Lyr Req: Canty & Couthy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canty & Couthy
From: GUEST,willa
Date: 23 Apr 16 - 01:04 PM

Canty is cheerful

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canty & Couthy
From: Vic Smith
Date: 23 Apr 16 - 08:28 AM

although it's written as "coosie" in the notes

.... and I wondered at that when the album came out. The Scots Dialect Dictionary (Waverley Books ISBN 1-902407-09-01) has the following definitions:-

Couthy (Couthie) - kind, pleasant, agreeable, affable
Coosie - a challenge to a feat of daring, dexterity or difficulty

So it is pretty obvious thay 'couthy' fits in with the meaning of the song.
I heard Lizzie sing the song many times live and it always sounded like 'couthy' to me. I only saw the notes after the album had been released so it was a bit pointless to point it out then. Anyway, the transcriptions were by a great friend, Danny Stradling, and I had no wish to appear nit-picking with her.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canty & Couthy
From: Vic Smith
Date: 23 Apr 16 - 06:15 AM

(where you get honourable mention).

Well, I did record quite a number of the tracks.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canty & Couthy
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 07:35 AM

I stand corrected, Vic - although it's written as "coosie" in the notes here

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/higgins.htm

(where you get honourable mention).

And you have prompted me to re-examine the Musical Traditions CD catalogue - could prove expensive!

Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canty & Couthy
From: Vic Smith
Date: 21 Apr 16 - 10:28 AM

"Tammy Toddles" as sung by Lizzie Higgins:-

Tammy Toddle, he's a canty chiel,
Sae canty and fae coothy
The fairies like him unco weel
An built him a wee hoosie.

An when the hoosie it was built
All finished but the door
The fairy man cam skipping in
An danced upon the floor.

He lowped up, he lowped doon,
He frisked and he flung
'Til peer wee Tammy Toddle
Wes mal maist amang the throng.

Tammy Toddle he's a canty chiel,
Sae canty and tae coothy.
The fairies liked him unco weel
An built him a wee hoosie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canty & Couthy
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 21 Apr 16 - 03:47 AM

Cheers Ross.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canty & Couthy
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 20 Apr 16 - 07:52 PM

The only song I know with "canty and couthy" in it.

The Corries - Westering Home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg0w3XJmq2Q

Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canty & Couthy
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 20 Apr 16 - 10:29 AM

Cheers Dave

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canty & Couthy
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 20 Apr 16 - 09:31 AM

Westering Home?

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Wet string
Wet string who?
Wet string home and a song in the air...

Subject: Lyr Req: Canty & Couthy
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 20 Apr 16 - 09:26 AM

Last night at our pub session one of the customers asked me if I knew a particular song ............ which rang no bells with me.

The only part of the lyrics he thought he knew were:

"Canty and Couthy were all the folks there"

I said I would make some enquiries amongst you good people.