Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 12.djvu/207

 10 s. xii. AUG. 28, 1909.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

167

" TOPSY-TURVY." It may be of interest in connexion with the above to give a phrase used in the description of the battle of Agin- oourt in two MSS. The earlier (c. 1450) runs : " and our stakez (cudgels) made hem top ouyr terve, eche on o>er." The later, of the end of the century : " And oure stakys made hem ouer-terve eche on othyr." See ' The Brut ; or, The Chronicles of England,' E.E.T.S.. Part II. pp. 378 and 596.

The writer is acquainted with what Prof. Skeat has written on the subject, but has not previously seen " top " in this close connexion with the verb " over terve."

H. P. L.

" SHORTFALL." The English Mechanic of 23 July contained the following :

" Mr. Churchill added a new word to the English language in one of his speeches at Edinburgh on Saturday. ' We had a period of bad trade last year, and the shortfall in our revenue was only a million and a half. In Germany there was a shortfall of eight millions, and in the United States the shortfall was not less than nineteen millions.' ' Shortfall ' is not recognized by any existing dictionary, but the ' New English Dictionary ' has only got as far as ' sauce,' so, .as The Manchester Guardian remarks, there may yet be time to find room for it there. It is a much more expressive word than ' deficit,' because the elements of the compound are native ; the make-up of the word is understood and felt by everybody, as well as its secondary meaning."

TOM JONES.

WELTJE'S OR WELTJIE'S CLUB. COL. PRTDEAUX, s.v. ' Tuesday Night's Club ' (10 S. xi. 517), mentions a club founded by Weltje, who had been cook in the service of George, Prince of Wales. The following is perhaps worth noting :

Sallads, that shame ragouts, shall woo thy taste ;

Deep shalt thou delve in Weltjie's motley paste.

' Epistle from the Honourable Charles Fox,

partridge-shooting, to the Honourable

John Townshend, cruizing. A new

edition,' 1779, 1. 106.

The author of this ' Epistle ' was Richard Tickell. ROBERT PIERPOINT.

To " WHIP IN." In saying, " A moment, while I whip in to this tobacconist's," one has an idea of using a loose modern locution unknown to one's grandfather. It is, how- ever, a respectable M.E. word. On p. 363 (E.E.T.S.) of 'An Alphabet of Tales,' c. 1450, is found : " Sho had hid hur be J>e wall & saw \>Q dure was oppyn, & whippid in & lokkid \>e dure fasteV' The work is, of course, in the Northern dialect.

H. P. L.

WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that answers may be sent to them direct.

'NOTES AND QUERIES' COMMEMORATION.

THE EDITOR kindly affords me an oppor- tunity of laying before the contributors a proposal to celebrate the forthcoming sixtieth anniversary of ' N. & Q.' This journal holds too "high a place in every reader's affections to need any commenda- tion, but I may point out especially that the occasion would offer a suitable chance for honouring in some way those officially connected with ' N. & Q.'

As I have not the pleasure of knowing all the writers whose names figure in these pages, 1 am unable to communicate privately, and therefore desire to print the following questions. Please reply direct- To avoid the heavy labour of correspond- ence, I venture to ask contributors to excuse for the present individual acknowledgments.

1. If in favour of the idea, what is the most desirable form, in your opinion, for the commemoration to take ?

2. Should a general assembly be decided upon, which is the best centre for the widely scattered guests to meet at ?

3. As some will be unable to attend such a gathering can you suggest a way in which all might participate ?

4. If an autograph portrait album is adopted as one feature, would you be willing to contribute ? WILLIAM JAGGARD.

92, Dale Street, Liverpool.

[4. We are not in favour of a portrait album, but we think some special publication to commemorate the occasion is an idea worth suggesting.]

" FOUR REGULAR ORDERS OF MONKS. "-

This phrase is used by Scott in chap. ii. of ' Ivanhoe ' ("Border Edition," p. 17). There were at the date of ' Ivanhoe ' (1194) four principal orders of monks, " the Bene- dictines, Cluniacs, Cistercians, Carthusians," besides the Canons Regular, who were, I believe, monks to all intents and purposes. But the phrase " the four regular orders " was sometimes used more loosely, I believe, by antiquaries of the Scott period.

If any of your readers could help me to discover the origin and use of the phrase, I should be grateful.

(Miss) FANNY JOHNSON.

Ramsey House, Barton Road, Cambridge.