(1) A two-dimensional representation of the outline of an
object, as a cutout or representation drawing, uniformly filled in with black,
especially a black-paper, miniature cutout of the outlines of a person's face
in profile.
(2) The outline or general shape of something.
(3) Any dark image outlined against a lighter background;
the outline of a solid figure as cast by its shadow.
(4) To show in or as if in a silhouette; to cause to
appear in silhouette.
(5) In printing, to remove the background details from (a
halftone cut) so as to produce an outline effect.
(6) In motorsport, a category which limits modifications which
change a vehicle’s side-silhouette.
1759: From the French à
la silhouette, named after Étienne de Silhouette (1709–1767), controller
general (1759) in the French government.The surname was a gallicized form from Biarritz in the French Basque
country and the southern Basque spelling would be Zuloeta, Zulueta, Ziloeta or
Zilhoeta, the construct being zulo (hole, cave) + the suffix -eta (abundance of).The word came widely to be applied to the
artwork (which had existed since 1743 and sometimes called figure d'ombre (shadow figure) in 1859.The verb dates from 1876, derived from the
noun.Silhouette is a noun & verb and
silhouetted & silhouetting are verbs.The noun plural is silhouettes and the rare alternative spelling is silhouet.
Lindsay Lohan in silhouette, smoking.
Jeanne Antoinette
Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (1721–1764 and usually referred to as Madame de
Pompadour), was a member of the French court of Louis XV (1710–1774; King of
France 1715-1774) and the king’s official chief mistress (that how things then
were done) between 1745-1751 and a court favorite until her death. One way the estimable Madame de Pompadour used
her influence was in appointments to government offices.While some of this was little more than
nepotism and the spreading around of sinecures, one substantive position in the
Ancien Régime was Controller-General (the
treasurer or finance minister) and to this, de Silhouette, long recognized in
France as something of a “wizz kid” in economics, was appointed early in 1759 with
the concubine’s support.The powers of
controller-general made whoever held the job powerful but also vulnerable, the
task of limiting the expenditure of the king not one likely to be popular in
the Palace of Versailles but given the state of the royal exchequer after years
of war, the need for reform was urgent.Modern
economic historians seem to regard the job he did as competent and orthodox example
of rationalizing public finances and he managed both to reduce expenditure and
institute a system of taxation which was both simpler to administer and more
effective although probably more far-reaching were the long-overdue efficiencies
he introduced in internal trade.
Silhouette of the Manhattan skyline.
Despite his success however, his budget for 1760
projected a huge deficit and a rising cost in debt servicing.Seeing no alternative, he suggested adopting
some of the methods of the detested English which involved collecting some tax
from the previously exempt aristocracy, landed gentry and the richest of the
clergy (of which there were a remarkable number.That was his downfall and after less than
nine months as controller general, De Silhouette retired to the country
although, such was the urgency of things, his later successors were compelled
to follow much the same course.
Why his name endures to
describe the two-dimensional black-on-white images we know as silhouettes is
obscure but there are two competing theories. One is that his methods in finance and
administration were all about simplifying what had over the centuries become a
system of labyrinthian complexity so, a silhouette being about the simplest form
of visual art, the association stuck.A
less sympathetic view is that he was thought an austere and parsimonious fellow
so his name was linked to the simple, cheap black & white portraits which
had since 1843 been popular with those unable to afford more elaborate forms
such as an oil painting.There’s also
the suggestion the minimalist art was named as an allusion to his brief tenure
as controller-general and finally, although there’s no evidence, some maintain de
Silhouette decorated his office with such portraits.Whatever the reason, the portraits gained
their name in 1859, the year of de Silhouette brief ministerial career.
Silhouette of Mercedes Benz SLC (C107; 1972-1981, left) and 1979 450 SLC 5.0 in competition under the FIA’s silhouette rules (right).
Silhouette racing was introduced essentially because it
was simple to administer.There had been
a variety of classes for “modified production” cars which permitted changes to
bodywork to improve aerodynamic or allow wider wheels & tyres to be used but
formulating and enforcing the rules was difficult; the regulations becoming increasingly
precise, subject to variations in interpretation and cheating was rife.What the introduction of a baseline
silhouette for each competing vehicle did was provide a simple, literal template:
if the car fitted through, it was lawful and if manufacturers wished to change
a silhouette and produce a sufficient number of identical models to homologate the
car for whatever competition was involved, that was fine.Sometimes with variations, the silhouette formula
has been widely adopted from classes as varied as series production to quite
radical constructions with space frames or carbon-fibre monocoques and drive-trains
unrelated to road-cars, the attraction always that the external skin continues
to bear more than a superficial resemblance to a production model, something important
to both manufacturers wishing to maintain a tangible link to their consumer offerings
and an audience prepared willingly to suspend disbelief.
