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Glossary of Vict. Occupations for Researchers
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Hello Archaic,
I think a mangler is a wrestler.
Fagetter - A female cigarette maker (as in 'fags').
Dexter - A glove maker.
Platelayer - A housemaid.
Jack - Someone who climbs to high places to repair them.
Wabster - I think you made this one up.
Wonkey-scoop: I don't think we would have had THESE in England! We have got our standards, you know.
Carol
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Road to Damascus...
Spoilsport! Knowall! Cocky whatsit! etc.
Incidentally, as regards "Jack" I suspect you're right (as in steeplejack); now why didn't I think of that? What a dummy!
Fred Dibnah Steeplejack the Ripper...he dunnit!
Dave
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Oddly Named Victorian Occupations
Hi everyone.
Dave is right, a mangler is one who works a mangle, a simple machine for squeezing the water out of washed fabrics by brute force and pressing them semi-flat. The character 'Old Betty' and the boy known as 'Sloppy' work a mangler in Dickens' book 'Our Mutual Friend".
Carol, I didn't make any of those bizarre occupations up, I got them all from the list of Victorian Occupations at the top of the thread!
Dave got the most right- he was correct about mangler, correct about a platelayer being one who lays railroad-track, correct about a cordwainer being a cobbler, and correct about a faggetter being one who bundles up firewood.
Dave, I'd like to say that you win a first-edition signed copy of something, but alas, you only win our undying admiration and a couple of lousy virtual balloons.
(Don't pop them.)
'Fagetter': A bundler of firewood to sell.
'Dexter': A dyer (as in fabric-dyer.)
'Platelayer': One who lays railroad track.
'Jack': A young male assistant, sailor, or lumberjack.
'Wabster': A weaver (there's a good old Spitalfields-related term for you.)
'Wonkey-scoop': A driver who operates a one horse scoop.
>>The type of scoop isn't specified... is it for digging holes during construction and taking away the dirt? Does anybody know?
ArchaicLast edited by Archaic; 04-14-2012, 09:41 PM.
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Originally posted by Archaic View PostHi everyone.
Dave is right, a mangler is one who works a mangle, a simple machine for squeezing the water out of washed fabrics by brute force and pressing them semi-flat. The character 'Old Betty' and the boy known as 'Sloppy' work a mangler in Dickens' book 'Our Mutual Friend".
Carol, I didn't make any of those bizarre occupations up, I got them all from the list of Victorian Occupations at the top of the thread!
Dave got the most right- he was correct about mangler, correct about a platelayer being one who lays railroad-track, correct about a cordwainer being a cobbler, and correct about a faggetter being one who bundles up firewood.
Dave, I'd like to say that you win a first-edition signed copy of something, but alas, you only win our undying admiration and a couple of lousy virtual balloons.
(Don't pop them.)
'Fagetter': A bundler of firewood to sell.
'Dexter': A dyer (as in fabric-dyer.)
'Platelayer': One who lays railroad track.
'Jack': A young male assistant, sailor, or lumberjack.
'Wabster': A weaver (there's a good old Spitalfields-related term for you.)
'Wonkey-scoop': A driver who operates a one horse scoop.
>>The type of scoop isn't specified... is it for digging holes during construction and taking away the dirt? Does anybody know?
Archaic
According to the definition of the word 'mangler' ( I quickly checked) then both Dave and I are correct- which version is oldest I do not know- but if one only refers to the Dickens example, then yes, Dave is correct.
Most elder posters here will remember the old music hall one liner handed down via tv of " I havent laughed so much since grandma got her left tit caught in the mangle"
best wishes
PhilChelsea FC. TRUE BLUE. 💙
Justice for the 96 = achieved
Accountability? ....
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Manglers & Mangles
Originally posted by Phil Carter View Posti think 'Mangler' comes from 'to mangle'- i.e to cripple or destroy or deform. I presume therefore a mangler is one who does the above?
(I think a person employed to "cripple or destroy or deform" might be termed a 'Mafia Hitman'?)
If in the Victorian Era a person's occupation is noted as "mangler", then it means they operated a mangle- a simple machine that forcibly squeezed the excess water out of washed sheets & clothing by pressing them very hard between large rollers. The rollers had a tensioning device that had to be laboriously tightened by hand, loosened, and tighted again as the clothes were passed through bit by bit.
The meaning of "mangler" isn't unique to Dickens. I just used that as a clue because two of his well-known fictional characters earn their living operating a mangle. As mangles are mentioned repeatedly in 'Our Mutual Our Friend', I thought that clue might help jog people's memories.
Here's a link to a lovely photo of a c. 1880's mangle with a brief explanation of how it worked, courtesy of Shortfinal's blog. (A very nice blog by the way; check it out.) http://shortfinals.wordpress.com/201...s-and-rhubarb/
Earlier in the 19th C. mangles were even larger and more primitive. Operating one of these was an extremely physical job, but they were considered quite modern conveniences as they cut down on drying time.
Best regards,
Archaic
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