Spot the Frippet: anchor.

There are more anchors about then you'd think. In Britain, brass buttons tend to display them in tribute to the uniform of the British Navy. In this case the anchor will be fouled - that is, tangled up in its rope - which is a thing an anchor should never be.

So why is a fouled anchor as a symbol of a proud navy? Probably because there was one on the shield of Lord Howard of Effingham, the commander of British forces against the invading Spanish Armada in 1588, and the Navy never got round to changing the badge after Lord Howard left. It's not as silly a symbol as it seems, because the fouled anchor is an old Christian symbol signifying hope in tribulation.


(This is actually a United States Navy fouled anchor, which is probably a left-over from the British tradition.)

Where else might one find anchors? Well, on ships, of course, if you happen to have one handy. Round here The Anchor is a common name for a pub, and will quite often be found in Anchor Lane. The heavy men at the far ends of a tug-of-war competitions are called anchors (you could organise an informal competition in the classroom or office). An anchor ring is one made of any cylindrical bar of metal. The brakes of any vehicle are called anchors in moments of high drama: he slammed on the anchors.

Anything that provides steadiness and security in a mad world can be an anchor: a desk, perhaps, or a car, or a partner, or a faith.

But of course the easiest anchors to spot are the ones on TV sitting smiling at their desks or on their sofas, trying to be friendly but authoritative, and persuading experts to say what's needed as concisely as possible and then move on.

Mind you, that sort of anchor I do my very best to avoid.

Spot the Frippet: anchor. This word comes from the Greek ankos, which means bent.