Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 7.djvu/122

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

114


NOTES AND QUERIES.


B. VIL FEB. 0, 1901.


be read with profit. I would also call atten- tion to a note by DR. NEUBAUER (7 th S. iii. 96), in which many other identifications of English names with Hebrew words are pro- pounded. He holds that London is the dwelling of Dan, and Guildhall the house of lepers (Geled). Scarcely one of his etymo- logies is more "funny" (to use MR. THORPE'S word) than the identification of Apple- with Naphath. DR. NEUBAUER'S note called forth at the time a reply in Truth, which took him seriously, and spoke of him impertinently. In revenge the doctor, as I remember,

Eroposed to explain Mr. Labouchere's name 'om Hebrew Labush-Or, " clothed in light," a non lucendo. C. B. MOUNT.

" KITTY- WITCH" (9 th S. vii. 9). In Folk- Lore, 1898, vol. ix. p. 366, I inserted a query upon the above. I there assumed that they were simply loose women who held a species of carnival or saturnalia on a certain day, which does not now appear to be known, and suggested that originally the custom had some especial significance. Could it be that it alluded to some mediaeval attack upon the town, wherein the women, in the absence of the men at sea, fought with and beat off the invaders ? The men's shirts might simply be symbolical, or might have been actually worn on the walls to deceive the enemy. The account of any such invasion was unfortunately not forthcoming ; the only semblance of such that I have been able to trace was the attack by the followers of Kett in 1549, but the story was probably older than this.

Dr. W. Zindema (Folk- Lore, 1899, vol. x. p. 246) stated that a parallel existed in the " Hartiesdag " at Amsterdam upon the Mon- day following August 15 (the Assumption of the Virgin Mary), when the men and women of the lower classes exchange their attire and spend the day drinking.

I have made considerable local inquiry with- out success, the custom apparently having fallen into desuetude some time prior to last century. W. B. GERISH.

Bishop's Stortford.

"HOOLIGAN" (9 th S. vii. 48). Mr. Paui Taylor, on making inquiry once concerning the source of this term, acquiesced in the statement ventured upon by a "gentleman in court " to the effect that it was probably attributable to a comic song in vogue severa years ago at the lower-class music-halls which was sung by the Brothers Hooligan (Sun 18 August, 1898). This testimony, however can hardly be deemed conclusive. Perhaps the following letter in the Evening News of


21 November, 1900, will prove of greater alue :

"You are right about the 'Hooligans.' I heard everal times in Australia, seven or eight years ago, he song you refer to, and it was widely popular with the Larrikins. The first verse goes like this, and it has a rowdy, rousing chorus : There's a family living near us

The Hooligans ! Always in some terrible fuss

Are the Hooligans. Never known to tell a lie, They 'd sneak yer teeth and say ' Good-bye, They could drink the Carlton Brew'ry dry, Could the Hooligans.

Chorus.

Yah ! the Hooligans ;

Yarr-h ! the Hooligans ; They are never quiet, no, Always in some riot, so

Yah ! the Hooligans ; They are the boys that kick up the noise

In our back yard."

One can only hope the Editor of 4 N. & Q.' will not be so molested, but the writer, who signs himself Tomp, ends his interesting communication with the threat that he 'shall be happy to drop in and sing it."

J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.

ROUTES BETWEEN LONDON AND PARIS (9 th S. vi. 406). I do not gather whether MR. HEMS is particularly interested in the above, but if he is he may like to know of three very interesting works which I possess, which give all the contemporary routes :

(i.) A Journey to Paris in the Year 1698, by Dr. Martin Lister. The Third Edition. London, Jacob Tonson, 1699. 8vo.

(ii.) Le Parisian a Londres, ou Avis aux Frangais qui vont en Angleterre, &c., &c. Amsterdam, Maradan, 1789. 2 vols. 12mo.

(iii.) Galignani's New Paris Guide, or Stranger's Companion through the French Metropolis, fec. Paris, Galignani. 13th Edition. [The date is cut off my copy, but appears to be circa, 1820.]

EDWARD HERON-ALLEN.

THE BATTLE OF FONTENOY, 1745 (9 th S. vii. 25). The salute at Fontenoy was at one time famous. From your correspondent's note it would seem to be sadly forgotten. The gallant old story is told by Voltaire. The French who saluted were certainly not "Louis XV., the Dauphin, Marshal de Saxe, Due de Richelieu, &c." Saxe was so ill that he was unable to sit his horse, and gave his orders from a litter. When Ligonier's Guards came face to face with those of France, they saluted by re- moving their hats. The Count de Cham- banrie, the Due de Biron, and the officers in advance returned the courtesy, whereupon Lord Charles Hay called to them to " Fire ! "