What's a "Pitprop"?

[Rol1964]

Forgive me if I'm in the wrong forum here but I just finished reading Robin Knox-Johnstons' book about his circumnavigation. He mentions latent threat of "pitprops in the seaways" as he approached the UK. I googled this but didn't come up with any concrete definition so I'm asking if anyone what this is? I assume it's heavy timbers used all along the coasts for various reasons.....?

[Dsanduril]

A "pit prop" is a large piece of timber used to hold up the roof of tunnels in coal mines. A very British term AFAIK. I think he was using it in a general way to describe large pieces of timber that might be washed out to sea from any number of sources (falling down wharves is one I encounter commonly). Here in the PNW it's more the timber before it got shaped into pit props.

[Edit]https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us...glish/pit-prop

[Tillsbury]

Yes, back then it could have been used as a general term for any huge timber, particularly by someone from a family from a mining area.

[LittleWing77]

Or, you could refer to The Corries (a traditional Scottish singing duo):

"Oh Rol-y yer a funny'un,
Yer nose is like a pickled on-i-on,
Yer face is like a squashed to-MA-to,
And legs like pit props!"

(No offense meant, of course, it's just a song we used to taunt each other with)

Warmly,
LittleWing