Need help understanding sort tests - final answer

[Andy Jewell]

For those of you following this exciting thread, here's the final  
answer:

The specification '-k1.4' does not mean what I thought.
I though it meant
   'the fourth character of the first field'
what it really means is
   'the fourth character after the start of the first field. A  
character that might well be in the second or third field'.


Mystery solved.

many thanks to all those who provided insight,
adj