Despite the name, the Lamborghini P300 Silhouette (1976-1979)
wasn’t designed with competition in mind.Instead, it was an attempt to produce an open-top model which could be
certified for sale in the lucrative US market, then a place in which the
factory had no offering.The Silhouette
was thus Lamborghini’s first targa-top, based on the P300 Uracco (1972-1979), a
mid-engined V8-powered 2+2 which was intended to compete with the Porsche 911
and Ferrari’s Dinos.Neither the Uracco
nor the Silhouette went close to matching the volume of either of its
competitors and only 54 of the latter were made but both contributed to the
company’s survival in the difficult 1970s, something which at times seemed improbable.The Silhouette’s successor was the P350 Jalpa
(1981-1988), the final evolution of the Uracco.Lamborghini was now more stable, the Jalpa was much improved and sold
both in reasonable volume and, more importantly, was profitable.
(1) A person who employs or supervisors workers; a manager;
a person in charge of a business or company.
(2) A politician who controls the party organization, as
in a particular district (historically most associated with the Democrat &
Republican party “machines” in US cities from the mid-nineteenth to the late
twentieth centuries and notorious for devious, corrupt or illegal practices and
still used in many countries where the US influence was strong, notably the Philippines.
(3) To be master of or over; manage; direct; control; to
be a boss.
(4) To order about (used especially if conducted in an
officious manner.
(5) To be too domineering and authoritative (often as “bossy”).
(6) To ornament with bosses; to emboss.
(7) On slang, first-rate.
(8) In botany & zoology, a protuberance or roundish
excrescence on the body or some internal organ of an animal or on a plant.
(9) In geology, a knob-like mass of rock, especially an
outcrop of igneous or metamorphic rock, applied particularly to the uppermost
part of an underlying batholith.
(10) An ornamental protuberance of metal, ivory, etc; a stud.
(11) In architecture, an ornamental, knob-like
projection, as a carved keystone at the intersection of ogives.
(12) A stone roughly formed and set in place for later
carving.
(13) In bookbinding, one of several pieces of brass or
other metal inset into the cover of a book to protect the corners or edges or
for decoration.
(14) In engineering, a small projection on a casting or
forging appearing on a machine or fitting; an area of increased thickness,
usually cylindrical, that strengthens or provides room for a locating device on
a shaft, hub of a wheel etc
(15) In nautical use, a projecting part in a ship's hull
or in one frame of a hull, fitting around a propeller shaft.
(16) In plumbing, to hammer (sheet metal, as lead) to
conform to an irregular surface.
(17) In dialectal (northern English) use, a familiar name
for a calf or cow.
(18) In dialectal (Scots) use, hollow.
(19) As the abbreviation BOSS, the Bureau of State
Security; an apartheid-era branch of the South African security police which
existed 1969-1980.
(20) In informal use (particularly in India and in Multicultural
London English (MLE)), a term of address to a man, not of necessity related to
employment, status or other relationships but also as an alternative of “guv” or
“guvnor”.
(21) In video gaming, an enemy, often at the end of a
level, that is particularly challenging and must be beaten in order to progress
(from the Far East), from the Japanese ボス (bosu). In Swedish, the related form is slutboss (the construct being slut (end) +boss (boss)
and synonymous with sista bossen).
(22) In (allegedly) humorous use, one’s wife.
(23) In archery, a target block (now constructed usually
of hard foam but historically made of hay bales), to which a target face is
attached.
(24) In building, a wooden vessel for the mortar used in
tiling or masonry, hung by a hook from the laths, or from the rounds of a
ladder.
(25) In hydrology, a head or reservoir of water.
(26) A hassock or small seat, especially made from a
bundle of straw (obsolete).
1250–1300: From the Middle English bos, bose & boce,
from the Anglo-French boce (lump,
growth, boil), from the Old French boce
(lump, bulge, protuberance, knot), from either the Frankish bottja or the (unattested) Vulgar Latin bottia, both of uncertain origin but probably
related to the Italian bozza (metal
knob, swelling) and the Proto-Germanic bautaną
(to hit, strike, beat).By the turn of
the fifteenth century, it was used in the sense of “to swell out; to beat or
press into a raised ornament” and by the 1620s as “to furnish with bosses”.The word survives as the Modern French bosse.
The (highly nuanced) use to mean “a supervisor” dates
from the 1640s and was a creation of US English, from the Dutch baas (master, foreman). The Dutch baas
was from the Middle Dutch baes (master
of a household, friend), from the Old Dutch baso
(uncle, kinsman), from the Proto-West Germanic baswō, from the Proto-Germanic baswô
(uncle) which may have been from the Proto-Germanic ba- or bō- (father, older
male relative), the source also of the English terms babe, boy, bub & bully.
