Thedford in auction

[Grant]

The included web site includes this drivel:


Whatta loada.

Any idea what "straplings" are?

Jeff

First Post:

I too had never run accross the term "straplings".

It's not in the "dictionary" - but can be found on the web - used during that time period - and even today.

From what I can find "straplings" equates to - in this case - virgin wood.

It's hard to find - but this term still seems to be used mostly to describe small samples of new wood.

There are many words that were used in the past that never made it into the "dictionary".

My interpretion of "fresh oak straplings" is "virgin oak" - which seems to meet the barrel requirements for Bourbon today.

Remember the childhood story of the "Three Little Pigs" ( not what we read in the books - but the original story )

It refers to "straplings" as children:
...Upon a time there lived a homely hog woman, and her three straplings.
They lived in a bare brush hut in the forest, and they did live in squalor, and
they were tortured by many hooligans and wild beasts...

[TNbourbon]

...Remember the childhood story of the "Three Little Pigs" ( not what we read in the books - but the original story )

It refers to "straplings" as children:
...Upon a time there lived a homely hog woman, and her three straplings.
They lived in a bare brush hut in the forest, and they did live in squalor, and
they were tortured by many hooligans and wild beasts...

This is akin to my familiarity with the word, though its use in the north woods of my youth also involved kinship to forestry. I've many times heard strong, hearty (usually male) youths or young adults referred to as 'straplings'. Better to be a strapling than a sapling, in fact, in that neck of the woods.

[scratchline]

Strapling. Maybe a conflation of "stripling" and "strapping" as far as the youngster usage goes. And a combination of "sapling" and "strapping" to get the timber meaning.

Where can one find the original story of "The Three Little Pigs"?

[Grant]

Strapling. Maybe a conflation of "stripling" and "strapping" as far as the youngster usage goes. And a combination of "sapling" and "strapping" to get the timber meaning.

Where can one find the original story of "The Three Little Pigs"?

The Story of the Little Pigs Three, a Biblical form of the Three Little Pigs

1. Upon a time there lived a homely hog woman, and her three straplings. They lived in a bare brush hut in the forest, and they did live in squalor, and they were tortured by many hooligans and wild beasts.

2. On one day, a wolf came to pester forsooth. And he did huff and he did blow, and he did blow yon pighut down. The hog woman did send her young into the wilderness to escape the beast, and they did so. Thus the wolf did eat the poor hog woman.

3. Thus the three pigs were sent into the world to fend hunger, and thirst, and cold. The pig of lineage closest to the hag pig, did set himself apart from his brother and went his merry way. The next oldest pig set himself apart from his next of kin, and went on his own way. The youngest pig did build a hut of grass. The middle child did make a hut of sticks, and he could be seen in the distance carrying a fagot across his back. The third and oldest pig did build a house of bricks for he did know much about architecture.

4. The wolf did look upon these happenings with slavering jowls, and dripping snout. How did resolve to blow down these lodgings and gobble the inhabitants on the morrow. And on that morn, he blew upon the hut of straw, and he did gobble the pig into quivering chunks. Then he went to the house that beheld the second pig, And he did blow it down, and he did devour the pigeon inside. When he got to the third house, the Great Pig Snortimer was awaiting him. This was the last and oldest pig, and he did wield a great Claymore sword. With one chop the pig did lop off the head of the evil wolf, and blood did steam and there was much rejoicing. Then the remains of digested pig did ooze out of the cut. The Great Pig Snortimer did apply healing herbs to the chunks of pig, and the pigs were restored, and there was much rejoicing.

5. Thus the pigs did wallow and rejoice in the blood of the wolf, and they did rest in the house of the Great Pig Snortimer for the rest of their days.

[gr8erdane]

Sounds like hogwash to me....

[Grant]

Sounds like hogwash to me....

gr8erdane - you caught me!

Apologies to all - it seems that my research last night was somewhat influenced by the Knob.

The Three Little Pigs story that I posted - containing the word "straplings" appears to be an essay that is being sold over the Internet to those that need help for their creative writing course. I did post this because I thought it was factual at the time - I did not take the time to research it.


But - I did find something else that may support TNbourbon's familiarity with the word "straplings" :

15th Vermont Infantry Biography

http://www.vermontcivilwar.org/units/15/brown10.php

...There are no Generals, no Captains, no Lieutenants, or Corporals here to night. All privates, and it was not long before the hall was full of high privates in the rear ranks. It kind of knocked the shoulder straps to be obliged to dance with the high privates. The line officers of the different regiments got the thing up and were going to have no privates in, but then the general came he just opened the doors and gave them all a chance to share. Even down to the [edit] which made some of the under straplings look rather wild...