Fa – the Green Dragon

A Place for the Odd Musings of an Expat Bristolian


Leave a comment

Unusual U.K. place names 79. – Par

PAR, Cornwall

Par is clay country

Kaolin or China Clay

Used to make paper


Leave a comment

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.


3 Comments

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


2 Comments

Obscure words explained 83. – hobgoblin

HOBGOBLIN

Something causing fear

a bogy to overcome

an evil spirit


1 Comment

Unusual U.K. place names 72. – Mevagissey

MEVAGISSEY, Cornwall

Once called Porthilly

Old parish name Limorrick

well known for Pilchards


Leave a comment

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

CLEOBURY MORTIMER, Shropshire

Name from Old English

Clifu meaning a steep place

Church  has crooked spire


3 Comments

Ubusual U.K. place names 73. – London Apprentice

LONDON APPRENTICE, Cornwall

St. Austell hamlet

a tin-mining settlement

A true Cornish place

 


Leave a comment

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.

 


2 Comments

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.


4 Comments

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