Tell Techno.

[Leman]

  , Spudsa you like-a. Those nifty Italians - way before Pizza Hut!

[Techno]

I've got another question....(Inspired by the talking book I'm listening to at the mo')

Why do we class a century as 100.....When a Roman Centurion was in charge of 80 'grunts' ?

When did 80 become 100 ?

I need to be told.

Cheers - Puzzled of Wales.

[Ithoriel]

The Servian Reforms, attributed to the sixth king of Rome (Servius Tullius) in the mid 500's BC, but probably an accretion of bits and pieces of legislation, custom and practice in the 600s to 400s divided the military into centuries of, nominally, 100 men according to their wealth.

I doubt centuries were ever exactly 100, except by chance!

The Marian Reforms of 107BC (named for Gaius Marius) introduced centuries of a more realistic 80 men, again "more honoured in the breach than the observance."

That help any?

[Techno]

That's great, Mike !!

Ta for that. 

Cheers - Phil

[Leman]

So when you turn 80 next week you will be able to call yourself a centenarian.  Keep on truckin' Phil.

[FierceKitty]

And the Grey Musketeers were a cavalry regiment; the SYW Austrian musketeers were called fusiliers, while few grenadiers still used grenades; I understand the 10th hussars are a tank unit now, and of course Poland's famous hussars were heavier than some knights have been; Napoleon had "foot cuirassiers" (not wearing armour); the US has "cavalry" in helicopters; dragoons, hastati and principes, renaissance French "archers"; Hellenistic peltasts may have been part of the phalanx; many so-called destroyers are bigger than cruisers these days....

You're looking for a logical and coherent narrative in military matters? 

[fsn]

My favourite is: A Major is a higher rank than a lieutenant (pronounced left-tenant), but a major-general is lower than a lieutenant-general.

My understanding is that in the days of clip-clop-bang-ffttt (about the C17 to those who aren't with modern period naming conventions) a major general was a sergeant-major-general, and so came below the lieutenant-general. At some point they must have thought that the sergreant-major-general sounded a bit silly (probably when Gilbert and Sullivan couldn't make it scan) and so the sergeant bit was dropped.

Am I correct? Do I win my prize?

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Yes for once you got it right Nobby.

[Leman]

That has also answered something that has been puzzling me for a while.

[FierceKitty]

My favourite is: A Major is a higher rank than a lieutenant (pronounced left-tenant), but a major-general is lower than a lieutenant-general.

It's a lootenant, ya Limey faggot!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Danmed foreiners, ITS OUR BLOODY LANGUAGE

[FierceKitty]

The Yanks are speaking something closer to the original than you lot are these days.

[Leman]

Who cares what they speak - it's most definitely American and not English.

[d_Guy]

I'm still curious how anyone gets "F" out of "ieu". Of course you lot do get Fanshaw out of Featherstonhaugh so all things are possible.
As Kitty suggests, in the rural mountains of my birth we are said to still speak something akin to Elizabethan English. In fact if you read aloud Shakespeare in my former dialect it come out rather well. 

[Leman]

Dead simple mate - the English hate pronouncing French correctly. You don't go to war with a country for centuries and then suddenly forget about it.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

It's so passé

[Leman]

Murcky buckets for that Lem.

[Techno]

Today's question.

I know what an epaulette is...(I think)...But is there another name for the 'big epaulette' that's more of 'cap' on the shoulder and the very upper arm of a soldier.
From ones I've seen they're usually slightly ornate.

Hope that makes sense.

Cheers - Phil

[sunjester]

My understanding is that they are all epaulettes, whether plain or very ornate with bullion braiding.

[Leman]

Omlettes are very nice as well, despite being French. I bet Ian even likes an omelette now and then.