Where did the term Scales originate?

Now that is really cool! My father just passed in Oct. RAF "Left tenant" and a Capt in the Army Air Corp (MT cowboy born and raised, RAF a long story). He was flying a new plane from Ca to China and got hijacked by some General with a Scottish last name in Guam. Apparently the Gen had an important document signing appointment aboard said ship mentioned above and didn't want to show up in an older plane. It was two weeks till my dad could get his plane back and finally deliver it in China. Moved to St Andrews in 72 so he could finish work on his PhD. My mother like yours had trouble with the lanquage. Not quite as good a story though. My younger brother's teacher was from Pittenweem. No one had told her to talk "proper" to my mother. During parent teacher conferences as long as the teacher was smiling my mom would smile and nod. When the teacher wasn't smiling my mom would frown and shake her head side to side. Whence the kilt and the interest in the varieties of uisge beatha for you?
 
Justin your post just popped up on me again. Thats pretty funny. Thanks for the info. So The Steel Bonnets about the border reivers? I've always been fascinated about that bit of Scottish/English history. I'll have to dig er up.
 
Yes. It is a mostly forgotten corner of history that I am fascinated with myself. It has many parallels with medieval times, but also compares in a very real way to frontiers, and clan/tribal societies, that exist in some places in the world to this day. Fraser's book covers a lot of ground and digs to the gritty reality, without being too dry about it. He also includes a lot of excerpts from original letters and documents, which add a lot of flavor.
 
Very cool will have to check that out. Had some ancestors involved.
 
That makes it a little more compelling. My mother's maiden name is Pollock, and they are not mentioned in general border history, but the 12th Laird is recorded as fighting for Queen Mary at Langside, and his son, John, was killed at Lockerbie in 1593 (battle of Dryfe Sands), supporting the Maxwells in their fued against the Johnstones.
 
Dad was born in Germany, and mom's side is the Scots. Her mother was an Elliott. Her father was Robert Burns Elloitt.

The Elliots were horse breeders in the Middle Marches of the Boarders - who occasionally stole horses from the English. That did not make them popular after the unification of the Crown. My relatives were thrown out of Scotland, and dumped off the boat on the docks in Baltimore. They slowly moved into the Ozarks ,where they felt at home. They became mule breeders and farmers.

My full signature is - Stacy Elliott Apelt, FSA,Scot
 
lonepine said:
I'm just thinking random word thoughts,...

PISTOLS have grips or handles, RIFLES have grips (unless it's like the M16), KNIVES have handles. Once SCALES are put onto the tang then the entire assembly becomes the handle.

And bladeforum spelled backward is murofedalb.

- Paul Meske
Click to expand...

Rifles (and shotguns and muzzleloaders) have stocks, not grips. :)
 
Stacy, Justin just sent ya emails to continue this conversation.
 
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