Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 2.djvu/94

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

S. II. JULY 30, '98.

lish, as the original initial Celtic p disap- peared, and the forms do not appear to be old. Whether piggin exactly represents an older pigkin or not, I cannot say ; but it is quite clear that it is simply adiminutiveof/M#, which is used in Lowland Scotch (even by Gawain Douglas) in the sense of earthen vessel or pitcher (see Jamieson's ' Dictionary ') The resemblance of pig to pitcher is, I believe, accidental. Such a form as pitcher would only have suggested a shorter form pitch, or (conceivably) pidge, not pig with a hard g. I think it probable that the reference is rather to pig in its ordinary sense of "porker." Whoever desires further information may consult Chaucer, ' Cant. Tales,' H. 44, and my note thereon. There were four degrees of drunkenness, the worst being to be pig-drunk. And there were four kinds of wines, the strongest being pig-urine (F. vin de porceau). And these wines were preserved in particular vessels to distinguish them. I therefore ven- ture the guess that a pig could be used for pig-wine. Comments are invited.

WALTER W. SKEAT.

FIELD-NAMES. The following field-names occur in various advertisements relating to the sale of lands in Lincolnshire and Notting- hamshire. Will any reader explain them ?

Lincolnshire. Guilvat, Finsmoor, Wheat- ber, Tills, Lings, Slade, Urn End, Crooking Dyke, Flinton, Nordal Field, Bull Hassocks, Kice Furlong, Ling Wong Close, Crow's Nest, Kabi Close, Pingle Calf.

Nottinghamshire. Leashes, Moises, Kettle Muse, Slaines, Spavin Wood, Perchill, Fint- holme, Bull Dole, JBinge Close, In tacks, Shovel Boards, Callumacre Close, Hough Close, Debdhill, Honey Hole, Sandy Furze, Cocked Hat, The Mantles, The Shoulder of Mutton, Candle Bush Car. H. ANDREWS.

GOOD FEIDAY CUSTOM. The following cutting is worth preserving in ' N. & Q.' :

" On Good Friday the re-enacting of the custom of the flogging of an effigy of Judas Iscariot the false Apostle was carried out with more than usual circumstance aboard a vessel moored in the ' Pool.' For a long number of years the Mediterranean sailors attached to those trading vessels in the different London docks had been in the habit of celebrating their national custom of flogging, hang- ing, and afterwards burning the emblem of the ' betrayer ' ; but owing to the disorder caused by the assemblage of roughs and loafers, and conse- quent scenes of riot, and, further, the contravention (and its attendant danger) of the fire regulations, the authorities put a stop to the proceedings. Until Friday this order had obtained, but owing to the fact that the officers and men of a vessel moored in the 'Pool' had signified their sympathy with the custoin, Advantage was taken to celebrate the cere- mony, a.nd without offending the law. Accordingly,

shortly after 11.30, a considerable number of Maltese and Portuguese sailors boarded the boat, and taking a log of wood, invested it with a sailor's ' jumper and a red knitted hat as nautical costume ; they then proceeded to revile, kick, and spit on the figure, and after a time a rope was placed around it, when it was hoisted to the masthead, and then im- mediately lowered on to the deck, where it was again subjected to every indignity possible, in which all heartily co-operated. Re-hoisted to the mast- head, it was dropped thrice overboard, and, being drawn on deck, was summarily cut up and burned. This Good Friday custom obtains amongst all Mediterranean seamen, and its revival in the Pool of London, after a lapse of twenty years, seemed to afford all concerned intense satisfaction." Weekly Register, 16 April, 1898, p. 483.

K. P. D. E.

TOBACCO IN ENGLAND. In regard to the suggestion which is sometimes made that one way to relieve agricultural depression in this country would be for the Government to allow and even to encourage the growth of tobacco, it may be interesting to note how long the prohibition has lasted and how sternly it has been enforced. This may be gathered from the following extract :

" Cornet Wakefield with a party of horse march- ing out of Glocester upon the last of July to Winchcome and Cheltnam to destroy the Q'obacco planted in these parts, the Country did rise against them in a great body, to the number of 5 or 600, giving them very revileing and threatning speeches, eyen to kill them horse and man, if that he and his Soldiers did come on, insomuch that the tumult being so great, he was cou itrained to draw off and nothing more done." Mercurius Politicus, 29 July- 5 Aug., 1658.

ALFRED F. BOBBINS.

"BRAZEN-SOFT." People who are constantly acting and speaking foolishly are in the Mid- lands called "brazen-soft." "Brazen" does not in this connexion mean impudence or looseness of morals. "Brazen-soft, an' no cure for it ! " THOS. BATCLIFFE.

Worksop.

SALAD OIL. It is well that we should be reminded from time to time that salad oil is oil suitable for rubbing up helmets. Says a hungry cadet before Arras :

Oh ! manger quelque chose i 1'huile. Answers Cyrano, " le decoiffant et lui mettant son casque dans la main,"

Ta salade.

And laughter rippled at the Lyceum as at the Porte St. Martin. Nevertheless, having lately remarked to my partner for dinner, with whom I had somehow got on the subject of cookery, that it was sometimes difficult to find good olive oil, I received the astounding reply, " Olive oil ! I shouldn't think of using such a thing. J always, us,e the best salad