BASS - a kind of fish, with the extra help from the brand name for a beer “Bass” as a clue to which of the many kinds of fish possible is required. And it loses one of the S’s - S= “south” - a direction. A “turd” is a “stool”, and it sounds like (we hear) the last syllable of “Bastard” which can be a noun but also an adjective - “on the wrong side of the sheets”... Note for those readers from abroad: Bass is British brewing firm, the first to have set about advertising their ale nationally in a modern way, using the slogan “Bass for Men” and the first product identity icon in the form of a red triangle - the first ever registered trade mark. The firm was located in Burton-on-Trent, a town famous for its beer because of the local water’s particular suitability for the brewing process. The water used for brewing in other places is often altered by adding gypsum to it so that it resembles Burton’s water in a process known as “Burtonizing”. The popularity of Bass (and other Burton beers) among airmen during the war gives us the euphemism for having died on a mission: “He’s gone for a Burton”. Burton was famous for its beer from the Middle Ages, when the local monastery cooked up some pretty good ales. Mary Queen of Scots was partial to a pint or three of the local produce when she was imprisoned in nearby Tutbury Castle. The local brewer who supplied her was probably acting as a secret agent on her behalf, passing messages back and forth as well as pints. But Burton became a national, nay international, brewing centre in the 19th century, when the brewers there solved the problem of making a beer which could be exported to India without becoming foetid during the long sea voyage. They produced a special strong ale which they called India Pale Ale. When a marine disaster off Liverpool caused some barrels of this to float back to shore, where they were consumed with relish by the locals, IPA was sold in England, by popular demand, as well as being exported. Guess which town I come from.... |