“E” or “O”...?
A comment in the “It Was Sugar!” post wondered if "castor" with an "O" was the American spelling for caster sugar, or a typo.
It’s a typo, but one with an interesting history.
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“CastOr” is the spelling when referring to castor oil (pressed from castor beans) and, even older, a hat made from felted beaver fur (Castor canadiensis).
Fans of historical fiction might occasionally read that a character “doffed their castor” - meaning, raised or removed their hat in a token of good manners to ladies or respect to superiors.
"CastEr" is the spelling for a container (or its contents) for strewing, sprinkling or throwing, as in "cast aside" or “cast a shadow”.
In homophones (same-sounding words) such as sow / sew, rein / rain, peal / peel, breach / breech etc., just one letter gives the different meaning.
Words like “cast”, however, depend on context - cast a spell, cast a bell, cast a role, arm in a cast, cast in an eye, cast of the show...
English is like that.
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Besides sugar casters for sprinkling sugar, there were “sand casters” of wood, ceramic or metal, which contained the powder used to blot ink before or instead of blotting-paper.
This powder might be fine sand or ground sandarac resin (two reasons for “sand caster”) but also ground cuttlefish bone, or ground pumice which was called “pounce” - the French for pumice stone is “pierre ponce” - in which case the container was called a “pounce pot”.
Blotting a letter with sand or pounce may even be the origin of the phrase “done and dusted”, meaning “job all done”, though that might just derive from a room or house completely cleaned, so YMMV.
Its use is often seen in historical films, though they often get the end of the action wrong by showing writers blowing or shaking the powder off onto the floor.
In fact blotting powder was re-usable, and was poured off the paper back into the pot, whose top was often funnel-shaped to make that easier.
Using sand or pounce continued until fairly recently: here’s a silver writing set - inkstand with matching inkwell and pounce pot / sander - hallmarked 1908.
Fountain-pens were already in use (mass-produced since 1880) though prone to leakage until that problem was fixed in, surprise,1908, so it’s not surprising that this handsome set relied on dip pens. Also, it was probably on the desk of An Important Person who had to write little more than signatures.
The pounce pot is a curious anachronism; I’ve read one source suggesting pounce and sand continued in use because they was cheap, but penny-pinching doesn’t seem an issue here.
Maybe used blotting-paper was considered unsightly, whether as a sheet or mounted on one of those rocker-blotters still used occasionally when signing treaties.
Or maybe pounce was considered more secure; if blotting-paper picks up a good reverse impression of the writing, it can be mirror-read; there’s no way to mirror-read anything from powder.
Writer Note; a fantasy story could mention a spell which makes the pounce or sand reassemble itself as the words it blotted, so re-use is done for more than mere economy. Each time pounce is poured back into the pot it gets a thorough shaking, that world’s version of a micro-cut paper shredder or multi-pass disc wipe.
This was originally about spelling variations, so yet again I seem to have wandered a bit off-topic
I do like the silver desk-set, though.
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This is gonna be the pinned post where I list all the polls as they go up! So it's gonna change! Give me a minute if im slow to update this post because I'm BUSY. I have THINGS TO DO.
Shitty tournament diagram pls enjoy my terrible handwriting.
Active polls:
Round 2:
Shino v Bruce
Chief v Audie
Amelia v Sunny
Meow v Apollo
Pierre v Walt
Vesta v Bob
Butch v Coco
Bam v Beau
Kabuki v Lolly
Kitty v Ankha
Tangy v Purrl
Willow v Bow
Petri v Molly
