Our boss, John Saville, died a year ago today and as a tribute to him, Fred and I thought we would publish for a wider audience a little booklet we produced with John during the Covid Lockdown – our last project together.
It’s a collection of terms we remembered from our time as young apprentice Compositors in the days of hot-metal – a lifetime ago. We have no doubt mis-remembered some and completely overlooked others so if you have anything to add please don’t hesitate to get in touch. It would be a fitting memorial to a good friend.
And finally, does anyone know why ‘Muttons” and “Nuts”?
Dennis Greeno adds: I read with interest ‘Muttons and Nuts’, recently posted by Philip & Fred. As you would expect, the design and layout by John Saville was excellent although there was one term that did not appear. ‘Gnat’s’ was used to mean a tiny amount and in the composing room it may be used when referring to a page that was slightly shy of the correct depth or for any number of things. I came across it regularly in later years when a colour of the 4-colour process was very slightly out of register with the other three (hopefully spotted on the proofs, not the finished job). There were two other versions, ‘gnat’s whisker’ and a second, normally only used when those party to the conversation were not easily offended, ‘gnat’s cock’. There may be one or two more omissions that perhaps ex-printers/compositors have thought of?