BS: what was waterloo porridge?

Subject: what was waterloo porridge?
From: Morticia
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 04:12 PM

As mentioned in Four Loom Weaver?

Subject: RE: BS: what was waterloo porridge?
From: DMcG
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 04:20 PM

This site claims thin porridge. Not very inspiring!

Subject: RE: BS: what was waterloo porridge?
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 04:26 PM

The song, with explanations, at: weaver

Subject: RE: BS: what was waterloo porridge?
From: greg stephens
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 05:30 PM

Waterloo or Waterloo cake was a kind of cattle food. Boil it up.

Subject: RE: BS: what was waterloo porridge?
From: 8_Pints
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 05:56 PM

I seem to remember Sue's mum told us it meant 'water', i.e. soup so thin it contained nothing substantial.

Bob vG

Subject: RE: BS: what was waterloo porridge?
From: greg stephens
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 06:08 PM

I asked an old weaver from Blackburn once what Waterloo porridge meant , and I also asked him what "never picked o'er in his life meant". He thought a bit and said "I don't know, Greg". I thought that bit of local wisdom worth passing on! I cannot swear to the Waterloo cattle cake explanation but it certainly existed and you could certainly make a kind of porridge out of it and could nick it from a barn so it seems logical,

Subject: RE: BS: what was waterloo porridge?
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 12 Apr 02 - 06:56 PM

Roy Palmer in his notes to John O Grinfield in A Touch On The Times gives "thin gruel, with a pun on the first two syllables".

Martha Vicinus in her notes in The Industrial Muse has "porridge made with water, according to Wright's Dialect Dictionary. More probably stale bread with hot water poured over it."

Mick