Hi Bernard, I noticed the guys comments about getting ticked at your continual use of the words “heart-beat” and your response. I think the word you are looking for is “a tick”. When I had a life, I had occassion to visit Tristan da Cuhna a couple of times, the population there, as you may know, were all descended from ex military types of about Sharpes era who took their release in S. Africa and until the volcanic eruption there, lived a “comfortable” if hard life on the remotest spot one will find on the face of this earth. I seem to remember that most of them had one of two family names, one I think was Repetto. the other I cant recall. However; an expression often heard was “wait a tick” or “hold on a tick”, “be with you in a couple of ticks”. A pitiful contribution for the hours of pure bliss you have given me with your books, but if it helps you at all to avoid the wrath of your odd one or two picky readers I shall feel my time spent not watching N. American TV to have been fully justified. Sincerely, Bob Hunt. BC Canada.