4.1.3. Ribs (question 8)

I have no answer concerning the ribs from informant VIII. It could not be established for certain whether the informant from North Berwick (V) really meant the ribs with stemson bits: "they'll be stemson bits to hold the gunnel up." Stemson bits is not recorded in the dictionaries as the meaning of ribs. One informant from Crail (XIII) used the word timbers for lighter boats and ribs for heavier boats: "...these are lighter timbers,...ribs is just the thing for the bigger boats that're heavier." Informant XV called them "timbers or frames". Informant XVI applied bees to clinker-built boats only and timbers to carvel-built ones.

Bees is nowhere recorded as the meaning of ribs. It is probably derived from Old English (OE) beah, beag (= a ring) and the OE verb big-an signifying to bend (cf. SND).

4.1.4. Strakes (question 9)

The strakes were called planking by informant XII. Everywhere else, they were referred to as planks.