Definition of "Wally"
Robert & Linda Wilson
I am interested in finding out the origins of the quaint Glasgow
adjective "Wally", (usually pronounced Waaally).
It has been used to qualify nouns such as: Close or dog. i.e. in the
vernacular _- "We hid a wally close in oor tenament". or "He's a wally
dug sittin oan his fireplace."
It obviously refers to the china or porcelin used in the manufacture of
tiles or ornaments. But how china became wally beats me.
Any ideas ?
Colin Batchelor
Robert & Linda Wilson (wil...@tor.hookup.net) wrote:
: I am interested in finding out the origins of the quaint Glasgow
: adjective "Wally", (usually pronounced Waaally).
: It has been used to qualify nouns such as: Close or dog. i.e. in the
: vernacular _- "We hid a wally close in oor tenament". or "He's a wally
: dug sittin oan his fireplace."
My father, from Fife, calls false teeth "wallies", and I begin to see
why. First discovered this when I got a brace for my teeth, and he said
"Let's huff a luik at yir wallies"
--
Yours,
Colin - Nuzzling the soft thighs of human knowledge.
Except Thursdays.
Colin Wilson
Colin Batchelor wrote:
>
> Robert & Linda Wilson (wil...@tor.hookup.net) wrote:
> : I am interested in finding out the origins of the quaint Glasgow
> : adjective "Wally", (usually pronounced Waaally).
>
> : It has been used to qualify nouns such as: Close or dog. i.e. in the
> : vernacular _- "We hid a wally close in oor tenament". or "He's a wally
> : dug sittin oan his fireplace."
>
> My father, from Fife, calls false teeth "wallies", and I begin to see
> why. First discovered this when I got a brace for my teeth, and he said
> "Let's huff a luik at yir wallies"
As Robert & Linda Wilson wrote, it *is* a term for porcelain. The connection
with false teeth is that, at one time, they were made out of porcelain.
The word certainly isn't confined to Glasgow. Colin (the other one) has an
example from Fife, and while a _wally close_ was an unusual thing in my NE
Scotland, _wally dogs_ certainly weren't, and we also used _wallies_ to
mean false teeth.
What the origin of the term is, though, I'd be interested to know.
Colin Wilson.
Ennien and Robin Ashbrook
Colin Batchelor (mert...@sable.ox.ac.uk) wrote:
: Robert & Linda Wilson (wil...@tor.hookup.net) wrote:
: : I am interested in finding out the origins of the quaint Glasgow
: : adjective "Wally", (usually pronounced Waaally).
:
: : It has been used to qualify nouns such as: Close or dog. i.e. in the
: : vernacular _- "We hid a wally close in oor tenament". or "He's a wally
: : dug sittin oan his fireplace."
:
: My father, from Fife, calls false teeth "wallies", and I begin to see
: why. First discovered this when I got a brace for my teeth, and he said
: "Let's huff a luik at yir wallies"
A Glaswegian I used to work with taught me a bit of the patter. One day he
called me up and exclaimed excitedly "Laurie's awa' tae the shop cause her
wallies are faun oot!" -- nearly fell off my chair laughing.
"Geeza Windex" is nearly as good :)
-==- Ennien
: --
: Yours,
: Colin - Nuzzling the soft thighs of human knowledge.
: Except Thursdays.
--
*********************************************************
Robin and Ennien Ashbrook : ashb...@spots.ab.ca
'S e an aimsir a'tionndadh, chan e daoine.
To Each Their Own
*********************************************************
James Burns
In article <324EB8...@tor.hookup.net>
wil...@tor.hookup.net "Robert & Linda Wilson" writes:
> I am interested in finding out the origins of the quaint Glasgow
> adjective "Wally", (usually pronounced Waaally).
>
> It has been used to qualify nouns such as: Close or dog. i.e. in the
> vernacular _- "We hid a wally close in oor tenament". or "He's a wally
> dug sittin oan his fireplace."
>
> It obviously refers to the china or porcelin used in the manufacture of
> tiles or ornaments. But how china became wally beats me.
>
> Any ideas ?
>
A wally could refer to porcelain or china. Pieces of broken china were
called wallies and traded by children in pre-war street games. They were
sometimes used as "peevers". For reasons of similarity somebody who acted
stupidly was called a "wally" 'cause they wurnae the full article. Also
false teeth were called wallies.
The origin could be something to do with the long flapping lugs of
spaniels that used to "wally" fae side to side. Hence a "wally" dug.
