Fa – the Green Dragon

A Place for the Odd Musings of an Expat Bristolian


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Obscure words explained 102 – ban sidhe

BAN SIDHE (Banshee)

Old Irish, Fairy

Vengeful if one offends them

Clodhna their Queen


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Krek waiters peak bristle

Another departure:  Some (many) years ago  a book was written, I’ll find the author’ s name one of these days. which spoke about the way people from Bristol speak.

One of the curiosities of the Bristol dialect is the propensity of Bristolians to add an “l” to a final “a” in place of a glottal stop. This curious fact has led me to this post in light of the pandemic now about us;  Has anybody from Bristol  heard the word Coronavirus pronounced “coronalvirus?

Note: The title of this post is the aforementioned title of the book. It translates as, The correct way to speak  Bristol.

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A confession

I was wrong about unusual UK place names posting Stuggadhoo. Technically The Isle of Mann in not part of the U.K.  This comes about because it is a Crown possession and is as such governed independently.

I will do penance and wear ashes and sackcloth for at last 2 hours next Wednesday or tomorrow whichever comes sooner.


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Sword words – en garde!

SWORD WORDS

Broadsword Claymore Foil

Scimitar Sabre Cutlass

Epée Rapier

Note:  Just mucking about on my day off.


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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 80. – Withycombe

WITHYCOMBE, Somerset

An iron-age hill fort

Dumbledon Druid circle

Known for its Grey Mare\

Note: Grey mare is subject of a folk song which starts out as Tom Pearse Tom Pearse lend u your grey mare…… Withycombe may be confused with Widdecombe which is in Devon.

 


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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