Fa – the Green Dragon

A Place for the Odd Musings of an Expat Bristolian


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Unusual U.K. place names 78. – Babcary

BABCARY, Somersetshire

Site of Wimble Toot

Glastonbury Zodiac

Bronze-age round barrow

Note: Toot derived from Old English tot meaning,  a lookout point.


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Unusual U.K. place names 76. – Cleobury Mortimer

CLEOBURY MORTIMER, Shropshire

Name from Old English

Clifu meaning a steep place

Church  has crooked spire


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Obscure words explained 82 – abracadabra

I have written three versions of this word because it is very complicated to explain in 17 syllables.

ABRACADABRA – Ab’r achad ab’ra (Aramaic and/or Arabic origin

1.Concerning the bull

it’s  the one and only one

a name for the sun

2. Used by magicians

to perform their magic tricks

a magical spell

3. A magical spell

inscribed on an amulet

to cure deadly ills

For those readers with a mind to do so, I hope you ask yourself the question: is there such a thing as magic?  Sir James George Frazer in his book the Golden Bough thought so.

He explained that contagious and homeopathic magic (both generally referred to as sympathetic magic) were valid and practiced throughout the world in one form or another. This magic (these magics) basically formed the basis of our religions.

I have always wanted to throw the cat among the pigeons Ah yes! it’s a full moon.

 


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Unusual U.K. place names 69. = Trewhiddle

TREWHIDDLE, Cornwall

Francis P. Pascoe

noted entomologist

studied beetles here


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Obscure words explained 74. – thersitical

THERSITICAL

Scurrilous, foul-mouthed

words have  beauty all their own.

I say, bite your tongue


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Unusual U.K. place names 63. -Leigh de la Mere

LEIGH de la MERE (St. Margaret), Wiltshire

King Alfred camped here

Attacked Danes at Eddington

Saxon king’s palace


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Unusual U.K. place names 62. – Petty France

PETTY FRANCE, Gloucestershire

Not remrkable

not much history to tell

not written, that is.


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Obscure words explained 84. – toponym

TOPONYM

Word for a place name

Especially one derived

from local features

 


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Unusual U.K. place names 63. – Stow on the Wold

STOW on the WOLD, Gloucestershire

\Where the wind blows cold

Town’s patron was St. Edward

\Once called Edwardstow


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Unusual U.K. place names 65. – Uttoxeter

UTTOXETER, Staffordshire

Varied history

Luttuc’s homestead on the heath

Roman garrison