Where in England

[Munden]

Does anyone know which English town has the 'Muckle Town Bell'?

[Quizmonster]

Carlisle is one English town with a "muckle bell". If you click here, that will link you to a web-page which offers further information. Once there, scroll down to the section headed 'The Guildhall'.

[Munden]

Is Carlisle a town or a city? It may make a difference.

[EliPledge]

"Muckle" is a Scots word meaning big, so it'd have to be somewhere on the border I guess. I think carlisle's a city but some people might still call it a town.

[Quizmonster]

Carlisle's a 'city' by one of the old definitions...ie it contains a cathedral. However, as Eli says above, 'muckle' is the Scottish version of the English word 'mickle', both meaning 'big'. Accordingly, if it isn't Carlisle, it must be somewhere reasonably close by. And I don't know any such place with a bell specifically called the 'muckle' one! Cheers

[buchanan]

I thought mickle meant small and muckle, big - as in "many a mickle macks a muckle" which I have a vague and distant memory as being an old northern saying

[Quizmonster]

Dear Buchanan, Chambers Dictionary mentions your quote, referring to it as "absurd"! It should read: "Mony a pickle mak's a muckle."

I do agree with you, however, that your version is common in Scotland. Perhaps the alliteration of the two letters 'm' is what made it - although wrong - popular.