TWO conflicting theories have been attracted by our recent yedscratter in which the origin of the term 'bottle' - as in courage - was sought. Both theories seem feasible, although one of them is rather unprintable in its entirety (though I'll supply a helpful clue!).

Bernard Smith of Clock Face says: "I believe the saying 'lots of bottle' comes from early military history when soldiers would have a good swig of spirits to provide them with some so-called Dutch courage before facing the enemy. They therefore had 'lots of bottle'".

But a Haresfinch reader (wishing to be anonymous, though providing his full identity, in good faith) contends that 'bottle' is the result of old Cockney rhyming slang. The original long version, he says, was 'He's got lots of bottles on the walls' - that final word rhyming with a rather vulgar description of a delicate part of the male anatomy.

H OH, go on, work it out for yourself!