The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #30701 Message #3052761
Posted By: Don Firth
13-Dec-10 - 05:43 PM
Thread Name: CarrickfergusMeaning:marble stones as black as ink
Subject: RE: CarrickfergusMeaning:marble stones as black as ink
Sounds reasonable.
Another interpretation that I've heard is that the word is "hansom," not "handsome." A hansom was (is) a two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage in which the driver sits above and behind the cab. One could often hire a "hansom cab" in the same way one can now hire a taxicab. Still can in New York City for a pleasant horse-drawn tour through Central Park. Considered very romantic.
So according to this interpretation, a "hansom boatman" is a boatman whose boat is for hire.