoons to reinforce the meaning of certain words. For example, take the widely used word effusive for which there are three cartoons included. Figure 3 shows one of them:

Figure 3

In the eight pages referred to, there are interesting words to be discovered e.g. futilitarian. The word seems particularly apropos the current chaos that envelops the world.

futilitarian (s) (noun), futilitarians (pl)

A person who is convinced that human desires and actions can not be successfully accomplished. 

futilitarian (adjective), more futilitarian, most futilitarian

Referring to an opinion that human activities and desires are incapable of being achieved and so they are not worth attempting: So far one would think that it is a futilitarian idea that people all over the world can live together in peace. 

futilitarianism (s) (noun), futilitarianisms (pl)

The belief that human endeavors or efforts and aspirations are useless and can not be achieved.

There is an accompanying cartoon. See Figure 4.

Figure 4

So getting back to my "fusion" words, I discovered that in addition to confusion, transfusion, effusion, diffusion and infusion, there is:

• affusion
• autoinfusion
• circumfusion
• hydrodiffusion
• immunodiffusion
• interfusion
• oleoinfusion
• perfusion
• profusion
• refusion
• suffusion
• thermodiffusion
• vividiffussion

I'm familiar with profusion and suffusion but they hadn't sprung to mind earlier. Of course, some of the words are scientific or medical and not common. The spell checker flags circumfusion, oleofusion, thermodiffusion and vividiffusion.

I was led to the site initially by an investigation into words ending in INE that describe animals. A blog that I stumbled upon referred me to the site. There is a unit on words ending in INE, not exclusive to animals, and very informative. See Figure 5.

Figure 5

So overall this is very useful resource for those interested in the English language and those interested in expanding their vocabulary. 

From Blink to Wink: Part 3

 I'm So Tired

I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink, 

I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink. 

I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink. 

These lines form the first three lines of The Beatles famous song "I'm So Tired" released in November of 1968. It's a fitting introduction to this post because it features three rhyming words: wink, blink and drink and this post is all about rhymes.

In my Part 1 post, I looked at the following words that rhyme with ink:

bink, blink, brink, chink, cinque, clink, dink, drink, fink, gink, hink

In my Part 2 post, I looked at the following words that rhyme with ink:

inc, jink, kink, klink, link, mink, pink, plink, rink, shrink, sink, skink

What remains are: 

slink, spink, stink, swink, sync, think, twink, wink, zinc, zink, zinke

Words in bold are more common and Rhyme Desk provides definitions for these. In Part 3, I'll work through some of the remaining words.

slink: as a verb, this word means to walk or leave quietly, esp. because you do not want to be noticed or are ashamed of something as in "I was so embarrassed that I tried to slink away". In a less negative sense it can mean to move smoothly and quietly with gliding steps, in a stealthy or sensuous manner as in "the fox came slinking through the woods". It can also be used a noun in the sense of a slinking movement or walk as in "she moved with a sensuous slink".

spink: I wasn't aware of this but this word in British English, as a noun, a finch or the sound of a particular bird cry and, as an intransitive verb applied to a finch, it can mean to call, chirp, or make a characteristic sound as in "the chaffinch was spinking in the tree".

The Urban Dictionary gives an altogether different take on the word, namely a person who is part hispanic/part asian, a play off the words "spic" and "chink". 

The surname Spink has an interesting history as described in ancestry. Here are some excerpts:

This English name derivers from Middle English spink ‘chaffinch’ (probably of imitative origin), hence a nickname bestowed on account of some fancied resemblance to the bird. You can see how Spink families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spink family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Spink families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,032 Spink families living in Yorkshire. This was about 44% of all the recorded Spink's in the UK. Yorkshire had the highest population of Spink families in 1891. In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the UK named Spink. 9% of Spink men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Spink women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Spink were Motor Driver and Private Means. Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Spink life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Spink in 1949 was 46, and 69 in 2004.

