Paul Thrush, Dictionary of Mining, Mineral and Related Terms (US Bureau of
Mines, Washington DC, 1968, p. 275) has the term "crapply" which he says is
from Yorkshire, "A term applied to friable rocks". His reference is W.J.
Arkell & S.I. Tomkeieff, English Rock Terms Chiefly as Used by Miners and
Quarrymen, OUP, London, 1953.
Peter Bell
On 17/11/07 7:15 PM, "John Colby" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I looked up the etymology of crap (well, you would, wouldn't you -
> something to do on a Saturday morning!) and found:
>
> from Wikipedia:
>
> The word "crap" is old in the English language, one of a group of verbs
> applied to discarded cast offs, like "residue from renderings" (1490s)
> or in Shropshire, "dregs of beer or ale", meanings probably extended
> from Middle English crappe "chaff, or grain that has been trodden
> underfoot in a barn" (c. 1440s), deriving ultimately from Late Latin
> crappa, "chaff".[1]
>
> And from http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=crap
>
> "defecate" 1846 (v.), 1898 (n.), from one of a cluster of words
> generally applied to things cast off or discarded (e.g. "weeds growing
> among corn" (1425), "residue from renderings" (1490s), 18c. underworld
> slang for "money," and in Shropshire, "dregs of beer or ale"), all
> probably from M.E. crappe "grain that was trodden underfoot in a barn,
> chaff" (c.1440), from M.Fr. crape "siftings," from O.Fr. crappe, from
> M.L. crappa, crapinum "chaff." Sense of "rubbish, nonsense" also first
> recorded 1898. Despite folk etymology insistence, not from Thomas
> Crapper (1837-1910) who was, however, a busy plumber and may have had
> some minor role in the development of modern toilets. The name Crapper
> is a northern form of Cropper (attested from 1221), an occupational
> surname, obviously, but the exact reference is unclear.
>
> What this has to do with mining directly I can't give exidence, but the
> 'cluster of words', whatever they are, may give some sort of clue. Is
> there an etymology list where this may throw up more light?
>
> Regards
>
> John
>
>
> Peter King wrote:
>> Peter King
>> 49, Stourbridge Road,
>> Hagley,
>> Stourbridge
>> West Midlands
>> DY9 0QS
>> 01562-720368
>> [log in to unmask]
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Peter King [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: 15 November 2007 09:59
>> To: mining-history list.
>> Subject: crap work
>>
>>
>> Can any one explain the term 'crap work'? The following relates to the
>> lease of a coal mine in the 1690s:
>> The tenants were required to leave a rib of coals between the old work and
>> the new work, and also between the old crap work and the new, and between
>> pit and pit, thick enough to prevent fire coming out of the old work into
>> the new, only digging four foot heads for their levelš. They were also to
>> carry their deep work as forward as their crap work.
>>
>> Peter King
>> 49, Stourbridge Road,
>> Hagley,
>> Stourbridge
>> West Midlands
>> DY9 0QS
>> 01562-720368
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
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