It was cognate with the Middle Low German bās
(supervisor, foreman), the Old Frisian bas
(master), hence the Saterland Frisian Boas
(boss) and the Old High German basa (father's
sister, cousin) from which German gained Base (aunt, cousin) (although not all
etymologists are convinced there’s a link with the Old High German basa).The etymology seems to suggest the word originally was a term of respect
used to address an older male relative (usually an uncle but also even others
considered “honorary uncles”). Later, in
New Amsterdam (the old name for New York), it came to mean “a person in charge
who is not a master (in the legal sense of ownership) and the representation of
the Dutch -aa- by the English -o- is attributed to the older, unrounded
pronunciation of this letter, which remains prevalent in North America and
parts of Ireland, but in the colonial era existed also in some British accents.The Dutch form baas is in English from the 1620s as the standard title of a Dutch
ship's captain and the rapid adoption in the US may have reflected the
popularity of a word which avoided the slavery implications of “master”,
something never necessary in England where the terms master & servant were
included in legislation into the twentieth century.
Lindsay Lohan released the track Bossy in May 2008.It was classified as electropop &
dance-pop and was about a bolshie woman; it’s thus considered autobiographical.
The slang adjective meaning “excellent; first rate” was
in use at least by the 1880s although it faded from use before being revived (perhaps
independently) in the 1950s, in the slang of US youth and jazz musicians.The adjective bossy was developed from the
noun and in the 1540s meant “a swelling, projecting and rounded, decorated with
bosses” The meaning “domineering, fond of ordering people about” was first noted
in 1882.The use as the Scots adjective meaning
“hollow; empty” dates from the early sixteenth century and is of obscure origin.The northern English dialectal form which was
a familiar name for a cow or calf was first documented in 1844 and was from the
earlier dialectal form buss (calf)
which is of uncertain origin but is thought almost certainly from the Latin bōs cow (ox), from the primitive
Indo-European root gwou- (ox, bull,
cow).The verb emboss (to ornament with
raised work) dated from the late fourteenth century and was from the Old French
embocer (and thus a similar form to embocieure (boss, stud, buckle), from an
assimilated form of the construct en-
(in, into) + boce (knoblike mass).The synonyms, depending on context includes administrator,
chief, chieftain, director, employer, executive, leader, owner, supervisor,
capital, champion, fine, fly, top, controller (or comptroller), executive,
foreman, foreperson, head, honcho, head honcho, overseer & superintendent.Boss is a noun, verb & adjective, bosser
& bossiness are nouns, bossed is a verb, bossing is a verb & adjective,
bossily is an adverb and bossy is an adjective; the noun plural is bosses.
The Boss Mustangs
During the initial development phase in 1968-1969, the
project code for Ford’s Boss Mustang programme was the bland “SKO” (Special
Mustang, Kansas City Operation).According to industry legend, secrecy was maintained by instructing the
staff working to the prototype to respond to any questions about the vehicle by
saying “it’s the boss’s car”.Whether or
not that’s true, it was the project's boss (the chief engineer) who suggested the
“BOSS” name formerly be adopted as the official model designation and although the
management team initially responded with restrained enthusiasm, the production
cars emerged as 1969 models as the “Boss Mustang” and the response was so good
it was continued for three seasons and the corporation has over the decades
revived the name, both in the US and Australia.
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302.
The first of the line was the Boss 302,
introduced in 1969.The Boss 302 existed
solely to ensure Ford would have a competitive entry for the SCCA’s (Sports Car
Club of America) Trans-Am series which was conducted in two classes, one for
cars with engines up to 2.0 litres (122 cubic inch) and one with a five litre
(305 cubic inch) limit, the Mustangs campaigned in the latter.Ford had enjoyed early success in the series
but Chevrolet’s Camaro had prevailed in 1968, its Z/28 package optimized for
the road circuits on which the events were conducted and Ford’s initial response had been the “Tunnel Port”
engine, developed with cylinder heads cleverly designed for top end power at
the expense of just about everything else.The tunnel ports certainly delivered the power but the high-revving
engines proved chronically unreliable although the debate about whether this
was a fundamental flaw in the design or some laxness in the preparation has
never been resolved and their performance in competition over the decades
since does suggest that if assembled and maintained with the appropriate care,
they’re a robust unit.
1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302.
