Chapter 31 of Biggles and Son posted!

Chapter 31 of Biggles and Son has been posted!

Click here to read it.

New short story posted!

New short story "All Hallows' Eve" posted! Read it here.

New short story posted!

New short story, "Algy Flies Alone" posted! Read it here.

Chapters 9-11 of Algy and the Rescue Flight Posted!

Chapters 9-11 of Algy and the Rescue Flight posted! Read Chapter 9 here.

Look for more stories to be posted this week!

Biggles and the Abbreviated Names

Anyone who has read a few Biggles books will know his propensity for abbreviating names. In fact, the entire series is built upon the fact that Biggles is an abbreviation of Biggles' actual last name, Bigglesworth, for, as he explains to his flying instructor in Biggles Learns to Fly:

"Bigglesworth, sir. I'm afraid it's a bit of a mouthful, but that isn't my fault. Most people call me Biggles for short."

And later, in the same book, he says to Mahoney:

"Mine's Bigglesworth, though most people find that rather a mouthful and leave off the 'worth'."

The thing about that name is...it's not a mouthful. It's certainly no longer than Hebblethwaite (whose name, of course, was quickly shortened to Ginger by Mr. Abbreviation-Biggles). Even dear old Erich, who isn't even a native English speaker, has no trouble with the name Bigglesworth (although he is always quick to refer to Ginger as "your friend with the difficult name".)

Other abbreviated names throughout the series include, of course, Algy for Algernon (Montgomery Lacey), Bertie for Bertram or Albert, Dickpa for Uncle Richard, Wilks for Wilkinson, Mac for MacLaren, and so on.

I can't figure out if Biggles is simply lazy, trying to conserve energy (short of breath from smoking, one supposes), or just can't be bothered to remember people's full names (even his own).

Chapters 7 and 8 of Algy and the Rescue Flight Posted!

Chapters 7 and 8 of Algy and the Rescue Flight have been posted!

Read Chapter 7 here.

Chapter 6 of Algy and the Rescue Flight posted!

Chapter 6 of Algy and the Rescue Flight posted! Read it here.

Chapters 3-5 of Algy and the Rescue Flight posted!

Chapters 3-5 of Algy and the Rescue Flight posted! Read Chapter 3 here.

Chapter 2 of Algy and the Rescue Flight posted!

Chapter 2 of Algy and the Rescue Flight has been posted! Read it here.

Chapter 1 Of Algy And The Rescue Flight Posted!

Chapter 1 of Algy and the Rescue Flight has been posted! Read it here.
© The Algy Chronicles
Maira Gall