[grey_whiskers]

Also worth noting perhaps, that those nautical distress calls are French, so ‘mayday’ should strictly be spelled “m’aidez”, meaning ‘help me’.

Dude, you *rock*.

Given how much of France and England were kinda under dispute or under joint governor ship aways back (vague hand-waving about Eleanor of Aquitaine or something), I think you've *nailed* it.

That's exactly how it would sound to a Limey poofter!

(Although in French class the phrase I was taught was "Au secours!")

[ichabod1]

I’m still curious about what Pan Pan means though. And the other call the poster mentioned “securite’ securite’”, that too would be a French term.

Interesting that French terms are used for naval distress calls since the Crown’s navy has always ruled the seas, but I guess it’s as you say, English and French got a bit mashed together for a few hundred years.