Fa – the Green Dragon

A Place for the Odd Musings of an Expat Bristolian

Category Archives: Etymology


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Unusual U.K. place names 86. – Cheddzoy

CHEDDZOY, Somerset

Old English name cedd

Both Romans and Saxons here

Chedd  meaning island


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Obscure words explained 78. – moue

MOUE

\A pouting grimace

whenever I hear Trump’s name

happens all the time


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Unusual U.K. place names 82. – Market Rasen

MARKET RASEN, Linolnshire

Name from Old English

Raesn meaning a  plank bridge

over River Rase

 


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Unusual U.K. place names 74. – Stuggadhoo

STUGGADHOO, Isle of Mann

on he Isle of mann

many nations have ruled here

Famous for Manx cats

 

 


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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 77. – Curry Rivel

CURRY RIVEL, Somersetshire

Site of Roman house

Name comes from Celtic crwy

meaning boundary

Note: Rivel from its landlord Sir Richard Revel


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Unusual U.K. place names 72. – Mevagissey

MEVAGISSEY, Cornwall

Once called Porthilly

Old parish name Limorrick

well known for Pilchards


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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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Obscure words explained 81. – cavil

CAVIL

Blow against the fur*

he cavils at all I say

only to find fault

Note: To blow against the fur comes from the practice of furriers to blow against a pelt to find imperfections.


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Unusual U.K. place names75. Come to Good

Come to Good, Cornwall

Cwm ty Coit Cornish

Thought to mean coombe in the wood

Quaker it turns out