The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-23
OLD ENGLISH SIGNS.
Their Rude. and Quaint DOggerel
Humor.
From Beverages.

From Beverages.
Space only permits the mention of a
very few of the more curious signs even
yet in use in Great Britain. The Pig
and Whistle is said to be a corruption
of the old sign of the Peg and Wassail,
abiding to the peg tankards introduced
in Saxon times. The Goose and Grid
iron is a whimsical variation of the
Swan and Harp, which was once COM
mon, the inartistic execution of the
latter sign no doubt affording the sug
gestion. The Tumbling Down Dick is
supposed to be a derisive sign comment
Grating the fall of Richard Cromwell.
Then Dick being lame. rode holding
the pummel,
Not having the wit to get hold of the
rein;
But the jade did so snort at the sight
of a Cromwell,
That poor Dick and his kindred
turn'd footmen again.
The Crooked Billet is a sign for which
1t is difficult to suggest an explanation.
1t is generally represented by a rough,
untrimmed stick hanging before the
door. Near Bridlington is one such, to
which are appended the following lines:
when this comical stick grew in the
wood
Our ale was fresh and very good;
Step in and taste, o do make haste,
For If you don't twill surely waste"
On the other side is the verse:
when you have viewed the other side,
Come read this, too, before you ride,
And now to end we'll let IL pass;
Step in, kind friends, and take a
glass"
The Bull and Mouth, a favorite Lon
don sign in former days, and one still
to be found, is represented by huge
gaping mouth and a small black bull
Just within it's verge This sign dates
from the time of Henry VIII, and cele-
brated his capture of Boulogne Harbor,
or Boulogne Mouth. The Beetle and
Wedge, at first sight, seems very
strange association, but when we re-
member Shakespeare's line,
Flip me with a three-man BEETLE
the matter is clear enough. The three
man beetle" was a hammer or mallet
welded by three men, and used for pile
driving. The Three Lubberheads
Libbards' Heads, "libbard" be-
ing a popular form of the word
leopard. Falstaff is invited to dinner
at the Libbard's Head, in Lumber
street, to Master Smooth's the silk
man?' The Two Pots was the sign I'M
der which the far-famed ale-wife,
Eleanor Rumyng, brewed her "noppy
ale" at Leatherhead. where, according
to Shelton, she made
thereof last ale,
TO travellers. TO tinkers,
To sweaters, to swinkers,
And all good ale drinkers"
The Stewpony Inn, between Kinver
and Stourbridge, might suggest to
some that the Partisan Hippophagic
Society was not much of a novelty
after all. 1t is, therefore, rather dis
appointing to find that the name is
a popular version of the Stourponte
Inn. so-called from bridge over the
Stour, hard by.
The Four Ais, though probably once
the sign of house frequented by the
fraternity of cobblers,. now generally
presents itself in the following lines
with suitable illustrations;
1.-The Ploughman works for All,
The Parson prays for All,
The Soldier fights for All,
And the Farmer pays for AL"
1t seems sad to think that in some
places a pessimistic publican has add
ed fifth AL" the picture represent
ing the Prince of Darkness. rampant.
and looking anything but IA gentle
man." with the grim legend writ be-
meath that he takes AL" Old Pick
my-Toe would seem to be a popular