SOS stands alone
Published on -1/15/2010, 10:49 AM
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I was asked about the SOS Morse code signal again, about what it actually stands for, so I decided to re-run this response from 2008.
Q: What does SOS mean? I know that it means "help," but what do the letters SOS actually stand for? -- From an interesting conversation with a patron down in the stacks.
A: Would you believe it means Save Our Ship, or Save our Souls, or Survivors On Shore, or Sinking Of Ship, or Smashed On Swill, or Singing Off Scared, or Seriously Out of Spunk? Well you shouldn't.
SOS is a specific Morse code procedural signal which is dot and dash signals composed of two or three letters all run together like a single "thing" instead of separate letters, which would normally have a pause between them when being sent as letters in a text.
So the international Morse code distress procedural signal (...
...) stands alone. It isn't an acronym for anything; it just means the sender is in immediate danger of losing life or property.
Eric Norris is the adult department librarian at the Hays Public Library. "Ask Eric" questions can be mailed to 1205 Main, Hays, KS, 67601, submitted through www.hayspublib.org at the "Ask Eric" link or e-mailed to enorris@hayspublib.org.
