6 ms·

The HMS portion makes it clear that we're talking about a boat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Ship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s

The HMS portion makes it clear that we're talking about a boat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Ship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Ship

astrodust 9y ago
It doesn't make it clear unless you know what that means. "HM" is understood to mean Her Majesty, but the "S" could mean anything to those not familiar with the abbreviation.
- detritus 9y ago
  In that case, take the time to check what the abbreviation is? Headlines are inherently not exhaustive in their explanation, that's kind of the point.
  - astrodust 9y ago
    What's CSIS? NFB? OHIP? These are all acronyms that are geographically localized, and arguably HMS, like NHS and OBE is one of those as well.
21 9y ago
I'm in London and it was not clear at all, considering how pretty much anything here is HM.
- johneth 9y ago
  I think you might be an outlier in this case. 'HMS' is pretty widely known to mean 'ship' (in the UK, at least).
  - pbhjpbhj 9y ago
    But the 'having islands' adds confusion: HM QEII is known to have islands, to the layman boats are not.
rainforest 9y ago
Not necessarily, some of the Royal Navy's ships are islands too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_frigate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_frigate
gozur88 9y ago
<wince>. A ship.
- jonathantm 9y ago
  [Itty Bitty Ship](https://books.google.ca/books?id=7VqK0UdKHswC&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=IBS+itty+bitty+ship&source=bl&ots=fGFAsW_9Iu&sig=E8em4fERWKhjk4mOTg48k2MMHbs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwimr9Pwm9fVAhUH-2MKHYoaDZ4Q6AEIOTAF#v=onepage&q=IBS%20itty%20bitty%20ship&f=false https://books.google.ca/books?id=7VqK0UdKHswC&pg=PA62&lpg=PA...)
- dionidium 9y ago
  I do not accept or acknowledge "a ship is bigger than a boat" hegemony.
  - gozur88 9y ago
    But if you call it a ship, then it can have a boat and you don't have to say things like "they launched the boat's boat".
- rpeden 9y ago
  Submariners refer to their vessels as boats, though. So in that sense, the Royal Navy does have several rather large boats.

The HMS portion makes it clear that we're talking about a boat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Ship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Ship

astrodust 9y ago

It doesn't make it clear unless you know what that means. "HM" is understood to mean Her Majesty, but the "S" could mean anything to those not familiar with the abbreviation.

detritus 9y ago
In that case, take the time to check what the abbreviation is? Headlines are inherently not exhaustive in their explanation, that's kind of the point.
- astrodust 9y ago
  What's CSIS? NFB? OHIP? These are all acronyms that are geographically localized, and arguably HMS, like NHS and OBE is one of those as well.

21 9y ago

I'm in London and it was not clear at all, considering how pretty much anything here is HM.

johneth 9y ago
I think you might be an outlier in this case. 'HMS' is pretty widely known to mean 'ship' (in the UK, at least).
- pbhjpbhj 9y ago
  But the 'having islands' adds confusion: HM QEII is known to have islands, to the layman boats are not.

rainforest 9y ago

Not necessarily, some of the Royal Navy's ships are islands too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_frigate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_frigate

gozur88 9y ago

<wince>. A ship.

jonathantm 9y ago
[Itty Bitty Ship](https://books.google.ca/books?id=7VqK0UdKHswC&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=IBS+itty+bitty+ship&source=bl&ots=fGFAsW_9Iu&sig=E8em4fERWKhjk4mOTg48k2MMHbs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwimr9Pwm9fVAhUH-2MKHYoaDZ4Q6AEIOTAF#v=onepage&q=IBS%20itty%20bitty%20ship&f=false https://books.google.ca/books?id=7VqK0UdKHswC&pg=PA62&lpg=PA...)
dionidium 9y ago
I do not accept or acknowledge "a ship is bigger than a boat" hegemony.
- gozur88 9y ago
  But if you call it a ship, then it can have a boat and you don't have to say things like "they launched the boat's boat".
rpeden 9y ago
Submariners refer to their vessels as boats, though. So in that sense, the Royal Navy does have several rather large boats.