The Wanderer; A Thesaurus

[Lord Kangana]

Anyroad, my grandad always used to say up't'brew for up a hill.

And he used to call my gran dearest flyblown. He said he got this is from his time in the desert, when tins of food would go rotten and blow in the heat - the flies buzzing round. But a bit of googling doesn't really support this... Any more local etymology to it?

*He also used to call her his sweet little venus fly trap, Myrtle (not her name)....

[Dujon]

There was a film, LK, Little Shop of Horrors in which the main character bred a hybrid venus fly trap which craved blood not insects. His, I think, mother-in-law was called Myrtle. Unless it's too recent, perhaps it was a reference to the film?

[Montreal Wanderer]

There was a film, LK, Little Shop of Horrors in which the main character bred a hybrid venus fly trap which craved blood not insects. His, I think, mother-in-law was called Myrtle. Unless it's too recent, perhaps it was a reference to the film?

A great film, Dujon, with a great cast (including some Canadians!) but I can't remember any MoLs called Myrtle.

[Andy Waller]

Not from Bolton: Daub Hill.

From Bolton: Dobble.

[Bruce Rioja]

It may be well known to the folks on here but apparently the origin of the areas 'Smithills' and 'Sharples' comes frome the 'Smooth Hills' and Sharp Hills' thereabouts.

Also Doffcocker is from the gaelic 'Dubh' meaning dark (or Black) and 'Cocker' meaning winding stream.

Dubh Linn (Dublin) means Black Pool.

Doffcocker is plausible but not certain. Another version is that it was named after a Scotsman who was passing through the area and had to cross the stream. Its waters were exceptionally high following heavy rain, so to keep his stockings (cockers, as they were known in Scotland) dry the man was obliged to "doff" them. Furthermore, according to A Glossary of North Country Words, in Use: With Their Etymology, 1829 COCKERS, or COGGERS, properly half-boots made of untanned leather, or other stiff materials, and strapped under the shoe; but old stockings without feet, used as gaiters by hedgers and ploughmen, are often so called. Cockers occurs in Bishop Hall's Satires. In Lancashire the word is often used for stockings. There is a small place not far from Bolton, called Doff-Cocker, where, my friend, Mr. Turner, informs me, it used to be the fashion for the country people who came from church or market to pull off their stockings and walk barefoot home.

Re Sharples I read: Sharples was recorded in documents as Charples in 1212, Sharples and Scharples in 1292[1] and the manor was part of the Barony or Lordship of Manchester in the Middle ages. Sharples was the name of a local family who lived at Sharples Hall, the last was Dr John Sharples Lawson who died in 1816.

But I'll give you Smithills!

I'm of the same understanding as the A10 Warrior on the origin of Sharples and Smithills, Monty. Sharples Hall is on Andrew Lane and is historically the home of the Holden Family. The name Sharples pre-dates Sharples Hall by many centuries as far as I know.

[bobo the clown]

It may be well known to the folks on here but apparently the origin of the areas 'Smithills' and 'Sharples' comes frome the 'Smooth Hills' and Sharp Hills' thereabouts.

Also Doffcocker is from the gaelic 'Dubh' meaning dark (or Black) and 'Cocker' meaning winding stream.

Dubh Linn (Dublin) means Black Pool.

Doffcocker is plausible but not certain. Another version is that it was named after a Scotsman who was passing through the area and had to cross the stream. Its waters were exceptionally high following heavy rain, so to keep his stockings (cockers, as they were known in Scotland) dry the man was obliged to "doff" them. Furthermore, according to A Glossary of North Country Words, in Use: With Their Etymology, 1829 COCKERS, or COGGERS, properly half-boots made of untanned leather, or other stiff materials, and strapped under the shoe; but old stockings without feet, used as gaiters by hedgers and ploughmen, are often so called. Cockers occurs in Bishop Hall's Satires. In Lancashire the word is often used for stockings. There is a small place not far from Bolton, called Doff-Cocker, where, my friend, Mr. Turner, informs me, it used to be the fashion for the country people who came from church or market to pull off their stockings and walk barefoot home.

