Gertrude

Question

Would you give me the meaning of "gertrude" used in the following sentence from a novel?
"They were lashing her pretty hard with active sonar, then a 'can queried her on a gertrude."
(Hunt for Red October)
context: Russian vessels are lashing a submarine hard with active sonar and their another vessel
is questioning her on a gertrude.
my guess: f rom the above, i figure gertrude is a communication devise, but no definition fitting in my dictionaries.
I appreciate your help in advance.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Would you give me the meaning of "gertrude" used in the following sentence from a novel? "They were lashing her ... my guess: f rom the above, i figure gertrude is a communication devise, but no definition fitting in my dictionaries.[/nq]
RHHDAS has it as Navy slang, "an underwater telephone for talking to other subs." That's a quote from "Red October," page 302 same book.

It also says, it possibly came from a jocular allusion to character actress Gertrude Berg, noted for calling "Yoo-hoo." I never heard of her, myself.

Best Donna Richoux

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]RHHDAS has it as Navy slang, "an underwater telephone for talking to other subs." That's a quote from "Red October," ... to character actress Gertrude Berg, noted for calling "Yoo-hoo." I never heard of her, myself. Best Donna Richoux[/nq]
Thanks, Donna.
Gertrude Berg:
Birthday: October 3, 1899
Birth Place: New York, New York
Birth Name: Gertrude Edelstein
Date of death: September 14, 1966
Cause of death: Heart Failure
i failed to get an hint how her name got related to an underwater telephone, although going over on the net. (^^

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Would you give me the meaning of "gertrude" used in ... a communication devise, but no definition fitting in my dictionaries.[/nq]
[nq:1]RHHDAS has it as Navy slang, "an underwater telephone for talking to other subs." That's a quote from "Red October," ... came from a jocular allusion to character actress Gertrude Berg, noted for calling "Yoo-hoo." I never heard of her, myself.[/nq]
How about Molly Goldberg? Gertrude played the Molly character for an eternity on radio and early television; it was hard to tell the two apart.

rzed

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]RHHDAS has it as Navy slang, "an underwater telephone for ... noted for calling "Yoo-hoo." I never heard of her, myself.[/nq]
[nq:1]Gertrude Berg: Birthday: October 3, 1899 Birth Place: New York, New York Birth Name: Gertrude Edelstein Date of death: September ... to get an hint how her name got related to an underwater telephone, although going over on the net. ([/nq]^^

You know that "Yoo-hoo!" is something people call out to get attention? Much like, "Hello-o! Anybody home?" Or "Hey! Look over here at me!" It's quite high-pitched, like a yodel.

Best Donna Richoux

Usenet · Answer

Thanks again ,Donna.
I appreciate your kind rejoinder every time.
It let me know also that word has its own history. yoo-hoo and yahoo, they resemble somehow. Funny.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]It also says, it possibly came from a jocular allusion to character actress Gertrude Berg, noted for calling "Yoo-hoo." I never heard of her, myself.[/nq]
Just a quick question relating to your grammar. Wouldn't it be more correct to use the form, "I have never heard of her, myself."? Otherwise it comes across as meaning "I did never hear of her, myself." if you see what I mean.
Cheers,
Matt

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Donna Richoux wrote[/nq]
[nq:2]It also says, it possibly came from a jocular allusion to character actress Gertrude Berg, noted for calling "Yoo-hoo." I never heard of her, myself.[/nq]
[nq:1]Just a quick question relating to your grammar. Wouldn't it be more correct to use the form, "I have never heard of her, myself."? Otherwise it comes across as meaning "I did never hear of her, myself." if you see what I mean.[/nq]
I didn't see Donn'a post, and it's not available for me to reply to unless I go through Google Groups. So please excuse me, Matt, for piggy-backing here.
Donna I did find your post in Google Groups, and saw that rzed, in his reply, mentioned Molly Goldberg, the radio and TV character played by Gertrude Berg. I remember the show, and Molly Goldberg did indeed call out "yoo-hoo" from the window to summon her neighbors. (One of the yoo-hoo'd neighbors was Mrs. Bloom, according to Google. I hadn't remembered that.)
That was a long time ago.
Maria Conlon

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]It also says, it possibly came from a jocular allusion to character actress Gertrude Berg, noted for calling "Yoo-hoo." I never heard of her, myself.[/nq]
[nq:1]Just a quick question relating to your grammar. Wouldn't it be more correct to use the form, "I have never heard of her, myself."? Otherwise it comes across as meaning "I did never hear of her, myself." if you see what I mean.[/nq]
Well, that "did never" is a distracting complication. I don't know what "I did never hear of her" would mean, precisely. It would to be a very strange set of circumstances to combine did + never.

But to the simpler question of "have" or not. I see you post from the UK. Although I don't remember all the ins and outs, I believe it's been demonstrated hear that Brits are more likely to use forms of the past with "have" where Americans would use the simple past tense. It's not a matter of correct or incorrect, it's just regional custom.

It might be useful to go down a checklist of which sentences we'd be likely say. For example, "I ate there once" vs. "I've eaten there once"?

Best Donna Richoux

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Just a quick question relating to your grammar. Wouldn't it ... never hear of her, myself." if yousee what I mean.[/nq]
[nq:1]Well, that "did never" is a distracting complication. I don't knowwhat "I did never hear of her" would mean, precisely. ... down a checklist of which sentences we'd be likely say. For example, "I ate there once" vs. "I've eaten thereonce"?[/nq]
The "did never" is something that no-one would actually say. I used it because it is in the same tense as what you originally said - e.g. "I went" means the same as "I did go", thus "I heard" means the same as "I did hear". "I have heard", however, has a slightly different meaning. When I see people using the simple past where I think they should have used the "have" form, I always look at it and think of it phrased in the "did" form, to verify to myself that it really would look better with "have". I hope that makes sense!
Cheers,
Matt

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