Spink & Son (established 1666) are an auction and collectibles company known principally for their sales of coins, banknotes, stock and bond certificates and medals. They also deal in philatelic items, wine and spirits, and other collectible items.

stink: needless to say such a common word is involved in a wide number of idiomatic expressions (link) including:

• a great fuss or ruckus; a lot of trouble as in "My mom raised a stink when the store refused to accept her return without a receipt" or "There's no need to raise a holy stink about this, Eleanor—we'll figure something out."
  
  
• something scandalous, controversial, or especially unpleasant as in "The stink of his association with the corrupt company continues to follow him to this day".
  
  
• to be especially bad, abhorrent, or inferior in quality as in "Your plan stinks, Tom! There's no way it would work!"
  
  
• to be or seem extremely disreputable, suspicious, or corrupt as in "This deal between the company and the mayor's office stinks, if you ask me. I'd be willing to bet that someone's pocket is being lined".
  
  
• extremely drunk, so drunk that one stinks of alcohol as used in the phrase stinking drunk e.g. "If you're going to keep coming home stinking drunk each night, then you can just find somewhere else to live!"
  
  
• a facial expression of unreserved disgust, contempt, disapproval, distrust, or general ill will when used in the phrase the stink eye e.g. "Jonathan, I will not tolerate getting the stink eye from students during class. If you make that face at me again, you're going to the principal's office!" or "Some guy across the bar has been giving me the stink eye since we came in. It must be something to do with my outfit".

The word has historical dimensions as seen in the phrase "The Great Stink". To quote from Wikipedia:

The Great Stink was an event in Central London in July and August 1858 during which the hot weather exacerbated the smell of untreated human waste and industrial effluent that was present on the banks of the River Thames. The problem had been mounting for some years, with an ageing and inadequate sewer system that emptied directly into the Thames. The miasma from the effluent was thought to transmit contagious diseases, and three outbreaks of cholera before the Great Stink were blamed on the ongoing problems with the river.

The smell, and fears of its possible effects, prompted action from the local and national administrators who had been considering possible solutions for the problem. The authorities accepted a proposal from the civil engineer Joseph Bazalgette to move the effluent eastwards along a series of interconnecting sewers that sloped towards outfalls beyond the metropolitan area. Work on high-, mid- and low-level systems for the new Northern and Southern Outfall Sewers started at the beginning of 1859 and lasted until 1875. To aid the drainage, pumping stations were placed to lift the sewage from lower levels into higher pipes. Two of the more ornate stations, Abbey Mills in Stratford and Crossness on the Erith Marshes, with architectural designs from the consultant engineer, Charles Driver, are listed for protection by English Heritage. Bazalgette's plan introduced the three embankments to London in which the sewers ran—the Victoria, Chelsea and Albert Embankments.

Bazalgette's work ensured that sewage was no longer dumped onto the shores of the Thames and brought an end to the cholera outbreaks; his actions are thought to have saved more lives than the efforts of any other Victorian official. His sewer system operates into the 21st century, servicing a city that has grown to a population of over eight million. The historian Peter Ackroyd argues that Bazalgette should be considered a hero of London.

swink: although archaic now, this word once meant, as a verb, to toil or drudge and, as a noun, toil or drudgery. It is the name of an eponymous digital payment system (link):

It is the name of an eponymous movie made in 2006:

In fact, what I found is that swink is a popular name for companies:

It's also a popular surname:

sync: this is an abbreviated term for synchronisation (British) or synchronization (American) and we talk about things being in or out of sync meaning that they reach the same or related stage at the same time (in sync) or at different times (out of sync) e.g. "He's putting himself forward as a president whose ideas are in sync with a nation demanding change" or "She found that the job was out of sync with her principles, and she had to leave".

In technology circles, the term is widely used to mean connecting two electronic devices so that they both have the latest information or files as in "How do I sync my phone to my computer?"

