ARIAD??

Reading in the latest issue of Signals (a jolly good issue, by the way) I was puzzled  by the acronym ARIAD mentioned by Ken Johnson in his letter to the Editor.  I feel that I have missed something which might be an 'in' joke, to which outsiders are not privy.  The context would suggest that it refers to the canon of books by Arthur Ransome, but what do the letters represent?

David

I think it was in David (Capt Jaspers) Forman's letter. who is a very bright lad.

However he has mentioned the ARIAD several times meaning I think the series of twelve books.

Exactly what the initials mean I am not sure, so I have emailed him for the interpretation.

I will post his reply as soon as I get it.

Robin

Here is Davids reply.........

There seems to be no collective noun for the twelve novels by Arthur Ransome. To say 'the canon' is too vague, and to say 'the Arthur Ransome canon' is too clumsy. Coining a word, I suggest the ARIAD, derived from the initials of Arthur Ransome. This would parallel the use of the word NARNIAD for the seven chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. And from the ancient world we have the titles of such epics as the ILIAD and the AENEID. Hopefully, the use of ARIAD will speed up communications amongst TARS members.

Sounds reasonable..

Robin

It was a suggestion by David Martin of York, in the previous issue of "Signals" (p.3), coining the word Ariad as a parallel to the Iliad and Aeneid. Clearly it has caught some members' fancy, so when proofreading the latest issue, the editor and I agreed it should stay in.

Personally, I dislike it, but maybe it will catch on.

The phrase was introduced on page 3 of 'Signals' May-August 2010, in a member's letter (a Mr Martin). I don't think it is an acronym, it stems partly from NARNIAD being used for C S Lewis' Narnia series.

I think it needs clarification every time it is used, because each issue of Signals might be read by a new member that has just joined....or an existing member with a bad memory (like me, who had to look it up).

Hmm I usually read Signals from cover to cover but like Magnus I forgot it was in the previous issue too.

I agree with David the current issue is very good, is Outlaw always going to be included in Signals from now on? or is it a one off in tribute to Rob Boden,

I certainly like the colour.

Robin

Having a shorthand description for the Swallows and Amazons series is an interesting and no doubt useful idea. But if, as Magnus suggests, it's necessary to explain what the shorthand means means each time it is used, then it's debatable whether it serves any useful purpose.

I'm afraid I can see another problem with "ARIAD". If it means "the Arthur Ransome Canon" (and the use of AR's initials implies this), then logically that encompasses all of his works, not only the 12 SA novels. So I'm afraid it may confuse more people than it enlightens.   

What about "NANCIAD"?

Or for people like me, "DUFFERIAD"?

Seriously, I think "ARIAD" is ungainly and just doesn't sound right. I would hope that the TARS publications discontinue its use ASAP.  

Perhaps even shorter and more meaningful why not try AR12 ?

ARIAD could be an acronym for AR In Awful Distress. Or are there any other illuminating versions?

Perhaps Arthur Ransome is a Duffer.

Whilst I see the point of ARIAD, today there are so many things in which only the initials are used such as TARS and TARSUS as used here, there are vast numbers of other such uses.

The first thing on seeing ARIAD is to make it spell out some sort of hidden meaning.

Previously Owen Roberts wrote:

Perhaps even shorter and more meaningful why not try AR12 ?

ARIAD could be an acronym for AR In Awful Distress. Or are there any other illuminating versions?

 

AR13, surely?!!

More like AR12.25 given that Coots in the North is such a snippet.

I am a Patrick O'Brian fan as well and some people refer to the Aubreyad as a short name for the 20.25 Aubrey-Maturin books, others just use the "Canon", but not "Cannon" despite their naval subject matter.

Personally I tend not to use these abbreviations but don't mind Canon as a collective noun.

Probably AR12.3 if we are trying to be accurate. CITN is not really a full book

Previously Magnus Smith wrote:

AR13, surely?!!