Word of the day

[Great Plum]

Oh well, need to think of a new word then...

[Richard Ruck]

OK, then, little while back J.R. mentioned Polari, as used by Kenneth Williams et al., so here's a list of names from The Polari Bible :

Andrea: Andrew.
Auntie: Father.
Crystal: Christ.
Davina: David.
Dowry butch: Almighty.
Duchess: Lord.
Fantabulosa Fairy: Holy Ghost.
Get her: Get thee behind me, Satan.
Gloria: God.
Jane: John.
Josephine: Joseph.
Josie: Jesus.
Kosher Homie: Hebrew.
Kosher Homies and Palones: Hebrews.
Kosher palones: Hebrew women.
Larlou: Amen.
Lucille: Luke.
Marcia: Mark.
Matilda: Matthew.
Maureen: Moses.
Norah: Noah.
Pauline: Paul.
Petra: Peter.
Phyllis: Philip.
Sadie: Satan.
Simone: Simon.
Steve: Eve.

If you believe in such things, it must be quite comforting to think of the Devil as 'Sadie'....

[englishangel]

To answer several points.

In 2's my year had been a real 'bulge', there had been 8 of us when we started in 1965, the year above had 5 and the year above that had 4.

By the time I got to Vth form (GE) there was only Barbara in UVI and Ros and Julie in Lower VI. Ros became a monitress early, Julie didn't, then she and I got caught sneaking into school after getting lost on a walk to get greenery for Christmas decorations so that put the kibosh on things for a while.
When we went into Lower VI we hd been whittled down to 2 with Ros in UVI (Julie had left) so I became a Monitress at the beginning of Lower VI and Jane at Christmas I think.

No idea why Julie (middle row right) has her badge on the other side, perhaps she was left handed and found it easier to pin on that side.

DR was about 5'5" in my day, very erect and a stickler for standing up straight. I would not have thought she had osteoporosis, fit as she was but of the 6 of us in the front row with her, 4 of us were 5'7"or taller. Val and Sue on the right hand end were probably 5'4 or 5'5.

Things always seem less terrible with the perspective of the years.

[Katharine]

In 2's my year had been a real 'bulge', there had been 8 of us when we started in 1965, the year above had 5 and the year above that had 4.

Mary, I think your lot were a 'bulge' year as most of my year left in July 65. We were a post war bulge year (born in 46 or 47). When we were in Upper V (sorry not yet familiar with other names - O level year) we were in 3 streams. This was the only time it happened in my time.

At one stage there were 9 of us in my year in 6s - and 4 of us stayed until Christmas of Senior VI, 2 to Oxford, 1 to Cambridge and 1 to Durham. I don't think any house had as many S VI any other time.

[J.R.]

Do any of these words orginate from our fair isle?

Isn't that a type of sweater ???

[Great Plum]

Do any of these words orginate from our fair isle?

Isn't that a type of sweater ???

That and jerseys...

[Richard Ruck]

Even cardigans........

I'm sure this has all been done before - you can't pull the wool over my eyes!

[englishangel]

and guernsey; type of thick wollen sweater OED.

Back to the bulge.

I don'tthink there were ever again so many Senior Sixth, there was only one my Upper sixth year, Carolyn, seated on DRs right. She only stayed because she switched from Sciences to Arts midway through her A levels so she stayed for the entire year.

[midget]

and guernsey; type of thick wollen sweater She only stayed because she switched from Sciences to Arts midway through her A levels so she stayed for the entire year.

In the bad old days there was never any talk of leaving halfway through the seniorVI. This may have been because a lot of councils wanted you to do S(=scholarship) levels, because that meant the state would pay the grant and not the local council. It became a bit of a farce for the last few weeks of term- I know some of us spent a lot of time marking juniors' prep.

[Katharine]

In the bad old days there was never any talk of leaving halfway through the seniorVI.

That was something which changed during my time there. We were the first year where we ALL left at Christmas, even the Head Girl. The previous year only the HG stayed on, she was very musical and spent most of her time playing the organ, I believe! I think the State Scholarships changed about then too.

I know my father was amazed at how little Hertfordshire wanted from him towards my grant, he had assumed they would want about the same as CH.

[sejintenej]

Do any of these words orginate from our fair isle?

Isn't that a type of sweater ???

That and jerseys...

and when I was young I had examples of two types of guernseys - and not a cow in sight

[J.R.]

and guernsey; type of thick wollen sweater OED.

Back to the bulge.

Traditionally knitted in navy blue, the wool is impregnated with a type of oil to make it more water-proof. 'Guernsey's' are still worn by the fishermen of the island.

Back to the bulge, Mary ?

I don't think I'll comment further.

[Richard Ruck]

Ho-hum, still no English words........

ikat

• noun [mass noun] fabric made using an Indonesian decorative technique in which warp or weft threads, or both, are tie-dyed before weaving.
— origin 1930s: Malay, literally ‘fasten, tie’.

[Katharine]

Ho-hum, still no English words........

ikat

• noun [mass noun] fabric made using an Indonesian decorative technique in which warp or weft threads, or both, are tie-dyed before weaving.
— origin 1930s: Malay, literally ‘fasten, tie’.

A word I used to use most days - but I was living in Sarawak then!!

[Richard Ruck]

Ho-hum, still no English words........

ikat

• noun [mass noun] fabric made using an Indonesian decorative technique in which warp or weft threads, or both, are tie-dyed before weaving.
— origin 1930s: Malay, literally ‘fasten, tie’.

A word I used to use most days - but I was living in Sarawak then!!

I probably won't have too many opportunities to drop this one into a conversation!