I go to bed for a few hours, and there's more points raised than enough!

First, what was written - probably 'jams', as Murray says. Dominic was not a construction man, so he probably got the phrase from Brian. As far as I know, Brian never worked on a dam. He did work on the Festival of Britain and Shell Centre sites in London, and would have met many men who would have worked on dams.

Yes, Murray - I first worked for Sir Robert McAlpine on major sites, and four 150 cubic yard pours a day was quite normal. I first saw the words of McAlpine's Fusiliers in the firm's magazine.

The best story about a 'sub' comes from my first job at Llanwern Steelworks. McAlpine had 3000 employees on site - I was the most junior of 300 engineers. Apart from the travelling men, most of the labourers were ex-miners, out of work in the early 60's.

Wages were paid a week in arrears, and the ex-miners were baffled at the end of their first week when the timekeepers came around asking if they wanted a 'sub'. A brief explanation was all that was needed - South Wales miners are bright. Tradition in the mining area was that the man handed over the unopened pay packet to his wife, who gave him his spending money and kept the rest for housekeeping.

Suddenly, they could double their spending (drinking) money - they had a sub every week. The payslip showed deductions - Tax, National Insurance, Holiday Stamp, Sub. The wives never knew what the sub was.

And EmmaB - I haven't worked there, but I've been down a UK salt mine - will that do?

Phil