Sasha v Shep
Fauna v Lopez
Sherb v Chevre
Skye v Kyle
Marshal v Cheri
Etoile v Pietro
Olivia v Marina
Agnus v Pekoe
Gayle v Roald
Goldie v Whitney
Merengue v Margie
Dotty v Judy
Muffy v Cherry
Sprinkle v Chai
Stitches v Rosie
Punchy v Diana
Cephalobot v Lily
Ketchup v Lucky
Gladys v Maple
Completed polls:
Round 1:
Nindori, Wolfgang, Marshal, Hans, Epona, Frita, Ed, Eugene, Ace
Croque, Drift, Bertha, Ankha, Eunice, Bonbon, Hopkins, Diva, Leopold
Ozzie, Analog, Anicotti, Roscoe, Stitches, Cranston, Kiki, Megan, Boris
Megumi, Pancetti, Drake, Zucker, Etoile, Ione, Gen, W. Link, Deena
Rizzo, Pecan, Leonardo, Hugh, Alice, Henry, Chai, Cyrano, Curlos
Flurry, Vivian, Genji, Fang, Kit, Wendy, Azalea, Tammy, Beau
Tasha, Pango, Sprinkle, Kidd, Egbert, Barold, Lobo, Del, Pate
Mott, Peck, Robin, Margie, Chops, Hippeux, Big Top, Flip, Annalisa
Woolio, Rodeo, Rodney, Lulu, Nate, Eloise, Bam, Beardo, Cleo
Inkwell, Paula, Sheldon, Shep, Lucha, Sandy, Jeremiah, Bill, Benedict
Mint, Elmer, Tia, Dobie, Lucy, Betty, Goose, Sasha, Muffy
Sue E, Stu, Petunia, Lyman, Bella, Gloria, Doc, Bruce, Jane
Rolf, Sylvana, Melba, Tammi, Lionel, Murphy, Frett, Samson, Coco
Cupcake, Limberg, Fruity, Dotty, Iggly, Bluebear, Louie, Annalise, Olivia
Vladimir, Rudy, Sven, Shoukichi, Liz, Purrl, Holden, Moe, Dozer
Angus, Broccolo, Blaire, Dizzy, Jay, Frobert, Norma, Lucky, Renee
Tex, Violet, Skye, Sly, Medli, Otis, Kody, Reneigh, Graham
Nosegay, Maddie, Quillson, Shari, Teddy, Sunny, Sally/Hazel, Walker, Snake
Nan, Peaches, Madam Rosa, Lily, Dora, Freya, Cole, Iggy, Bettina
Shino, Spork/Crackle, Scoot, Pompom, Flossie, Knox, Dom, Frank, Anabelle
Pashmina, Piper, Octavian, Lolly, Drago, Bree, Bessie, Alli, Benjamin
Sherb, Tutu, Rooney, Rocket, Diana, Pinky, Curly, Mitzi, Admiral
Tucker, Velma, Sterling, Nibbles, Baabara, Flash, Champ, Joey, Chief
Stella, Wade, Punchy, Poko, Ike, Pierce, Aurora, Boyd, Canberra
Puck, T-bone, Opal, Mallary, Bob, Hank, Blanche, Cyd, Axel
Ketchup, Kevin, Monique, Francine, Astrid, Bitty, Antonio, Hamphrey, Becky
Klaus, Meow, Hector, Hamlet, Belle, Filly, Clay, Emerald, Cobb
Plucky, Valise, Mathilda, Mac, Cephalobot, Ken, Carrot, Filbert, Claude
Victoria, Willow, Zoe, Ursala, Moose, Olaf, Grizzly, Gwen, Chico
Marty, Phoebe, Maelle, Keaton, Freckles, Katt, Carmen, Judy, Cece
Savannah, Poncho, Stinky, Gayle, Billy, Elise, Bangle, Bud, Avery
Truffles, Zell, Tabby, Shinabiru, Petri, Ricky, Maggie, Raddle, Flora
Prince, Tybalt, Vesta, Patricia, Chow, Nana, Chevre, Gonzo, Chadder
Oxford, Jitters, Peanut, Jacques, Felyne, Aziz, Claudia, Apple, Apollo
Miranda, Molly, Tom, Marcel, Clara, Harry, Bones, Maple, Cesar
Quetzal, Whitney, Winnie, Joe, Ganon, Patty, Bea, Mira, Groucho
Ribbot, Sparro, Ruby, Midge, Biff, Marina, Anchovy, Papi, Camofrog
Quinn, Pierre, Spike, Merry, Gladys, June, Gruff, Olive, Carmen
Paolo, Lulu, Vic, Juubei, Lopez, Gala, Deidre, Elvis, Gabi
Sprocket, Static, Marcie, Marlo, Goldie, Julian, Felicity, Huggy, Ellie
Rowan, Viche, Twiggy, Greta, Puddles, Penny, Cally/Sally, Bow, Chuck
Penelope, Slyvia, Pekoe, Peewee, Fuschia, Leigh, Jambette, Masa, Boots
Simon, Weldon, Queenie, Kitty, Curt, Amelia, Agent S, Pigleg, Alfonso
Rocco, Toby, Tiansheng, Rhoda, Hambo, Naomi, Bunnie, Hazel, Audie
Rollo, Yodel, Kyle, Tipper, Flo, Kabuki, Candi, Colton, Broffina
Tiffany, Weber, Gaston, Chelsea, Elina, Bubbles, Boone, Buzz, Agnes
Peggy, O'Hare, Yuka, Monty, Chester, Cookie, Celia, Koharu, Butch
Sydney, Rory, Wart Jr., Pudge, Kid Cat, Merengue, Fauna, Pippy, Cube
Rex, Timbra, Tank, Rasher, Cheri, Faith, Ava, Huck, Chabwick
Poppy, Roswell, Pietro, Phil, Hopper, Kitt, Clyde, Erik, Boomer
Twirp, Rod, Rosie, Rhonda, Rio, Portia, Julia, Coach, Cousteau
Tangy, Tarou, Tad, Hornsby, Daisy, Deli, Buck, Chrissy, Al
Rilla, Snooty, Marcy, Cherry, Biskit, Carrie, Bianca, Caroline/Bliss, Aisle
Soleil, Tiara, Roald, Jakey/Jacob, Friga, Gigi, Charlise, Derwin, Cashmere
Raymond, Walt
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