Victim solitary

[Mayerling]

It strikes me, concerning bi-lingual abilities of the canonical five, as the ladies all resided in or near Whitechapel, with it's Jewish population (mostly from eastern and middle Europe) they probably picked up some Yiddish terms (like "schmuck" or "schlemiel" or "goniff"). If any used the term "kaibosh" (as in "to put the kaibosh on that plan of yours!" meaning to stop the plan), that's a "Yiddishism". In fact, Charles Dickens used it in one of his novels.

I doubt if they would have picked up Hebrew, unless some had a regular customer who was a religious type or rabbinical student.

Jeff

[Mayerling]

I wonder if Eddowes got any gratuities from her fire engine performance.

Hmm, instead of being arrested for "hooking" she was arrested for "hook and laddering"!

Jeff

[Mayerling]

And some people just like to sing, I can't sing to save my life, but does that stop me?? No way.

Thanks for the warning GUT.

Actually, although I did some amateur musicals in school when young, when I sing in the shower my friends have kindly told me to shut up.

Jeff

[sdreid]

Eddowes and Kelly did have the "fact" in common that they were both heard singing shortly before their murder.

[sdreid]

She probably got a free cuppa in the clink.

[sdreid]

I wonder if Eddowes got any gratuities from her fire engine performance.

[Rosella]

Well the noise levels must have been horrendous even without them but people did complain in Camden about barrel organs (some with dancing dogs and monkeys) playing at night, sometimes till past midnight.

There were also bagpipers and street bands, as well as people at street markets doing the thimble trick and other tricks of the trade. There were lots of beggars, as well as people like watercress sellers and others shouting their wares in the streets.

A doctor complained in the late 1860's that cab drivers would have shouted conversations with each other from opposite sides of the street! We know some people became ill with the noise of London life and things like street musicians certainly wouldn't have helped.

[sdreid]

I wonder if there were many street performers in Whitechapel back then.

[GUT]

Weren't there barrel organs (hurry-gurdies) on the streets then, with pet monkeys on top, playing popular music? People would gather round and sometimes dance and sing. I think it's more likely though that Mary would have heard it sung at a pub. I believe amateurs with good voices would sometimes get up and sing for a few pennies at pubs.

And some people just like to sing, I can't sing to save my life, but does that stop me?? No way.

I also know songs that I have no idea how I know them. Certainly songs I've never heard in a movie or TV or radio, just heard someone sing them somewhere sometime.

As you say maybe in the pub and remember a good old sing along was a pretty popular form of entertainment well into the 20th century.

[Rosella]

Weren't there barrel organs (hurry-gurdies) on the streets then, with pet monkeys on top, playing popular music? People would gather round and sometimes dance and sing. I think it's more likely though that Mary would have heard it sung at a pub. I believe amateurs with good voices would sometimes get up and sing for a few pennies at pubs.

[sdreid]

I believe sheet music was a big thing back then as well but I doubt that Mary could have read it.

Mary may not even have been literate in the written word.

[sdreid]

I believe sheet music was a big thing back then as well but I doubt that Mary could have read it.

[sdreid]

Very possible GUT

[GUT]

Or she heard someone else sing it in the pub or in the street or even one of the girls she worked with.

[sdreid]

That's probably likely since phonographs were rare at that time, even among the rich.