--
James Burns
Garry Marling
For your interest - a "Wally" in Australia is an idiot
RICHARD REEKS
-=> Quoting Ennien And Robin Ashbrook to All <=-
EARA> : Robert & Linda Wilson (wil...@tor.hookup.net) wrote:
EARA> : : I am interested in finding out the origins of the quaint Glasgow
EARA> : : adjective "Wally", (usually pronounced Waaally).
EARA> :
EARA> : My father, from Fife, calls false teeth "wallies", and I begin to
EARA> : see why. First discovered this when I got a brace for my teeth, and
EARA> : he said "Let's huff a luik at yir wallies"
Concur -==-
My mother-in-law, born Glasgow 1900, emigrated to US 1925, always refered
to her false teeth as "Wallies".
Dick in VaBeach, researching REEKS, anywhere, anytime.
___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
marybrophy
> In article <324EB8...@tor.hookup.net>
> wil...@tor.hookup.net "Robert & Linda Wilson" writes:
>
> > I am interested in finding out the origins of the quaint Glasgow
> > adjective "Wally", (usually pronounced Waaally).
Means fine or admirable or pleasant to look at, also ornamental.
I Johnston
RICHARD REEKS (richar...@sourcebbs.com) wrote:
: My mother-in-law, born Glasgow 1900, emigrated to US 1925, always refered
: to her false teeth as "Wallies".
My favourite ever newspaper headline:
"Then Jings, Wullie's Wallies Blew Oot".
Go on, guess which newspaper. Hint: D.C Thompson.
Ian
John J. Armstrong
In article <53g08a$8...@scotsman.ed.ac.uk>,
ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk (I Johnston) wrote:
Can't imagine.
My favourite headline was "Man throws wardrobe at wife", from "The Greenock
Telegraph."
It's just occurred to me that some people might think we're both using the
term "newspaper" rather loosely.
John J. Armstrong
Dundee
Scotland
"Indecision is the key to flexibility."
A Myles
ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk (I Johnston) writes:
>RICHARD REEKS (richar...@sourcebbs.com) wrote:
>: My mother-in-law, born Glasgow 1900, emigrated to US 1925, always refered
>: to her false teeth as "Wallies".
>My favourite ever newspaper headline:
> "Then Jings, Wullie's Wallies Blew Oot".
>Go on, guess which newspaper. Hint: D.C Thompson.
The Post?
I've heard them referred to as "Wallie Dugs". Anyone known
why Dugs?
Andy
--
---
WWW? Whit, huv ye goat a stutter?
(Oor Wullie on mordern computer nerds.)
John Mitchell
On 9 Oct 1996 14:28:54 GMT, aj...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk (A Myles) wrote:
>ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk (I Johnston) writes:
>I've heard them referred to as "Wallie Dugs". Anyone known
>why Dugs?
A dug is a dog. A pair of ornamental wallie dugs (often spaniels), one
on either side of the mantelpiece, was common in late Victorian times.
They were still to be found as late as the 1950s when they were ousted
by flying stookie ducks.
Wallie, pronounce "WAH-lay", means china or porcelain but is also
applied to false teeth and cheaper plaster ornaments. The more usual
term for plaster is stookie, for example, if you broke your leg you
would wear a stookie on it.
John
Ray Dunn
In referenced article, A Myles says...
>>RICHARD REEKS (richar...@sourcebbs.com) wrote:
>>: My mother-in-law, born Glasgow 1900, emigrated to US 1925, always
>>: refered to her false teeth as "Wallies".
>
>why Dugs?
Nah. False teeth aren't "wally dugs", they're just "wallies" -
"porcelain" teeth. "Wally dugs" are wally dugs - porcelain ornaments
of dogs.
--
Ray Dunn (opinions are my own) | Phone: (514) 938 9050
Montreal | Phax : (514) 938 5225
r...@ultimate-tech.com | Home : (514) 630 3749
Michael Wade
In article <AE818317...@dial1-port44.sol.co.uk>, "John J.
Armstrong" <jjarm...@sol.co.uk> writes
>
>
>My favourite headline was "Man throws wardrobe at wife", from "The Greenock
>Telegraph."
The best headline I've heard of from a Scottish paper was in the
Scotsman just after the war. A famous South African athlete called
Fanny Blankers-Cohn dramatically won a race in Edinburgh. Headline:
FLYING FANNY THRILLS MURRAYFIELD CROWD.
