Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 10.djvu/252

202 NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s.x. MA*, is, 1922. campaign in Mesopotamia was mainly responsible have not appeared. The Irtdian Antiquary of 1918 (vol. xlvii., pp. 196, 244) recorded the following, culled from the articles of Mr. Edmund Candler, war correspondent, in The Daily Telegraph and Observer, giving the Arabic or other origin in each case : ANTIKA. Any antique. BBLLUM (Ar.). A canoe-shaped boat. BELL-BELLUM. Any kind of river boat. DAMFUL. To deceive. FINISH. To finish ; end ; be done for. GUFAR (Ar.). A river tub. IMSHI (Ar.). Go ; get out. KELLER (Ar.). A large skin raft. KUNTRACHI (F. and Turki). A contractor. MAHAILA (Ar.). A large river sailing boat. MAKOO. None ; not to be had ; out of stock. MARIONETTE. The minaret of a mosque. SATARONBIL, TERUMBIL. An automobile ; motor. SHAMUN DAFAR (F.). A railway. L. M. ANSTEY. BISCUITS. Small, square, very hard mattresses, 2ft. 6in. square, three to one bed. BOLO. A derisive nickname which came into use when Bolo Pasha was being tried for espionage or something in France. Also used to denote spies or the " Hidden Hand," but soon died out. (pp. 343, 378, 459, 499, 502.) BOMBARDIER FRITZ. Pommes de terre frites a favourite estaminet dish (see Punch some time in 1916). CAT- WALK. Pathway paved with bricks (one brick, or 9in., wide) between fields on a Belgian farm. CLOBBER. Old Army for equipment, (p. 384.) DUCKBOARD. Originally " corduroy." Possibly " duck " board was derived from the Flanders winter weather, which was " fine weather for the ducks." They say men who survived the 1914-15 winter can always be recognized as they have webbed feet. (p. 384.) DUSTY. Usually the nickname for Miller, not Smith. Why should Clarke always be " Nobby " and Wilson " Tug " ? (p. 424.) EYEWASH. Camouflage. "Blarney" is rather inadequate. " Eyewash parade " is a G.O.C.'s inspection or similar affair. To clean a dirty camp with whitewash (a la Guards) instead of elbow grease (infantry style) is " eyewash." (p. 346.) GLASSHOUSE (THE) is the Aldershot Command Military Prison at Woking. (pp. 346, 384.) GORBLIMEY. The first soft caps issued in 1914 without a wire. These had no waterproof lining, but had a broad cloth chin-strap attachment (to cover the ears and back of the neck), which folded over the crown of the cap when not in use. The name was well deserved. Later applied to any soft cap with no wire. (At p. 425 mistakenly " Gorbling.") HATE (MORNING AND EVENING). Originated with Frank Reynolds's (?) priceless cartoon in Punch, ' Study of a Prussian Family indulging in their Morning Hate.' (p. 384.) JOYBAG. A sandbag, containing souvenirs, rations or " winnings," carried over and above one's regulation equipment. LOUSE (TO). To clean or wash. Usually to take a bath in difficulties and half a mess-tinful of water. MUCKIN. Old Army for butter. Hindustani, " Makhan." (p. 347.) MUTTON LANCERS. Another name for the Queen's B.W. Surreys (who, I believe, are " Kirke's Lambs " of Charles II. 's time), (pp. 363, 459.) NAPOOH. The best derivation is given in one of (1 think) " Sapper's " books. It goes some- thing like this : (i.) II n'y en a plus : French phrase signifying complete absence of. Largely heard in estaminets about closing time, (ii.) Naploo : Original pure English phrase, signifying " The perisher has run out of beer." (iii.) Napooh : Vulgarized version of old Eng- lish phrase= finished, &c., &c. (p. 347.) QUIFF. Trick or local reading of the drill book. Where the book is vague (nothing unusual), different units read various meanings into it and so invent their own " quiffs." (p. 425.) SWORD is not a slang word for bayonet. Evidently your correspondent is a " ruddy Fusilier." Rifle regiments always speak of swords and use the command " Fix swords ! " &c., never " Fix bayonets ! " Originally they were armed with swords, though whether these could be fixed on to the rifle I do not know probably not. (p. 384.) E. B. H. PRINCIPAL LONDON COFFEE-HOUSES, TAVERNS, AND INNS IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. (See 12 S. vi. and vii. passim; ix. 85, 105, 143, 186, 226, 286, 306, 385, 426, 504, 525; x. 26, 66, 102, 164.) (An asterisk denotes that the house still exists as a tavern, inn or public-house in many cases rebuilt.) White Lion.. .. White Chappel 1744 General Advertiser, April 9. White Lion.. .. Aldersgate Street, west side .. 1745 Rocque's ' Survey.' White Lion. . . . Heinmings Bow, Strand, Charing Sadler's ' Masonic Facts and Fictions,' Cross end 1887, p. 57. Midd. and Herts Notes and Queries, 1898, iv. 128. White Lion.. .. Brooks Street 1789 'Life's Painter of Variegated Characters.'