- Jan 3, 2001
 
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The S.S. in a ship's name stands for "SteamShip".
S.O.S stands for...well...nothing. It was used because the morse code for sos- ... --- ... could not be mistaken for anything else.
C.Q.D. was almost used instead- ship wireless operators came from railroad telegraph operators in the late 1890's/early 1900's. Before sending out a message, they would proceed the transmission with C.Q.- kind of a signal to say "I'm about to say something, so listen". The Marconi company in 1904 suggested the use of C.Q.D. (C.Q.Distress) to fit into the existing operator's training, but that idea was dropped.
			
			S.O.S stands for...well...nothing. It was used because the morse code for sos- ... --- ... could not be mistaken for anything else.
C.Q.D. was almost used instead- ship wireless operators came from railroad telegraph operators in the late 1890's/early 1900's. Before sending out a message, they would proceed the transmission with C.Q.- kind of a signal to say "I'm about to say something, so listen". The Marconi company in 1904 suggested the use of C.Q.D. (C.Q.Distress) to fit into the existing operator's training, but that idea was dropped.
				
		
			