Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 9.djvu/244

 198 NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 S.IX.SHPP. 3,1921. as Petty France. The rate-books of West- minster continue to call it by its original name until 1844. Both in that year, and in 1845, it is entered as " Petty France or York Street"; in 1846 as "York Street." Cruchley's ' New Plan of London improved to 1835 ' enters it as York Street ; so it may be assumed that the change took place in the mid eighteen-thirties. At that date, is there not more likelihood that the " York " was due to the uncle of Queen Victoria ? When I suggested our thanks were due to the London County Council for the welcome restoration of the old title, Canon Westlake said they should rather be given to the Westminster City Council. West- minster's helpful and courteous officials inform me that although they can offer suggestions as to the re-naming of streets, the sole power and authority to do so is vested in the London County Council. M. E. W. to the elaboration of an extraordinary number of his pseudo-antique poems. The attorney burnt any manuscripts not on business, calling them " stuff." The * D.N.B.' also gives the not inconsider- able total of Chatterton's copying of pre- cedents and his prompt dismissal in April, 1770, when his master found the " Last Will and Testament " conspicuously displayed on the apprentice's desk. MB. WRIGHT'S misapprehension for which he calls myself to account arises from his separating a few words from their context and ignoring the latter. It must be suffi- ciently clear that Chatterton was made to slave and suffer in general conditions, even though the actual occupation of his hands in his master's service left him time for other employment of his own, more or less surreptitious as concerned Lambert. W. B. H. WELSH RABBIT (12 S. ix. 110, 148). Is it worth while adding more fancy names "TOFF" (12 S. ix. 151). Barriere and Leland's ' Dictionary of Slang, Jargon, and Cant ' says : Toff, meaning a dandy, a swell, is derived from fnVfonTto MR"RER? PTERPOIN^S^ iter- I ^e Yiddish or Hebrew tof, tov, or *,,, literally for food to MR. KOI j goodj and uged in an extende d sense which esting list ? perfectly warrants its application to good or fine If so, here are a couple culled from abroad, appearance. Toff, good ; toffer, better ; toffest, In the Netherlands two fried eggs on toast best. A probable derivation is from to tiff, to since times immemorial have been dubbed deck oneself out, or toft, a dressy individual. Toff, pir e i * l h. a lt + ich rih nf b between equally thin slices of buttered white and black rye-bread is called a houtsni'D a holtsnipe, woodcock. Do these Ersatz Scottish ribs and from the tuft or tassel of gold which marked An old toff, an old ARCHIBALD SPARKE. It is fancied that this slang term came Welsh rabbits point to a scarcity of beef in Scotland and rabbits in Wales in days gone by ? I seem to hear " Billingsgate pheasant " shriek : " yea" ! W. DEL COURT. 47 Blenheim Crescent, W.ll. THOMAS CHATTERTON (12 S. viii. 114; ix. 148). I ask to be permitted to quote from the late Mr. Charles Kent's article in the ' D.N.B.,' vol. x., p. 146 et seq (1887) : After stating Chatterton's apprenticeship to John Lambert, an attorney of Bristol, in 1767J Chatter- ton's office hours were worse even than his school hours, being from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. all the year round. He was treated persistently as a mere office drudge, required to sleep with the office boy, and to take his meals in the kitchen. He was only onceupon a Christmas Eve known the mortar-boards of undergraduates who had the privilege of being Fellow-Com- moners. Those who ran after them were dubbed " tuft-hunters," and tuft became toff when it was adopted as a by-name for the ".golden lads," mostly titled, who were not subject to the same conditions as other men. ST. SWITHIN. HOCKLEY OF HAMPSHIRE (12 S. ix. 30, 152). The Hockleys are mentioned in the ' Victoria History of Hampshire,' to which work there is a full index. Like most names the spelling varied considerably Hockley, Oakley, Ockley, Ocle being the examples named in the above-mentioned work. FREDERIC CROOKS. ORMISTON OF ORMISTON, HADDINGTON- Vcu5 UlllY JJlJUJc; - tlLH-MJ. cv vyxj.i. xo lAUJkufe? *- T t c t*> "XT* T~ J_ * to have exceeded the prescribed limit, till 10 p.m. SHIRE (12 S. ix. 50, 135). Nisbet gives . . . His duties, which were chiefly the copying i Qrmiston : Argent, three pelicans feeding " - of precedents, engaged him upon an average no more than two hours every day. ... The rest. ro of his time was given up to self-education and J young ones, gules adding -Vro ,? Work-