MEANING of ' gaudie' in Sweet Kumadee??

Subject: RE: MEANING of ' gaudie' in Sweet Kumadee??
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 04 Jul 18 - 06:32 PM

Geoff,
Jock either got this version from a MacColl recording or direct from The Singing Island as MacColl's version is the only one with that title and nomenclature. Bronson states MacColl learnt it from his mother. My opinion FWIW is it's a simple corruption of 'French Galley' as found in many other versions. Lots of similar names are given to ships of other European countries, galleon, galliot etc.

Subject: RE: MEANING of ' gaudie' in Sweet Kumadee??
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 03 Jul 18 - 02:48 AM

"Gaudir is a Spanish possibly Catalan "
That makes perfect sense to me when you remember how servicemen fighting in wars would half- absorb foreign words and make them their own and put them into songs - the French "parlez-vous" became "parley voo" in one WW1 song.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: MEANING of ' gaudie' in Sweet Kumadee??
From: r.padgett
Date: 03 Jul 18 - 01:58 AM

Gaudir is a Spanish possibly Catalan verb and may have a French verb of similar meaning I think that in the context of the song the wordy Flashy or ostentatious would be polite term >>> in English >>> the, big bastard capable of doing a lot of damage as a French Man of War, Gallion was! being a noun derived from the verb

Ray

Subject: RE: MEANING of ' gaudie' in Sweet Kumadee??
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 02 Jul 18 - 02:27 AM

The Child glossary gives "gaudie" as "stately", "ostentatious", "dashing" or "colourful" - all make sense to me.
It appears to be a reference to the ballad before 'Vanitee' - 'George Aloe and the Sweepstake' (Child 285), which is about a French ship
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: IMEANING of ' gaudie' in Sweet Kumadee??
From: Lighter
Date: 01 Jul 18 - 07:31 PM

In the song it may not mean much, unless "Gaudie" (for "Gaudy") is the name of the French ship.

No Scots dictionary seems to include the meaning "man of war," which I suggest is merely a wild guess to make sense of the line.

Nor is "gaudie" in the OED.

A "goudie," however, is defined as a corporate official who kept one of two or more keys to the cash-box. It seems not to have been very common.

So the mystery remains.

Subject: RE: IMEANING of ' gaudie' in Sweet Kumadee??
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 01 Jul 18 - 02:59 PM

The Folkways English and Scottis Ballads series gives "man of war - The Chambers Scots Dictionary gives 'tricky, mischievous and Barrier and Leland's 'Slang, Jargon and Cant' gives 'grand feast' (and also a ceremony connected with the legal profession
Take your pick
Will try 'Naval Ballads' and some of the older collections when 'Poldark' is finished
Good luck
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: IMEANING of ' gaudie' in Sweet Kumadee??
From: r.padgett
Date: 01 Jul 18 - 01:51 PM

Ah ah I have checked the Singing Island by Ewan MacColl and the Glossary simply states that gaudie is a gallion (galleon?)

Ray

Subject: MEANING of ' gaudie' in Sweet Kumadee??
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 01 Jul 18 - 01:05 PM

I learned The Sweet Kumadee from the late Ian Manuel . From its context in the song I can see that a "French gaudie" must be a sailing vessel but I would like to know the precise meaning and if possible the origin of " gaudie".
Lyrics in The Digitrad