Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 4.djvu/121

 9" S. IV. Sept. 9,'99.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 213 John Bull is of the English. He is repre- sented as a lazy, good-natured fellow. Ivan is the Russian form of John, called Juan in Spain, and Giovanni in Italian. Also a " Russian Rear." See " Cabbage - eater," "Cherno-Papotnitza," "Chukhna," "Kat- zaps," " Moskal." Jack Pudding, an English clown, in allusion to the national partiality of the English peasantry for puddings, especially black pudding, and, before the introduction of the potato, pease pudding. Among Ray's pro- verbs there is one, " Good blood makes poor pudding without groats or suet." Jacques, a poor French artisan. Jar/ue is a sort of cotton waistcoat without sleeves. Jean de la Suie (Fr.), a Savoyard. Jean Potage, a Frenchman, in allusion to his predilection for soup. Jean Baptiste, a French Canadian. See "Canuck.' Johnny Raw, an English bumpkin, rustic, clod, chaw-bacon, or in the London vernacular, a "swede-norer" (i.e., a ''swede-gnawer"), a " tumip-muncher." Kapustaik, "Cabbage-eater," a Russian. Katzaps, natives of Western Russia. Macaroni, an Italian, in allusion to the national partiality as a food for the tubes of dough made from hard wheat flour, and called macaroni. Moskal, a native of Southern Russia. Mynheer Closh or Claus, a Dutchman, Closh or Claus being a contraction of Nicholas, as in Santa Claus, the patron saint of children. Nic Frog, a Dutchman. A Dutch night- ingale, like a Lincolnshire nightingale, is a frog. Nic=Nicho'as, a common name in Holland. See " Mynheer Closh." Paddy or Patlander, an Irishman. See " Surly-boy " and " Bogtrotter." Pantalone, in Italy a generic name for the people as taxpayers. Pickleherring, a Dutchman, but merely in allusion to his favourite dish " soused her- rins" Piou-piou, a familiar term, like our Tommy Atkins, for a French soldier; a " worm- crusher." Pot-de-Biere, a Frenchman's nickname for an Englishman, in allusion to the national predilection for beer as a beverage. Polack, an inhabitant of Poland. Quashee, a generic nickname for a negro, so called from the negro Quassi of Surinam, who made known to Kolander the virtues of the quassia plant. See " Cufl'ey," " Sambo," &c. Redshanks, a Highlander. Redheads, red - turbanned Mohammedans who do not consider the Sunna or oral law of any authority, but look upon it as apocryphal; Semites. People of the Rock, the inhabitants of Hejaz or Arabia Petrsea. Robert Macaire, a Frenchman. A name common in French plays. Roinek (pron. wryneck ?), in the Dutch S. African taal, an Englishman, a Britisher; a " red-neck." Sambo, a negro, a term properly applied to one born of a negro and a mulatto, called a " zambo." Sawny or Sandy, a Scotchman, a corrup- tion of Alexander, a common Scotch Christian name, with an allusion to the frequent oc- currence of " sandy" hair among the Lowland Scotch. Surly-boy, an Irishman. Sorley buie is the Irish for yellow hair. Taffy, a Welshman, a corruption of the common Welsh Christian name David, Davy, Taffid, Taffy. Tony Lumpkin, an eighteenth-century nick- name for a heavy, awkward countryman, from a character in Goldsmith's ' She Stoops to Conquer.' In Suffolk such a one is called a " Lummucken." " Lumbersome " is a word of like meaning. These remind us of Gay's " Lubberkin. " Lummaken " is also applied to a fall, as " 'A cum lummaken down stairs from top to bottom" (Ed. Moor, 'Suffolk Words and Phrases,' 1823). Unbleached American, a negro of the U.S. J. HoLDEN MACMICHAEL. Dr. Brewer's list is rather disappointing. Nine out of ten -who use nicknames could not identify some of those quoted. The tendency to-day is for a brisker, if more vulgar form ; and I venture to think the Editor points the right path by quoting "Blue Nose" (a pure Americanism by the way) for a Nova Scotian. There must exist a pretty complete oral cata- logue on these lines. National nicknames are commonest among sailors, and an atten- tive listener about the Sailors Home quarter of Liverpool would reap a ready harvest of them. It is certain that " Colin Tampon," "MynheerClosh," "Infidel," "Cousin Michael," and even " Johnny Crapaud," would be con- spicuous in absence. " John Bull," " Sandy," " Paddy," are well enough ; and it should not be forgotten that "Taffy "was a Welshman as well as a transgressor. " Mosoo " is common enough for a Frenchman, " Don" for a Spaniard, "Carlo" for an Italian. I have heard " Mynheer," and even " Mynheer van Dunck " (the latter from a once famous glee in H. R. Bishop's 'Law of Java'), used for