Titre
Please share those informations... but do not forget to add a link to spontex!
Save our souls!
By Kicker on 2009-03-05 14:43:14   


The famous distress signal SOS (· · · — — — · · · in morse code) does not mean anything! For sure, it has no link with Save our souls which is a backronym.

Details :

The former distress signal was CQD (Come Quikly Distress) which was very close to the signal CQ that was used for general calls. During the second International Radiotelegraphic Convention that occurred in Berlin on November 3, 1906, the signal “SOS”, which was already used by the German Marine, was thus adopted.

It was originally a continuous series of the famous sequence three dots – three dashes – three dots and the morse equivalent “SOS” was just used as a mnemonic. The use of sentences such as “Save ours souls” or “Save our ship” is posterior and they cannot be considered the origin of this signal.

Sources :

Wikipedia – SOS
Wikipedia – CQD


Minizyl
Minizyl - 2010-08-31 14:05:03

The signal CQ (pronounced seek you in english) comes in fact from the french word sécurité whose first two syllables sound like the letters CQ (french pronunciation) and was used to call attention.