Lyr Req: Rozzin Box(J. Reilly)-tinkers tools?

Subject: Lyr Req: Rozzin Box(J. Reilly)-tinkers tools?
From: GUEST,Barclay
Date: 16 Nov 17 - 09:11 AM

"Rozzin Box" is a fun song collected from the singing of Irish traveller John Reilly (The Bonny Green Tree, Topic 1978) The chorus contains a list of tools that tinkers carry: to me it sounds like

" With his rozzin box, itchy pole, his hammer knife and spoon, and his nipper, tipper, eltic and his soldering iron tool. " Itchy pole??? Eltic??   What are these?

Anyone have the complete lyrics?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rozzin Box(J. Reilly)-tinkers tools?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Nov 17 - 10:24 AM

The Ballad Index quotes these lines as:

With his rosin box and itchy pole, his hammer, knife and spoon,
And his nipper-tipper handstick and his soldering iron tool

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rozzin Box(J. Reilly)-tinkers tools?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 17 Nov 17 - 02:52 PM

"is a fun song collected from the singing of Irish traveller John Reilly"
A version of The Jolly Tinker, in fact
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rozzin Box(J. Reilly)-tinkers tools?
From: GUEST,Senoufou
Date: 18 Nov 17 - 03:52 AM

A rozzin box is a small tray in which one puts crushed rosin. One then places each foot therein to coat the sole with the powder, which makes the soles of the shoes grip hard surfaces more effectively. (They're for sale on ebay!) Perhaps the tinker danced jigs for money? Or perhaps he used the rosin for his fiddle bow?
An 'itchy stick' may have been a 'hitching stick' (again available nowadays) It has a pointed end which is pushed into the ground. A horse or dog can then be safely tethered to it. I've seen travellers use one for their horse (always a piebald or skewbald) while tethering it in a farmer's field in our village.
By the way, there's a racehorse called 'Rozzin Box'!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rozzin Box(J. Reilly)-tinkers tools?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 18 Nov 17 - 04:27 AM

Meant to mention, in the context of John Reilly's songs the 'tools' are erotic images of course
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rozzin Box(J. Reilly)-tinkers tools?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 18 Nov 17 - 04:28 AM

Forgot
Hi Sen
Jim Carroll