> Mal Rowe - never sure about the rules for capitalisation of the names of
points of the compass
FYI, compass points and seasons are always capitalised, as are proper nouns.
Changing the subject (or steering it back towards youthful memories),
thanks Mal for the link about the origin of the term "Gunzel" - and here's
my two cents worth:
My first encounter was in the early 1980s (possibly late 1970s) after I had
joined the ARHS (Vic. Div.). Whilst on a tour, our train disgorged its
photographers in a suitably vacant paddock and then set-back for a
'run-through' photo run/opportunity. In those days, tours booked-out
sections for 'total occupation' to allow for this type of movement. Not
being a photographer, I remained on board with a few others - most of whom
proceeded to display various body parts through open windows, no doubt to
'enhance' the photos being taken. One chap beside me was screaming "GUNZELS
! GUNZELS !!". Once he had satisfied this seemingly primeval urge, I asked
him what that was all about. He (from memory, Peter Keen) then explained
the Maltese Falcon connection, and how Humphrey Bogart had referred to
Sidney Greenstreet's gun-slinging henchmen by the (intentionaly)
unflattering term, and by tenuous connection, the photographers were
'shooting' the train. Fair enough. In this (rail tour) case, the word was
being used derogatorily, but in a more humourous way than insultingly.
My second (and multiple) encounter was a couple of years later, when I
joined the Melbourne tram enthusiast movement. The term was rife within
those circles, and being bandied-about with much pride (and joviality) - in
the most Australian manner, as with calling a redhead "bluey" or a bald
bloke "curley".
When I eventually managed to find a dictionary definition, it said
"catamite"; I admit that I then had to look that one up, and received a
surprise - but I put that particular translation down to arrogant American
ignorance.
Going back to Sam Spade, he DEFINITELY used the term - as a slight - to
describe gunmen/gun-carrying henchmen, and I have NO DOUBT that this is how
it entered the Australian vernacular - and was positively EMBRACED by the
tram fan fraternity.
However, my more recent research has revealed a darker side to this whole
episode. The Maltese Falcon was originally published in serial form (as
were the original Sherlock Holmes stories). In wanting to portray the
seedier type of life led by the characters, the author Dashiell Hammett had
clashed with the editor of Black Mask magazine (Joe Shaw) - who took to
editing-out anything that was even vaguely sexually-vulgar. Hammett took
great exception to this, and was forever trying to 'sneak one past' Shaw,
and in 'Falcon' (from September 1929) he succeeded.
Spade, indignant at being virtually frog-marched to Gutman, casually drops
the insult - implying that bootlegger had liaisons with his male
'employees' - at that time, taken as one of the most cutting of jibes
("you're not a *real* man"), and in most other circumstances would bring a
response of hot lead from any 'self-respecting' gangster of the 1930s.
Either Shaw assumed that "gunzel" meant 'hired gunman' (or similar), or
else Hammett had managed to hoodwink the editor. In either case, the author
was 'victorious', and readers 'in the know' would have been suitably amused
(or scandalised !). At that time, 'gunzel' had only one meaning - a young
boy procured for homosexual purposes, the word itself derived
(circuitously) from the German diminutive for 'goose' (I'll let you draw
your own conclusions as to the connections thereof).
I would hazard that this will not be the last word on this subject, but for
my money "Gunzle" means - exclusively - "rail enthusiast", and particularly
"tram enthusiast"; and I prefer the spelling "gunzle" over "gunzel", the
latter looking like an Americanism (or should that be "Americanizm" ?),
which in turn conjures-up the undesired alternative.
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