Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 5.djvu/315

 12 S. V. DEC., 1919.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

309

LONDON, DECEMBER, 1910

CONTENTS. No. 99.

NOTES : Bank Note Slang, 309' Fai ewt-1 Folly ' and ' The Amorous Miser,' 310 Statues and Memorials in the British Isles, 312 "Hedsilver," 313 Royal Commission on Public Kecords Curious Christian Epitaph, 314 "Never prophesy unless you know" 'St. Srephen and Herod' Dr Fell Persistent Error Literature and Iconography of London Peace Celebrations, 315.

QUERIES : Edmund Uvedale Bulteel : Carrique : Haynes : Swanne " We Four Fools," 316 Tradesmen's Cards and Bill-Heads " Est melius nunquam felicia tempera nosse." &c. Burning of File-ship King Rescued by bis Dogs Parks Family Amos Russel Street Names 'In Flanders' Fields 'Hamilton of Liscloor y North of England, 317 'Bertram de Bourne 'Mrs. Siddons Countless Stones at Aylesford Walter Hamilton ' Fair Mile' Rev. J. T. Desaguliers Lawrence Wodecocke " Bonfire Night " " If I should die to-night," 318 Breed- ing of Woodcocks Green Holly " Cellarius" Harry Taylor George Deering Richard Prosper Miniature Man-of-War Wm. Hawkins : Anne Walton, 319 "Horse- leperde" Collingwood and Lawson Christmas Carol Fletcher of Madeley Cistercian Order 'Swiss Family Robinson 'Mediaeval Immurement Danvers Family Elmes Family Longwor;h Castle Graf ton, Oxon Log House, 320 Lieut. -Gen. Sharpe Maison Rouge Smale Wilson Prince James Francis Edward Stuart Charles Howard Hodges Thumb Latch "The Beautiful Mrs. Conduitt," 321 -Ann of Swansea Authors Wanted, 322.

REPLIES : Yeomen of the Mouth, 322 Maule ' Tragedy of Nero 'Shit Id of Flanders, 323 Court of St. James Richenda Richard Warnford, 324 -" When you die of old age "Chess Derivation of Names, 325 Anthony Todd Charles I's Journey "Rain cats and dogs" David, "Episcopus Recreensis" " Argyles," 326 Edward the Confessor's Crown 'Tom Jones' Hamilton Emerson's English Traits' John Hoole, 327 Marazion Field- names Grim or Grime Beacon sfield's Birthplace, 328 Rede-birds Pseudonyms Giants' Names Capt. R. Boyle' Adeste Fideles,' 329 Lord J. Vaughan Gen. J. Nicholson Charles Morris " Drink by word of mouth " Portraits on Gravestones -Translations Wanted, 330 Church Briefs Bishop of Sorron Ensign Oliver Crom- well "Toponymies" Wm. Peer, 331 Bluecoat Schools Cantrell Family George Shepherd Devonian Priests executed Gavelacre, 332" Gamp "Dr. Stocks Lieut Pavry Gilbert White. 333 Three Cripples Exchange of fc'ouls in Fiction Elephant : Oliphant- Authors Wanted Thomas Cotesmore, 334

NOTES ON BOOKS :-The Oxford Dictionary I/Inter- m^diaire 'Booksellers' Catalogues.

OBITUARY : Edward Smith.

Notices to Correspondents.

BANK NOTE SLANG.

THE issue of paper money of new denomina- tions during the war is perhaps of too recent origin for these notes to have yet attained the inevitable distinction of having a nick- name or slang word attached to them. If, however, precedent holds good they cannot fail in course of time to be branded by some such mark of familiarity, just as their forerunners have been and as their contem- poraries are now known amongst certain, classes of people. As a matter of fact, a beginning in this direction has already been made in the case of the ten shilling Treasury

note, which is frequently called a " Brad bury," from the signature of the Secretary to the Treasury which appears somewhat prominently upon it.

Before the war broke out the " fiver " was the b'ank note of lowest value in circulation in England, and this name for it was commonly known and extensively used, not only by those addicted to the use of slang, but even by educated people in ordinary talk. A verse which once appeared in Fun may be quoted as containing a rather pat illustration of the word :

'Tis the last quid of many

Left sadly alone, All its golden companions Are changed and are gone ; No coin of its kindred,

No " fiver" is here, To burn in tobacco Or melt into beer.

The " fiver," moreover, has several aliases less familiar. Probably not one of a hundred who know the note as a "fiver" would recognise it as a " finnup " or " finny," while fewer still have ever heard of it as an or " finn " are said to have come into vogue through the Yiddish pronunciation of the German funf, meaning five. They are familiar words in thieves' jargon. The term "Abraham Newland" came into use over a century ago, but it is now obsolete, although it has a present-day interest because in its origin it is analogous to the " Bradbury " of to-day, as it was coined from the name of the chief cashier of the Bank of England about a century ago. The name also was once in rather significant use in the phrase " to sham Abraham," which was then slang for "to forge." The word "fiver" will naturally call to the reader's mind the usual slang for a 10 note, viz., a "tenner," which also is less commonly known as a " double finnup."
 * * Abraham Newland. " " Finnup, " " finny, ' '

Sporting people, and especially betting people, are all familiar with " pony " for 25 and " monkey " for 500. The former word has been long in use, for one finds it in Scott's novel ' St. Ronan's Well,' written about a century ago. Whyte Melville, the novelist of sport, may be cited as regards the term " monkey," which he uses in this sentence taken from ' Good for Nothing,' one of his best-known works : " A ' monkey ' at least to the credit side of your own book landed in about a minute and a half." It may be worth noting also that "monkey " and " fiver " have both attained more than a local habitation, for our American cousins are familiar with these words as applied to