Biggles and the Abbreviated Names

Anyone who has read a few Biggles books will know his propensity for abbreviating names. In fact, the entire series is built upon the fact that Biggles is an abbreviation of Biggles' actual last name, Bigglesworth, for, as he explains to his flying instructor in Biggles Learns to Fly:

"Bigglesworth, sir. I'm afraid it's a bit of a mouthful, but that isn't my fault. Most people call me Biggles for short."

And later, in the same book, he says to Mahoney:

"Mine's Bigglesworth, though most people find that rather a mouthful and leave off the 'worth'."

The thing about that name is...it's not a mouthful. It's certainly no longer than Hebblethwaite (whose name, of course, was quickly shortened to Ginger by Mr. Abbreviation-Biggles). Even dear old Erich, who isn't even a native English speaker, has no trouble with the name Bigglesworth (although he is always quick to refer to Ginger as "your friend with the difficult name".)

Other abbreviated names throughout the series include, of course, Algy for Algernon (Montgomery Lacey), Bertie for Bertram or Albert, Dickpa for Uncle Richard, Wilks for Wilkinson, Mac for MacLaren, and so on.

I can't figure out if Biggles is simply lazy, trying to conserve energy (short of breath from smoking, one supposes), or just can't be bothered to remember people's full names (even his own).

That Other Time Biggles Left Algy In The Lurch

Following on from the last post “That Time When Biggles Left Algy In The Lurch For An Hour”, here’s another example of when Algy got left in the lurch, from Biggles and the Blue Moon.

Biggles and Algy are stuck in a nasty situation where they are surrounded by people wanting to kill them. In an effort to do something about it, Biggles comes up with a plan to break out and get the Auster. There’s a lot of shooting involved in the breaking out bit and Algy doesn’t know if Biggles has made it out or not until:

It was the Auster. Algy gasped his relief. But what was it doing? It was flying level at a height of not less than five hundred feet, which made it instantly apparent that Biggles had no intention of landing. From that height he couldn’t land. He had not left himself enough room to get in. Algy took a chance and ran into the open, waving both arms. The Auster went on, leaving him staring at it helplessly.

And, considering that there are people around who would be only too happy to shoot him, Algy is taking a pretty big chance, running out like that. But does Biggles respond? No.

Algy could have torn his hair in his impatience. What on earth was Biggles doing? Why didn’t he land? And where was Lin Seng? What was he doing? Algy didn’t know what to do. Their plan seemed to be falling to pieces.

And finally when things have settled down (a long time later), Algy finds Biggles standing by the landed Auster, smoking a cigarette (smoking? Again? Really, Biggles?). When Algy asks what’s going on, Biggles’ response is that he’s got some backup in and that they will take care of things so he didn’t see any reason to land before.

Well, thanks, Biggles. That makes it all clear.

You got away from a dangerous situation under dangerous circumstances, and you had to know that Algy was worried about you, and you had to know that he was in danger, and you definitely saw him running out to meet you, waving his arms, where anyone could have shot him, and what did you do?

You thought to yourself, “Oh, well, it doesn’t matter. I’ve got the army coming in a bit. I don’t have to land. I can just hang around here for a bit and then land and have a smoke while Algy sorts everything out on the ground and maybe gets shot.”

Some best friend you are.

That Time When Biggles Left Algy In The Lurch For An Hour...

I've just been reading through Biggles Flies Again again to get some Algy quotes out of it--for the Quote Box thingy to the top left side of the blog--and halfway through the book I came across what I would have to say is one of the saddest sentences in Algy history:

"Although Algy knew that Biggles would not have left him unless he had a definite plan in his mind, he watched the machine disappear into the blue distance with consternation."

To give some context to the above quote, shortly before these events occurred an octopus got hold of the Vandal, the way most octopi or scary sea creatures always manage to get hold of Biggles and Co., and one of the passengers in the Vandal was thrown out during the struggle to get rid of the octopus, upon which Algy tries to rescue said passenger, resulting in Algy's getting thrown out of the Vandal as well.

So there are two of them in the water with a crazy octopus, and Biggles decides to take off and leave them there *horrified smiley*.

In fairness, the octopus made it impossible for Biggles to land and pick them up, but I can still imagine the look on Algy's face when he saw the Vandal fading into the distance *sobbing smiley*.

I should also add, it took over an hour for Biggles to get back and rescue them.

