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Chris -- 2018-04-11
Amongst all the puns about beach holidays there are instances of “do a summer salt”. Writing it as two words suggests a reshaping, but for the fact that the semantics elude. Any ideas?
On the plain in Spain where it mainly rains.
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Al that strikes me is that somersaulting is not a particularly wintry activity and, I suppose, may even have the briny tang of a sunny beach. (When I was a lad anyone somersaulting was described as “cropping their creels”, an expression I can find no evidence of anywhere. The semantics elude here too.)
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Peter, I did turn up a reference to coppling in a Geordie dictionary (don’t visit the site without popup blockers and cross-site scripting filters and other monkey-foot wards in place).
COPPLE. To turn over. Copple your creels – a somersault.
Like topple? So what’s a creel then – I’m guessing it’s not a side-basket for fish. From the same source, this might be related.
CREEL. A basket of wickerwork carried on the back and used to carry hay to sheep in bad weather. The creel of a Cullercoats fish-wife is well known.
So it can be for fish. I like the “bad weather” detail. This may also be related:
CREE. A small hut or pen. Chicken cree.
Cullercoats is up in Northumberland.
Edit: Here’s a reference to “cropple your creels” on page 101.
Last edited by David Bird (2012-12-31 13:12:12)
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