Is the “catgut” used in some tennis rackets and stringed instruments actually…?
I was appalled by this word when I was a kid. I didn’t want to even consider the possibility that it was what it said it was. Well those who favor felines can read on, but if you’re a lamb lover be warned: what we have here is a sheep in cat’s clothing.These days tennis rackets tend to be strung with steel or nylon, but some are still made from sheepgut, which is known for its strength. And when you strum a guitar, don’t be surprised if you think you hear a bleat among the twangs. Sheepgut is still a mainstay in string instruments. It also shows up in surgical sutures and–don’t faint–sausage casings.So why do they call it catgut? Fewer letters? Because sadism toward pussycats is politically correct? In truth, we don’t know. Question: What the heck is something doing when it “warms the cockles” of your heart? Some of you may recognize the word cockle as derived from the Old French, coquille, or shell, as in the French scallop dish, Coquille Saint-Jacques. You would know as well that c
