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by stryder on March 24th, 2006

stryder

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How did concertina wire get its name?

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  • by notmrjohn on March 28th, 2006

    notmrjohn

    Here's a picture of a concertina; http://pages.britishlibrary.net/eddie.bennett/concertina.jpg
    Here's a picture of Sgt. Brayton tryin to play some concertina wire (note the gloves);
    http://www.defenselink.mil/photos/Mar1998/980302-N-3149V-006.html

    The concertina is a 'musical' instrument, basically a small accordion, played by pirates and stereotyped Italians by squeezing and extending it. Concertina wire is basically coils of barbed wire that is set up by extending it out in loops. Modern concertina wire is in two oppositely coiled strands that support themselves when extended and can be squeezed back into a flat pack. Here's a pic of some body in a pickup taking a pack of wire somewhere;
    http://www.soacorp.com/images/images_front/ant_wire.jpg
    Depending on who ya wanta believe, the concertina, the squeeze box, or 'instrument' was invented in 1829 by Sir Charles Wheatstone, or 1834 by Carl Friedrich Uhlig, or 1844 by Sir Charles Wheatstone. Sir Charlie must notta been happy with the first attempt and tried again, IMHO it was just a second waste of time. At any rate musical scholars know the word 'concertina' dates back to 1837 (before Charlie invented it?) and comes from 'concert' meaning music and 'tina' a feminizing suffix. ( I dunno why it's feminine, maybe cause mama's got a squeezebox.) Musical scholars also know that while concertina players can be kept behind regular stretched barbed wire, the accordion is probably against the Geneva Conventions of War and accordionists should be restrained behind concertina wire and guarded by bagpipers.

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    • gotta love those bagpipes and pipers......

      Alatea

      by Alatea on April 4th, 2006

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