Word Not To Use Today: telson.

The word telson sounds so fine and strong and manly - as if it should be a crane used for building tower blocks, or a move in cage-fighting, or a hat worn by ranchers.

Was Mr Telson the man who invented a way of putting meat pies in tins? Or a knot for securing buffaloes? Or some sort of boosting system for a short-band transmitter?

It's such a frank, can-do sort of a word.

But take a look at this:

These are the telsons of male and female scorpions, Euscorpius avcii. The telson is the swollen bit out of which the sting emerges.

The crab's telson here is labelled 3. (If you're interested, 1 is a compound eye, and 2 is a simple eye). Photo by Amada44.

Basically, a telson is the rear end of a spider, scorpion, or crustacean.

And seldom, very seldom, have I felt so let-down by a word.

Word To Use Today: telson. This word comes from the Greek word for boundary. The Greek telos means end.