Ellie

Annotations and comments

Ellie has posted four annotations/comments since 5 August 2020.

The most recent first…

Comments

Third Reading

About Saturday 20 October 1660

Ellie  •  Link

I’ve been reading and enjoying these annotations daily for a long time now but have only once before posted my own.
Two things struck me as worth mentioning today:
1) On the subject of night soil removal, someone (Vincent?) mentioned present day large tankers emptying conveniences at parks etc. It brings to mind the similar process often used by narrow boat dwellers. Every three or four weeks the waste tank has to be emptied and the boat is moored at one of many boatyards for a pump out. At one marina I was tickled to see a tanker emblazoned with the title Suckcess Services Ltd.
2) On the subject of uses for urine, it was used well into the 20th century in the highlands of Scotland for « waulking » or fulling cloth. It involved soaking the woven cloth in urine and then placing it on a table where the local women would sit and pummel it in time to « waulking songs » which would help to make the process bearable, probably even enjoyable. It’s now demonstrated (minus the urine) as an interesting part of highland culture. The songs are usually led by one woman singing each verse which is then repeated by the others.

Second Reading

About Thursday 21 November 1667

Ellie  •  Link

Anachrophobia - a fear of temporal displacement.
Or is there another definition? I wonder if you mean arachnophobia - an irrational fear of spiders?
Both splendid words.

About Thursday 21 November 1667

Ellie  •  Link

Hi San Diego Sarah. Just wondering whether we’ve flipped into a parallel universe here: ‘’His anachrophobic daughter.... ‘’ ? Or am I missing something ?

About Thursday 6 December 1660

Ellie  •  Link

“.. in a pet” definitely means in a sulk.
I have often heard the expression “ a petted lip”. Usually directed at a sulky child, as in “Put away that petted lip”. It means stop sulking; literally “stop sticking your bottom lip out.