To lip-sync is a reference to performers who lip-sync songs, meaning that they pretend to be singing them when in fact they are just moving their lips e.g. "They could lip-sync as well as the video stars of the 1980s" or "Actors lip-synch the singing".

think: this most common and basic of words has naturally found its way into a myriad of expressions including:

think tank

think big

think twice

think aloud

overthink

think the world of somebody

blue-sky thinking

think outside the box

think nothing of doing something

think something through

think the sun rises and sets on someone

wishful thinking

think ill of someone

think something over

think on something

think fit to do something

thinking cap

think ahead

think aloud

twink: overwhelmingly, the term nowadays is used as gay slang for a young man in his late teens to early twenties whose traits may include: general physical attractiveness; a slim to average build; and a youthful appearance that may belie an older chronological age. The term seems to have arisen in the 1970s. The Internet is awash with photos of twinks so I won't provide any more here.

wink: we thus arrive at the end of my blink to wink journey, although I still have zinc, zink and zinke to cover. 

It is a from of non-verbal communication that has various meanings depending on the context. Here is somebody's take on the meanings of winks (source):

There is a subtle form of communication we all know about, and some of us have even mastered, but do you really even know where it began or what it actually means? The form of communication we’re speaking of is the wink , a non-verbal communication tool that can be used to deliver or exchange any number of messages.A proper wink usually involves eye contact between at least two individuals. The winker simply closes and opens one eye when he has the attention of the intended recipient, thus delivering a covert and implied message. At some point in our lives, we’ve all been winked at and/or delivered one of our own. Depending on the situation, the context changes with the bat of every eye. Which begs the question, what is the proper use of a wink, and where did it come from?Although the exact origin of the wink is unclear, we’ve dug long and hard to find the true meanings behind this subtle gesture. While you may be aware of all the different messages that can be conveyed by winking, it’s important to note that signals are easily crossed. So let’s take a look at a few of the gesture’s most common connotations, that way you know what you’re getting yourself into should you attempt to master the art of winking.

Hello Signal 

Sometimes when you are not able to wave or offer a verbal hello, a quick wink can do the trick. It’s a simple acknowledgement that you’re aware of another’s presence. In instances where formal salutations are unfeasible, a wink ensures that no one gets a disheartening cold shoulder.

Flirtation Signal 

The flirtatious wink is the most frequently attempted wink, and is therefore the most abused. It’s meaning can range from “I find you pleasing to thine eye.” to “Hey, baby. Let’s get out of here.“ Discretion is of the utmost importance when executing a flirty wink.

Secret Shared Knowledge Signal 

From inside jokes to well-kept secrets, this particular wink is very popular. Ideally, it happens so quickly and discreetly that only those “in the know” pick up on it. The danger is that an unintended recipient might witness the gesture. This could make them feel left out, or suspect they’re the butt of the joke.

J/K Signal 

When a joke goes horribly awry, or slides towards the offensive side of things, this wink helps minimize the damage. People even relay this message via text by using a semicolon and closed parenthesis – ;). It simply means “Haha, totally kidding. Obviously.”

Nervous/Involuntary Twitch 

Involuntary twitching isn’t actually a type of wink, but it is responsible for a large amount of wink faux pas. Ill-timed eyelid spasms are easily misconstrued as flirtatious or salutatious winks. Even worse, they make the blundering blinker look like an unskilled winker.

But on a more serious note, eye twitches could be caused by an underlying neurological condition. See a doctor if you experience prolonged twitching. And if you’d like to learn more about the common causes of eye twitches, check out this recent blog post. The bottom line is that this simple facial expression can signify just about anything, as long as it’s shared amongst two or more people operating on the same winking wavelength.

