Stormy Weather

[mangerton]

Oh sorry for that. Confusing for children and foreigners. As a small child I thought cast a clout meant hitting someone, hearing a woman in a shop threaten to 'clout' her little boy.

I can't speak for other parts of the UK, but here in the frozen north we would pronounce the words in the saying "cloot" and "oot". "Cloot" as in "clootie dumplings" which I think have been discussed here before.

I'm not sure how "clout" = "hit" is pronounced in the vernacular, but I suspect it would rhyme with "out". In Scotland, the woman you heard would have said, "Dae that again an' I'll clout ye ower the lug!"

There's also the variant "clourin' " or "cloorin' ", which means hitting or beating - or as below, more broadly, damaging. Here's a poem from Scots poet William Soutar:

Black Day

A skelp frae his teacher
For a' he cudna spell
A skelp frae his mither
For cowpin owre the kail.
A skelp frae his brither
For clourin his braw bat:
And a skelp frae his faither
For the Lord kens what.

"skelp" of course is similar to "clout", but rather lighter in touch!

[Serial_Apologist]

"skelp" of course is similar to "clout", but rather lighter in touch!

I.e allowed so long as doesn't leave a mark.

[Anna]

I.e allowed so long as doesn't leave a mark.

I would venture that I always thought "skelping his scalp" is a little more vicious that a clout (or cuff) around the head?
Clout is evidently also the canvas on an archery frame (hence its meaning as cloth or linen) I have yet to savour a clootie dumpling, I suspect they might be rather heavy.
On topic: Sun suddenly broke through at 5pm, it is now a lovely evening.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I'm not sure how "clout" = "hit" is pronounced in the vernacular, but I suspect it would rhyme with "out".

... a familiar-all-too-familiar word from my (Lancastrian) upbringing - such that it surprised me to realize that some of my friends in East Sussex had never heard the word before.

[mangerton]

I would venture that I always thought "skelping his scalp" is a little more vicious that a clout (or cuff) around the head?
Clout is evidently also the canvas on an archery frame (hence its meaning as cloth or linen) I have yet to savour a clootie dumpling, I suspect they might be rather heavy.
On topic: Sun suddenly broke through at 5pm, it is now a lovely evening.

Well, S_A has got it exactly right, I think. A skelp is more of a slap, but a clout would probably involve a fist. Times were hard in the outer reaches of the UK.

On the other hand, you're absolutely correct about the clootie dumpling. They were extremely heavy, especially when fried for breakfast the next day.

I'm not making this up, you know.

[Flosshilde]

Solid rather than heavy, I think. There is a difference - just don't ask me to explain it

Yesterday was a lovely sunny day, & very warm, which made it rather humid. Today promises to be even sunnier & hotter - a bright blue sky just now. A complete contrast to Saturday, which was continual (continuous?) heavy rain in Glasgow (I'm told), & heavy rain up to about 3 o'clock in Dundee, although it did clear after that.

[greenilex]

I wonder whether clot and cloth-ears might be connected - or is clot simply clod?

Now must go and get clad

[salymap]

Well, S_A has got it exactly right, I think. A skelp is more of a slap, but a clout would probably involve a fist. Times were hard in the outer reaches of the UK.

On the other hand, you're absolutely correct about the clootie dumpling. They were extremely heavy, especially when fried for breakfast the next day.

I'm not making this up, you know.

Ah, dear Anna Russell - must play her CDs to cheer myself up.

Re kelp, back in the mists of time I remember something about a 'kelpie' being a wild horse or even ghostly horse. Any help with that welcomed

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Re kelp, back in the mists of time I remember something about a 'kelpie' being a wild horse or even ghostly horse. Any help with that welcomed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelpie

[salymap]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelpie

Many thanks Fernie. I think I had a scary book of Grimm's fairy stories when very young and dimly remember hoping I never met a Kelpie.

Also nice for the link to work on my computer. I updated my browser yesterday and that must be the reason.

[Nick Armstrong]

Talk about putting one's weather complaints in perspective....

[BBMmk2]

Yes, very sad day today, as far as Oklahoma City is concerned.

[marthe]

Checking in from Newport. I've been a bit tied up with odds and ends lately so haven't had much time for online chat. The weather here is finally warming up a bit though it's dark and stormy this evening...no tornadoes in this neck of the woods thank goodness. I feel very sad for all those folks in Oklahoma. Tornadoes, unlike hurricanes, come up quickly giving one little time to get out of the way. Going back through the posts a bit, I came across Caliban's wonderful picture of a bluebell wood! That made my day! Thanks. My few bluebells are just now in bloom. They hardly constitute a bluebell wood but are quite cheering anyway.

[Nick Armstrong]

no tornadoes in this neck of the woods thank goodness. I feel very sad for all those folks in Oklahoma. Tornadoes, unlike hurricanes, come up quickly giving one little time to get out of the way.

I realised last night I had no idea what the difference was, marthe. I mean to look up how come, how they form etc., when I get a moment...

EDIT: Done - of course, hurricanes are much, much larger stormy cyclones forming and travelling large distances over days or even weeks, and which may generate tornadoes which are much more localised and last a matter of minutes over a relatively small distance...

I came across Caliban's wonderful picture of a bluebell wood! That made my day! Thanks. My few bluebells are just now in bloom. They hardly constitute a bluebell wood but are quite cheering anyway.

Glad to have made your day, ma'am

It was special - I'd forgotten the wonderful smell of massed bluebells! Do your garden ones give off a whiff?

[salymap]

Lovely to see a message from marthe. Due to health and computer problems I have neglected to email her recently, bestio marthe

And the tornado casts a shadow over 'The Wizard of Oz' which, of course, is fantasy but what terrible things the weather can throw at us.

We here shouldn't grumble, Cali's right.