2006-08-28 05:15:20 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
WELL... a lot will disagree with me but it goes something like this...
There is a day in the UK calendar that is called "May Day" or Mayday. What happens is a load of crazy fruitcakes get dressed up and wear tinkly bells... Then they dance around the maypole in a very strange and eccentric way.
Upon seeing these people sane people run away as fast as they can shouting "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" as a warning to others who may be approaching the said spectacle. It is a warning for others to run away as they are in danger of seeing the aforementioned dancing around the maypole and if they are of a nervous disposition it could affect them for the rest of their lives...
Or is it that international distress call derived from the French phrase "M'aider", the infinitive form of the reflexive verb "help me".
The Mayday call sign was originated in 1923 by Frederick Stanley Mockford. I think he may have been in distress himself at the time. He was probably being accosted by a rowdy rabble of Morris Dancers ;o)
Have a good Bank Holiday,
Graham
2006-08-28 05:32:18 · answer #1 · answered by the truth 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Mayday is the international distress call for ships and aircraft and is derived from the French M'aidez, meaning 'Help me'. However what many people may not understand, including all who have answered before me, is that this is, in French, grammatically incorrect, since the correct expression should be 'aidez moi'. However this is clumsy to say so 'Mayday' became adopted instead. Until WW II French was a more universal language but has now been overtaken by English.
2006-08-28 13:44:13 · answer #2 · answered by quatt47 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mayday is an emergency code word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications, derived from the French m'aider. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency by many groups, such as police forces, pilots, the fire brigade, and transportation organizations. The call is always given three times in a row ("Mayday Mayday Mayday") to prevent mistaking it for some similar-sounding phrase under noisy conditions, and to distinguish an actual mayday call from a message about a mayday call
2006-08-28 12:23:12 · answer #3 · answered by LOL 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a mayday distress call is used only in cases of "grave and imminent danger. .the correct way to signal mayday consists of three repetitions of the word mayday, then the name of the boat, and its radio call sign.
"mayday" is an anglicized version of the French m'aidez (help me) or m'aider (to render help to me).
2006-08-28 12:33:30 · answer #4 · answered by alya m 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Mayday" is the internationally recognized voice radio signal for ships and people in serious trouble at sea. Made official in 1948, it is an anglicizing of the French m'aidez, "help me".
2006-08-28 12:20:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Graham you bugger i can`t stop laughing if your version isn't true it should be cant think of anything scarier to an unsuspecting tourist than being surrounded by a bunch of Morris dancers leaping about waving ribbons and tinkling bells
2006-08-29 09:52:04 · answer #6 · answered by keny 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is phonetic representation of French m'aider literally meaning "help me".
2006-08-28 12:38:33 · answer #7 · answered by Hobby 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It comes from the French, "m'aidez", which means "help me"
2006-08-28 14:42:04 · answer #8 · answered by cheryliz72 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's from the French 'm'aidez' = 'help me'
2006-08-28 13:34:59 · answer #9 · answered by ALAN Q 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it comes from the French m'aidez help me
2006-08-28 12:21:35 · answer #10 · answered by peter gunn 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