...oh and then there's what I shall dub a 'losey-ism'....the conflation of a 'white ball' with a 'light bulb'...because the pronunciation isn't clear....anyway, the context is all about trying again, despite having been called an idiot.....did I mention the fact that the british army (see previous notes upon headmaster Montgomery etc etc) had warned losey not to apply for the marines because he wouldn't get in - far better to go for the navy, in general where they could help him up the greasy pole, as it were....ha ha ha....go figure.