This of course immediately brings to mind the moment in Biggles Takes Charge, where Biggles confidently informs Boris and the others that Algy will not go home without them, because "we don't leave each other in the lurch, whatever happens." And Algy, being Algy, obviously came right back and rescued everyone, just like Biggles said he would.

Five Things You Should Never Never Never Do To Sopwith’s Books

1.     “Borrow” them and never give them back. Or give them back looking considerably damaged and pretend not to notice when I point out said damage to you. (“Oh, wasn’t there a tear on the cover when you lent it to me?” NO, there was NOT!)

2.     Eat something like pizza or crisps and then pick up a book in your greasy greasy fingers. Same goes for people who have been holding a cold drink in their hands. Do you not notice that your hands are wet? Step away from the books. I mean you. Yes, you.

3.     Poke hardcover books with sharp objects because you want to see just how hard the cover is. If you want to know how hard the cover of a book is, there is a very simple way of finding out: you can look at it, and you can touch it. And if your curiosity still isn’t satisfied, take it from me, any sharp object you care to name will be harder than the cover, and it will damage my book. Now put the penknife down and walk away before I shoot you.

4.     Take a book off the shelf, then leave it lying on the shelf for me to put back. Or put the book back…but in the wrong place. Or put the book back in the right place, but upside down (do you read upside down? Are you some strange reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci?) Or—and this has to irk me the most—put the book back but in such a careless manner that the corner of the cover gets folded. No, no, no. Tell you what. Tell me you want to read one of my books, let me get for you, and then, when you’re done with it, give it back to me so I can put it back where it belongs.

5.     Spill things on my books and then close the book hoping I won’t notice. This inevitably results in me trying to read the book several months later, and then discovering that whatever it was you spilled on the book has made the pages all sticky/stained/very disgusting. If you do spill something by accident, just tell me so I can clean up the mess while I still can. 

Five Things People Do To Their Books That Really Really Annoy Sopwith

Let me start by saying this: I am not one of those crazy book people. I buy secondhand books, some from bargain bins (as we all know). I don’t mind a bit of wear and tear, dog-eared covers, and Auntie Lucy writing a birthday note to little Frankie on the flyleaf. I’m not one of those people who insist on using a bookmark because the book’s soul will writhe in eternal torment if someone puts them face down on a table. (Although this does damage the spine, so try not to leave books face down for any long period of time.)

But here, in order of the merely peeving to the truly terrible, are the things you can do to a book (and this goes for paperback or hardcover) that can drive me screaming insane.

1.     Writing, underlining, putting stars, and noting down word definitions on a novel. Here’s how it is: You can write on the blank pages in the front of the book, and the blank pages in the back of the book, but not during the book. Why would anyone want to underline and star random phrases in a novel? (Especially in a Biggles book! It’s just frustrating reading: “Algy pocketed the gun* a type of weapon and made for the door.”) This is closely related to point 2, which is:

2.     Giving the plot away in writing. I sometimes get one of those books that clearly had a high school student as its former owner….a high school student who seems to believe that copying CliffsNotes into a novel is the way to pass an English exam. Next to the chapter 1 heading they’ll write in big sparkling letters: Tom leaves home. Chapter 2: Tom meets John and they make plans to rob a bank. And then, chapter 10: Tom dies. (Gee, thanks.) As if that isn’t enough, random objects will be marked with the word “symbolism”, random sentences will be declared to be “metaphors” or “foreshadowing”. It’s like having your English teacher at your elbow while reading a book.

3.     People who fold down the corner of pages in a novel. You can do it in a cookbook, a nonfiction how-to book, a magazine, even. But not in a novel. Never. Ever. Some people, not content with merely folding the corner down, feel the need to fold it down and fold it up and fold it down again like some mini origami project.

4.     People who write on their books with permanent marker and close the book before the ink has dried so that you get ink on the pages before the writing and after the writing. And when I say ink, I mean big blobs of the stuff.

5.     People who rip pages out of their book on purpose. I once saw someone talking on a phone, get out a pen, look around for something to write on, and then, in desperation, fish a paperback book out of her bag, and rip the back cover off! No. No, no, no!

*Note: when I say “book”, I’m not referring to textbooks. As far as I’m concerned, depending on how boring the content of the textbook is, you may feel free to do anything you like to it.

What are your pet book peeves? Share and comment below!