happy? – Dec 20 (the great bell at Bow)

Subject: happy? – Dec 20 (the great bell at Bow)
From: Abby Sale
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 08:09 AM

        I am sure I don't know
          Say the great bell at Bow.
  
                  "Oranges and Lemons," The Annotated Mother Goose,
                  Baring-Gould (grandson, BTW, of Sabine 1834-1924) & Baring-Gould; 1962.
                  At p253 it gives "Bow" as referring to St. Mary-le-Bow in Cheapside. 

Since those and only those born within the sound of Bow bells are Cockneys, technically, no Cockneys were born from their silencing in 1939 and bombing (1940?) until they were again rung on 12/20/1961

We have further clarification [thanx Paul Draper]: Seems they changed the definition of Cockney so that people living in the Diaspora (Newham, Waltham Forest, Havering etc.) can have their children brought up in the faith. It is believed the usual new definition is born within 10(?) miles of a line running SW-NW through the centre of London. It's not clear how long this line is supposed to be - it's diffucult to imagine South American tribesmen or Russian peasants eating pie & mash or jellied eels or singing "Bubbles" in the local rub-a-dub.

We have no information whether Orthodox, Liberal, Conservative and Reform Cockenses all accept this liberalized, watered-down usage. We describe with editing but without editorializing.

Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved
What are Happy's all about? See Clicky

Subject: RE: happy? – Dec 20 (the great bell at Bow)
From: Snuffy
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 09:39 AM

Was the other Baring-Gould in 1962 not related to Sabine at all then?

Subject: RE: happy? – Dec 20 (the great bell at Bow)
From: Effsee
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 12:52 PM

"a line running SW-NW".....erm, shouldn't that be SW-NE?

Subject: RE: happy? – Dec 20 (the great bell at Bow)
From: Mo the caller
Date: 20 Dec 05 - 04:10 PM

maybgranddaughter-in-law?

Subject: RE: happy? – Dec 20 (the great bell at Bow)
From: Abby Sale
Date: 21 Dec 05 - 09:31 AM

Mo: :-) Yes, William S & Ceil. Of near NY City. Neither ministers nor folklorists - I don't know what else they've done. He was a business executive before getting into the writing business.

Effsee: Would certainly make more sense. Thanks, I'd missed that. Now that I look, I think Paul must have meant the rest figuratively. I can't make a single line through London cut through both any part of Russia and any part of S. America.