There are numerous expressions involving wink. These include:

• A nod is as good as a wink to a blind man
• Blink and you'll miss it.
• Forty winks.
• I have not slept one wink.
• In the blink of an eye.
• Nod and a wink.
• Nudge nudge, wink wink
• On the blink. 

zinc: this is the name given to the chemical element of atomic number 30, a silvery-white metal that is a constituent of brass and is used for coating (galvanizing) iron and steel to protect against corrosion. Zinc is an essential mineral that your body does not make on its own. It aids growth, DNA synthesis, immune function and more. Zinc is essential for cell growth and division, immune function, enzyme reactions, DNA synthesis and protein production. Zinc may effectively reduce inflammation, boost immune health, reduce your risk of age-related diseases, speed wound healing and improve acne symptoms. Risk factors for zinc deficiency include insufficient dietary intake, poor absorption, alcoholism, genetic mutations and old age. Zinc occurs naturally in foods like shellfish, meat, poultry and dairy, and is added to other foods, such as breakfast cereals and wheat flour. Zinc toxicity may cause diarrhea, headache, abdominal cramps and reduced immunity. Most people can obtain their daily dose of zinc through diet alone. Source.

Zink: this word is often just a misspelling of zinc but it is also used as a surname. Here is some information about its use in this sense:

Zink derives from Middle High German zinke ‘peak’, acquired either as a topographic name by someone who lived on or near a crag or on a pointed piece of land or as a nickname for a man with a singularly pointed nose. Compare modern German slang Zinken, meaning ‘hooter’. The same word was used to denote the cornet, although the semantic development is not clear, and the surname may sometimes have been metonymic for a player of this instrument. It was not until the 16th century that the metal zinc was discovered and named (apparently from its jagged appearance in the furnace), so this is unlikely to be the origin of the surname.

Zinke: as well as an association to the surname Zink as an alternative spelling, it can also refer to an old wind instrument like a cornet, of wood or horn, with seven finger-holes. It is pronounced tsing′ke.

Here is some detailed information about the musical instrument:

ZINKE or ZINCKE, also called Cornetto or Cornet à Bouquin (Fr.), is one of the oldest instruments known. It consists of a wooden tube, slightly conical, covered with leather, having six holes for the fingers, and one hole for the thumb on the lower side, while the tone is produced through a cup mouthpiece, similar to that of a trump. Its compass consists of a chromatic scale of a few notes more than two octaves. About the 14th and 15th centuries, when wind-bands gradually assumed a definite design, Zinken were most important instruments. Their powerful toned combined well with that of trombones, and bands consisting mainly of these two kinds of instruments were great favourites both at public fêtes and religious ceremonials. Many ancient writers on music mention it in terms of great praise. Artusi says: 'As to its tone, it resembles the brightness of a sunbeam piercing the darkness, when one hears it among the voices in cathedrals, churches, or chapels.' He further mentions two cornetto players at Venice as great artists on their instruments. Mattheson laments their partial disuse as early as 1739, and says: 'The fine Zinken and trombones, which formerly were considered to be of one family, and equally respected by players and composers, are now seemingly banished from our churches, as if they were useless; especially the Zinke, which, in spite of its harshness, is so penetrating,' etc. Source.

Thus we come to the end of the blink to wink three part series. It's been an interesting exercise.

From Blink to Wink: Part 1

I'm So Tired

I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink, 

I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink. 

I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink. 

These lines form the first three lines of The Beatles famous song "I'm So Tired" released in November of 1968. It's a fitting introduction to this post because it features three rhyming words: wink, blink and drink and this post is all about rhymes.

In this post, I'll be looking at the monosyllabic words that rhyme with blink and wink. As near as I can tell, the former and the latter words are the first and last in a category of words that rhyme with ink. However, let's check out, using Rhyme Desk, whether these are indeed the first and last such words. Not surprisingly, it turns out that they are not. Here is the list of rhyming words that the site supplies:

bink, blink, brink, chink, cinque, clink, dink, drink, fink, gink, hink, inc, jink, kink, klink, link, mink, pink, plink, rink, shrink, sink, skink, slink, spink, stink, swink, sync, think, twink, wink, zinc, zink, zinke

Some of these words I've heard of, others not. The words in bold are what the site provides links to and are therefore the most common. Let's explore each and everyone of them. However, this would make the post very lengthy so I'll break things up. In Part 1, I'll examine the words from bink to hink.

