So why are some pubs called the Cat & Fiddle?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....ory-British-pubs.html

/// It's My Round: A Personal Celebration Of 2,000 Years Of The British Pub by William Greaves ///

This sounds an interesting, 'pick it up put it down' type of book, for anyone interested in the British Pub.

The retail price is quoted at £9.99, but it can be purchased cheaper on Amazon.

[Mamyalynne]

Oh definitely one I will source, a great article too - thanks!

[weecalf]

From that poem maybe and the cow jumping over the moon ?

[Zhukov]

I know a "Cat & Wheel"..ahem..a spin off from "Catherine Wheel"

and while we"re talking of corruption,Also the "Bag o"Nails"..said,by some,to come from "Bacchanal/ia! :-)

[weecalf]

hey diddle diddle thats it

[Baldric]

See page 15, todays Daily Mail.

[sunny-dave]

Thanks AoG - looks excellent

[redman41]

Sounds like a good read and a fascinating look at British Pubs through the ages

[AB Editor]

"This sounds an interesting, 'pick it up put it down' type of book"

One for the smallest room.

[Lie-in King]

Very interesting - thanks for the link, aog! :-)

[anotheoldgit]

Baldric

/// See page 15, todays Daily Mail. ///

Yet another stunning contribution, I do not buy the Daily Mail, but I do use their excellent web site from time to time.

Hence their link that I provided, for the intelligent ones amongst us.

[mike b]

Sounds fun, but the derivations quoted in the article are rather dodgy 'folk etymology'...

[webbo3]

if you like those kind of books these are really good, ive got quite a few by this author.

http://www.amazon.co....k%3Aalbert+jack+books


Dave.

[wiltsman]

I haven't read yesterdays Daily Mail but here's an explanation I sourced for a local radio programme last year.

There are many theories about the origin of the Cat and Fiddle name for pubs, but no one knows for certain which, if any, is correct.

It is said that 'in the brave days of old', when England was having one of its fairly frequent wars with France, the French port of Calais had been taken by the English and was being held by forces under the command of a worthy knight called Caton.

He was known by the French as 'Caton le fidèle' because of his unswerving loyalty to the king of England.

One of the men who fought with him was a country peasant and when the war was over and this man returned home, he built a house on the site of an old inn, from which he sold ale, wine and mead.

His business became very successful, but his alehouse had no name. Dreaming one night of his former master Caton, he proclaimed that the house would be named after the knight and called 'Caton le fidele'.

This puzzled the local folk, who struggled with the French pronunciation, and their version became 'The Cat and Fiddle'.

[anotheoldgit]

They sound very interesting thanks for the link Dave.

[anotheoldgit]

wiltsman

Interesting reason, but I can't see the French bothering to give him a name, recognising his loyalty to the King of England.

Considering he was their enemy, they would have most likely gave him an insulting name.