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| LIFE IN SOLERA | OCTOBER 2023 | 15 This & That Submitted by e Solera Ghostwriters When is a sailor made out of wood? When he's a BOARD! Why is sailing like oil drilling? They're both a crewd business! Which sailors blow their noses most often? The Anchor Chiefs! Ever wonder why the side spin on a cue ba in the game of pool is ca ed "English?" That's because it was invented by an Englishman! Around 1825 in England, a billiards expert named Jack Carr began making seemingly impossible shots by putting a peculiar sideways twist on the cue ball. When other players inquired about the technique, Carr was able to convince them that the stroke could be performed only through the use of a special "twisting-chalk" that he was more than happy to sell them for half a crown. His business in magic twisting-chalk flourished until someone discovered that the twist could be put on the cue ball by using no chalk at all. The Englishman's business quickly took a nosedive, but his special spin is still called "English" in remembrance of its inventor. Getting his Goat? For reasons that are unclear, horses form unusually close attachments to goats. The presence of a goat can have a calming effect on a horse, and this fact has been used by horse trainers in the past to calm high-strung animals. Once quieted in this manner, a horse becomes very agitated if the goat is taken away. It has been suggested that this is the reason we describe annoying someone as "getting his goat." Ever wonder why sailor's suits are made the way they are? The large bell-bottomed trousers were designed to make it easy for a sailor to roll up his pants when swabbing the deck and also to make it easier for him to slip off his wet uniform if he finds himself in the water. The cap is designed for easy storage and to serve as a flotation device. It is made of canvas and is almost airtight when soaking wet. When the cap is thoroughly wet and the brim turned down, it can be used to capture an air bubble and keep the sailor afloat. Some say that the large flat collar that lies across the back of the uniform was to protect that main part of the uniform from the tar and powder that early sailors used to put on their pigtails. Just for laughs…