PART 1: From bink to hink

bink: now this is word that I hadn't heard of but the official meaning is that it is a Scottish form of bench. There are numerous, and humorous, slang meanings as well. In Indonesian, the word for bench is bangku.

blink: the introductory lines of the lyrics of the Beatles song at the start of this post contain the phrase "my mind is on the blink", meaning that the singer's mind has ceased functioning properly. This is only one of the many colloquialisms containing the word "blink". 

Others include:

• in the blink of an eye - meaning very quickly as in:
  
  Watch the baby closely, she can get into something dangerous in the blink of an eye.
  
  
• blink-and-you-miss-it - meaning of such a brief duration or small size as to be easily missed as in:
  
  I was excited to be in the movie, but it was really just a blink-and-you-miss-it part.
  
  
• without (even) blinking an eye - meaning without having or displaying any sort of emotional response, especially to that which would normally elicit such a reaction as in:
  
  When we were traveling, Janet used to eat things like crickets and jellyfish without blinking an eye.

Figure 1 shows the cover of Malcolm Gladwell's book that uses blink as its title and explores the notion that decisions made in the blink of an eye are often more effective than carefully thought out decisions.

Figure 1

brink: two countries are on the brink of war. How often have we heard that expression? Too often these bellicose times. Literally the word means the extreme edge of land before a steep slope or a body or water as in "the brink of the cliffs". Metaphorically, it means a point at which something, typically something unwelcome, is about to happen; the verge as in "the country was on the brink of a constitutional crisis" (quoted from Oxford Languages). The related word brinkmanship means the art or practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping, especially in politics as in "in any game of brinkmanship, it is possible that one side will collapse suddenly".

chink: this word is most commonly used in the phrase a chink in ones armour or a chink in ones armor to use American spelling. As Wikipedia notes:

The idiom "chink in one's armor" refers to an area of vulnerability. It has traditionally been used to refer to a weak spot in a figurative suit of armor. The standard meaning is similar to that of Achilles' heel. The phrase "chink in one's armor" has been used idiomatically since the mid-17th century. It is based on a definition of chink meaning "a crack or gap," dating back to around 1400. While the phrase itself is innocuous, its use in contemporary times has caused controversy in the United States due to it including "chink", a word that can also be used as an ethnic slur to refer to someone of Chinese or East Asian descent. 

In these woke times, it may be only a matter of time before the phrase is removed from the language. Nonetheless, I did find the photo shown in Figure 2 rather funny.

Figure 2

The word chink can be used as a verb meaning to make or cause to make a light, high-pitched ringing sound, as of glasses or coins striking together. It can also be used a noun in this sense to mean a high-pitched ringing sound as in "the chink of glasses" or "the chain joining the handcuffs chinked". I think the word clink, that we'll meet later, is more commonly used in this sense.

cinque: this word means five especially in dice or cards. It derives from Middle English cink, from Middle French cinq, from Latin quinque. It is pronounced as in "sink". The spelling and meaning is the same in Italian, but is pronounced differently as in "chinquay" (see Figure 3). The French spelling is cinq and pronounced something like "sank".

Figure 3

clink: apart from meaning a sharp ringing sound, such as that made by striking metal or glass as in "the clink of ice in tall glasses" or, as a verb, to strike (one's glass) against another's to express friendly feelings before drinking as in "she clinked her glass against mine".

In Internet slang, clink can stand for click the link. Figure 4 cleverly combines the themes of drinking and crime.

Figure 4

One of the most common uses of the word is as a euphemism for jail or prison as in "he spent the night in the clink for being drunk and disorderly". The name derives a prison which was on Clink Street in the Southwark area of London. See Figure 5.

Figure 5

dink: back in the 80s, this word (especially when capitalised) was an acronym for Dual/Double Income No Kids but that was a long time ago. In that sense, you don't hear it used as much these days but with falling birthrates and the increasing numbers of gay couples, the term has more applicability than ever.

