Fo'c's'le (was Re: Do's and Don't's ???)

[bruce bowser]

I remember reading a "Jennings" book when I was younger which had
the word "fo'c's'le". This was written in the 1950s.

"fo'c's'le" is the logical abbreviation since the apostrophes match the
missing bits in "forecastle". However, my dictionary (Pocket Oxford)
gives "fo'c'sle" as the abbreviated form. On the other hand, I have been
a member of an organization which called itself the "Fo'c's'le Folk Club".

The (only) correct spelling is forecastle, and it's pronounced foaxl. It's
just like topgallantsail, pronounced tgansl, or mainsail, pronounced mainsl.
Only landlubbers try to write these words as pronounced.

Fo'c'sle Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
fo'·​c'sle ˈfōk-səl. variant of forecastle. : the forward part of the upper deck of a ship. : the crew's quarters usually in a ship's bow.

[J. J. Lodder]

I remember reading a "Jennings" book when I was younger which had
the word "fo'c's'le". This was written in the 1950s.

"fo'c's'le" is the logical abbreviation since the apostrophes match the
missing bits in "forecastle". However, my dictionary (Pocket Oxford)
gives "fo'c'sle" as the abbreviated form. On the other hand, I have been
a member of an organization which called itself the "Fo'c's'le Folk Club".

The (only) correct spelling is forecastle, and it's pronounced foaxl. It's
just like topgallantsail, pronounced tgansl, or mainsail, pronounced mainsl.
Only landlubbers try to write these words as pronounced.

Fo'c'sle Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster fo'·?c'sle
?f?k-s?l. variant of forecastle. : the forward part of the upper deck of a
ship. : the crew's quarters usually in a ship's bow.

The crew had nothing to do with it, originally.
This is how a medieval battleship looked like
at the battle of Sluys. (perhaps with Edward III himself on board)
<Loading Image...>

The origin of 'forecastle' is obvious here,

Jan