The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Like bars of soap with a strop on, those little tench. Love 'em to bits!

"Daffy" - that's got me beaten - Daffy duck? Daffy-dill? Neither of those rhymes with a number that I can think of...

"Daffy" meaning lots. It was a word my father in law used, an east end colloquialism.

Very nice Fredline, I do love catching Tench, no matter what the size they always give a good account of themselves and are a joy to view once out of the water. Just as an aside... Daffy to me is also East London related, Daffy's Elixir was a quack type cure sold from a premises at Bow Churchyard by Dicey and Co, it goes back to the 1600's originally.

http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/o ... 99.article

Amazing what you find out when things wobble off topic.
I doubt I'd have had the nerve to by an elixir from a firm called "Dicey", but it seems to have been good stuff.
Thank you both!

Fredline wrote:"Daffy" meaning lots. It was a word my father in law used, an east end colloquialism.

My father used the word "cotchell" to describe a collection or handful of anything, another odd word, not sure if the spelling is right, let alone how it originated?

Lea Dweller wrote: My father used the word "cotchell" to describe a collection or handful of anything, another odd word, not sure if the spelling is right, let alone how it originated?

I believe that it's "cotchel," defined in the OED as "a portion (of grain, etc.) left in a sack or bag; a small remnant of a larger quantity." Origin unknown. Labelled as "local" for derivation.

Thank you sir, I am pleased to have an answer, I have not heard the word used for many years, I suspect that many such words have gone forever!

Lea Dweller wrote:Thank you sir, I am pleased to have an answer, I have not heard the word used for many years, I suspect that many such words have gone forever!

Not forever, Sir. There are those of us, like Mrs. AC and I, who delight in the use of words from our past ... like one of our favourites 'to fossick' ... apparently from the Antipodes, but derived from the Old English 'to ferret about' or 'rummage.'

Well done Fred, the fish has that lovely tenchy colour and that big fat tail, the seemingly common double figure tench started off like yours
Tight lines Dave

stunner!