However, its long term meaning has been drop shot or a ball struck delicately when used as a noun and to hit or kick a ball delicately when used as a verb.

The word has also been used as a disparaging term for a Vietnamese person, especially during the Vietnam War. It was originally an Australian military slang term for an East Asian person, perhaps from rhyming slang for chink. However, I was in the Australian Army during the Vietnam War and don't recall the use of the term.

Nowadays, the term can still be used to offend but it carries the meaning of a stupid, annoying or contemptible person. Inoffensively it can also be used to mean to tow a friend on your bicycle, either on ones lap or on the front handlebars as in "Oi Barry, give us a dink mate will ya?" or "Had to bloody dink Sharron down to the milkbar". This is Aussie slang, although as an Australian I hadn't heard the term used in that sense.

drink: no need to explain the meaning of this word so all I'll include this video which displays the lyrics to one of my favourite drinking songs:

fink: all that sprang to mind when I heard this word as the phrase "rat fink" which it turns out is a cartoon character. Here is part of what Wikipedia has to say about the character whose depiction is shown in Figure 6:

Rat Fink is one of several hot rod characters created by artist Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, one of the originators of Kustom Kulture of automobile enthusiasts. Roth conceived Rat Fink as an anti-hero to Mickey Mouse. Rat Fink is usually portrayed as either green or gray, comically grotesque and depraved-looking with bulging, bloodshot eyes, an oversized mouth with sharp, narrow teeth, and wearing red overalls with the initials "R.F." on them. He is often seen driving cars or motorcycles.

Figure 6

A footnote in the Wikipedia article explains that:

The term fink is underworld slang for an informer. It derives from the German word for "finch" — i.e. one who "sings" — and is comparable to a stool pigeon. Ratfink is an intensified version of fink. By the time Roth adopted the name for his character, the term had started to pass into the vernacular.

More generally a fink is an unpleasant or contemptible person and to fink is inform on (someone) to the authorities as in "there was no shortage of people willing to fink on their neighbours" or to fail to do something promised or expected as in "administration officials had finked out".

gink: this is not a word with which I was familiar but it is commonly used as a slang term for a boy or a man who seems odd, foolish or contemptible as in "silly old gink". As an acronym it could stand  for Green Inclinations No Kids as shown in Figure 7. This is reminiscent of the acronym DINK meaning Dual/Double Income No Kids. 

Figure 7

Figure 8 shows a depiction of Colonel Blink described by Wikipedia as:

Colonel Blink, "The Short-Sighted Gink", was a British comic strip, drawn by Tom Bannister in November 1958 for the majority of its run, with a few later strips being drawn by Bill Ritchie and Gordon Bell in the same style as Bannister. The strip was published in the comics magazine The Beezer. Denis Gifford in his Encyclopedia of Comic Characters (1987) attributes his creation to "Carmichael." These days he occasionally appears in the reprint Classics from the Comics series.

Figure 8: Mr. Magoo, a similar near-sighted character.

hink: this is a now obsolete term for a reaping hook which a type of sickle used in harvesting. See Figure 9.

Figure 9

As usual, the Urban Dictionary comes to our aid to provide further definitions of the word. Here are some of the more amusing:

• The act of raising one's eye-brows in a provocative manner, suggesting the initiation of a sexual act as in "Dude are you hinking me or do you just have tourettes?'".

• A senseless action taken soley to fulfill an unexplainable impulse as in "Jaques: I just bought 175 purple porcelain racoons. Michel: Damn man that's was a hink and a half".

• Aberdeen/north east Scotland slang for think as when someone asks "U gan doon tae ih Shops" and the reply is "Aye hink so mate".

• Suspicious and illegal materials, often relating to identity theft and counterfeit material, such as credit card numbers and personal information as when someone asks "hey man, wheres mikes car?" and the reply is "I don't know but we have to clear all the hink out of it before the cops come looking".

• Mugged or robbed as in "Steven got hinked in a dark ally".