Re Sharples I read: Sharples was recorded in documents as Charples in 1212, Sharples and Scharples in 1292[1] and the manor was part of the Barony or Lordship of Manchester in the Middle ages. Sharples was the name of a local family who lived at Sharples Hall, the last was Dr John Sharples Lawson who died in 1816.

But I'll give you Smithills!

I'm of the same understanding as the A10 Warrior on the origin of Sharples and Smithills, Monty. Sharples Hall is on Andrew Lane and is historically the home of the Holden Family. The name Sharples pre-dates Sharples Hall by many centuries as far as I know.

Mummy will know about Sharples.

[Montreal Wanderer]

It may be well known to the folks on here but apparently the origin of the areas 'Smithills' and 'Sharples' comes frome the 'Smooth Hills' and Sharp Hills' thereabouts.

Also Doffcocker is from the gaelic 'Dubh' meaning dark (or Black) and 'Cocker' meaning winding stream.

Dubh Linn (Dublin) means Black Pool.

Doffcocker is plausible but not certain. Another version is that it was named after a Scotsman who was passing through the area and had to cross the stream. Its waters were exceptionally high following heavy rain, so to keep his stockings (cockers, as they were known in Scotland) dry the man was obliged to "doff" them. Furthermore, according to A Glossary of North Country Words, in Use: With Their Etymology, 1829 COCKERS, or COGGERS, properly half-boots made of untanned leather, or other stiff materials, and strapped under the shoe; but old stockings without feet, used as gaiters by hedgers and ploughmen, are often so called. Cockers occurs in Bishop Hall's Satires. In Lancashire the word is often used for stockings. There is a small place not far from Bolton, called Doff-Cocker, where, my friend, Mr. Turner, informs me, it used to be the fashion for the country people who came from church or market to pull off their stockings and walk barefoot home.

Re Sharples I read: Sharples was recorded in documents as Charples in 1212, Sharples and Scharples in 1292[1] and the manor was part of the Barony or Lordship of Manchester in the Middle ages. Sharples was the name of a local family who lived at Sharples Hall, the last was Dr John Sharples Lawson who died in 1816.

But I'll give you Smithills!

I'm of the same understanding as the A10 Warrior on the origin of Sharples and Smithills, Monty. Sharples Hall is on Andrew Lane and is historically the home of the Holden Family. The name Sharples pre-dates Sharples Hall by many centuries as far as I know.

These things are not based on my understandings I have to confess - I know little and just look things up. You are correct that Sharples Hall was the home of mill owner John Holden but this is not the same Sharples Hall where the Sharples lived in the middle ages. Indeed, the Sharples Hall you refer to used to be called Ollerton Hall. See historic notes which, inter alia, state: The Sharples, of Sharples Hall were lords of the manor of Sharples, Smithells, in Halliwell, being dependent on them as superior lords, the latter of which "claimed annually a pair of gilt spurs and an unlimited use of the cellars at Smithells for a week in every year, although the lord of Smithells was not bound to the quantity or quality of the liquor with which his cellars were then stored." Unlimited use of cellars for a week sounds okay.

[TANGODANCER]

Interesting link to Smithills here:

http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/smithil ... =SMITHILLS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bobo the clown]

To see something, or to observe an item .... to 'sken' it.

As in " ... 'ave a sken at that !"

[Always hopeful]

To see something, or to observe an item .... to 'sken' it.

As in " ... 'ave a sken at that !"

Or, "who are you skennin at?"

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

It may be well known to the folks on here but apparently the origin of the areas 'Smithills' and 'Sharples' comes frome the 'Smooth Hills' and Sharp Hills' thereabouts.

Also Doffcocker is from the gaelic 'Dubh' meaning dark (or Black) and 'Cocker' meaning winding stream.

Dubh Linn (Dublin) means Black Pool.

