Posted by Adam Quinan on January 06, 2001 at 04:07:50 from 24.112.32.14:
In Reply to: COOT CLUB - observations, part FOUR posted by Ed Kiser on January 05, 2001 at 06:39:18:
- - - -
P250 chapter 21
"The Come Along passed the first bridge, and a goods engine
went slowly across it just above their heads."
What is a "goods engine"?
A locomotive pulling a freight train as opposed to a passenger train.
- - - -
P257 chapter 21
"Mr. Whittle took off his billycock hat, worked himself round the corner
of the table and sat down..."
What kind of a hat is a "billycock" hat?
A softish round topped hat, probably worn by less fashionable sorts.
- - - -
P317 Chapter 27
"I daren't try to buzz a loaf."
"buzz" - presume this means, "throw".
Buzz was still being used for throw when I was a lad in 1960s. Don't know if it is still current.
- - - -
P318 chapter 27
"It needn't be string. It doesn't matter how light the first
thing is. We could start with cotton, and then string. There's
a huge ball of string in the stores."
Cotton is still British for sewing thread on a cotton reel even if its some other fibre. String is thicker and may be made of a number of different fibres.