Places / Streets etc that sound nothing like they are spelled

biofichompinc · Post by **biofichompinc** » Thu 07 Jun, 2012 8:10 pm

somme1916 wrote: Interesting idea of the "dual" ambiguity of the term (navvi).Check out IMDB 2001 "The Navigators" film by Ken Loach.As well as being blackly comical,it's quite poignant too.Guess where you were brought up/raised had some bearing on an individual's take on the word ! Probably chockful of Yorkshiremen and actors from round here but this film features the acting debut - and by the look of IMDB - and final acting curtain call of Leeds (*) comedian Andy Swallow, who played Len.Andy was a prominent local footballer who was genuinely funny in the dressing room. It was no surprise when he went on to forge a career as an equally funny man in the clubs.(*) Pudsey really

majorhoundii · Post by **majorhoundii** » Thu 07 Jun, 2012 8:56 pm

I believe as has been stated that "navvies" were originally those who cut the "navigations" - like the Leeds and Liverpool, or perhaps more accurately the Calder and Hebble and the Aire and Calder Navigations.In later years however when mechanical power came to excavation, there was the "steam navvy" - steam powered shovel, and then just "the navvy" to indicate any of the rope operated diesel powered shovels based on cranes. Thos Smith of Rodley, Ruston Bucyrus of Lincoln, NCK of Sheffield and Ipswich and Priestman of Hull built these "navvies" in the UK. Among the big American manufactuers were American Hoist, Lima Baldwin and Hamilton, and Manituoc. In later years these machines tended to be found mainly on open cast coal sites. They have been superceded in the last twenty years by hydraulic excavators and the term "navvy" to refer to a mechanical shovel seems to have died out.

book · Post by **book** » Thu 07 Jun, 2012 9:35 pm

After reading this thread I believe the most probable origin of the word came from the the Navigation Canals. The word navvies coined for the canal workers probably comes from navigation but where did the two vv come from and why?

somme1916 · Post by **somme1916** » Thu 07 Jun, 2012 9:48 pm

book wrote: After reading this thread I believe the most probable origin of the word came from the the Navigation Canals. The word navvies coined for the canal workers probably comes from navigation but where did the two vv come from and why? There's no doubt the initial coining was from canal building.....you'd have to ask the navvies though why they got the 2 v's !

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu 07 Jun, 2012 10:23 pm

If you spelled the word with one "v" English pronunciation would render the word the same as "navy".

BillyBritvic · Post by **BillyBritvic** » Fri 08 Jun, 2012 12:22 am

Jogon wrote: billyI've heard that too.The Canals coined the term (often derogatory) 'navvies' - canals were known as "inland navigations".Aire & Calder Navigation etc, and so the bands of travelling workers who built them were known as Navigators, shortened to Navvies. Hi Jogon, you quite rightly point out that the term "Navvy" or more often "Irish Navvy" was often used in a derogatory manner and I believe this to be so at least during the 1960's, when most Irish labourers whether working on building sites, road works etc were all labelled as "Irish Navvies" and they had nothing to do with navigation at all! I have family members who were called such in the 60's so know it was prevailant then. The original term though was for the navigation workers on the canals. They worked hard and they played hard!!!

BillyBritvic · Post by **BillyBritvic** » Fri 08 Jun, 2012 12:22 am

Jogon wrote: billyI've heard that too.The Canals coined the term (often derogatory) 'navvies' - canals were known as "inland navigations".Aire & Calder Navigation etc, and so the bands of travelling workers who built them were known as Navigators, shortened to Navvies. Hi Jogon, you quite rightly point out that the term "Navvy" or more often "Irish Navvy" was often used in a derogatory manner and I believe this to be so at least during the 1960's, when most Irish labourers whether working on building sites, road works etc were all labelled as "Irish Navvies" and they had nothing to do with navigation at all! I have family members who were called such in the 60's so know it was prevailant then. The original term though was for the navigation workers on the canals. They worked hard and they played hard!!!

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Fri 08 Jun, 2012 1:57 pm

The Pogues - Navigator (with lyrics)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh0F41AvO_Q

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Fri 08 Jun, 2012 5:49 pm

salt 'n pepper wrote: somme1916 wrote: Interesting idea of the "dual" ambiguity of the term (navvi).Check out IMDB 2001 "The Navigators" film by Ken Loach.As well as being blackly comical,it's quite poignant too.Guess where you were brought up/raised had some bearing on an individual's take on the word ! Probably chockful of Yorkshiremen and actors from round here but this film features the acting debut - and by the look of IMDB - and final acting curtain call of Leeds (*) comedian Andy Swallow, who played Len.Andy was a prominent local footballer who was genuinely funny in the dressing room. It was no surprise when he went on to forge a career as an equally funny man in the clubs.(*) Pudsey really Andy Swallow is my first (or maybe second cousin) - his mother was my great-aunt's daughter. He was funny from being a little lad. I've quite lost touch with him. If you still know him please contact me on the email address on my profile and I'll give some contact details for you to pass on to him. I'd love to catch up with him if possible.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Sat 09 Jun, 2012 12:53 am

Talking of navvy there is a cave on Elbolton Hill (a limestone reef knoll near Thorpe, close to Burnsall) that is known as Navvy Noodle Hole. It is also known as Elbolton Cave and as Knave Knoll Cave. As Navvy Noodle Hole may be the more recent name I suspect the Navvy Noodle bit may be a fun derivation from Knave Knoll, or not!