However, noting the care with which the Z/28 had been
configured, Ford decided to follow their example and conceived the Boss 302
Mustang with a bucket of money in one hand and plans of the Trans-Am’s circuits
in the other.Added to the robust 302
cubic inch (4.9 litre) Windsor block were more modern cylinder heads with
canted valves, emulating the approach adopted for the new Cleveland (335)
series V8.Unlike the highly strung
tunnel ports, the Boss 302 had a wider power band and more low-speed torque,
characteristics more suited to the race tracks.To ensure success, 1000 identical examples had to be sold but such was
the demand 1628 were built, all fitted with the modifications to the brakes and
suspension required to provide the basis of a successful race car.Despite it all, the Camaro again won the
series in 1969 but the Boss 302 returned to take the title in 1970 and that
year's model proved even more popular with 7013 sold.
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429.
The homologation of the Boss 302 for
competition was a simple matter in that it was a complete package, as required
under SCCA rules.The Boss 429 Mustang
was different in that it was only the engine which was required to be built is
sufficient numbers, 500 required for them to be used on the NASCAR (National
Association of Stock Car Auto Racing) ovals & circuits and with 857 built
in 1969 (a further 499 1970 models were also produced), the threshold was reached.The
Mustang was not used in NASCAR but such was the symbiotic relationship between
the sanctioning body and the manufacturers that Ford was granted permission separately
to homologate the platform and the powerplant, the intermediate Torino Talladegas (actually to be used) with their aerodynamic enhancements produced in their run of 500 (which may or
may not have been produced in time) but fitted with ordinary engines.So cooperative was NASCAR that they even
nudged their capacity limit to 430 cubic inches to accommodate Ford’s new engine
which was just slightly larger than the previous 7 litre mark.That’s sounds needlessly complicated and was
(as well as being expensive) but the market research suggested that while
demand would exist for at least 500 Boss 429 Mustangs, 500 Ford Torinos & Mercury Cyclones (the models actually used in competition) with the big engine might be hard to shift.
Boss 429 in 1969 Mercury Cyclone, 1971 Daytona 500.
The decision was thus taken to put the Boss 429 in the
pony car but it was not a simple task and one certainly not appropriate for
Ford’s high volume, mass-production lines so the job was out-sourced to a third
party which received a series of deliveries in two parts, (1) batches of complete
cars and (2) crates containing engines.The
task was to remove the existing engine (to be returned to the factory), make
the necessary modifications to the body and suspension, fit the Boss 429 and
attend to all the small details which made the cars into regular production models.The concept was simple but the wide engine
wouldn’t fit without significant changes and although Ford never revealed how
much of a loss it made on each Boss 429, few estimates have figured it was less
than a four figure sum per unit.Still, they
must have been pleased with the investment because the engine did the job in
NASCAR and the aura surrounding the Boss 429 Mustang has grown over the
years.That however took a while because
it wasn’t wholly suited to life on the street or the drag-strip and was at its happiest only when on a racetrack at full throttle, breathing in through a very
big carburetor and out through free-flowing tubular headers.The professionals however learned quickly,
the pioneers of the then still novel business of turbo-charging finding the Boss
429 took to forced aspiration like few others.
1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351.
Times had changed by 1971.It was obvious to all the crazy era of the
muscle cars was in its last days and both the Boss 302 and 429 were retired,
the tasks of homologation done.There
was however a Boss 351 Mustang, a machine with no pretensions to any real link
with competition although it was dressed up to look the part. A development of Fords 335 (Cleveland) series, it's an engine at which the purists have sometimes looked askance because it lacked the extensive lubrication enjoyed by the Windsor which underlay the Boss 302s but for street use it's certainly more than adequate. The lack of pedigree has meant the Boss 351
has never enjoyed the stellar reputation of its predecessors and its lines
doubtlessly contributed to that, the new body bigger and heavier, lacking the
litheness of the earlier years.Even
when standing still however the thing undeniably had a presence although the dramatic
roofline (said to be highly aerodynamic) did restrict rearward visibility, the
glass close to horizontal.
1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351.
It may not have enjoyed the racing history of the Boss
302 or possessed the thoroughbred lineage of the Boss 429 but lurking behind
all the thunder, it ranks with the best of the Chrysler 340s as one of the most
under-estimated engines of the era and contemporary reports were impressed with
the performance, noting it could run with machines fitted with engines sometimes
100 cubic inches (1.6 litres) larger while at the same time delivering a better
driving experience, the smaller, lighter weight over the front wheels making it
rather more nimble although that was a relative phrase; the Boss 351 was no
Lotus Elan. The engine technically was
Ford’s short-lived 351 HO which would soon fall victim to the increasingly
restrictive emission regulations but demand was anyway falling; having sold
over 7000 Boss 302s in 1970, only 1806 Boss 351s were made.