h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Rum - A1137809
Author: 2of3 - U233398

I've moved this one from the writing workshop to here. There doesn't seem to be much action in WW. Also I think I'm finished now. Probably needs some tewaking though. But I'm useless at spotting my own mistakes . . . sometimes.

2/3

Is water the only thing you need to add to molasses to cause it to convert to alcohol?

What's a Coffey Still?

Is the phrase 'Triangular Trade' known to our Unitedkingdomese hosts?

I'm pretty sure there's already an entry on alcohol in the Edited Guide. Perhaps you could link to it.

I'm interested in the phrases "That's a rum deal" or "He's a rummy character". Is there any information that might suggest these phrases came from rum trade?

Molasses can spontaneously ferment. I've tried to clarify this in the article cause some brands like Bacardi use yeast.

A coffey still, as said in the article, is aparatus used for fractional distillation.

The Brits should know about the triangle trade. They were one of the points on the triangle.

I've linked to the article on alcohol.

I've never heard those expression. Could be related to the game rummy. But I've not come across them in my research.

It's a bit rum if you ask me, old boy...

Looks good to me.

I think that 'Splice the main brice' in the section about nicknames for rum should read 'Splice the main brace', although your version rhymes nicely!

Splice the main brace it is.

Also never hear anyone used the term rum as in 'it's a bit rum'. But I get what you mean anyway.

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Rum meaning strange, as in 'it's a bit rum', is rather an old-fashioned expression. But I have heard it used, and it's in the dictionary: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=rum .

It does say 'chiefly british' which doesn't surprise me. But it does explain why I never heard it before.

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still trying to find reference to those other phrases. Its a rum deal etc.

Excellent article.

One minor point - maybe giving dates for the Royal Navy's daily rum issue (1655-1970) could be better than a 300-year duration?
Were that to be done, I'm not sure if the reference to Mount Gay rum would be better as "...the oldest branded rum..."

Not sure if any of the stuff I posted a little while ago on grog (see your link to Pusser's rum) is germane.

Changes:

Dates for rum ration by Royal Navy added.
Mount Gay named as oldest distillery not oldest rum or branded rum.
Link to Pusser's Rum for explanation of some of the 'rum nicknames'.

How does it look now?

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Looking good

At one point, you spell it 'Rhum', like the Scottish island... I take it this isn't intentional?

Although it does make me wonder whether the island and the drink are connected at all (Rhum's nearest neighbours are two other islands, by the way - they're called Eigg and Muck. All this is true.)

It seems they're not connected - a quick spot of googling revealed that the Island in question is actually called Rum - the Scottish Mountaineering Group website says "Legend has it that the Victorians, covering up table legs through modesty, renamed it Rhum to dissociate it from the drink, but contemporary practice and maps have reverted to its true name." - which must have happened in the last 20 years, because on the maps I found it on as a child it was still called Rhum.

It also seems that the French spelling of the word is 'Rhum', so those Victorians weren't being as clever as they thought...

Anyway, I'm not sure if that's really very relevant to your article, but at least my curiosity is satisfied now, and I will shut my face.

If you like, I'll do some quick research into 'It's a rum deal' 'It's a bit rum', etc. I grew up with these phrases and I always linked it to the drink rum.

The meaning is 'Queer' 'Strange', 'Odd', 'Fishy'. - that sort of thing.

My Collin's dictionary lists it as originating in the 19th century and possibly being derived from 'Romany' - "rom man". i.e. Gypsy.

1)
You might like to mention Bay rum, an aromatic liquid used by perfumers, originally made from rum in which bay leaves had been steeped.

2)
Not a good idea to quote substantially from a website. Just provide a link instead.

3)
Capitalize the S and drop the e in Scotch Whisky - most important!

4)
Grog is rum diluted with water. Said to be from Old Grog, the reputed nickname (because of his cloak of grogram, a heavy stiff fabric) of Admiral Vernon (1684–1757), who in 1740 first ordered diluted (instead of neat) rum to be served out to sailors.



Bels

I think the good folk of Bushmills in Ireland would take exception to the Mount Gay distillery being described as the oldest in the world. They've been going about 100 years longer. So how about changing the opening statement to the oldest rum distillery in the world, as that is a claim made themselves about Mount Gay

I've changed the spelling of whisky. I don't see the need for the capitalisation so shall leave it out.

I've added a bit on Bay rum in the usage section. There's an article on it on H2G2.

I've linked to Pusser's Rum and there's an explanation of 'grog' there.

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The capitialisation is because it's "Scotch", ie, from Scotland, in the same way as British beef is from Britain. So yes, it is important.

There's also an entry on Scotch at A602939 , that you could link to.