From “Report of the Commissioner for the year ending June 30, 1902 : Aquatic products in arts and industries : fish oils, fats, and waxes. Fertilizer from aquatic products” / by Charles H. Stevenson, (page 197).
Men cutting into whale with spades on the Bark SUNBEAM, by Clifford W. Ashley (2000.100.79.35)
“The term ‘twitter,’ which has been previously referred to as applied to the thread-like or membranous substance ranging through the contents of the case, is also applied to the lining of that reservior. This is from 2 to 3 inches thick, glutinous, and extremely tough. In decapitating the sperm whale, especially in severing near the bunch of the neck, a very sharp spade is required to cut through this tough and elastic formation. Although it is very difficult to manipulate, an economical whaleman never throws this substance away. Since it can not be boiled out with the case, for the reason above given, it is saved and run through the pots with the fat-lean after the case and junk have been cooked.”
Research by Maritime Curator Mike Dyer (mdyer@whalingmuseum.org):
[...] This post was Twitted by whalingmuseum – Real-url.org [...]
By: Twitted by whalingmuseum on May 7, 2009
at 11:31 am
Thanks to this informative tidbit, I will now see Twitter’s “fail whale” in a whole new light.
By: Clarissa Ceglio on May 7, 2009
at 8:58 pm
[...] For Internet eons we’ve believed that the name “Twitter” was derived from something to do with the noise small birds made or something. But leave it to the scholars at the New Bedford Whaling Museum who have the waterfront covered when it comes to whale research to dredge up the following reference on page 197 of the dusty “Report of the Commissioner for the year ending June 30, 1902 : Aquatic products in arts and industries : fish oils, fats, and waxes. Fertilizer from aquatic products” by Charles H. Stevenson. "The term ‘twitter,’ which has been previously referred to as applied to the thread-like or membranous substance ranging through the contents of the case, is also applied to the lining of that reservior. This is from 2 to 3 inches thick, glutinous, and extremely tough. In decapitating the sperm whale, especially in severing near the bunch of the neck, a very sharp spade is required to cut through this tough and elastic formation. Although it is very difficult to manipulate, an economical whaleman never throws this substance away. Since it can not be boiled out with the case, for the reason above given, it is saved and run through the pots with the fat-lean after the case and junk have been cooked." (New Bedford Whaling Museum post) [...]
By: Twitter, It’s All About The Whale « Sea-Fever blog on May 8, 2009
at 1:31 pm
[...] auch einiges Kurioses: Das Wort “Twitter” leitet sich nicht nur von Tweet ab, sondern bezeichnet auch eine Membran bei einem Wal. Wenn man das weiß, erscheint der von Vögeln gezogenen “fail [...]
By: Twitter - Wie nenne ich mein …? | text-gold.de on July 15, 2009
at 8:35 am
[...] to the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s blog, twitter has whaling roots from way back. Mike Dyer, the museum’s maritime curator, found a [...]
By: Twitter & Whales on October 23, 2009
at 9:04 pm
[...] the official blog of the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Mass., has informed us all that the word “twitter” was associated with [...]
By: Oh, the irony: ‘Twitter’ used to be whaling slang | Skicat56's Blog on September 15, 2010
at 8:19 pm