West Bay, 15 October 1996
Since the
Webmaster
of this endeavor is concerned about my use of the word
"wench"
here, I consulted the World Book Encyclopedia Dictionary on the subject
(certainly wouldn’t want you to think that we’re sexist here.)
This particular dictionary lists three definitions for the noun "wench."
It first defines "wench"
as a girl or young woman. Well, I’m definitely female,
but since forty-three might not qualify me as young, I refer to myself as an old wench.
It’s kind of like saying "old girl," which I find a perfectly acceptable reference,
and the term is in common usage among the British. (The Cayman Islands are, after all,
a British Crown Colony, you know.)
The second definition of "wench"
is that of a peasant girl or servant,
as in "serving wench." Although I may have become a slave to this web site,
and I certainly work like a peasant, I think we can dismiss this definition as
somewhat archaic.
The final definition for "wench"
is actually listed by the dictionary as archaic,
and that is "wanton woman." I don’t know whether I qualify, but I’m certainly wanton
a lot of things: fame, fortune, and… What’s that? Oh! The Webmaster tells me that
"wanton" is not a synonym for "wanting." I thought it was one of those Olde English words
that the pirates use now and again. Sorry! Well, if what he tells me is true about
"wanton," I’ll have to leave it to someone who knows me a lot better than you do to
determine whether that terminology fits! In the meantime, let’s stick with the first
definition.
Since the word "wench"
is frequently found in references to Pirates, and this is
Pirate Poop,
I will mention here that a pirate wench is a girl or young woman who also
happens to be a pirate. She is not to be confused with a pirate’s wench, which is something
else entirely! (See definitions two and three.) I am definitely a pirate wench - no
possessive. And if you think there were no female pirates, guess again. Ever hear of Anne
Bonny? Well, now, that is another story.
Stop in again sometime, and I’ll tell you all about it, but for now, I hope I’ve helped
you understand why I’ve chosen to refer to myself as an old wench. I hope it doesn’t offend
you, but if it does, just skip this page the next time you visit the site!
The old wench will still be here in West Bay, watching the wind ruffle the palm fronds and
the dive boats come and go, as she chats with whatever visitors happen to stop by.
Drop in anytime!
In addition to these essays, the wench also posts frequent short writings about her
View from West Bay.
Check out her latest post!
