"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone. "When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."

Saturday, 7 April 2012

Pele

 
No - not the footballer and pronounces peel!

A pele or pele tower is a small fortified keeps or tower houses, ususlly built along the borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England.  They were principally intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger. By an Act of Parliament in 1455, each of these towers was required to have an iron basket on its summit and a smoke or fire signal, for day or night use, ready at hand.
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3 comments:

  1. Librarian7 April 2012 at 08:04

    You showed a pele on your post about niches, didn't you? And although it was obvious from that post what a pele is, I am glad to read now an explanation on here. Where does the word come from, though?

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  2. Scriptor Senex7 April 2012 at 11:41

    I don't know but since it can also be spelled peel perhaps it was something to do with keeping the eyes peeled???

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  3. Librarian7 April 2012 at 12:35

    Oh! There's a thought! Only the other day I was wondering about this odd saying.

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