Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Graham P Kirkby) — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:52:58 GMT

Sorry, yes I do mean etymology. (May-fly perhaps?) Aren't I a dumpling.

I love you, dumpling. It's just that I couldn't resist flexing my copyediting muscles! Honestly, I do try to restrain myself!

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Grammar Hammer) — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:30:07 GMT

Graham P Kirkby wrote:

Grammar Hammer wrote:

Graham P Kirkby wrote:
My pleasure. The entomology dictionary includes merry-men in the defination for 'outlaw'

"merry-man "companion or follower of a knight, outlaw, etc." is attested from...

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Graham P Kirkby) — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:05:10 GMT

Grammar Hammer wrote:

Graham P Kirkby wrote:
My pleasure. The entomology dictionary includes merry-men in the defination for 'outlaw'

"merry-man "companion or follower of a knight, outlaw, etc." is attested from c.1386."

You do mean etymology, not

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Grammar Hammer) — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:36:16 GMT

Graham P Kirkby wrote:
My pleasure. The entomology dictionary includes merry-men in the defination for 'outlaw'

"merry-man "companion or follower of a knight, outlaw, etc." is attested from c.1386."

You do mean etymology, not entomology, don't you? Otherwise, I'd be wondering what...

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Graham P Kirkby) — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:21:06 GMT
My pleasure. The entomology dictionary includes merry-men in the defination for 'outlaw'

"merry-man "companion or follower of a knight, outlaw, etc." is attested from c.1386."

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (WoodsyLadyM) — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:16:29 GMT
Thanks Graham.

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Graham P Kirkby) — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:11:48 GMT
Otherwise you can go straight to the entomology dictionary

I typed in 'outlaw' and you can see the result.

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Graham P Kirkby) — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:05:09 GMT
You could always go here and make sure you highlight "Search all dictionaries"

I typed in merry and then scrolled down to "Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898)" and it led me here:

That gave me this definition for 'Merry' "Anglo-Saxon,...

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (WoodsyLadyM) — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:35:28 GMT

1981Marcus wrote:
As a matter of fact I used OED *and* Chambers on that post, on a belt-and-braces principle. If you're a member of a library which subscribes to OED online, you can access it from home, so I compared that with my hard copy of Chambers.

I think that applies only to the UK. Unfortunately I live in a less civilized part of the world, the U.S.

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (1981Marcus) — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:26:02 GMT
As a matter of fact I used OED *and* Chambers on that post, on a belt-and-braces principle. If you're a member of a library which subscribes to OED online, you can access it from home, so I compared that with my hard copy of Chambers.

Just to clarify things, my name isn't and never has been David.

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Robhen) — Thu, 15 May 2008 08:52:49 GMT

Graham P Kirkby wrote:
Someone has got us confused Robert and they think I am you.
Graham, you must be flattered, but I am nowhere near as good looking as you.
Rob H.
here

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (WoodsyLadyM) — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:50:31 GMT
Marcus or David,

Thanks again for keeping us on the straight and narrow. I could tell by the subject of Gardner's book that it was suspect, to say the least.

May I ask what dictionary you use for reference, OED, Chamber's, etc.? It sounds like something I need in my library.

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Robhen) — Wed, 14 May 2008 23:28:47 GMT
Apologies Marcus, it was another Dave. But would like to meet some time.

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Graham P Kirkby) — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:49:50 GMT
Someone has got us confused Robert and they think I am you.

here

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (1981Marcus) — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:27:14 GMT
Morris dancing, while it probably does derive ultimately from something much older, gets its name from "Moorish dancing", perhaps brought back from Spain by English soldiers who had participated in John of Gaunt's abortive attempt to make himself King of Castile - shortly before Gower referred to Robin and Marian in Mirrour de l' Omme. Nor is there the slightest evidence that "Merrie England" ever meant anything other than "merry". Its earliest citation,...

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (1981Marcus) — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:31:06 GMT
Sorry Rob, mistaken identity here - we've never met.

Anything that comes from Gardner should be taken with a mine of salt.

Re: Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Graham P Kirkby) — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:01:09 GMT
This site gives a good explanation of the May Day celebrations, here is a short extract. I hope it answers a few questions, for me it explains the rise in the popularity of Robin Hood in the time of King Henry VIII.

"Those which seem in ancient times to have composed this May-game dance, were Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, the Queen or Lady of the May, the...

Merrie England

feeds@yuku.com (Robhen) — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:26:29 GMT
Hello WoodysLadyM,
please believe me this post is not about trying to score points on the origin of Maid Marian and courtly love. I always thought she married Kurt Cobain anyway.

Some years back, David Marcombe, Lecturer in History at Nottingham University gave a talk on Robin Hood at the Nottingham Central Library. It was there that I first met 'Marcus.' David Marcombe's theory is that Robin Hood was none other than Jesus Christ....