'Left Footers'
Ian J
In England at least Roman C. are sometimes referred to as this - anyone know
why??
Please e-mail.
--
Regards,
Ian J.
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E-mail: sal...@btinternet.com
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Niall Graham
>In England at least Roman C. are sometimes referred to as this - anyone know
>why??
In Ireland, a one sided spade like implement was used for cutting turf.
The locals had the blade on one side of the shaft, the settlers
possibly to distinguish themselves, forged their spades with
the blade on the other side which led to the euphemism
"He digs with his left foot".
NG
Peter Cassidy
Ian J (sal...@btinternet.com) wrote:
: In England at least Roman C. are sometimes referred to as this - anyone know
: why??
This is actually an Irish saying, and you have the 'footing'
backwards! The implement used to cut peat, shaped like a thin spade
with an extra blade, is called a slea/n (shlawn) in Irish. Native
Irish people (usually RC) had a slea/n which you operated with your
right foot. When the (normally Prot.) Planters arrived in Ireland
from Scotland, their slea/n was of similar design, thinner, and was
operated with the *left* foot.
Hence the term 'left footer'/'right footer'.
: Regards,
: Ian J.
: E-mail: sal...@btinternet.com
Pete C (champion of useless trivia! 8-) )
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Paul Loosemore
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Peter Cassidy wrote:
Now just hold on there Peter C. As you are no doubt aware Catholics when
entering their pew will genuflect in reverence to the tabernacle. Most
genuflections are made with the right knee hence the "left foot" being forward.
Thus the term "left footers".
I do, though, like the 'rustice' notion of the sod cutters.
Kindest regards from "Ireland West" (Cambridge, Ontario, Canada)
TTFN
PL
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<P>Peter Cassidy wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>Ian J (sal...@btinternet.com) wrote:
<BR>: In England at least Roman C. are sometimes referred to as this -
anyone know
<BR>: why??
<P>This is actually an Irish saying, and you have the 'footing'
<BR>backwards! The implement used to cut peat, shaped like a thin spade
<BR>with an extra blade, is called a slea/n (shlawn) in Irish. Native
<BR>Irish people (usually RC) had a slea/n which you operated with your
<BR>right foot. When the (normally Prot.) Planters arrived in Ireland
<BR>from Scotland, their slea/n was of similar design, thinner, and was
<BR>operated with the *left* foot.
<P>Hence the term 'left footer'/'right footer'.
<P>: Regards,
<BR>: Ian J.
<BR>: E-mail: sal...@btinternet.com
<P>Pete C (champion of useless trivia! 8-) )
<BR>--
<BR>| Peter Cassidy - Sacramento, CA, USA
| Si/ na Samhna, |
<BR>| pcas...@iol.ie - <A HREF="http://www.iol.ie/~pcassidy">http://www.iol.ie/~pcassidy</A>
| Tu/s na Bliain U/r. |
<BR>| ** No unsolicited commercial email **
| Si/ an Chrann Marbh, |
<BR>|
| Deireadh an Tuath. |</BLOCKQUOTE>
Now just hold on there Peter C. As you are no doubt aware
Catholics when entering their pew will genuflect in reverence to the tabernacle.
Most genuflections are made with the right knee hence the <FONT SIZE=+1><U>"left
foot" </U> </FONT>being forward.
<BR>Thus the term "left footers".
<P>I do, though, like the 'rustice' notion of the sod cutters.
<P>Kindest regards from "Ireland West" (Cambridge, Ontario, Canada)
<P>TTFN
<BR>PL</HTML>
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Peter Cassidy
Paul Loosemore (lo...@golden.net) wrote:
[snip]
: Now just hold on there Peter C. As you are no doubt aware Catholics when
: entering their pew will genuflect in reverence to the tabernacle. Most
: genuflections are made with the right knee hence the "left foot" being forward.
: Thus the term "left footers".
Ah, but how does that explain the phrase "kicking with the wrong
foot" - a very common term among Irish catholics for one of their
Protestant brethern?
: Kindest regards from "Ireland West" (Cambridge, Ontario, Canada)
"Ireland West"!! 8-)
: PL
Pete C
Tim Murphy
Ian J wrote:
> In England at least Roman C. are sometimes referred to as this - anyone know
> why??
>
> Please e-mail.
>
Yes.
It is slang. I think that it's derivation must be as follows...
It is to do with Soccer (what we call "football" because we play it with our
feet - unlike the US variety which is also called football... but from what I
have seen seems to be played mainly by the hands for about 30 seconds at a time
and then everybody stops and... anyway that is another story :)
In Soccer "footedness" is like handedness, right handed, left handed, - right
footed, left footed etc. In other words people have a preference for the right
or left foot when kicking the football (which is spherical - not elliptical).
So in common speech, footballers, particularly "strikers" (those who are
positioned to score goals) are referred to as right footers or left footers. In
tackling a player for the ball (with their feet) most right footed players would
have some disadvantage trying to get the ball of a good left footer. It is like
boxing a "southpaw" (a boxer who leads with his left fist), more difficult for a
right handed boxer used to fighting other right handed opponents.
I have heard the term "left footer" applied to Catholics myself and clearly from
the above you can see why since most people in the UK are (nominally) Anglicans.
Regards,
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Tim Murphy
* E-Mail: in...@cinox.demon.co.uk
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Darklady
Peter Cassidy <pcas...@iol.ie> wrote in article
<669ebp$227$1...@nuacht.iol.ie>...
> Paul Loosemore (lo...@golden.net) wrote:
>
> : Now just hold on there Peter C. As you are no doubt aware Catholics
when
> : entering their pew will genuflect in reverence to the tabernacle. Most
> : genuflections are made with the right knee hence the "left foot"
being forward.
> : Thus the term "left footers".
>
> Ah, but how does that explain the phrase "kicking with the wrong
> foot" - a very common term among Irish catholics for one of their
> Protestant brethern?
I haven't had a chance to open any of my reference books but I seem to
recall an idea that one has a "correct foot" to place in a church first
upon entering.
-- Darklady
--
http://www.spiritone.com/~darklady
http://www.xmag.com
janet
In article <01bd01b4$0fb36cc0$3d6d...@darklady.spiritone.com>, Darklady
<dark...@spiritone.com> writes
Ah! Now that is interesting!
Like never going around a church "widdershins"?
(Anticlockwise, or counterclockwise, for my compatriots)
--
janet
Whether the angels play only Bach in praising God I am not quite sure;
I am sure, however, that 'en famille', they play Mozart
Karl Barth