Octopidal

[slemslempike]

Does anyone know what "octopidal" means, or what it might be an error for? I have encountered it in Gyles Brandreth's biography of John Gielgud, on an announcement about Gielgud's performance on HMS Nelson, saying "Loudspeakers are being rigged so that any audience in the octopidal should be able to hear".

Neither google nor the OED are any help. I do not mean octopedal.

Comments

[whatho.livejournal.com]

No, but I shan't SLEEP now until I do. Google is remarkably unhelpful. I think all its references are people who meant to type octopoidal. Possibly Brandreth misheard. It doesn't sound much like a part of a ship. What part of a ship has eight somethings?

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

Hmm, unless Brandreth also meant 'octopoidal', as a adjectival noun? That the loudspeakers would serve to transmit the sound through the water, enabling the octopi to listen in?

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Hee! It would probably boost their morale and make them join in the war on Our side.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

It was copied from a printed navy announcement! You would think that the navy would use the right words for things. Maybe it is a navy injoke?

It ends "MR. GIELGUD HAS PROMISED TO GIVE US HIS RENDERING OF "NELSON'S SPIRIT" - LET US SHOW HIM AND HIS COMPANY OURS."

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

I am imagining them pouring whiskey down his throat later...

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

Boggle, no, I'm afraid not, but I'd be interested to know, myself, now...

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I like Jane's link to the octople pompoms.

[snowballjane.livejournal.com]

Apparently (according to shipsnostalgia.com) HMS Nelson had "seven octuple 2 pounder pompoms". Could it be those?

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

And maybe the octopidal is where they are kept? I think it would make sense as they would have to be staffed through the performance. Good idea!

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

seven octuple 2 pounder pompoms

That sounds like some heavy-duty cheerleading.

[snowballjane.livejournal.com]

Ha! I was just thinking that!

[jekesta]

Wentworth is ON FIRE and Bea is refusing to escape because she hasn't got anything to live for.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Well they must MAKE her escape. Where is the governor? She spends all her time enabling their escapes, what is she doing?

[jekesta]

She has just rushed back into a burning building in order to unlock all the gates! SHE IS ENABLING ESCAPE AT EVERY MOMENT, CLARE, NEVER DOUBT HER. Except actually she is just going to rescue the Freak, instead of letting her burn to death death death.

(The gates locked because the fire ate through the riot alarm, not because they have crazy dangerous fire procedures.)

[randy-gibbons.livejournal.com]

HMS Nelson might not necessarily be the battleship of that name, it's also the name of a shore establishment at Portsmouth, although 'on' does suggest it's the ship.

I suggest you ask the Naval History forum on Rum Ration. You'll have to register on the site.

http://www.navy-net.co.uk/

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that! The announcment talks about keeping the decks clean before the show, so I think it probably is the battleship. Thanks for the link to Rum Ration, I'll have a look.

[randy-gibbons.livejournal.com]

Hm, that might be one of those cases of nautical terminology that 'floors' could be referred to as 'decks' regardless of whether you're on land or afloat. Not being a sailor, I wouldn't know.

It probably is the ship though. What year are we talking about? The battleship was broken up in 1949 and not even the navy would have two HMS Nelsons on the go at the same time.

Will you post the answer if you find out? It's intriguing.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I will! I hope there is an actual answer and it's not a weird mistake, that would be very disappointing.

It's in 1942, and it's in the context of a tour of aircraft carriers and battleships that Gielgud was doing. Why not even the navy? Are they notorious for ill-thought out names?

[randy-gibbons.livejournal.com]

No, just because it's a strange world of arcane traditions and terminology.