----- Oorspronkelijk bericht -----
Van: Temple John <[log in to unmask]>
Aan: Roger Collett <[log in to unmask]>
Verzonden: donderdag 16 mei 2002 15:19
Onderwerp: Re: Re: a singing hinny
> My grandmother used to sing us a Tyneside folksong, _Billie Boy_ , (which
> must be collected somewhere).
> It opened with a ballad formula 'Where have you been all the day, Billie
> boy, Billie boy?' Billie replies that he's been walking all day with his
> darling Nancy Grey, who's 'kittled his fancy'. A catechism of her domestic
> skills follows the basic opening question: 'Is she fit to be your wife?'
> ('ay..as the fork is to the knife')... we learn that she can make a
feather
> bed, fit for any lady's head and then 'can she make an irish stew? ..
'she
> can make an irish stew, ay and singing hinny's too'. Whether or not (and I
> doubt it) this implies scones as desert at the same meal, we're not a
> million miles from that culinary glory of these islands, spotted dick
(don't
> ask).
> A girdle cake also features in the song.
> Since TP says 'somber' I read 'sair fyelled hinny as I'm only a shadow of
a
> man, sweetheart, (since I met / got to know you) -- a broken man, as the
> Paul Young song goes. Fyelled sounds like the normal North-East metathesis
> on 'failed', sair=sore: sorely failed in the sense of (intr.) to weaken;
> fade away. Badly/sadly weakened and on my last go round.?? The further
sense
> of 'ken' as understand, perceive could be present too.
>
> All best,
> John
>
> ----- Oorspronkelijk bericht -----
> Van: Roger Collett <[log in to unmask]>
> Aan: <[log in to unmask]>
> Verzonden: donderdag 16 mei 2002 8:01
> Onderwerp: Re: a singing hinny
>
>
> > Dear David, or is it Giles?
> >
> > I am only an incomer here in the NorthEast, so this is best directed to
> the
> > list.
> >
> > > > "He has a fine singing voice and sometimes in somber moods can be
> coaxed
> > > > into singing the old Northumbrian song:
> > > >
> > > > sair fyel'd hinny,
> > > > sair fyeld'd noo
> > > > sair fyel'd hinny
> > > > sin I Kenn'd thou"
> >
> > Roger Collett
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "David Giles Scott" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: "Roger Collett" <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 10:07 PM
> > Subject: Re: a singing hinny
> >
> >
> > > Dear Roger,
> > >
> > > Thank you, thank you, thank you for the info. Does the folk song make
> any
> > > sense to you?
> > >
> > > sair fyel'd hinny...
> > >
> > > best,
> > > Giles
> > >
> >
>