Doffcocker is plausible but not certain. Another version is that it was named after a Scotsman who was passing through the area and had to cross the stream. Its waters were exceptionally high following heavy rain, so to keep his stockings (cockers, as they were known in Scotland) dry the man was obliged to "doff" them. Furthermore, according to A Glossary of North Country Words, in Use: With Their Etymology, 1829 COCKERS, or COGGERS, properly half-boots made of untanned leather, or other stiff materials, and strapped under the shoe; but old stockings without feet, used as gaiters by hedgers and ploughmen, are often so called. Cockers occurs in Bishop Hall's Satires. In Lancashire the word is often used for stockings. There is a small place not far from Bolton, called Doff-Cocker, where, my friend, Mr. Turner, informs me, it used to be the fashion for the country people who came from church or market to pull off their stockings and walk barefoot home.

Re Sharples I read: Sharples was recorded in documents as Charples in 1212, Sharples and Scharples in 1292[1] and the manor was part of the Barony or Lordship of Manchester in the Middle ages. Sharples was the name of a local family who lived at Sharples Hall, the last was Dr John Sharples Lawson who died in 1816.

But I'll give you Smithills!

I'm of the same understanding as the A10 Warrior on the origin of Sharples and Smithills, Monty. Sharples Hall is on Andrew Lane and is historically the home of the Holden Family. The name Sharples pre-dates Sharples Hall by many centuries as far as I know.

Mummy will know about Sharples.

Actually I do not know a great deal more about my family name than has appeared here already.

This is a piece that has interested me previously: http://www.halliwell-lhs.co.uk/index.ph ... &Itemid=92" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One thing I can tell you is that if I am descended from the same Sharpleses who were lords of the manor, then the money from that little fiefdom had long since dissipated by the time my father and his brothers were brought up in a small bungalow in Little Lever.

On the subject of Sharples Halls, I once encountered a pleasant street in London, round the corner from Primrose Hill, called 'Sharples Hall Street' and have not been able to find out what the history of that place is.

[TANGODANCER]

To see something, or to observe an item .... to 'sken' it.

As in " ... 'ave a sken at that !"

Or, "who are you skennin at?"

Was always used for somebody with deficient eyes at school. Mind you, there were a lot of less than complimentary terms. Kids can be a bit cruel at times. Skenner, Flapper, Four-eyes, Skelly, Nitty and probably a few I've forgotten. Visits from Nitty Nora the bug explorer and Doctor Cough were always topics that caused much comment.

[bobo the clown]

Not to mention Benny-one-ball !!

[Andy Waller]

Anybody take any ladies to "Scout Rd Chippy"?

[Gary the Enfield]

Anybody take any ladies to "Scout Rd Chippy"?

Oh yes.

[CrazyHorse]

Anybody take any ladies to "Scout Rd Chippy"?

Oh yes.

Sore finger?

[Gary the Enfield]

Anybody take any ladies to "Scout Rd Chippy"?

Oh yes.

Sore finger?

On my fish? Bleurgh!

[bobo the clown]

To see something, or to observe an item .... to 'sken' it.

As in " ... 'ave a sken at that !"

Or, "who are you skennin at?"

Was always used for somebody with deficient eyes at school. Mind you, there were a lot of less than complimentary terms. Kids can be a bit cruel at times. Skenner, Flapper, Four-eyes, Skelly, Nitty and probably a few I've forgotten. Visits from Nitty Nora the bug explorer and Doctor Cough were always topics that caused much comment.

As in "he skens like a basket of whelks".


Have we had "kecks" yet, for trousers ?

[TANGODANCER]

At school we had "Windjammers" (sort of bomber jacket with a zip and an elesticated waist). Never hear that now.

[Always hopeful]

To see something, or to observe an item .... to 'sken' it.

As in " ... 'ave a sken at that !"

Or, "who are you skennin at?"

Was always used for somebody with deficient eyes at school. Mind you, there were a lot of less than complimentary terms. Kids can be a bit cruel at times. Skenner, Flapper, Four-eyes, Skelly, Nitty and probably a few I've forgotten. Visits from Nitty Nora the bug explorer and Doctor Cough were always topics that caused much comment.

As in "he skens like a basket of whelks".


Have we had "kecks" yet, for trousers ?

Or "underkecks", or "undercrackers", or "grunts"?