Why is the word 'mayday' used for help?

E

El and Bill

New member
Question of the day:

Q: Why do ships and aircraft use 'mayday' as their call for help?

A: This comes from the French word 'm'aidez -meaning 'help me' -- and is pronounced, approximately, 'mayday.'

We learn something new every day (or, at least, that's new to me).
 
To continue with the theme, "pan-pan, pan-pan, pan-pan" also has French roots. Panne in French means something like being stuck, in trouble, or out of something. Tomber en panne, for example, means basically "befallen with trouble," and is used to describe when your car breaks down. In French, panne is pronounced "pahn" and hence why "pan-pan x3" is not said like it would be in the English frying pan.

Sécurité (x3 on the radio) also comes from French, but its meaning is fairly obvious. However, that's why it's pronounced "say-curie-TAY" and not "seh-CURE-itty" as it would be in English.

It's always fun to learn more about words, isn't it? Boating provides a lot of opportunity for that, being steeped in tradition.

Sunbeam :hot
 
Not to be culturally nonsensitive here, but it sure sounds like those Frenchmen get in a lot of trouble...
 
Ditto. One of those things I always wondered, but never looked up.

Not to be culturally nonsensitive here, but it sure sounds like those Frenchmen get in a lot of trouble...
Click to expand...

:lol: :lol: Reminds me of a joke:

I saw an ad on E-bay. It said; "FOR SALE. WWII FRENCH ARMY RIFLE. EXCELLENT CONDITION. NEVER FIRED. JUST DROPPED ONCE." :wink: :lol:
 
Great the surrender monkeys have tricked me into speaking frog. :shock: Figures they would have threes ways to ask for help.

And as of their women, Well I guess those guys need all the help they can get.
 
I am very sorry I made the joke. If folks here want to badmouth people - any people - they should take it to Facebook or Twitter or some other childish venue. I should have known better and I apologize to the several friends I have on here of French descent.
 
I come from Hawai'i where we all learn at an early age to laugh at ourselves. It's a community of myriad cultures so you need to get along. As a result, I don't do the PC thing. I don't mean any insult. If we can't laugh at ourselves...people, some not all, are way too sensitive.
 
Aw, it was just a joke. Feel free to poke fun at those of us from Iowish descent. Some of us might even get the joke. 8)

I figured the saying had something to do with holiday stuff... and "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" sounds a lot more urgent than, "Trick or treat!"

No one could ever mistake you for being a mean person, Mike - you are truly one of the good guys. And I don't care what anyone here says about you. :mrgreen:

See? Another joke. Please don't ask me to apologize for that. :lol:

Best wishes,
Jim

(My forefathers came from other places, but I am an American... and I think it even says in the Constitution that we can make fun of people from foreign lands... like North Dakota)
 
How can you tell I'm being sarcastic? MY LIPS ARE MOVING> I said Mes lèvres se déplacent!!!!

in five easy clicks of the net you to can Insult people in a language you have only heard the horrible accent of.
 
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