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In article ,
John wrote:
On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 15:41:53 -0000,
(Robert Bonomi) wrote:

In article . com,
DamnYankee wrote:
I thought the "arrows" were called "bolts" when used in a crossbow.
Plans call them "quarrels"? Never heard that term before.

When you get down to the nuts-and-bolts of it, a quarrel is a particular
kind of an arrow -- one having a squared-off head.

A bolt is also a particular kind of an arrow -- one that is characterized
by having a short and heavy shaft., as is typically used in a cross-bow.

There used to be a kind of mason's chisel called a quarrel too -
possibly for the same reason, or perhaps because of a similarity.

Yup. It's so-named _because_ that mason's chisel has a squared-off head.