Hatchet job from the Herald on Lineham

[Apollo441]

https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/columnists/23733367.nobodys-laughing-graham-linehan-stand-up-row-rumbles/

But the comments disagree.

Pronouncing Cockburn as Coburn is bowdlerisation.

There's a great paragraph in my one book on surnames:

"The squeamishness which insists on spelling Rowbottom as Robotham and pronouncing it Roebotham and in pronouncing Bottom as Bot-tom and Sidebottom as Siddybottarm, also says Coburn for Cockburn, Cofield for Cockfield, Coshot for Cockshott, Glasscoe for Glasscock and Sandercoe for Sandercock"

Does it say anything about 'Shakeshaft', I've always been curious?

It's virtually identical to Shakespeare, the much rarer Shakelance and Wagstaff(e).

They are all a combination of a verb meaning to brandish and the name of weapon, such as spear or lance. 'Shaft' and 'staff' both refer to the length of wood to which the pointy bit is attached - spear shaft and pike staff (as in "as plain as a pikestaff").

Presumably a nickname for a soldier or one renowned for martial prowess - or one inclined to aggression or boasting about his ability as a fighter.

Oh, I thought it might have something to do with a badly dug mine. Thank you.

Sandercock sounds pretty niche.

Mind, there was a show on Ch4 in the 90s about that.

Sandercock comes from Sander, a pet name for Alisandre, the French form of Alexander that came into England in the Middle Ages. Sander is what gives us Sanders and Saunders.

After the Renaissance the form Alexander took over, with all its own pet names, including Xander.

No connection at all with a recent story involving an adventure park and power tools.

I've got some Pocock cousins, and went to school Richard Bottom but I'm not sure he's called that now though.

But going to Barry Did-Cock - there's a couple called Chris Peacock that were often mentioned in our church newsletter. Christine and Christopher, I presume, although personally I'd insist on full names at all times rather than being called "The Chris Peacocks."

As in 'crispy cock',@LyingontheGrassonSundaymorningofLastWeek?

Some of my family are from East Anglia and one branch delights in the name Gotobed.

I met someone once who told me of a Mr Gotobed who married a Miss Easy.

I am very impressed by Chersfrozenface's knowledge of surnames & their origins.

A small digression...

Your Pocock cousins' name is the same as Peacock.

The -cock here is ME -cocc, a male bird. The first element -pe(a) and -po is from the name of the bird in different languages, all from the Latin 'pavo'

The 'po' bit also gave surnames like Poe, as in Edgar Allan.

I work in insurance and at an old company I worked for we had a client called C Mycock. I used to smile to myself every time I got his file out (not a euphemism!).

Here's an archive of the article.

https://archive.ph/UQYDC

Rereading it, it's like a first draft. It's all over the place. I don't know why he dragged Hamlet into it. There's casual sexism as well as ageism, why stress 'mostly female'? And 'London based', 'Dublin born', a bit 'you're not from round 'ere'. But when he goes off on the Kitchener poster, I'm not sure he intends it, but it sounds a little supportive. He also mentions the strikes against Glinner, banned from twitter, the WYP (of lesbian nan fame) police warning but shorn of context. Though he is fair enough the bring up the reprehensible 'terf' shooting computer game. He asks what's Graham interest, what's his 'skin in the game' and answers his own question.

I'm not sure this guy has ever really thought about the issue before. I'm probably wrong but I wouldn't be surprised if he's a 'be kind', TRSOH and never had to give it any deeper consideration prior to writing this.

I am a word geek - place names, surnames, personal names are aspects of that.

Also my house is overrun with books.

Each to their own.

My most favourite something-bottom

Given he mentions how Graham's career has tanked solely because of his beliefs, how he feels about it (great cancelled joke there from GL), the indefensible Terfenstein, the effect on Graham's personal life and the fact he has multiple followers and supporters, it's hardly a "hatchet job." It's reasonably balanced except for the "mostly elderly onlookers" comment - judging from the photo itself.
The Comedy Unleashed Kitchener comment amused me, so should be fine according to their own mantra.
‘Our red line is: are they funny?’: free speech comedy clubs and the battle over onstage offence | Comedy | The Guardian
It's the Jerry Sadowitz argument all over again/hate speech vs freedom of speech/humour and offence.

Oh no! I went to school with a Pocock, a Bottoms and a Titt. And a Bandy.

I very briefly met someone called Betty Butter 😍

@loislovesstewie taking the register must have been a riot!

If I'd been taking the register, I'd have used first names Two with the same name? Carol B and Carol G.

Now this, this is a hatchet job. Poorly thought out, illogical and possibly libellous though.

https://www.thenational.scot/culture/23739302.graham-linehans-hatred-wont-welcome-independent-scotland/

Totally off topic but this is fascinating and prompted me to do some further digging - apparently Adcok was a diminutive of Adam and Wilcok of William.

Also apparently surnames ending in -kin or -kins are based on a similar diminutive. eg the surname Perkins comes from a nickname for Peter, Perkyn.

Comments are interesting - all the most popular ones are pro-Linehan.

in 2018 was given a verbal police warning over a Twitter row with a trans activist.*

*aka Stephanie Hayden - see thread on this board!

Is that her? She's up a bit distracted, what with her GCSEs revision still to do.