There was an interesting story in the BBC News yesterday, about a bit of 'colonial jostling' in east Africa around 1913 when Germany sent a warship to Lake Tanganyika (in 500 crates, overland, to be assembled on site) to patrol its waters. And England, not to be outdone, sent two in response (also in crates). The Royal Navy was going to name these ships 'Cat' and 'Dog'. Deemed too flippant, they were finally christened 'Mimi' and 'Toutou', French children's names for cat and dog. Yesterday it was cats, today it's dogs, my equivalent for Mimi et Touto...
Wonderful collection. Thanks so much Shelley!