Apropos every photographer's never ending quest for the perfect bag, I thought I'd let you know about the latest stage in mine.

I've finally ditched - and not without tears - my old ex-Indian Army canvas haversack, lovingly customised over the years with velco bits and foam bobs, and replaced it with a leather bag I've just found called, rather disturbingly for an Englishman, "Prat".

I'm a past master at finding fault in ready-made bags - it's too tall, wide, fiddley, big, small, just plain ugly - I'm sure you know the score. The "Prat", however, was difficult to fault, in fact the only thing is the strap's too short, although I should perhaps point out that I'm over six feet tall and like to wear the strap across my chest and have the bag at hip height, so almost any normal strap is too short. I can always get a strap made anyway.

Apart from that the "Prat" (I'm going to have to do something about that name) is just about right, being simple, unobtrusive and flexible. The "Bora" model bag takes the M6, 50 'lux, 6x film, 6x filters, notebook, cleaning kit, phone, that I usually carry with just the right amount of space. I'm strictly a 50mm man so I don't carry quantities of lenses.

I'll let you know how it works out in the long run. If you want to know what it looks like go to http://www.geete.com/pra

-- Paul (carterph@wanadoo.es), April 11, 2002

Answers

Prat? Hahaha! Isn't that British slang for buttocks? lol. Well, at least it works well for you, thanks for sharing.

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), April 11, 2002.

James - you are anatomically speaking very close but "Prat" is British slang for a ladies frontal bits not her posteria!

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), April 11, 2002.

Giles, I think you're thinking of twat. Prat is indeed an archaic (16th century) term for the buttocks, but nowadays it normally means a foolish person.

Perhaps a veil should be drawn over this thread now!!

-- Tim Franklin (tim_franklin@mac.com), April 11, 2002.

BTW the link doesn't work. Correct URL is

http://www.geete.com/prat/prat_cb.htm

-- Tim Franklin (tim_franklin@mac.com), April 11, 2002.

Hahaha touche Monsieur Poilu! *grin* Yes, used like us Yanks use "ass" for a silly person.

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), April 11, 2002.

Sorry folks, link should have read http://www.geete.com/prat/rl031.htm#

And, incidentally, an ass is a silly person. Or a donkey. Anatomically the word you are grasping for is arse. But wasn't this a thread about camera bags?

-- Paul (carterph@wanadoo.es), April 11, 2002.

Being a Londoner I have also heard the term used as Giles said.

-- (bubblegrass@yahoo.com), April 11, 2002.

front or back, the prat bags are prwtty posh. nicely made though, not really for frontline hardcore street work in the bronx. in the german monochrom they sell it with the reasoning, that you could take your camera to the opera with it...

-- stefan randlkofer (geesbert@yahoo.com), April 11, 2002.

I saw mention of this bag on some formum a long time ago. Can you tell us where you got it and a general idea of it's cost in USD?

-- Todd Phillips (toddvphillips@webtv.net), April 11, 2002.

just to prove that the same tired subjects continue to get recycled on this forum, i'd like to point out that the etymology of "prat" was thoroughly canvassed in a thread here on march 2, 2001. all of my slang dictionaries including my trusty "dictionary of playground slang" AND my brewer's all indicate that "prat" is a slang term forbuttocks, and related to the term "prat fall," a comic fall on the buttocks. carry on!

-- roger michel (michel@tcn.org), April 11, 2002.

Touche, I think not. Prat IS slang for that part of a ladies anatomy along with muff, chuff, wazzle and fanny. Twat, is you are correct also British slang for the same part but is more commonly used to idicate an idiot, ie "you stupid twat!"

Regarding buttocks, I believe the Americans call it the "butt", here in England it is the "bum", ie "does my bum look big in this?"

Thank you and goodnight. It is time for bed, or as we same in England - "time for a kip", or forty winks, shuteye...etc.

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), April 11, 2002.

Still here, I have heard that term "prat fall" used in discussion of slapstick comedy - Norman Wisdom was very adept at it.

There may be some problems here with the differences in English English and Americanised English - I gather the British slang for a cigarette - "Fag" - has a rather different meaning over the pond?

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), April 11, 2002.

No, you are incorrect Giles, what do the French call it? Faux pas? Non non? Prat: buttocks. Hehehe

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), April 11, 2002.

To back what Tim Franklin said:

http://www.bartleby.com/61/32/P0503200.html

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), April 11, 2002.

Poilu: French origin meaning: "hairy".

http://www.word-detective.com/080401.html

Under "great white humbug" paragraph. Are we having fun yet? : )

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), April 11, 2002.

For those who are still interested in the bag, or at least those who have not been sidelined by the doubtlessly fascinating etymological discourse, the bag cost EUR108. You'll have to figure out what that is in your money. And I'm still pleased with it, regardless of your entirely unsolicited frivolousness.

-- Paul the "Prat" (carterph@wanadoo.es), April 11, 2002.

And, while I do enjoy a visit to the opera, I prefer the bags that accompany me to be rather prettier than any camera bag I have so far seen.

-- Paul (carterph@wanadoo.es), April 11, 2002.

Thank you James, your linguistic skills know no bounds.

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), April 12, 2002.

The P-word: now I know what my Londoner colleague is saying all the time!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), April 12, 2002.