Recently the Guardian's Centipede column came up with some great
examples of headlines. For example, in the 1950s, there was a well
known explorer called Sir Andrew Fuchs. Times headline:
SIR ANDREW FUCHS OFF TO ANTARCTIC
The following year the poor man went on his travels once more. Times
headline:
SIR ANDREW FUCHS OFF AGAIN.
And one from the second wrold war, can't remember which paper.
EIGHTH ARMY PUSH BOTTLES UP GERMAN REAR
How we laughed.
>
--
Michael Wade
ANNE AHRENS
* In a message to All on 10/09/96, A MYLES said:
>: My mother-in-law, born Glasgow 1900, emigrated to US 1925, always refered
>: to her false teeth as "Wallies".
Wally, a far as I know is a term for some sort of China, or crude
China - in this case, China teeth.
AM> I've heard them referred to as "Wallie Dugs". Anyone known
AM> why Dugs?
Wally dugs are different. Many Scottish homes (my Granny's for
example) had two China dog ornaments, one on either side of the
mantle-shelf of the fireplace, or one on either side of a Welsh dresser
shelf - [chiffonier (spelling?) ]. Perhaps false teeth, being called Wallies,
were also called Wally Dugs, I don't know.
Regards,
Anne
AM> Andy
AM> --
AM> ===
AM> WWW? Whit, huv ye goat a stutter?
AM> (Oor Wullie on mordern computer nerds.)
Anne Ahrens | Internet: an...@onwe.co.za | Pretoria, South Africa
---
* SRP 2.00 #1665 * Three out of five people aren't the other two.
I Johnston
Ray Dunn (r...@ultimate-tech.com) wrote:
: Nah. False teeth aren't "wally dugs", they're just "wallies" -
: "porcelain" teeth. "Wally dugs" are wally dugs - porcelain ornaments
: of dogs.
Wally dugs were an early attempt to use porcelain in an application for
which silicone is now the norm. Unpopular for some purposes, they made
excellent weapons at the Palais.
Ian
John Mitchell
On 11 Oct 1996 16:03:29 GMT, ia...@tattoo.ed.ac.uk (I Johnston) wrote:
>Wally dugs were an early attempt to use porcelain in an application for
>which silicone is now the norm. Unpopular for some purposes, they made
>excellent weapons at the Palais.
Is that you saying you've been out with a couple of dogs in your time?
John
Gordon Comish
In Scotland we talk about a "wally dug (dog)" being an ornament on the
mantlepiece above a fire. Meaning the person is useless.
yours,
Gordon
TAMonro
Gordon Comish <sco...@gn.apc.org> said;
"In Scotland we talk about a "wally dug (dog)" being an ornament on "the
mantlepiece above a fire. Meaning the person is useless.
You must have a gey big fireplace, I keep my wally dug on the staircase
next to the door.
I thought that "wally" in this context meant porcellin. As in a pair of
wallies" So look out you might get bitten <grin>
TAM the bam
don...@keystocks.com
> I am interested in finding out the origins of the quaint Glasgow
> adjective "Wally", (usually pronounced Waaally).
>
> vernacular _- "We hid a wally close in oor tenament". or "He's a wally
> dug sittin oan his fireplace."
>
> It obviously refers to the china or porcelin used in the manufacture of
> tiles or ornaments. But how china became wally beats me.
>
> Any ideas ?
The Phantom Piper
> On Sunday, September 29, 1996 at 12:00:00 AM UTC-7, Robert & Linda Wilson wrote:
>
and, given that many of the posters in this group have died
over those 12 years, I'd advise you not to hold your breath
waiting for a Reply...
Understanding The Present State Of The World Better,
The Phantom Piper
Peter Jason
<ThePhan...@comcast.net> wrote:
>On Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at 11:26:59 AM UTC-7, don...@keystocks.com wrote:
>> On Sunday, September 29, 1996 at 12:00:00 AM UTC-7, Robert & Linda Wilson wrote:
>>
>
>You just necroed a thread that is nearly *TWELVE YEARS* old,
>and, given that many of the posters in this group have died
>over those 12 years, I'd advise you not to hold your breath
>waiting for a Reply...
>
thereby getting a reply from the next world.
kilte...@hotmail.com
The Phantom Piper
>
> The answer is perfectly simple:
is MORE THAN ~TWENTY~ YEARS OLD - surpassing the
old record by over 8 Years!
You win a free Cognitive Capability Test and the
heartfelt thanks of Undead Things everywhere, since
the only folk waiting for a reply have long since
passed on, much like this thread.
Keep Up The Good Work,
The Phantom Piper