LOOK SHARPE: May I Have a Word – Or Two?

Sports betting PR legend GRAHAM SHARPE brings you his latest ‘LOOK SHARPE’ column…

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FUNNY THINGS, words – but for words I would probably have never been able to earn a living, since I’ve used them for virtually all of my working life as a journalist – or variation thereof – and without words there wouldn’t be much call for such employment – albeit, many may say ‘good job, too’.

But words and their meanings can sometimes make their usage tricky – I mean, you’d think there’d be little danger about using the phrase – ‘(s)he’s had a good career’ – well, yes, until you notice that Gerald Hammond, the author of a rather wordy book entitled ‘Horse Racing’ produces the bombshell revelation that ‘A ‘career’ was, first, a racecourse, then it described a gallop at full speed, and now it summarises a person’s progress through life.’

Who knew? Not me, for sure….but then Hammond denies that phrases such as ‘last ditch’, and ‘flying colours’ have any original connection with the sport.

While we’re on the subject, there is absolutely no uniform agreement I can detect on how to spell the generic name for the sport of racing horses. Some will tell you it is simple – it is, of course ‘Horse racing’ – into that category comes Mr Hammond, from whose book we have recently heard.

However, you’d think that as he uses ‘Horse Racing’ in the title of his book, it should be fair to assume that he believes that is how it should be spelled, er, spelt. But, when you look inside, you will see on the opening page, ‘Horse-racing: a book of words’.

Then there are Wray Vamplew and Joyce Kay, who wrote a book called ‘Encyclopedia of British Horseracing’ – another variation, this time from two words to one. They address the issue in their book, as well – ‘There is no standard version, but this book has opted for horseracing, as in the British Horseracing Board.’

One of the earliest books to use the name of the sport is 1863’s ‘Horse-Racing: Its History’. But when, in 1740, the Government was introducing legislation about racing, it put forward ‘an act to restrain and prevent the excessive increase of horse races.’

As for (Horse)Racing – well, I invented that one myself.

So, quite clearly there is no universally accepted spelling. Now then, let’s look at racehorses, er, race horses – race-horses……um, let’s not.

Another word, one I hadn’t previously associated directly with racing, appeared in a small article I spotted in a magazine to which I have subscribed for years, and which prides itself on running stories other outlets ignore – dubbing this ‘The world’s weirdest news.’ The article had apparently first appeared in a national tabloid – – and I’m very confident it was not referring to the company whose output you are currently reading! ‘For some reason’ began the story, ‘a UK gambling website decided to investigate the number of people seeking online help for…’ and here I have decided to censor slightly the term used, in order not to offend the sensibilities of my readers……as I was saying, ‘help for…’ those with problems caused by, er, flatulence.

They quoted the company concerned declaring ‘Our research shows a lot of people want help.’ Hm. Really? I’m not sure something about this doesn’t smell a little…..

Now, still on the subject of words and their meanings – hands up, those who have any idea what a ‘peruke’ may be when it is at home.

I’ll try to make this next wordy question a little easier, by explaining where and how I came across the word. I was browsing through a couple of historic and interesting volumes I own, entitled ‘History Of White’s’, Volumes I and 2.

This is the context in which I discovered the word being discussed here, as, on January 14, 1747 I read that: ‘Mr Fanshawe wagers Lord Dalkeith one guinea, that his peruke is better than his Lordhip’s, to be judged of or by the majority of members the next time they shall both meet.’

Any wiser yet?

This bet, a legitimate subject for discussion over 270+ years ago, appears to be intended to clear up the hair-raising matter of which of these Noble Lords possessed the finest head accompaniment, or wig. Sadly, the outcome of the possibly hair-raising wager is not recorded.

And, yes – here’s the Britannica definition of the word: ‘peruke’, man’s wig – especially the type popular from the 17th to the early 19th century. It was made of long hair, often with curls on the sides, and was sometimes drawn back on the nape of the neck.’

From this same volume I discover that on February 25, 1753, ‘Lord Hobart wagers Mr Fanshawe ten guineas, that Mr O’Brien kills a hen pheasant before Mr Munichausen.’

In December, 1754 ‘Lord Montfort wagers Mr O’Brien fifty guineas that Mr Drax the father outlives Mr Drax the son. NB This bett (sic) to be void at the end of seven years if both living.’

Then, on March,21, 1755, ‘Ld Sussex bets Mr Chas Boone ten guineas thar there is no Declaration of War before this day twelvemonth between England and France.’

On a slightly more frivolous note, on ‘Feb ye 1st, 1757 Mr Vernon betts Mr Maxwell twenty guineas, Lord Waldegrave ten guineas and Mr Turner ten guineas, that he start from Arthur’s at eight o’clock tomorrow morning, and arrives at Paburn Abby in twenty hours from the time of setting out on foot.’

A somewhat more serious wager was struck on December 20, 1808 when ‘Lord Sefton bets the Duke of Montrose One hundred guineas to Twenty that Buonoaparte succeeds in his views upon Spain within two years from this day’ – and four days later they doubled the amount of the wager.

The final wager recorded in this fascinatingly readable tome was struck on March 22, 1878 when Lord Rivers bet Lord Alington £25 on the optimistic premise that ‘this country is at war with some European power on or before this day six months.

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Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

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