11 replies to this topic

[Williams]

Two terms which get tossed around in race reports that I have always wondered about.

The first one is the term "pukka", usually in reference to a car.

The second one is not really a race term, it's a British-ism that I've heard and puzzled about. Where did the term "broke his duck" originate from, in reference to a driver getting his first win ?

[Witt]

i don't know what pukka is, but we had this talk about "the duck" here a while back. I know what it's like to dig through the archives to find old threads, so i'll try and explain it myself.

The "duck" is a well used word in cricketing countries. In cricket it means to go out without scoring any runs, scoring zero. In racing it has a slightly different meaning, but it basically means to end bad form. Bad form equals zero, maybe?? I don't actually know if it's relevant?

When a driver has broken his duck, he has ended a long spell of bad form, or has won, finished, taken a podium for the first time in his career or season. A long time, in other words.

That might have sounded complicated, so here are some examples.

Mika Hakkinen broke his duck in the European GP in 1997 by taking his first win, which had been on the cards for 90 something races.

David Coulthard broke his duck last year by winning the British GP, because he had not won a race in 18 months.

Jacques Villeneuve broke his and BAR's duck in melbourne this year by scoring their first points as a team.

If Irvine or Herbert score points at the British GP, then it could be said Jaguar have broken their duck.

Hope those examples give you an idea as to what it's about.

[Yelnats]

Pukka is a term I've never heard in refference to a race car but if it's former meaning in India is anything to go by, it means correct and up to standards in a very British sort of way.

[Alfisti]

**** eh.. I never realised "breaking the duck" is just used in Cricket countries... i thought it was a common phrase..... well i'll be damned.

Hey in that case, Williams... do you have any idea what LBW stands for??

[Haz]

Leg Before Wicket

[Mat]

Yelnats is right about 'pukka'. this is hard to explain, but this is an example of when it is used:

In late 1997, The Williams team used a Pukka-Williams in preperation for the 98 season.

This would mean, that Williams were using a 'reviced' 97 car, but updated to correct configuration (ie grooves, etc) in preperation for the following season.

And I guess you could say, Arrows used a pukka-Arrows throughout 1999.

Mat

[Wishbone]

I thought pukka meant genuine.

Although to be honest I don't tend to use it in everyday conversation so don't take my word for it

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"Racing is life. Everything else is just waiting"

[Mr. Salty]

I just broke my duck by using the term "Broke my duck" for the first time. I'll try it out at a bar sometime so I can watch everyone laugh at me.

[Williams]

I found a few examples of the use of the word Pukka on the web. Depending on how you read it, any of the definitions supplied in this thread seem to sort of fit. It seems to mean "genuine" or "original", or perhaps "in spec". As a technical term in racing, perhaps "in spec" is the best definition.

Ad for a Jag:
"It is very fast. It also handles and grips better than any 4000lb saloon has a right to... Given the results, it doesn't seem that expensive... It is a pukka rival for the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo R yet costs £45.000 less. Need I say more".

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Ad for a Ferrari
The Fioravanti F100 is a concept car-shaped tribute to the centenary of Enzo Ferrari's birth. Though the car uses no Ferrari components, it was designed by a pukka Ferrari stylist.

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Ad for a race engine
CLASS 4: Four Strokes. Black number plate - white numbers. Four stroke engine up yo 72cc in any rolling chassis if you have an old pukka racer...

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An article about Maserati
Interim Cars: The ‘interim cars’ were a result of Maserati trying to balance its works efforts with its customer programs...To provide the needed cars to its customers, its was decided to use chassis from its 1953 cars, ... to provide a stopgap until the customer’s pukka 250F was ready.

I didn't know that "breaking one's duck", was a cricket term, which explains it's apparently British origins. Perhaps it is something like the French use of the term "goose-egg" to mean zero, in this case the English perhaps selected the term "duck's egg" to mean zero, which became shortened to "breaking one's duck".

[Rich]

pukka(h) (Anglo-Ind.) Of full weight; genuine; permanent, solidly built. From the Hindi pakka, meaning cooked, ripe or substantial.

'Breaking a duck' refers to cricket. When a batsman is out for 0, he has scored a 'duck's egg', later shortened to 'duck'. So any time a batsman scores his first run in an innings, he has technically 'broken his duck'. Although the term is used more when a batsman has scored ducks in two or more innings in a row, and finally manages to get off the mark.

[This message has been edited by Rich (edited 04-16-2000).]

[StuffedBeaver]

It depends how you pronounce Pukka. It could be someone who throws up alot

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The Beav

[Mosquito]

And not to forget 'Pushing like a pig' with thanks to EI.;)