Betwitt: To twit is to Find fault with in a good-humoured or teasing way; taunt, or tell tales; blab. (SOED) Either sense fits here, though the first seems more likely. Nowadays (in British English) a twit is a stupid, foolish or ineffectual person
Aqua Fortis: Can be any acid. Nitric acid turns organic matter yellow/brown, so wouldn't be used for bleaching teeth! It is also quite poisonous. Most acids would dissolve the teeth as well as the calculus. Most modern bleaches are strong alkalis, not acids. I vote for mechanical scraping.
In English: a Wig (SOED) wig /wIg/ n.1 Now Sc. & dial. Also whig.LME. [MLG, MDu. wigge wedge, wedge-shaped cake: see WEDGE n.] A kind of small bun made with currants and butter.
Topic is drifting but... Pastis: Aniseed flavoured drinks like Pernod and Ricard are very popular in France. They were introduced to replace Absinthe which was made illegal. However, there is now a drink available called Absenthe (absent) which is very similar to absinthe, but without the wormwood (hence the name) ... and it is green as opposed to yellow pastis. I wonder why Vermouth doesn't have Absinthe's reputation when both are based on wormwood?
Click on Pepys Park to centre it, then click on the camera icon for an aerial photograph. Maybe not quite the picture you were looking for, but an image of the park nevertheless.
Re: "equality ...Not something you brits are famous for " Universal suffrage: France 1944 Italy 1945 United States 1965 Switzerland 1990 South Africa 1994 UK 1928 Yes, I think we are quite famous for it. See also: votes for women, (1918) abolition of slavery (1833) and legalisation of homosexuality (1967 vs 2003 for US) if the above isn't convincing enough. Ill-informed stereotypes not welcome here.
Just as well it was a damp squib! Apparently the gunpowder wouldn't have caused so much damage because it was well past its sell-be date. Guido was had by Paynes, the supplier. I have little concern for James 1 but Westminster Abbey is a beautiful building. (The current Palace of Westminster is 19th century, so the houses of parliament don't count) If it had succeeded, would Britain have become Catholic (the intention) or would there have been a backlash that would have put back ecumenism centuries?
As I stood upon the leads this night... watching the witches fly their besoms around the moon, the shade of Samuel came to me and said he had tried to join the conversation, but his quill smeared ink all over his pen-computer.
Considering that Hallowe'en was when witches were said to be abroad, and witches were still being burnt at the stake in the 17th century, then no, Samuel wouldn't have celebrated All Hallows Eve, but he might have celebrated All Hallows (Saints) Day on the 1st November. Traditionally,it is when one remembers the deceased by putting fresh flowers on the graves.
Hence, if you win one hand, you are "handicapped" by having to put in a bigger stake for the next. The SOED has a different explanation of the game and origin of the phrase, but at about the same date.
Re: Jewish Moneylenders: desite Laura's comments about the lack of Jews in England, you only have to go back to Shakespeare and the "Merchant of Venice" or Marlowe's "The Jew of Malta" to see the prejudices current less than a hundred years before Pepys. I think Mary has a point: Usury (moneylending) was not seen as a genteel/gentile profession. This may have coloured Pepys' (and Sandwich's) opinions. We will see as the diary unfolds (but as it continues for 9 more years, I can guess that Samuel is not swayed!)
"To Welch/Welsh" is of 19th century origin, so irrelevant to Pepys. Btw, welsh is I believe Saxon and modern German for foreigner, which the ancient Britons were to the invaders. Most Brits are a mixture of anglo-saxon-norman-celt-viking-and-any-other-invader, so any "racism" against the Welsh/Irish/Scots/English/Shetland Islanders, etc. within these isles is spurious to say the least.
Scull the waterman: I asked an unanswered question some time ago, - http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… - when Pepys referred to a boatman as Scull. Was this his name or profession?
Spam is a problem: This is the only forum I use my main home email address, and I have only started receiving spam on this address since I started posting here. It is probably too late to falsify now.
Dung was used in industry too: It was used to make saltpeter (nitre) for the production of gunpowder. A field was well dunged, allowed to "mature", then woollen blankets were lain upon it and wet to leach the nitre out of the soil. The blankets were soaked in water and the nitre solution produced evaporated to leave behind the saltpeter crystals.
"my wife and I and Mrs. Hunt went by coach, overtaking the carts a-drinking in the Strand" Carts, Plural: so I guess one handcart wasn't big enough. "Carts a-drinking": is that the horses being watered, or the carters getting drunk?
Don't forget the wench: The cart would also have to carry Jane's bed and chattels. Two beds with mattresses, chairs, a table, chests and all the kitchen stuff... that would take a hefty lad to shift 4 miles on a handcart on muddy rutted London streets. I favour a horse drawn cart with Elizabeth sitting with the driver and Jane and Samuel following behind to make sure nothing "falls off" on its way through the City.
Comments
First Reading
About Monday 15 April 1661
Grahamt • Link
Re: Plimsole
Better to have a naval artichoke aboard than a bunch of leeks :-)
(sorry Rich, couldn't resist)
About Tuesday 2 April 1661
Grahamt • Link
Betwitt:
To twit is to Find fault with in a good-humoured or teasing way; taunt, or tell tales; blab. (SOED)
Either sense fits here, though the first seems more likely.
Nowadays (in British English) a twit is a stupid, foolish or ineffectual person
About Monday 11 March 1660/61
Grahamt • Link
Aqua Fortis:
Can be any acid. Nitric acid turns organic matter yellow/brown, so wouldn't be used for bleaching teeth! It is also quite poisonous.
