The Isle of Man is infamous for the Manx cat and I discovered the peculiar reason behind the feline breed being born without a tail. It's due to the cat having a rare form of Spina Bifida. In fact their spines aren't fully developed which eventually leads to a relatively short cat life and painful premature death. Charming when can I get one? Actually I should elaborate on the Manx cats; the ones with a stubby tail and at least 2 spinal links have a healthy feline life span. Apparently they make very nice companions.
Everything pertaining to the Island is referred to as Manx; pronounced 'Mank'. Unfortunately non-island people have made an association with the words Manx and Rank. Crew frequently exchange one word with the other when describing something they find distasteful eg. 'I think I'm going to be sick, how Manx!' Apologies to the lovely Manx residents your island rocks!
Thanks for the info. I've always liked cats to have a tail, myself. That way they can warn you that they are in a very bad mood. Saves on claws and skin becoming entangled.
We've always pronounced the X over here, how mank of us. Very tricky.
Posted by: CT | April 13, 2006 at 01:17 AM