"Love" in tennis

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

"LOVE" IN TENNIS

   THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, weekend section on Friday, had a piece on the etymology of the "love" score ("nothing" or "zero") in tennis.  One theory is that it´s French (l'oeuf?), similar to the "bagel."
   If Grant Barrett wants to check it out, anything on tennis in the 1800s is worth reading.  One book that might help is TENNIS, PRATIQUES ET SOCIETE DE LA FRANCE A LA GIRONDE (1995) by Martine Reneaud.
   The MOA database for "tennis" and "love" wasn't much help.
   Anyone who solves this gets a date with Anna Kournikova at the French Open.

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MISC.

BELIZE--It's Be-LEEZ.  As said previously, the Guatemalans say it the other way...Belize is half British and half American English, with an equal number of "centres" and "centers."

IT ALL STARTED WITH THE BOOBIES--a poster in Belize by the Belize Audubon Society.  It's about the young red-faced booby bird, of course.

GIBNUT (ROYAL RAT)--This isn't in OED?  The Queen of England went to Belize and asked what she was eating.  She was told it was the gibnut, a rat.  It's been the Royal Rat ever since.

HORNILLA--chimney receptacle used in gold-making, at the Gold Museum in San Jose.  Not in OED.

TEJUELO--a small sphere of gold.  Not in OED.

AT THE END OF THE DAY--a really rotten explanation of this British phrase is in you-know-who's column you-know-where.