[Leftoverchinese]

Why do snooker cues have that piece shaved off the butt? Is there a reason for it or is it simply tradition at this point?

[Leftoverchinese]

Surely someone knows this...

[bud_4444]

My guess is the piece is shaved off the butt so the cue can be held in the same position for every shot. I'm quite sure this is the reason.

[Pin]

In the old old days pool was played with a 'mace', basically a wooden ball with the bottom shaved off, on a long stick. The thin end of the stick was the handle and the ball end was used to ht the next ball.

The story goes that Queen Victoria (or someone) went for a game of billiards and, knowing no better, used the thin handle end to 'prod' the ball. So as not to make her look stupid, everyone else started doing the same (on that occasion - I don't know at what point people just decided to keep doing it because it worked better). So according to folklore, we owe cue sports as we know them either to a stupid old woman who didn't know what she was doing or to an ingenious visionary graced with the power and insight of God.

Many wars have been fought over *exactly* this question.


P.S. The theory goes that the flat end survivied as a remnant of the flat bottom bit of the wooden ball.


But in modern terms I think the 'value' of that flat bit is partly that you can hold the cue at the same orientation if you so wish and partly as it gives a focal point for fancy splices and veneers.

[Pin]

While we're at it, apparently the reason we don't button the bottom button of our suits is because a million years ago Prince Albert (or someone) got too fat to button up his waistcoat all the way. Again people didn't want him to be humiliated, so they all followed suit (as it were). Back then I think a suit must have been a very special thing because if I found myself in such a predicament I would definitely solve it promptly through the medium of shopping. Some people say that these days pretty much everyone (in the west) lives a better life (in material terms) than the greatest kings of history. These people cite airplanes as an example.

I do suspect though that these kings probably all had massive harems with the hottest ladies in the land. Apparently something ridiculous like 8% of the world's population has been found, in genetic tests, to be descended from Ghengis Khan. How that is even possible I don't know. Perhaps I don't have the energy to be a great king of history anyway. Maybe I should be happy with my airplanes.


So anyway, now business etiquette the world over dictates that we all leave the bottom button of our suit jackets open to insure that don't offend or embarrass the rotten two hundered year old corpse of some dead formerly fat guy.

Ironically his emaciated bony carcass could probably fit into a womens' size zero now.

[Pin]

And finally, when I say "in the old days *pool* was played with a mace...", please read '*billiards* was played..'. I'm showing my lack of culture

[Schon]

Pin, on Jun 28 2010, 03:01 PM, said:

And finally, when I say "in the old days *pool* was played with a mace...", please read '*billiards* was played..'. I'm showing my lack of culture

I think it is simpler than that. The word cue comes from the French word Queue which means "Tail" of the mace. The better players found that hard to hit rail shots were easier to hit using the tail of the mace. I think your story sounds good but it is just a myth.

[Pin]

Interesting.

Sounds like you're probably right. Sadly the rumour mill fails to document its historical evidence.

The guy who invented leather tips and chalk(?) was French too, right? So that sounds most likely.

[Schon]

Pin, on Jun 29 2010, 02:02 PM, said:

Interesting.

Sounds like you're probably right. Sadly the rumour mill fails to document its historical evidence.

The guy who invented leather tips and chalk(?) was French too, right? So that sounds most likely.

Sorry, I meant to say that it was "probably" a myth as I have no clue what I am talking about.

People say that before chalk was invented, they poked their sticks on the ceiling to get chalk off of them. I hate to be the owner of that place.