14. Great Expectations (pg.206)

14. Great Expectations (pg.206): “‘At nine o'clock every night, Greenwich time,’ said Wemmick, ‘the gun fires. There he is, you see! And when you hear him go, I think you'll say he's a Stinger.’”:
Greenwich, England is the "zero point" or prime meridian and determines the worldwide system of time zone and latitude. A Stinger is a person who “stings” by insults. However, it also means “a highball of whiskey and soda” in informal British language. Wemmick is referencing the firing of the gun as being something unique that he created that is memorable to watch. Dickens makes the reference to Greenwich time to tell the reader that the gun fires precisely at nine everyday as measured by the time in Greenwich, England. Dickens develops Wemmick’s character by beginning to show us the great contrast between where Wemmick lives and what he has created and cares for and where he works.

“Greenwich 2000.” Greenwichmeantime.com. 15 December 2008. 27 December 2009. http://wwp.greenwich2000.com/

“Stinger.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 02 Jan. 2010. .