Tuesday 11 June 2024

Bowlderise

 Bowlderise- verb meaning to omit or change parts of text [usually in literature] considered vulgar.

Yes it's a new-to-me word alert and all triggered by this photo which I took in Shrewsbury👀


This delight is to be found in the middle of the medieval quarter of the city and some say its origins lie in the narrowness of the street as the overhang of the houses almost meet making it necessary for any pedestrians to grope their way along in such a confined and dark space. That's a little too twee an explanation for my liking as the area was known as the place where the prostitutes would meet up to ply their trade. This is its name in a more acceptable form, but it and other examples elsewhere would most probably have had a word rhyming with runt, but starting with a c at the end of it. If you came here you'd have been left in no doubt as to what went on here. It's quite remarkable that this has survived even in its bowlderised form as many have been replaced by new names which doesn't carry even the slightest whiff of rudeness. I couldn't resist sharing this with you all😁 Yes the Mistress of Weirdness is back after her exciting travels and ready to share yet more nonsense with you!

Arilx

4 comments:

  1. All hail the Mistress of Weirdness!~ Welcome home Aril

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  2. A grope is an old Suffolk word and is that small cutting in the side of a road to take water to the ditch! Very boring.
    Look forward to more of the interesting things you find to photograph and share

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  3. The equivalent street in York has been further sanitised to Grape Lane. I don't think the original would look very good on tourists' photos, either in York or Shrewsbury and it would definitely give the woke crowd a fit of the vapours! The past is definitely a foreign country.

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  4. Bowlderise I have heard of but the rest of the story is all news ... a\nd I do wonder how you came upon the info😋😎🤣

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