Most acids would dissolve the teeth as well as the calculus. Most modern bleaches are strong alkalis, not acids.
I vote for mechanical scraping.
About Wigg
Grahamt • Link
In English: a Wig (SOED)
wig /wIg/ n.1 Now Sc. & dial. Also whig.LME. [MLG, MDu. wigge wedge, wedge-shaped cake: see WEDGE n.] A kind of small bun made with currants and butter.
About Saturday 24 November 1660
Grahamt • Link
Topic is drifting but...
Pastis: Aniseed flavoured drinks like Pernod and Ricard are very popular in France. They were introduced to replace Absinthe which was made illegal. However, there is now a drink available called Absenthe (absent) which is very similar to absinthe, but without the wormwood (hence the name) ... and it is green as opposed to yellow pastis.
I wonder why Vermouth doesn't have Absinthe's reputation when both are based on wormwood?
About Trinity House, Deptford
Grahamt • Link
Click on Pepys Park to centre it, then click on the camera icon for an aerial photograph. Maybe not quite the picture you were looking for, but an image of the park nevertheless.
About Friday 18 May 1660
Grahamt • Link
Re: "equality ...Not something you brits are famous for "
Universal suffrage:
France 1944
Italy 1945
United States 1965
Switzerland 1990
South Africa 1994
UK 1928
Yes, I think we are quite famous for it. See also: votes for women, (1918) abolition of slavery (1833) and legalisation of homosexuality (1967 vs 2003 for US) if the above isn't convincing enough.
Ill-informed stereotypes not welcome here.
About Gunpowder Plot Day
Grahamt • Link
Just as well it was a damp squib!
Apparently the gunpowder wouldn't have caused so much damage because it was well past its sell-be date. Guido was had by Paynes, the supplier.
I have little concern for James 1 but Westminster Abbey is a beautiful building. (The current Palace of Westminster is 19th century, so the houses of parliament don't count)
If it had succeeded, would Britain have become Catholic (the intention) or would there have been a backlash that would have put back ecumenism centuries?
About Tuesday 30 October 1660
Grahamt • Link
As I stood upon the leads this night...
watching the witches fly their besoms around the moon, the shade of Samuel came to me and said he had tried to join the conversation, but his quill smeared ink all over his pen-computer.
About Wednesday 31 October 1660
Grahamt • Link
Considering that Hallowe'en was when witches were said to be abroad, and witches were still being burnt at the stake in the 17th century, then no, Samuel wouldn't have celebrated All Hallows Eve, but he might have celebrated All Hallows (Saints) Day on the 1st November. Traditionally,it is when one remembers the deceased by putting fresh flowers on the graves.
About Handicap (cards)
Grahamt • Link
Hence, if you win one hand, you are "handicapped" by having to put in a bigger stake for the next. The SOED has a different explanation of the game and origin of the phrase, but at about the same date.
About Other general reference sites
Grahamt • Link
Re: essential link.
Yes it is. It has already been referenced under "Maps of Britain" (thanks Vincent) but it is well that it is also mentioned here.
About Venison
Grahamt • Link
Potted meat:
... was still popular into the (19) sixties in the North of England. It's just Pat
About Monday 6 August 1660
Grahamt • Link
Re: Jewish Moneylenders:
desite Laura's comments about the lack of Jews in England, you only have to go back to Shakespeare and the "Merchant of Venice" or Marlowe's "The Jew of Malta" to see the prejudices current less than a hundred years before Pepys. I think Mary has a point: Usury (moneylending) was not seen as a genteel/gentile profession. This may have coloured Pepys' (and Sandwich's) opinions. We will see as the diary unfolds (but as it continues for 9 more years, I can guess that Samuel is not swayed!)
About Wednesday 25 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
"To Welch/Welsh" is of 19th century origin, so irrelevant to Pepys. Btw, welsh is I believe Saxon and modern German for foreigner, which the ancient Britons were to the invaders. Most Brits are a mixture of anglo-saxon-norman-celt-viking-and-any-other-invader, so any "racism" against the Welsh/Irish/Scots/English/Shetland Islanders, etc. within these isles is spurious to say the least.
About Sunday 22 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
Scull the waterman:
I asked an unanswered question some time ago, - http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… - when Pepys referred to a boatman as Scull. Was this his name or profession?
About Topic drift in annotations
Grahamt • Link
Spam is a problem:
This is the only forum I use my main home email address, and I have only started receiving spam on this address since I started posting here. It is probably too late to falsify now.
About Tuesday 17 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
Dung was used in industry too:
It was used to make saltpeter (nitre) for the production of gunpowder. A field was well dunged, allowed to "mature", then woollen blankets were lain upon it and wet to leach the nitre out of the soil. The blankets were soaked in water and the nitre solution produced evaporated to leave behind the saltpeter crystals.
About Tuesday 17 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
"my wife and I and Mrs. Hunt went by coach, overtaking the carts a-drinking in the Strand"
Carts, Plural: so I guess one handcart wasn't big enough. "Carts a-drinking": is that the horses being watered, or the carters getting drunk?
About Monday 16 July 1660
Grahamt • Link
Don't forget the wench:
The cart would also have to carry Jane's bed and chattels. Two beds with mattresses, chairs, a table, chests and all the kitchen stuff... that would take a hefty lad to shift 4 miles on a handcart on muddy rutted London streets. I favour a horse drawn cart with Elizabeth sitting with the driver and Jane and Samuel following behind to make sure nothing "falls off" on its way through the City.