 |
||
 |
Smack-Down | |
 |
The Latest Now What? Online | |
 |
More Now What? Online Q&As | |
|
Ask the Experts | |
| . |  |
|
 |
||||
| Ethnic Toolkits Web Exclusive Forms Bookstore Soundex Code Generator Resources Writing Workshops Newsletter Free Email |
||||
Receive weekly research tips and leads on new resources via email.
You've got questions about discovering, preserving and celebrating your family history; our experts have the answers.
Smack-Down
A. Whenever an unusual phrase or word turns up, I visit my local library to use the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), second edition. Not only do I find the word I'm looking for, but also the history of its usage. In this case, according to the OED, "a smack is a single-masted sailing vessel, fore-and-aft rigged like a sloop or cutter" used for fishing. A smack owner was the owner of one of those vessels and suggests an occupation as a fisherman.
—Maureen A. Taylor
Maureen A. Taylor is the author of Scrapbooking Your Family History (Betterway Books, $24.99) . To read more of her advice for decoding archaic terms you find in genealogial douments, see the April 2004 Family Tree Magazine.
Pose your questions to our family history experts.
Q. In London, England, what would a smack owner be? It's listed in the city directory.
Search | Articles | Toolkit | Bookstore | Free Email | About Us | Contact |